Chapter One
2003…
This, thought Destiny Chalmers bitterly, is the third worst day of my life. It ranked just below the day when she discovered that her then fiancé, Craig Jordan, was having an affair with her former boss on the day she lost her job. However, today was just above the day she moved into her small, disgusting apartment. Both events had taken place just a little over a month ago.
She was in a job interview, and her former husband-to-be was evaluating her résumé. Craig Jordan certainly wasn't the most mature man, and could be quite petty when he wanted to be. Destiny knew he was still nursing a wounded ego. Nevermind the fact that he wronged her. The way he saw it, she walked out on him when he tried to apologize to her, and she ignored all of his phone calls and messages and e-mails, all of which consisted of him pleading and begging for forgiveness.
As a way of spiteful revenge, he had called her into his office two hours after the appointed time, and after she had taken her seat in front of his desk, he made two calls on his cell phone. (Perhaps it had been her imagination, but Destiny could have sworn that, after the person Craig had called hung up, Craig was still having his oh-so important sounding conversation, just to take up her time.) Had she not been so desperate for a job, Destiny would not have even given Frees Construction Company a second thought, but she had been rejected from a power plant and a corporation that created and repaired heating and cooling systems.
Destiny watched as Craig purposely took an exaggeratedly long look over her paperwork and forms. His black, pinstripe business suit strained against his trim, muscular physique. He had a head of curly light brown hair, which was over gelled, giving him that God-awful Joe Millionaire look. Craig had been the vainest man Destiny had ever met. He had spent twice as much time in front of the mirror in the morning than she did.
So, why on Earth did I agree to date him, much less become engaged to him? Destiny thought. She blamed it on prodding and provoking from both Craig and her mother, Miriam. She could hear her mother's grating voice now: "Destiny, how can such a pretty girl like you be single at your age?" Oh, gee, thirty. Yeah, I'm close to being an old geezer, aren't I? "You need to find a man and settle down before you wind up old and lonely!"
Craig had been no better. He was obsessive about her. Even early on, she suspected she had been nothing more than a trophy for him to wrap his arm around when he chatted with friends of his at parties. When he had proposed to her, she panicked and went against her better judgment, and stuttered, "Y-Yes?"
She inwardly winced at the memory. Coward! Well, I'm not a coward any more! I came here, didn't I? She sat up a bit straighter.
Craig cleared his throat and she was jolted out of her thoughts. She shifted her slender, petite form in her uncomfortable chair and gave a slight tug to the end of her gray skirt to smooth out any wrinkles.
He pushed the papers together, tapped them on his desk, and put them in an immaculately even pile on the corner of it. "After looking at your past experiences, I'd say you would be an incredible asset to the Frees Construction Company. But the position isn't exactly open yet, but it will be quite soon, let me assure you. However," he paused and neatly folded his hands on his desk, "there are so many applicants that are just perfect for our opening in the Design department and many more that are waiting for me to give them an interview. So, as you can see, I can't guarantee the job," he said with a chuckle.
Destiny forced a small smile and nodded. You bold-faced liar, she thought, I was the only person out there waiting to be interviewed.
"I understand," said Destiny, still forcing the smile. She watched as he stood up, and she took his cue and got up and began to walk towards his office door. She stopped when he put a hand on her shoulder.
Smiling slyly, he continued, "The whole process isn't completely in my control, but if, say, someone you knew at the company could put in a good word for you, that would certainly increase your chances." One hand on the wall behind her, bracing on it, he leaned forward, his face so close to hers that they were almost touching noses. "Would you like to finish this conversation over dinner? We could put past… incidents," he waved the word away with his free hand,"behind us. You and me, and a candlelit dinner, just like old times."
Destiny let out a sigh of frustration and disgust. She took a step back from him and picked up his arm, holding it as if it were some vile piece of garbage she couldn't stand to touch, and dropped it at his side. "Look, I may be desperate for a job, but I'm not desperate enough that I'd willingly waste one moment of my spare time with you." She opened his door. "Well, thank you for your time, Mr. Jordan. I wish you luck with all those many applicants." She gave him a thin smile, a curt nod, and then walked out.
Destiny was berating herself by the time she made it to the parking lot and had gotten into her blue Ford Focus. She scowled at her reflection in the rearview mirror. "You blew it," she huffed. "A great job just flushed down the tubes because of your pride and your… self respect." Slumping forward, she hit her forehead on the steering wheel in defeat. "No, I made the right choice." She sat up. "There's more opportunities out there, and more places for me to call tomorrow. I've got one heck of a résumé and--" Her résumé! She'd left it in Craig's office! Although she did have another copy, it seemed such a waste to leave it at his office when she knew she was not going to get the job anyway. Those blasted things were not cheap, either. She hit the steering wheel with her fist. "Aw, crap!"
She got out of her car and trudged back into the cold, massive building and walked up to the receptionist's desk. The young blond woman was busy filing her nails, oblivious to Destiny's entrance. Destiny cleared her throat. The receptionist put down her nail filer and looked up at her.
"How can I help you?" asked the way-too-perky woman. A little placard that read "Tina" sat on the desk.
"I was just in here for a job interview..." Destiny peered at the sign. "Tina. I need to go back and get my résumé. I left it in Mr. Jordan's office."
"Oh, you're Miss Chalmers, right?" After she watched Destiny nod, the receptionist continued. "Mr. Jordan doesn't have it anymore."
"He doesn't?" squeaked Destiny, feeling panic rise in her chest. "Who does?"
"Oh, that'll be Mr. Greskill. He's the head of the Human Resources Department. He reads through all the applications and makes the decision on who gets hired or not. And I must say, he seemed really impressed with your résumé. I wouldn't be surprised if you get a call from him soon."
"Wow, that was pretty quick…" Destiny muttered thoughtfully. She blinked. "You're serious? What about Craig-- I mean," she shook her head, "Mr. Jordan?"
"As the company's Vice President, he certainly has a say in the applicants he screens and interviews, but Mr. Greskill actually makes the final cuts."
Destiny nodded. "Thanks." Smiling inwardly, she turned and began the long walk back to her car. She could get the job, and not have to spend one insufferable minute with Craig outside of work. Chances are I probably won't have to even see him unless we have some sort of important meeting. She could deal with that. Feeling as if a great weight lifted off of her shoulders, she unlocked her car door. Slowly but surely, life is getting better.
