CHAPTER 5... Interview
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"Miss Roosevelt?" The receptionist asked as Jazmine nodded.
"One moment, Miss."
Jazmine stood to the side and watched her make a call before turning to face her with her smile still on.
"He's waiting," the blonde receptionist came out of her cubicle. "Come with me."
Jazmine followed her in silence as they mounted the elevator. Her mind worked in different ways. She could literally feel her heart thumping in her chest. She kept clenching and unclenching her fists nervously. Her feet tapped rhythmically as she watched the numbers of the elevator count upwards.
The receptionist noticed and turned to face her. "Nervous?"
Jazmine nodded and let out a smile; an awkward one.
The blonde chuckled and turned to face the door as the elevator door opened on the fortieth floor. Jazmine trailed behind her, letting her eyes roam about.
She stopped when the receptionist came to a stop before a closed door.
"Miss Roosevelt, being nervous on the first day of work is perfectly normal," the blonde said, hoping Jazmine could feel better. "Just be yourself. Mr. Sylvian doesn't bite."
'I bet he doesn't,' Jazmine whispered inwardly. She whispered a small 'thank you' to the receptionist and proceeded to knock on the door.
A baritone voice responded from within, telling her to let herself in. Jazmine took another one of those raspy breaths and gathered her wits before pushing the door open.
"Here goes nothing..."
Jazmine's jaw hung open the very instant she stepped into the office.
The sun's light, filtering through the tall glass windows, cast a warm glow upon the sleek office. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the faint scent of an exotic flower-scented air freshener. The large office space was adorned with exquisite furnishings, creating the perfect amount of sophistication and efficiency.
In the middle of the space was a large desk made of red mahogany. Far behind it were tastefully decorated shelves, holding a great number of books. Each shelf had been carefully organized and arranged. The room itself was adorned with inspiring artwork, adding beauty to the space.
For a moment, Jazmine thought she had seen it all until her eyes caught sight of the man standing by the window. He seemed to be staring outside, with a phone to his ear.
Jazmine shifted to the side, trying to compose herself before he would turn to her. She couldn't stop her eyes from running over the man.
Taller than most men, at about six four, he seemed to have caught her attention. Jazmine cocked her head, enjoying the view of his broad shoulders from the back. He had a very great body, narrow at the waist, broad at the top region. The sleeves of his crisp white shirt had been folded up to his elbows, giving her a clear view of the bulging veins on his arms. She was convinced that he was a hard worker at the gym.
He was clad in a pair of black trousers that failed to hide both the length and strength of his legs. On his feet, he had on the shiniest pair of black leather shoes; Jazmine could bet those shoes would cost almost a thousand dollars.
Only seeing him from behind, Jazmine had concluded that he was breathtakingly handsome. Just when she was about to inspect his black hair that had been trimmed to a short, conservative cut, he put the phone away and turned around.
"Do have a seat, Miss Roosevelt," he said, in the most husky voice she had ever heard.
The man extended a hand to the chair across his desk and shoved the other into his pocket, but poor Jazmine was still standing... Staring wide-eyed.
As she looked at him, Jazmine realized that his eyes were a golden-brown color, tinged with tiny flecks of black around the rim of his iris.
"Miss Roosevelt?"
His cologne, a masculine combination of sandalwood and something citrusy, drifted into her nose, intoxicating her.
For a moment, she had stopped breathing until he spoke.
"Hello, Miss Roosevelt?"
Jazmine broke out of her trance and brought her head down in embarrassment; she had been caught staring.
Trying to mask her nervousness, she stretched her hand out to him without meeting his gaze.
"Mr. Sylvian, hello."
The man shook his head before shaking her hand for the briefest time possible.
"Call me Austin. Take a seat."
This time, Jazmine took her seat quickly, keeping her eyes glued to the tabletop. As his tall and muscular body folded into his swivel chair, Jazmine could not help stealing glances while still silently sighing.
"So?" Austin began, folding his arms on the table. His eyes were looking up at the clock behind Jazmine, but she thought he was looking at her. So, she quickly raised her head up, making sure she was looking above him.
"I'm here for the new personal assistant's position, Sir."
"So I was informed," Austin said, his husky voice melting into an amused tone. Yet, his expression remained impassive.
"So, Miss Roosevelt…"
"Jazmine…" She cut in quickly. She was not used to being referred to as 'Miss.' The whole 'Miss' thing was strange and awkward to her. "It's Jazmine. Sir."
"Jazmine…" Austin said the name, nodding at how the words rolled off his tongue. His lips curled up, not so noticeably though, at the top. "Would you like to tell me why my uncle insists that you are the best candidate for the job?"
Jazmine froze, her face instantly paling at the question. How was she going to answer? Watson had not told her how to answer questions like these.
"H-how do you mean, sir?" She stuttered, unsure how to answer. She continued to fidget with her fingers that were placed on her legs.
If she did not think of a suitable reply to his question, she would be jeopardizing everything. That would mean the end of the contract. That would also mean her mother's intended treatment would be forfeited.
Nah! That didn't sound good at all. Very bad.
Seeing her reluctance, Austin scoffed internally.
"Your records, if what I got were correct, show that you have never worked as a personal assistant before," Austin's eyes narrowed down on her face. He leaned back in his seat and continued. "So, that leaves me wondering why you would take a job that you have no idea how to deal with. You studied law in school, right?"
Jazmine nodded almost too quickly. She still hoped he would not see through her. Sitting under his cursory gaze, she suddenly felt naked and vulnerable. It was as if he knew her or he could easily see her secrets. Like he knew that, beneath the lies in her fake resume, and the thrift store-purchased clothes, she was crumbling under the great weight of a contract that would send him to his doom.
Could it be that he had seen through her? After all, his eyes were still locked on her face. Why wasn't he looking away from her? And what was wrong with her?
"But, you never practiced. Instead, you worked as a waitress for five years. Why did you take the job?"
Jazmine bit her lower lip and sat straight, prepared to break more of her rules.
"Well, I've always wanted to work in a more business setting but I couldn't get into a business school. So, I took the law opportunity. Even after school, I couldn't get a job and had to manage a waitress's post for five years."
When she was done, Jazmine bit her tongue. The lie rolled off her tongue too easily. It started to become uncomfortable when the man before her remained silent even after two long minutes. His silence was slowly making Jazmine sweat.
To her relief, he finally let out a sigh and stood up.
"Come with me, Miss Roosevelt."
Jazmine followed him further into the office and watched as he pushed open a door.
"You would be working from here," he said and stepped aside to let her in. "There's a door that brings you in here directly. This one is to link both offices."
Jazmine nodded and stepped into the well-furnished office. There was a two-seater couch at an angle, a coffee machine on a table in another corner. At the back, there was a set of shelves with different files on it. Her desk and chair were in the middle of the room, directly across from the main door.
"Settle in today; tomorrow is a long way down." Austin turned and left immediately after saying those words to her.
Jazmine closed the door and began walking around the office before sitting on the chair. She took a moment to relieve her fears before finally settling in.
After she had successfully programmed the system to her taste, she pulled out her phone and called Rhea, desperate to hear from her mother.