Welcome one, welcome all.
this story came to me the other night when i couldn't sleep. i have a plan i know where i am going it took me a second to do the ground work and get her going but i am going to try to be as attentive to this as i was to Buria.
these characters are owned by the godess herself Racheal mead. i have borrowed and turned them human. i hope you like this and if you do give me your feeback and ideas i love them they are like crack to me.
enjoy.
From the moment I walked into the lobby I was in awe. The whole building was black, glass and chrome but the walls were splashed with colours –vibrant paintings on the wall and brightly patterned rugs adorning the harsh white floor -the couches over against the wall of glass were all random mixed couches and arm chairs but together they looked like perfection. Everything here did, it was so unlike most clinical feeling buildings in New York.
As I approached the large glossy black desk my heels clacking on the white marbled floor the young lady behind the counter rose to her feet, her face set in what looked like a painfully large smile.
"Goodmorning and welcome to Vladimir towers. My name is Mia, how can I help you today?" Mia's voice was a sweet as a little bird and she looked like one too. She was rail thin and as tall as a super model. She had blonde hair cut short and was wearing a little gel to give it volume.
"Oh, Hi I'm Rosemaire.' I stuttered, kicking myself for being so nervous. "I have an interview with an Alberta."
"Hm yes I see." Mia smiled crookedly and stepped out from behind the desk. She was wearing an expensive looking dove grey suit jacket and skirt. "Follow me." She gestured as she walked towards a bank of glossy black elevators and pressed the call button with a long-painted fingernail.
I clutched my bag tightly to my side as I side stepped Mia into the waiting elevator. She hasn't said another word after pressing the button just stood there smiling and looking me up and down when she didn't think I was looking.
"Its floor 45. Oh, and Good luck. Rosemarie." she almost sneered as the door closed.
I pressed the button labelled 45 and it lit up as I took a step backwards, my back bumping into the silver railing and took a deep breath. My hands were shaking.
I hated job interviews. I always felt like I was being squashed beneath a microscope. I had always kept a string of steady jobs since graduating from high school, but most of that was my best friend Vasilisa's doing. She always seemed to have the right connection at the right time. But that wasn't surprizing seeing as her parents before they died had been almost New York royalty. With the jobs she offered I rarely needed an interview –'any friend of our dear Dragomir's is a friend of ours' they would all say- but in the ones who requested interviews they mainly pushed me for answers on how Lissa was coping with the death of her parents and her older brother 6 years ago in a horrific car accident, and if I thought she would continue in her mother and fathers business footsteps.
When the doors opened with a ping on the 45th floor the back of my neck had already started to bead with sweat and I cursed my long thick hair as it clung there. I stepped out into a large airy room sunlight streaming in through the walls of windows, just like in the lobby this room too was all dark juxtaposed by the bright cheerful accents in the rooms and the lush foliage all around.
My eyes were bouncing everywhere there was so much to look at. Shining gold and bronze awards lined the wall as far as I could see all listing different amazing achievements. And each painting and each sculpture were done with amazing talent that even someone with no artistic talent like myself could see, I couldn't imagine how much each item cost.
I was interrupted in my gawking by the short clip-clop of heels on the floor. Before me stood an older woman with dark brown hair almost shorn to her scalp, she had skin the colour of rich caramel and dark thickly lashed eyes. She was carrying a large stack of manila folders and a cup of coffee in the other hand.
"Rosemarie Hathaway?" she asked her voice clipped and authoritative. I nodded taking quick steps towards her with my hand outstretched to shake hers. She looked down at my buffered hand and quirked her eyebrow as she looked up at my face. I dropped my hand instantly realising my mistake and blushed.
"I'm sorry." I laughed nervously. "did you need a hand carrying anything?" I asked trying to redeem myself. As she began to move towards a glass door set into the closes wall.
"I'm Alberta Petrov I am the vice CEO. That means I handle the things the CEO just doesn't have time for or really just doesn't feel like doing. It also means for now I get to hire his staff and make sure they don't screw up too much." she laughed as she pushed her stack of folders into my hands and i gripped them tightly with a smile. She then put her hand out and shook my own. "Lovely to meet you Rosemarie, you come very highly regarded."
My cheeks burned red. Lissa worked in the building, downstairs in public relations and heard about the assistant position and had forced me to apply and the very next day Alberta had called to arrange to meet asap.
Alberta led me into a large conference room that looked like just about every one you see in movies. She sat at the head of the table, it was already covered in papers and empty coffee cups. She pointed to the chair across from her and as I sat i passed her the folders.
"Had a few interviews already today?" I asked curiously. Alberta looked at me with a tired grin on her face.
"You have no idea." She laughed and shuffled her papers till she pulled one out and placed it on the table in front of her. "So, you've clearly had experience in personal assisting before." she stated.
The item on the table was my resume and she had highlighted my previous job where I was a personal assistant for Lissa's parents best friend Victor Dashkovs at his business. I mainly fetched coffees, had Victor's two great Danes groomed and planned parties, meetings and got lunch. But Lissa said they didn't need to know that.
"Yes, for about two years I started just after finishing my college degree." I answered. Alberta nodded her eyes scanning the resume again.
"I see that. You did a double degree in physical therapy and business." Alberta said tapping the pen to a note pad beside her where she had already scribbled a few notes I couldn't make out. "interesting, you aren't looking to continue in that field?" I shook my head.
"I enjoyed it but I think it's more of a hobby than a career for me. Looking after people and their business is what I'm good at and what I enjoy." I said honestly. I had always found it more refreshing focusing on other people then delving into my own problems and life.
