Ever sit in a room and know instantaneously that you don't belong there?
This isn't exactly what I envisioned for my life, twiddling my thumbs in this swanky building while tall, powerful women stood judging me from behind their desk.
They were the type of women who had it all together. Blonde hair slicked back into a neat bun, expensive pencil skirt-suits and blouses buttoned in a way that accentuated their cleavage. That unwelcome scowl perfected onto their primed faces because they had used it many times, reserved it for the people they deemed 'beneath them.'
Reserved for people like me.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't try and make myself look more appealing for the occasion. I was about to see my, what should I even call him? a fling?
for the first time in years. I pulled out all the stops.
Red lipstick, seductive stockings, high heels, loose curls weightlessly flowing down my back. Maybe I over did it. I surely felt like I belonged in one of those cheap business-setting pornos.
Tall blonde number one spoke quietly to tall blonde number two, the pair of them looking in my direction like two high school mean girls. I bet they weren't even that tall, their Louboutin's gave them the upper hand.
I brushed lint off of my skirt and reminded myself why I was here. Everly.
I didn't really have a game plan here, I just needed to see River.
"Ms Barnes?"
A lady shuffled towards me in a rushed pace, bright ginger hair cascaded messily to her shoulders and she wore wing-shaped glasses with glittering turquoise frames. She was young and very naturally beautiful, held herself completely different to the other women here.
I stood up, my belly doing instant flips like acrobats were stuck in there.
"I'm Kerry, Mr Johnstons personal assistant, we spoke on the phone?"
My eyes widened, I owed this girl everything. "Yes, hello, good morning." I shook her hand and she smiled.
Her finger touched the AirPod in one of her ears and I noticed a childlike butterfly slide pinning back her hair. Together with the coloured glasses and the hot pink kitten-heels, it hinted perhaps at her wacky out-of-the office style.
"They're ready for you in the interview room."
"They?"
"The CEO and board of directors."
I wasn't prepared to face a panel, would I actually have to interview for this job?
She directed me toward an elevator but didn't join me inside, instead she keyed in a code from her iPad and wished me all the best for my job interview.
The elevator hummed quietly and barely shifted beneath my feet, carrying me up a few floors. I couldn't help but stare at my tired reflection in the mirrored walls. Life was truly exhausting and I was getting pretty desperate. River was my last hope.
The elevator pinged once and as the doors soundlessly slid open I forced a smile onto my face, the kind of smile girls do when they're masking nervousness.
It opened directly into a lobby, everything was shiny and polished, white graphite floors without a single spec of dust or dirt. The air smelt like pine and peppermint, clean but clinical. This was the fanciest office building I had ever set foot in, and to be honest it felt a little out of my league.
It was like everything in the air shifted, I could feel it in my bones before I even entered the room. He was here. A force of energy and feelings consuming me, making it hard to breathe.
