Bethany smiled as she arranged the files she needed in her folder.
She hadn't gotten to see Bruce earlier today but she knew she would see him tomorrow. What was it about the man that was making her giddy in the middle of the night?
As she delved deeper into her thoughts, she remembered Alice again and her countenance changed.
'Does she stand a chance?' She asked herself.
According to the information they had gotten, she was just a naive ignorant country girl, she wasn't supposed to cause an alarm, she wasn't supposed to stand a chance at all.
"So why do I feel threatened?"She murmured.
Adam lay on his bed, his phone in his hand. He had stalled checking his email for a while now, he had to check it no matter how long it takes him.
'He might as well go ahead now.' He thought.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated almost falling off his hand, it wasn't a familiar number. He stared at it for a while trying to decipher the caller.
When it was almost done ringing, he gave up and picked up the Call.
'It might be worth the inconvenience.' He thought.
If only he knew how wrong he was.
He had expected a lot of things, impatient business partners or the inconsiderate ones not in the same time zone as him but to his surprise came a timid female voice.
" I, I just wanted to tell you I've sent the draft in case you hadn't seen it."
He blinked in surprise. She was calling him?
"How did you get my number?"He asked, still dazed. He didn't even know which thought to focus on. For the record, he had never talked to a girl by this time of the night.
" It was on your card," she replied blatantly.
Adam almost dropped the phone out of embarrassment. Of course, it was on the card. He had given her his personal card.
"So?" he frowned. It was the easiest to hide embarrassment with hostility.
"Okay, I am sorry, I know it's late, I just wanted to be sure you had seen it."She replied, her voice shaking a bit.
" What if I have?" he asked again enjoying himself.
"Then tell me if I'm hired or not."She snapped yet again surprising the man on the receiver.
" Let me give you some advice for free. Never let your opponent know you are on edge. As it is I am enjoying your anxiety." He stated, immediately cutting the call.
Taking his time he finally ventured to download the draft she had sent, when he opened it, he gave no reaction for about 20 minutes as he scrolled every page looking carefully.
When he was done, he let a small sigh through a very little gap between his lips, then propelled himself with Pillow on the bed. He started from the beginning, this time highlighting things that needed more attention in red and things that shouldn't be tampered with in green. It took him about an hour and a half to finish. By the time he was done he had yawned three times.
Quietly to himself, he whispered.
"Finally, I'm going to get a good night's sleep." A little smile on his face.
Alice had finally fallen asleep after raining all the curses she knew on the man.
She had gone from anger to paranoia back to anger then she had finally begged.
"Dear God, you know what my intentions are and to be very sincere that design has minute flaws, pls let it appease the rock of man God." She whispered as sleep finally overtook her.
"Mum, I'll be on my way," Bethany said rushing out.
" Woah Beth, you look hot."Peter whistled to which Bethany twirled and gave him a wink.
Mrs Emma chuckled as she went to hug her daughter.
"Good luck dear, though I know you always excel." She said proudly making Bethany laugh. It wasn't an exaggeration, she always excels.
Alice strolled into the living room. She was dressed in a black suit with trousers as opposed to Bethany's maroon-colored slim jacket 2-piece suit paired with skirts. She looked stunning with her hair parted to one side, its curls bouncing with any movement she made.
Alice smoothened her plain brown hair that she had pulled into a high ponytail.
'This writer should be hanged for discrimination, racism, and whatever they can get him for.' She thought.
"Wow, you look amazing Bethany, "Alice said.
" Alice, why are you dressed up."Mrs. White asked.
"Oh, I have to be somewhere."
" Where?"Bethany interjected.
"You are dressed so official, I was just wondering if you were coming with me for the job, you know."She explained.
Alice gave her a small smile before she replied.
" Yeah it's for a job but not in B&W, it's in JoDa."This caught even a never-concerned Peter's attention.
"You want to work at JoDa?" Her mother asked.
"Why there, why not ours then?" She furthered.
"Mum, I just like their company, and it's not going to be a permanent thing, Just the way Bethany chose to start at B&W, I thought of gaining experience at JoDa too. "Alice replied pulling her fingers nervously.
Peter let out an annoyed snort.
" Do you think JoDa is a joke?" He asked rudely.
Bethany glared at him before she turned to Alice.
"Why not then?JoDa is great and since you get to mix with so many legends in the fashion world, you will gain all the experience you want. Good luck."
Alice smiled widely at her sister, She is as perfect as the writer intended her to be. Though she wasn't exactly fond of her, she still couldn't stand peter's rude remarks.
Mrs. Emma smiled after hearing Bethany's words.
" I wish both of you the best, don't forget to get breakfast soon because I am very sure none of you would oblige even if I ask you to have some now."
They both laughed and wishing her goodbye got into their separate cars.
