— Are you okay, Miss? — The tall silhouette asked again, extending a hand for me to take.
I looked at his hand, wondering what I should do... It would be rude of me to simply refuse and run away. In a romantic comedy style like in an "anime" (animation), the protagonist would do that. But since I'm in the real world, I should act accordingly.
— Do you want me to call a doctor to check if you're okay? — He asked.
"Think, Kyra, think." — I told myself mentally.
"He hasn't recognized me yet because my head is down. Will he freak out or just pretend not to know me? Well, let's pay to see." — I thought.
— I'm fine, thank you very much. — I replied, looking at him and accepting his hand to help me up.
He looked at me, eyes widened, and was completely speechless for more than 30 seconds. That wasn't like him. He composed himself, adjusted his tie, and said:
— I'm glad you're okay. You look like someone I know. Sorry for the confusion. Are you here to meet someone? — He asked, furrowing his brow, suspicious.
— I'm here for the writer position. Do you work here? — I asked, biting my lip.
— I'm the owner, more like a general director.
— Ahhh, then I'll pass. I'd rather not work with you. — I said, trying to get past him and go to the bathroom, but he held my arm.
— I knew it! Kyra, you look beautiful! It's been so long. Let's grab some coffee; I have some free time now. — He kept holding onto my arm.
— Dante, I don't want anything to do with you, let alone have coffee.
— You still hold a grudge from the past... You really didn't remember the conversation we had, where I said I bought a publishing company? — He smiled.
— It's been quite a while, so I didn't recall that detail. — I rolled my eyes and then realized he was still holding onto my arm. I freed myself. — Thanks for your help, but I really need to use the restroom and I'm already late for the interview. Take care. — I said, heading towards the bathroom.
— Wait, are you seriously giving up the position because of me? — He said, following me.
— Yes, who else would it be because of? — I said, ironic.
— I'm no longer with Lola.
— As if I wanted to know. — I said, furious.
— You know, the work environment here is quite flexible; employees have bonuses, the team is very united, and if you want, you can work from home as a home office and come in a few days for meetings with Trish. I've worked all these years to rebuild the company and the employees' morale.
— That's great, I'm happy for you, but the answer is still no. — I said, entering the bathroom.
Finally, I can breathe, because my heart was racing. Who would have thought I'd run into him... It must be some kind of punishment, it can't be real.
"Hey, whoever's in charge of my destiny, give me a hand here... I didn't ask for him to come back into my life; I just wanted to be happy and fulfilled!" — I spoke, looking at an imaginary sky that only existed in my mind.
I did everything I needed to in the bathroom, washed my face, took a deep breath, and left.
When I returned to the corridor, I saw Dante standing there, leaning against the wall, waiting for me. I sighed; I knew I wouldn't get rid of him that easily, especially since he was so persistent about what he wanted.
He saw me and smiled. He started walking alongside me again.
— Think about it; you can work from home, and won't have to look at my handsome face every day. Of course, only when you need to, for the monthly meetings or if you want to have lunch with me. — He smiled at me.
— Why are you being so persistent? — I stopped walking and looked him in the eyes.
— Because I don't want to lose sight of you again. — He said very seriously.
— Lose sight of me? Come on! Who are you trying to fool? I won't fall for your games again.
— I know you have every right to reject me. I was a jerk to you, but you won't be able to get rid of me that easily, not now that I've found you again.
— As if you really wanted to find me... Spare me! — I said, angrily, and kept walking.
— I tried... You didn't live in that building anymore.
I stopped abruptly... What I had just heard, could it be true?
— What did you say? — I asked in disbelief.
— It was 6 months after that day when you didn't let me explain and kicked me out.
— If that's really true, it makes sense because the lady who rented to me passed away, and her daughter asked me to vacate the apartment. I had to move quickly.
— Ahh... I thought you moved to avoid me.
— I would never do that... It would be easier to block you and never speak to you again. I would never move because of a man!
— I tried calling you several times and couldn't get through.
— Yes, I blocked you. — I smiled contentedly.
— Fair enough. I also tried to get your number and address from Lucy, but all this time, she refused to give it to me. She doesn't like me much, even though I see her at least once a week because of Nick.
— My friend is my guardian. — I said, touched.
— Were you pleased with her actions? — He said horrified.
— Of course I was, she was just trying to protect me.
— These years weren't easy for me. We matched so well, and I threw it all away.
— Dante, let's leave everything in the past, especially because I don't have time for this; I need to go to the interview. — I said, stopping in front of the door where the interview would take place.
— Alright, we'll talk later. I haven't finished explaining myself. — He pulled me closer by the waist and kissed my forehead. My heart betrayed me and recalled all the feelings that haunted me in the past. I was speechless, I don't know why I held my breath, but I did. What was happening to me? What the heck!
He stepped back without waiting for my reaction and walked away down the hallway. What would I do to get rid of him, even though I didn't want to? I took three deep breaths and started coming back to reality from the trance I unintentionally entered. After getting my thoughts together again, I entered the room.
— Hello, Kyra, how are you? — Spoke a blonde woman with curly hair, green eyes, and round silver glasses.
— Hi, I'm good, and you? — I spoke, deducing that she was Trish. She was beautiful.
— I'm Trish, and I'm really excited to talk to you.
— Seriously? — I said, surprised.
— Yes, I've been following your stories for a while. Your writing is impeccable, you live what you write, and I can feel that when reading.
— Aww, that's great! I'm so happy to have readers who understand what I'm trying to convey. I love writing. — I said, touched.
— And that's what I'm looking for. I checked your portfolio, and honestly, I was surprised to see that you have a degree in Business Administration. Why did you want to switch to writing?
— I've always loved romantic comedies, from movies to books, and one day I thought: why not start writing, taking the stories I had already created in my head but hadn't lived, and put them down on paper? So, I did some tests, saw that people liked the way I presented the ideas, and decided to dive headfirst into something I loved more than administration.
— That's the spirit; we have to chase our dreams. Tell me, does this have to do with a broken heart?
— Yes, always, right? Who hasn't fallen in love and gotten a cold shower instead of love?
— I totally understand you, it took me a long time to find my husband. Seems like nowadays, men only care about looks, right?
— Yeah, it's been a while since I've dated; I got tired of going on unsuccessful dates with guys who only cared about looks instead of intelligence.
— Intelligence seems to be intimidating. You wouldn't believe one guy asked me to be more shallow.
— Which makes no sense at all, considering you're very beautiful. Intelligence only adds value.
— Thank you very much for the compliment. I appreciate it. — She smiled. — But I agree with you, and I've always preferred not getting involved with people like that.
— Me too.
— I like you, and I think we'll get along. Can you start tomorrow?
— Well, Trish, I'm very flattered, but I'll have to decline the job.
— Can I know the reason?
— I'd have to work with Dante.