One: The Simple Life
Beep. Beep. Beep. Bee- Slam!
“Stupid alarm clocks,” I muttered under my breath. Whoever invented them had surely been plotting my demise by making them be annoyingly incessant. I cursed myself silently for needing one. Afterall, without an alarm, I wouldn’t be able to wake myself up and mosey my pretty ass into the bathroom to get ready.
“5:15, right on time.”
Slowly, my aching body managed to get off the bed, and I took methodical steps to get to the bathroom, occasionally stepping on a creaking board or two. I looked back at my bed and saw my best friend, Bear, still sleeping. Going back over to the bed, I leaned down and started scratching his head and his back, trying not to wake him.
Eventually, I got back up and went right back into the bathroom. And if there is one nice thing in my crappy little apartment, it’s the shower. Slowly stepping into the shower, I let out a soft moan as the hot water unwound my tense muscles.
After I finally managed to shower, I quickly fried myself off and picked out some cute clothes to wear. So many combinations of skirts and blouses were tried until I came across the perfect match. It was a white pencil skirt, with a light pink blouse. Looking at myself in the mirror really boosted my confidence, when I had the outfit on.
“Damn!” I whistled. “I look smoking hot today, right Bear?” On cue, Bear looked up and gave a lazy nod with his furry head. I scurried back into the bathroom to finish putting on accessories, and then did my makeup.
Today I had an interview at Blackwood Inc., and to say I was nervous was an understatement. I needed this job more than anything, and I needed to move away from the life in Montana. Sure I loved the rolling mountains and farmlands, but I needed a change of pace in scenery, and new people. Getting the job as the head fashion editor would be massive! You could say it was my dream job, because i’ve loved fashion ever since I was a little girl.
I hoped into my cramped Ford Taurus, and drove fast to the interview building. Soon, Montana would be a blur, and I would be at the fashion department in Los Angeles, working with some of the most high end fashion designers in the world. I put that thought on hold, because I arrived at the building.
Walking through the massive glass doors, I admired the interior of the building as I walked to the front desk. The girl behind it looked swamped, and I felt bad for her.
“Hello, welcome to Blackwood Incorporated, how may I assist you?”
“I’m here for the 7:30 interview for the head fashion editor position?” As soon as I said that, the petite brunette’s head bolted up.
“Ambitious are we? That interview is going to be difficult, but I wish you the best of luck. You’re going to want to take those elevators up to the 27th floor, and go check in at the desk right in front of the large sign.” She pointed out where the elevators were, and I started walking towards them.
When I got into the elevator, another man walked in, and immediately clicked the button going to the twenty-seventh floor. He looked absolutely breathtaking. He was tall, maybe 6’5, and had curly brown hair, that paired with baby blue eyes, streaked with blue. I realized I was practically eye raping him when he let out a soft chuckle.
“What floor do you need?” His gruff voice asked. I swore I melted right then and there on the spot. He was so... rough, but he looked so caring too. As though he was raised in a home filled with love, and laughter.
“Actually I’m going to the same one as you. I have an interview today, and I hope it goes well. But I’ve heard the boss isn’t the nicest. Is that true?” I asked, trying to strike up a conversation. Again, the stranger let out a soft laugh at my attempt to start talking to him.
“Mr. Blackwood isn’t as harsh as everyone says. Yeah, he’s strict sometimes, but he does it to build drive and integrity in his employees, and to better the company over all.” I was surprised by his answer, but he’s obviously worked here for some time to have that much respect for his boss.
It felt like only ten seconds had passed by before the mechanical voice alerted us that we had reached floor twenty-seven. I took the deepest breath that I could, and walked out of the metal doors when they opened.
Locating the large sign was very easy, and checking in with the receptionist up here was simple as well. I sat in one of the chairs outside of the office where my interview was going to be held and played on my phone until I heard my name.
“Ivy Petremone?”
I stood up quickly to alert the woman that I was here, and ready for the interview to begin. She walked into a conference room, with me in tow, and ushered me to sit in a chair before asking me questions.
“Hello Ms. Petremone, I am Mrs. Abigail Strauss, and I work on the board of trusts for Blackwood Inc. Could you tell me a bit about yourself, and why you feel like you would be a good candidate for the position?” Mrs. Strauss had a firm voice, yet a warm exterior, and I immediately knew that she was not a woman who liked playing games.
“Well I was born and raised here in Montana, and ever since I was small, I loved fashion. Whatever I could get my hands onto, I would make it into an extravagant piece of clothing to wear. There was once a pile of leaves in my yard one fall, and I decided to make a skirt out of them,” I fondly looked back on my past. Fashion lifted me up, when my family would put me down.
“I remember the face I had on when I looked into the mirror and saw the blends of the beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows of the leaves.”
The interview took a total of forty-two minutes, and it was 8:23 when I left the large building. Mrs. Strauss and I had managed to stray from the questions, and she told me about her darling son, who just got married. I congratulated her for marrying off her son, which she returned with a warm set of thank you’s.
I picked up some breakfast, and went home to work on a dress I had started making.
Ding! I checked my phone, and saw I had an email. It was from a name I had not expected to see.
Mr. Blackwood
Hello Ms. Petremone, I was informed that your interview today went quite well, and my colleague was impressed with your dedication and motivation to the job. However, I have found a far more suitable candidate for the position, and wanted to personally let you know, that you didn’t recieve the job.
