Emma's POV
As I stood there, completely speechless, my eyes fell on the shiny nameplate casually sitting on his desk. It was so simple, yet it carried a lot of significance.
ALEXANDER WALTON
Chief Executive Officer
My heart dropped, and I could feel the color rushing out of my face as if someone flipped a switch. This wasn't just some random dude I had bumped into at the club , this was the CEO of the company I was interviewing for! What were the chances?
How did I completely miss something so important? A quick Google search could've told me who the CEO was! My mind was racing. Was Lila mixed up in this? But that doesn't add up; she hardly even saw him that night; just a blur. I had so many questions. What do I do now? Should I say sorry for ruining his clothes? How do I even start that conversation?
I forced myself to look at him again, and our eyes locked. He was giving nothing away. Could he be secretly plotting my demise? Was he thinking about kicking me out of this interview? My heart felt like it was doing flips in my chest.
I quickly glanced at his face, and wow it hit me again. He looked like he stepped right off a film set. How could someone be that good-looking? I had to shove those thoughts aside; this was definitely not the time to be swooning, even though he was incredibly distracting.
He leaned back in his chair, exuding a chill confidence that made him even more intimidating. His face flickered with different emotions; was he amused, annoyed, or something else? I couldn't quite tell.
"Have a seat, Miss Emma," he said, his voice smooth and deep.
That voice gave me chills and made my heart race. It was both commanding and captivating, leaving me frozen. I took a deep breath and sat down, trying to collect my thoughts. I'd never felt this anxious before!
He grabbed my file and started flipping through it like it was a quiz, throwing tough questions my way. Somehow, the adrenaline kicked in and I got back into my groove. I tried to answer everything thoughtfully, hoping to wow him despite the strange vibes.
As he finished up, he closed my file with a snap. "We'll get back to you," he said, keeping his tone neutral.
"Thanks," I said quietly as I got up to leave. But then I realized I should apologize too. I mean, a good person would, right?
"Sir," I said, my voice steady.
He raised an eyebrow and stared right at me, making my stomach flip. "Anything else, Miss Emma?" he asked, totally calm.
I took a deep breath and said, "I'm really sorry about that night I spilled my drink on you. I wish I had apologized properly before leaving." I locked eyes with him, hoping he could see how sorry I was. It felt like he was trying to read my thoughts or something.
"It was a mutual mistake, Miss Emma. No worries," he said, typing away with his fingers.
Weirdly, his words made me feel a lot better.
The moment I stepped out of the office, I finally exhaled a breath I didn't know I was holding. I grabbed my phone to call Lila but decided to wait until she got home instead.
I got home, took a quick shower, and crashed on my bed. I was super tired since Lila and I were up late last night. I couldn't stop thinking about how she was doing at work. I felt a bit guilty, but that didn't stop me from planning to grill her for not sending that pic of her "best CEO" in NYC. Next thing I knew, I was out cold.
The door swung open so suddenly that it woke me up from my nap. I'm one of those people who gets easily startled, and it drives me nuts! My sleep feels super delicate; just a little noise and poof, it's gone.
Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I glanced over at my clock. It read 5 PM. Lila usually wraps up her work by 7 PM. So why on earth was she home so early today?
"I'm home!" Lila declared, practically bouncing into my room like a hyperactive puppy. Her excitement was contagious, and I could feel it even from my overly groggy state. "How did the interview go?" she asked, a wide grin lighting up her face.
I pushed myself up into a sitting position, stretching my arms above my head like a cat trying to shake off a long nap. My eyes narrowed into a playful glare aimed straight at her. I shot her a look that said, "You're in trouble, you know that? What's gotten you so hyped up, huh?"
"What did I do now?" Lila replied, taking a step back with a grin, clearly trying to act innocent. "Last time I checked, I didn't mess up anything!" She kept inching backwards, her laughter making it hard to maintain my serious facade.
Just when I thought I could grab her, she leaped over to the other side of the bed and sprinted towards the door like she was in some kind of action movie. "Lila, get back here!" I shouted, chasing after her as we both raced around the house. I couldn't help but laugh, even though I was slightly out of breath.
After what felt like forever of running in circles, I plopped down on the couch, exasperated. "Fine, I give up!" I conceded, hands raised in defeat.
"I knew you'd tire out eventually!" she panted, trying to catch her breath. She flopped down at the other end of the couch, clearly still amused by our little escapade.
"I am so wiped; you literally just made me lose 6 kg," she joked, throwing her hands up dramatically like she was about to faint.
"Shut up," I shot back playfully, rolling my eyes.
"You didn't mention who the CEO is," I said, tilting my head in curiosity as we locked eyes.
"Oh, he's the ultimate business man, the best-looking bachelor, and every girl's dream husband!" she exclaimed, her face glowing like it was Christmas morning.
"Did you actually get to meet him? How did the interview go?" Lila probed with this eager look on her face.
"Lila, he's the guy I accidentally spilled a drink on at the club last week," I replied, and I could see her face go wide with shock.
I took a deep breath and began to explain the entire story, the awkwardness and all. "Honestly, if I had done a bit of research about him, maybe I could have been better prepared…."
"Wait, you wouldn't have gone to the interview if you had known? Seriously, Emma, it was an honest mistake! You said he even called it a two-sided mistake. Just let it go, girl," Lila said while scooting closer to me.
"It's just that I can't shake off how nervous I was sitting in his office! I mean, I was a complete mess!" I said, my cheeks puffing out in frustration.
"Come here, you!" Lila said, pulling me in for a hug. "Let's hope for the best! Besides, he's totally your type, right?"
I jokingly shoved her, groaning, and she just laughed at the whole thing.
"Relax, I'm just trying to have some fun!" she joked, still laughing.
I couldn't help but grin. "He's actually pretty cute," I admitted, smiling as I looked at her.
Lila dramatically covered her mouth, wide-eyed in shock. "OMG, my little virgin has a crush!" she squealed, then broke into laughter.
"Shut up!" I said, but I knew she wouldn't drop it. That's just Lila being Lila, and that's what I loved about us.
I got some pizza, and we chilled in comfy silence. By 8 p.m., we were cozy on the couch watching a rom-com when my phone buzzed on the table.
I picked it up without really thinking.
When I opened the email, I literally held my breath for a second.
"I got the job!" I yelled. I'll be starting as a PA tomorrow at 8 a.m.!
Lila jumped up and started dancing around. "I told you that job was yours!" she exclaimed.
"What are you waiting for? Let's go pick an outfit," Lila said, yanking me up from the couch.
As soon as I stood, I felt this rush of emotions and hugged her tight.
After everything I'd been through and feeling like I'd never get back to New York, here I was, employed at Walton Apex Capital! I couldn't help but tear up.
"I got a job, Lila," I said quietly, my voice shaky. "It's really happening."
She squeezed me tighter. "You deserve all this, Emma."
Then she held my face and said, "I'm so proud of you. You've been through a lot lately. It's your time now, and even better things are coming."
I nodded, drying my tears.
We settled on my outfit for the next day: simple yet classy. Professional, but nothing too crazy.
Later that night, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.
I'm not weak anymore. I'm strong. I'm ready.
The room was quiet, just Lila's breathing in the background. Everything felt different tonight, like luck was finally on my side.
I rolled onto my side, my heart calm yet buzzing with excitement.
Walton Apex Capital.
Tomorrow, I would walk into that building as an employee and face Alexander Walton again.
This time, there would be no spilled drinks. No loud music. No escape. Just him. And me.