Adelina entered the convenience store. She was surprised to see both Robert and his wife waiting for her.
The wife let her crooked smile wash over her face as she ran to hug the young woman.
"Oh Adelina. I am so sorry for the way I've acted. Please forgive me for last night my dear. I wasn't in my right mind." The wife rambled squeezing Adelina to her chest in the tight hug.
Adelina was severely confused. Had Robert's wife finally lost it? She wasn't out of her mind last night, but now she might be.
Adelina finally squeezed herself out of the woman's arms and gave a questioning look to Robert.
Robert looked at her with a friendly smile and shrugged.
"Do you forgive me, my dear Adelina?" The wife pressed with a sincere look of regret.
Adelina cocked her head to one side. "Umm sure?" She answered, unsure of the situation.
"Ah wonderful!" The wife beamed. "Ah I almost forgot!" She clapped her hands together before running towards the back of the store. She returned with her arms full of meals and cans.
"These are just about expired, please take them. I know groceries are expensive nowadays. We can't have our favorite part timer going hungry now can we?" The wife rattled as she pushed the groceries into Adelina's hands.
Adelina looked at the wife in concern. Robert's wife had assuredly lost it.
Robert's wife gleamed. Yes this was enough to get back into the CEO's good graces she thought to herself. She couldn't understand why the CEO had taken a shining to Adelina, but she could be useful in the future.
"Honey, I believe it is time you returned home." Robert called from the register.
His wife remembered the threatening suggestion Silas had given her husband. "Ah I assume it is. Adelina my dear, please let me know if you need anything at all. Auntie is always here for you." She gave Adelina one more quick suffocating hug before walking out the store.
Adelina shuffled towards Robert, dropping the numerous items she had been given onto the front counter.
"Umm Mr. Robert?" Adelina began to question with concerned eyes.
Robert quickly put a hand up stopping her questions. "Don't worry about it. I'm just happy to have you back as my favorite part timer." Robert smiled at the girl.
Adelina looked around. Maybe this was a hidden camera TV show.
"Ah that reminds me, here." Robert handed Adelina a stack of bills.
Adelina's eyes turned to the size of the moon. "What's this for?" She sputtered.
"Ah this is-" Robert paused. The CEO had told him to keep it a secret. Did that mean from her as well. He sweated as he came up with a reason.
Adelina continued to press him with a questioning face.
"This is- umm a... bonus?" Robert stammered.
Adelina looked up at him in disbelief. "I can't accept this. It's too much." She refused.
"Refusal is not an option." Robert retorted adamantly passing the money into Adelina's hands. He smiled at her as Adelina shifted uncomfortably.
"Adelina please take this as a token of gratitude. You are my best employee here. You deserve this." Robert reassured.
Adelina looked at Robert. He showed no signs of backing down, and she reluctantly accepted the generosity shown to her. Robert helped her bag her items up to make the walk home a bit easier.
Adelina waved and turned to leave.
"And Adelina." Robert interrupted her departure. Adelina spun around.
Robert grinned. "Don't ever change. You are one of the kindest souls I've known. You deserve good things. Most people believe good things come to those who wait. But wonderful things will happen to you since you have worked hard for them." Robert promised.
Adelina let her dazzling smile grace her face. "Thank you Mr. Robert. I really needed to hear that. I'll see you next week." She turned and headed out the door with a soft jingle.
Robert was happy for the girl. He walked over to stock the shelves.
"That girl has one heck of a guardian angel." He mused.
Silas sat as his desk, letting out a long sigh as he ran his hand across his tired face.
He knew today was going to be hard with Harrison absent. He hadn't even hired an executive secretary yet. All of the issues that were usually filtered out, were directly funneled to his desk.
He lit up a cigarette and leaned back in his chair. He frowned as he tapped the cigarette on the crystal ashtray.
Today had been a long day.
His mind wandered back to his morning at the convenience store. His eyebrows furrowed. He hadn't meant to go that far. He usually would just walk in, make his demands and leave. But after meeting the evil witch again, all he could see was the hurt look the golden eyed girl had wore.
His blood had boiled in his veins and his lips moved without his permission.
He couldn't understand why he exploded though. The young woman shouldn't have meant anything to him.
He growled as he smashed the cigarette into the tray.
It was over now. He had fulfilled his debt to the girl and now she would stop haunting him. He nodded as he looked at his schedule for the rest of the day.
His eyes fell upon his evening meeting.
Adelina Hart.
With all of the events of the day, he had almost forgot about the most important thing he had to do today.
