Chapter 1. The Interview.
It was 8.10am and Kelly was late. Her court shoes, newly polished, of a fashionable yet still sensible height clattered noisily on the cold marble tiles of the expansive foyer. Hurriedly she jabbed a finger at the elevator button, pressing it repeatedly, her nails trimmed short, practical. With a high-pitched ding the doors opened, the elevator as empty and cold as the pristine foyer.
She checked her appearance in the mirrored walls of the elevator, lifting a hand to smooth back a loose strand of hair and tuck it back into the sensible bun. With a critical glance she looked over her outfit, plain black skirt falling just below her knees, her white shirt fitted, yet with enough movement that it didn't cling. She frowned, reaching into her bag to withdraw a pair of glasses, slipping them on just before the elevator lurched to a halt and the doors slid open once more.
Shoulders squaring Kelly stepped into the hall, approaching the empty reception desk and ringing the small bell placed there. A woman appears, tall, long legs revealed under a skirt slightly shorter than appropriate. Her red hair is piled in a loose bundle on top of her head and scarlet lips the same shade stretch into a wide smile.
"Oh... you're the temp? Fantastic, I'm about to reach my limits, thank god you've arrived." The woman smiled, quickly patting her slightly disheveled hair and beckoning to Kelly. "Follow me, we'll introduce you to the boss.... let him get a feel for you."
The hall seemed empty as Kelly followed the woman, several doors leading off, most closed, the dull murmur of conversation could be heard behind some, the whirr of machinery, a dull, bumping of something against the wall... photocopier? At the end of the hall stood a set of double doors, majestic in height.
The woman turned, looked Kelly up and down then gave a grin. "You'll do fine I think.. by the way.. I'm Nicole, I'm sure you and I will end up working together," with that she swung the doors open, revealing the office within.
Walking through the doors behind Nicole Kelly had a sense of spaciousness. Tall glass windows rising from floor to elevated ceiling and a view that overlooked the streets below. At first glance it looked like a high class lounge, comfortable sofas, a bar placed discretely against one wall, a large television covering the wall.
It wasn't till she turned slightly that she saw the broad mahogany desk and the high backed chair occupied by the man she could only assume was the CEO. With the sun behind him it was difficult to make out his features, save that he seemed to have a reasonable height and dark hair. He was silent as Nicole led Kelly to a chair, and so, in response, Kelly was too. Her palms felt sweaty, she needed this job, she'd been looking for a job for several months now, bills were piling up and if she didn't get something soon... if she didn't land a new job this week, it was likely she'd be tossed out of her rental and onto the streets.
Nicole moved behind the desk, leaning close the man, her body shifting to block Kelly's view completely. She couldn't hear what Nicole said, only saw her leaning close, a little too close Kelly thought - perhaps it was a closer relationship between the pair?
Nicole straightened, moving back around the desk and smiled at Kelly "I'm going to get coffee Kelly, then Mr Farrar has asked me to take notes... I hope you're alright with someone watching?"
Kelly nodded, her gaze moving across the desk to the man once more, his face still set in the shadows . "Uh, yes.. of course, thanks," Kelly stammered.
With that Nicole moved out of the room, closing those big double doors behind her.
There was silence, unnerving silence, the man behind the desk uttering not a word though Kelly could feel him looking at her. Oh yes, she could tell his gaze was studying her. "Uh... I'm sorry I was late, I know it's not a good start but... well.. uh.." Kelly let her words trail off, shoulders lifting in a helpless half-shrug.
There was a soft chuckle from the man - Mr Farrar. "It's alright Kelly, I think we can still manage with the time we have left. Now, as you would have been told we've got a lot of projects on at the moment. I've got my staff working long hours, too long, which is why we wrote the company about assistance. I'm glad they were so prompt at sending someone."
Kelly ducked her head, cheeks flushing, was now the time to come clean? Should she tell them how just a day ago she was walking through the different floors of this building looking for work? That just a few days ago she was in the elevator with the mailman... saw him drop a letter.. picked it up. She'd meant to hand it over, follow him, but it was too late.. and for some reason, she can't explain why, she opened it. It was addressed to a recruitment agency... and then she saw what it was.. a job. A job for her.
Wanted: Female, immediate start. Fast learner, flexible, willing to take on any task. To assist existing staff, long hours possible, monetary compensation will reflect the challenges of the tasks.