Bethany smiled widely as the driver set off, she looked back at an innocent Alice waving at her from where she sat.
'What more would it take to destroy a resume than a rejection from JoDa? Adam the critique as he is popularly known, never disappoints.' She thought, a wicked smile plastering on her face.
It seems she was worried for no reason.
The girl would shoot herself in the foot.
Alice walked into the building, her hands all clammy.
Today is the D-day.
'Why am I even here?' She asked herself.
What if she was walking into her embarrassment.
After all, he hadn't called her after last night. If he liked it he should have called right? As she reconsidered her actions she began to see the foolishness she had chosen to ignore earlier.
Heaving a sigh, she turned around to walk out hoping nobody had noticed her.
"There's always another chance, things can't always go my way." She told herself.
"Another thing we agree on,Miss White."
Adam replied knowing fully well she wasn't talking to him.
As she glanced up to see who it was, she widened her eyes in surprise at the sight she met.
Of course, it was his company, it is perfectly normal to run into him this early while she stood right in front of the door. Forgive her poor heart, she just wasn't used to the sight of the handsome man at such a close range.
"Mr Evans?" She called.
"I'm guessing you are here to inquire about the draft in person?"He replied, mockery lacing his tone.
She couldn't do anything but nod, after all, he was right.
" You lack patience, Miss white. I was going to send an official car for you since you are about to be a part of JoDa house but you just couldn't enjoy the privilege."He informed, an expectant look in his eyes.
Her design were exactly what he had been looking for. They ticked all his boxes and even more. How she had managed to accomplish it was something he had no choice but to applaud her for.
He had even asked Elijah to check if she had plagiarized anybody's work but he found nothing close to them.
There were minimal flaws that would have been overlooked if he wasn't such a critique but overall, she had managed to surprise him. He wasn't pulling her legs when he said he had meant to send an official car, but seeing her so eager, made him ascertain that she wanted the job.
So without further prejudice, he shut off the ever-suspicious part of his mind and decided to hand her the job. She is an asset he shouldn't lose.
Alice wondered if she was hallucinating what she heard, so she looked at Adam to confirm it, he didn't need to say a word, the expectant look in his eyes told her a lot, and just like that he extended his hand to her.
"Congratulations Miss White, you are now an assistant designer in JoDa. I hope we produce great results together." He recited.
Alice couldn't hide her joy as she took his hand, his large hand enveloping hers, she felt the cold caused by her earlier sweating session slowly give way to the warmth of his hands. If only they could stay like that for a while but before she could finish wishing he had taken his hand back and was walking towards the elevator.
Quickly, she caught up with him as he stepped into it.
"Get ready, you are going to present it in about 15 minutes, the work on it would begin immediately." He informed scrolling through his phone.
"Present!!" she almost yelled, alarm on her face.
"Why me?" she asked dumbfounded.
Adam frowned at her.
"Why not you? Didn't you draw these" He waved the file he was holding? Funny enough, she hadn't noticed that it was her hard work that was in the files.
"I did," she replied, silently berating herself.
' Of course, she had to present it, it was her design.
But she had not presented anything since she left school and now, she was to present, in front of some of the best designers in the world and what more, it was impromptu.'
" No matter how good you are, the world wouldn't recognize you until you have faith in yourself, a reflection of self-faith is the confidence you have when you associate with other people, Do not embarrass me, I have bragged too much for you to mess it up."
Adam walked out immediately after the elevator stopped, followed by a nervous Alice.
'I shouldn't mess it up, I've done so much to achieve this.' She thought.
"You can relax here before I call you," He said to her before he walked out leaving the door slightly open.
Bethany strolled into the CEO's office, for the first time in her life, she had joined a queue for something.
As she knocked on the door, unlike Alice who was nervous, it would be more accurate to say she is excited. After all, she's having an opportunity to talk to him personally.
" Come in." his voice called out and she didn't wait for another second before she opened the door revealing a smiling Bruce.
"Please, have a seat."He told her.
Flashing him an appreciative smile, she took one of the two seats on the side of his table.
" I thought I was seeing things when I read your resume." he continued
"Seeing things, I am sorry I am lost."She replied, giving him a nervous chuckle.
" I mean, why would Bethany White, the daughter of David White choose to work in a small undeveloped company like mine?" He asked incredulously.
Bethany gave a small chuckle.
"You are just being humble, this is nowhere close to being a small company and don't we all start from the scratch?"
Bruce stared at her for a while trying to decipher what was the real motive behind her looking for a job and worse, on her own. If she wanted, her father would have called him up but she's here following a queue?
It's highly unlikely that she is going through all this trouble because she is smittened by him. That would be too much, wouldn't it?
Anyway from her credential and her reputation, she is very capable, an asset he shouldn't let go of no matter his doubts and though it isn't exactly a factor to be considered she is also one hell of a beauty.
The perfect recipe.