This was mainly just a meeting to make sure the woman had no ulterior motives, and that she had the proper qualifications he was looking for. He could find a lot of information about her through the background check, but it seemed Harrison had yet to put one together. There were also some things he needed to ascertain for himself.
He checked the time and found he had about 45 minutes till their meeting.
He began to mull over what questions he would ask as he finished some paperwork that littered his desk.
Adelina stood in front of Night Corp. She had decided on a pretty pink blouse, black skirt, and matching pink heels.
She looked like a princess from a fairy tale as her long sunshine hair fell like a waterfall over her shoulders. Her face done up with light make up. Her lips pinker and plumper than usual from the gloss she had applied.
She was terrified, anxious, and excited all at the same time, making her stomach fill with butterflies and tie in knots.
She had a wonderful day so far. She received a generous bonus that would help with rent and utilities, a ton of groceries, an apology from the shop owners wife, and she was able to sleep in today. Today had been an unusually lucky day.. She just hoped that luck continued into the evening hours.
She took a shaky deep breath as her hands trembled slightly as she walked through the front door into the lavish lobby.
She made her way up to the front desk, only to find it empty. Many of the employees were leaving for the day. She shifted nervously as she double checked the time. It was about 15 minutes before her interview.
She waited as the employees funneled through the lobby. She unknowingly grabbed the attention of the men who passed by her as they ogled the beautiful fairy.
However the front desk stayed empty.
She looked at the time it was 5 minutes till her interview. She fretted a bit, wondering if she was meant to check in somewhere else.
"Oh dearie! You're back!" A kind voice rang out.
Adelina looked and saw the kind old receptionist from before. She smiled warmly at the old woman.
"Hello! It's nice to see you again." Adelina greeted.
Madam Night glanced curiously at the front desk. Sara seemed to be missing from her post again, she noted internally.
"What are you here for today dearie?" Madam Night questioned the obviously nervous girl.
"Ah actually I have an interview today. I believe I'm supposed to report here." Adelina answered nervously playing with the strap of her purse.
"I see. Let's get you where you need to be then." Madam Night smiled, gesturing Adelina to follow her towards the elevators.
Sara stumbled out of the restroom, her face pale.
"Let's go try that new restaurant down the street they said. It will be fun they said." She groaned in pain as she walked back towards her station.
She looked at the front desk and she felt her veins run cold. There at the front desk was Madam Night conversing with a young woman.
"Oh no." Sara cried as she rushed over, her heels clicking across the marble floor towards the pair.
"Hello there. I apologize for the wait. How can I help you today." Sara rushed with a terrified smile.
Madam Night glanced down at the girl in suppressed annoyance. "Sara. I see you weren't present. Again." Madam Night enunciated slowly.
Sara looked up in fright, her eyes screaming that she was sorry.
"Hello there. I'm here for an interview." Adelina smiled, unaware of the tension growing between the two women in front of her.
"Ah yes. I'll take you up right away. Please follow me." Sara hurriedly grabbed Adelina's arm to pull her towards the elevator. She hoped Madam Night would forget her absence by the time they met again.
Adelina was pulled along, but turned to wave back to the kind old receptionist. "Thank you again! I hope to see you soon!" Adelina called back with a smile.
Madam Night waved back, her smile lines deepening.
Madam Night really liked that girl.
Sara risked a glance back, only to find Madam Night dropping her smile. Madam Night gazed back at Sara icily.
Sara shivered and quickly ushered Adelina into the elevator, pressing the button for the top floor.
Once the doors closed, Sara let out a sigh of relief as she took in the young woman she was guiding.
"You must be Mr. Night's last meeting of the day." Sara grinned.
Adelina's limbs grew numb. She stiffly turned to Sara with wide eyes.
"I'll be meeting with the CEO?" She asked in shock.
"Yes!" Sara replied as the elevator reached their destination.
Why on Earth was her job interview with the CEO?
Adelina's mind stormed as her anxiety spiked.
She wasn't prepared for this.
The doors rushed opened with a swoosh and Sara quickly stepped out, Adelina trailing behind her. Sara approached the large doors to the CEO's office and knocked.
"What was your name again?" Sara asked turning towards the shaking girl.
"Adelina Hart." She stammered out.
She poked her head in. "Mr. Night, Miss Hart is here to see you." Sara announced.
"Send her in." A velvet voice ordered.
Sara looked back at Adelina and gently touched her shoulder. "Good luck!" She encouraged with a small thumbs up.
Sara walked back to the elevators, leaving Adelina alone.
Adelina took a deep breath and calmed her trembling heart as she entered the office.