Lissa said I was basically her bodyguard through high school and Collage. Half the reason I had done the degree was to stay closer to Lissa and the fact that her parents had paid for my tuition before they had passed. I had been awestruck, I hadn't been able to comprehend what they had done. They were more like my parents then my actual parents who infact were alive. I just had no idea where they were. My mother had sent me to boarding school when I was just 5 and had never cared about me since, and I don't even think my mother knew who my father was.
Alberta smiled up at me a genuine smile. She ran her fingers through her cropped hair as she jotted down a few more notes.
"I can already tell I like you Miss Hathaway. It takes a strong person to take care of others. I myself find it difficult. I can hardly get my own affairs in order." she laughed. "Perhaps If I didn't think you would be so utterly perfect for the job you have come in for, I would ask you to be my assistant."
I smiled the tension leaving my back and my hands drying up. Interviews weren't that bad after all.
"So just a couple of more rudimental questions and then we can get to the important parts." Alberta leaned over to the chair next to her and plucked up another piece of paper this one looked like a questionnaire. "I'll just ask a few questions and you just answer them, usually we have you write these down yourself but I find it more honest to see people vocally answer them." I folded my hands on the glass table and nodded, I was ready.
"State your full name please." Alberta asked pen at the ready.
"Rosemarie Hathaway."
"Date of Birth."
"21st march 1995. I'm 23 years old." I smiled fondly 23 had been a good year so far, starting off with an epic party thrown by Lissa.
"Have you ever been arrested or charged with a criminal offence?" Alberta asked as she looked over at me. My palms started to get a little tacky. I had punched a guy in collage. He was going to press charges but he had slapped me on my ass, and I told him if he did I'd find out. Lissa had been mortified and awestruck.
"No, I haven't." I finally got out a little louder than necessary.
"Do you live in the state of New York city?"
"I Do yes, I live in the upper east side with Lissa from PR." I hadn't been able to believe the apartment the Dragomir's had left Lissa in their will. It was a co-op in 66th street, penthouse with a whole level terrace with rolling panoramic views of all of New York. I lived there with Lissa and her boyfriend Christian.
"Have you always lived in New York Rosemarie?" She asked still scribbling on the last question
"No. I was raised in Montana at a boarding school then moved here where I finished high school and when to Columbia for collage."
I had apparently been born in Washington but had attended boarding school in Montana because that was where my mother had gone when she was young. I wasn't the biggest fan of Montana, not that I saw much of it. But there was a brief period of time Lissa and I ran away from boarding school. Took money out of her trust fund and flew to New York. The city has us hook line and sinker.
When her parents' assets were being sold and moved, Lissa's family lawyer had asked if she would like to keep any of the multitudes of real-estate the Dragomir's owned she didn't even think before agreeing on the New York apartment among others. But the New York apartment had sat waiting for them for 3 years empty both of us dreaming about it while we finished high school.
"Have you had much experience with children?" Alberta asked. This time she didn't have her pen poised to write down my answer. The page already looked filled out.
"I Have a little I guess. I did my fair share of babysitting the younger classes at boarding school, sometimes because I wanted too, sometimes because I was in detention." I laughed remembering how wild I had been in High school, not that Lissa would say I was any better now, but I thought I had improved in holding back my temper and my witty sarcasm.
"Now Rosemarie, this is no ordinary personal assistant job," Alberta said her voice lowering even though there was no one around and everyone Rose had seen looked to be hard at work. "This will go above and beyond what most would file under PA." she tilted her head watching for Rose's reaction.
"Okay." I breathed. "like...like what? Nothing illegal right?" I asked suddenly my heart was thumping a little faster. Millions of odd things going through my head. Alberta asking me to whack the competition. Crawling through a vent to steal important documents. Having to arrange for amazon jungle native birds to be flown in so they could have them on show in the waiting room.
"No," Alberta said shocked. "Of course not." she laughed. "No, I just meant that the CEO is very...how shall I put it, Needy. You will be on call basically always, you will be expected to work out of business hours. Do things that may seem trivial but you will be paid handsomely for it. I have interviewed 53 men and women for this job and you are the only one I could see him liking. Everyone I thought didn't last the day with him. You on the other hand. You have a fire in you that will work." Alberta rested her chin on one fisted hand and leaning over the table she pushed a folded piece of paper towards me.
With slightly shaking fingers I lifted the piece of paper. Money was something that was always at the back of my mind. It had always been me alone, fighting for myself. Lissa and her family had taken me in and given me anything I needed but I hated it. I hated living off of Lissa, having to live in a house she owned and drive a car she bought even though she never needed it and I worked an hour drive away. She bought extravagant birthday gifts and didn't even blink as she paid more than a car worth on a handbag or a pair of shoes. I needed my own money for our friendship's sake, but she didn't understand it. For her work was just something fun to do to pass the time.
Black spots danced in front of my eyes as i read my starting salary. It was 4 times what I made at my last job with the Dashkovs and they had been generous.
"How?!" I cried. Blinking my eyes before reading it again.
"Well I told you, you may not believe it but this is a very important job. Without someone like you this company would fall apart." Alberta stood and put her hand on my shoulder. "i can see that you are a good person and I am glad that we as a company can help show the rest of the world that millennials are our future. Now come." she said as she led me out of the room and towards the elevators. "there is someone i must introduce you to."
sooo? how was that?
what did you think?
who is the CEO?
what would you do if you were rose?