A/N: I almost forgot it's Tuesday! I was debating on whether to post it now or later but I figured since I'm going to the store to buy TVD S3, I won't be doing anything else for the rest of the day! ;)


Chapter 3: The Interview


It's not a exactly a job I ever pictured myself doing, but I have to admit it's better than waiting tables at the nearest sports bar. However, the idea of having to work for Niklaus Mikaelson is giving me all kinds of nervous jitters.

"Nik fired his assistant a few days ago, and I highly doubt he's found a suitable candidate as of yet." Rebekah looks at me in a wary way.

The weather is looking just as gloomy as the possibility of me getting hired. The thing about Los Angeles is that you can only judge the seasons by the weather. As we sit on the balcony, I look around at the surrounding hills, only spotting a few colorful trees. I miss seeing my driveway covered in a vivid disarray of multicolored leaves and watching the trees lose their foliage in preparation for the winter.

"He's an asshole, isn't he?" I mutter, then look at her wishing I could take back my words. Rebekah's become a very good friend but calling her brother an asshole was probably crossing the line.

She laughs, shaking her head and looking at me like a mother looks at her child when she's afraid of the monster under her bed. "Nik can be a little impatient. But he's not a bad person." My expression must be that of uncertainty because she quickly adds, "It'll be fine. I put in a good word for you and Nik is usually nice to people I introduce him to."

The corner of my lips lift up in a smile as I begin to relax. I know absolutely nothing about him but maybe that's a good thing. She hands me the address to his office and a phone number. All the arrangements have been made and I'll be interviewing with him tomorrow morning.


The building isn't hard to find, the cab driver drop me off right at the entrance. Before I go inside, I look up at the immense building, as I stand underneath its shadow. My hands run smoothly over my skirt and I re-tuck my immaculately white blouse inside the waistband. There's a security guard right at the entrance that gently nods at me as I make my way to the elevator.

I press the button to the 20th floor and it shoots up without making a single stop, opening its doors slowly into an empty hall as it reaches my destination. When I arrive at the office, there are already three other girls waiting. I check in with the receptionist and take a seat next to an Asian girl who looks to be about my age. She's wearing glasses and whispering to herself as if she's practicing a speech. I raise my eyebrows and wait, picking up one of the travel magazines from the table in front of me. I'm surprisingly relaxed and in a good mood.

"Aren't you nervous?" She asks me quietly.

"Um... yea?" I reply, giving the answer I think she's looking for.

"Mr. Mikaelson is very picky when it comes to his employees." She says almost in a whisper, "I'd unbutton my shirt a little more, if I were you." Her eyebrows lift up in perfectly symmetrical arches.

I look over at the other girls sitting beside her. They're both young and very pretty. One of them, the redhead, looks over at me quickly and gives me the up and down. The brunette is too busy going through her portfolio, examining every piece of paper carefully as she incessantly taps her foot on the floor. They're all dressed very similar, their two top buttons of their blouse undone, showing enough cleavage to cause a double-take, and wearing the type of high heels that would give me a blister after just a few steps.

Wow, this guy really likes variety. Is he looking to hire a personal assistant or is he casting for a porn?

The receptionist calls the name of the redhead, who immediately stands up and walks to the door like she's walking down a fashion runway in Paris. I giggle under my breath at how ridiculous she looks.

"I heard he fired his last P.A. because she put the wrong kind of cream in his coffee." The girl whispers again, "Then again, there are others that say they had a thing going on and it ended horribly."

"Really?" I reply, fascinated by the account.

"Yes, apparently the girl wanted to get serious but he's not that type of guy. He just likes girls for, you know... a short time." Her voice is muffled by her hand, as she tries to sound inconspicuous.

I ponder her words and then think back to Rebekah. There's no way she would have kept those details about her brother from me. If they were true, she would've told me about it. Right?

"He's so handsome though, one night would be enough for me." She speaks again and I look at her in disbelief. Her innocent facade is exactly just that, I suppose.

We hear the door creak and the redhead steps out. She looks extremely pleased with herself as she readjusts her shirt and runs her hand over her hair. My stomach is now in turmoil and I don't even want to imagine what happened in that room for her to act like she's walking on water. Her voice is loud enough for us to hear her conversation and I'm convinced she's doing it on purpose.

"Mr. Mikaelson asked me to leave my phone number with you. He says he's interested in seeing me again." Her voice is loud and obnoxious and I look over to the girl next to me and make a gagging expression.

As soon as she walks out the office, I begin to feel even less worried about the interview and more intrigued to find out what Niklaus Mikaelson is really like. Then I find myself hoping that this redhead really did get the job because if working for Rebekah's brother means I have to leave my dignity and self-respect at the door, then this job is just not for me.

"Caroline Forbes." The receptionist calls out my name and I stand up, looking at the other two girls who have been waiting before me.

"Yes." I reply.

"Mr. Mikaelson will see you now." Her answer is dull, "You will be the last interview of the day." She announces.

The brunette stands up, furious, if looks could kill, as she starts complaining about being there since nine in the morning and some stupid blonde bimbo, that would be me, just came in and took her spot. I feel horrible, it wasn't my intention to take anyone's time slot and I was more than willing to wait my turn. I guess Rebekah did pull some strings after all. I look over at the Asian girl who was sitting beside me.

"I'm sorry." I mouth.

"It's ok." She replies in the same manner, grabbing a hold of her purse and making her way to the exit.

"You need to calm down or I will call security!" The receptionist stands up from her chair for the first time. "And what are you waiting for? Go on!" She tells me, as I scurry to the door, prepared to see Niklaus Mikaelson face to face for the first time.


He stands up from behind his desk, wearing a custom tailored designer suit, as he makes his way towards me. His curly hair is a bit shorter and styled and he displays barely noticeable scruff. He's handsome, there's no doubt about it. He smiles and his lips are quite distracting, the dimples on his face make him look almost angelic. Don't forget, the devil was once an angel. One thing's for sure, the family picture Rebekah has back home doesn't do him justice.

"Good afternoon." He greets me, before extending his hand to me. "Klaus Mikaelson," he says in a rich accent and an almost seductive tone.

Klaus?

I smile back at him, taking a hold of his hand as he grips me firmly, "Caroline Forbes, very nice to meet you, Mr. Mikaelson." After a few seconds he releases my hand and asks me to take a seat.

"So you're my sister's roommate." It's not a question, mainly just a way of him pointing out that he knows who I am, I nod anyway. "Rebekah's said a lot of very nice things about you."

"She might be guilty of bias." I reply, "She's said very nice things about you too." I quickly stiffen, realizing the implications my two statements have created.

He simply chuckles and comes to his feet again. I watch him walk over to the mini bar next to his desk and he pours himself a glass of what I can deduce is a type of whiskey.

"Care for a drink?" He asks, lifting up his glass to me.

Uh, it's 10 a.m. "No, thank you." I shake my head and look down at the floor.

This doesn't feel like an interview at all. I was prepared to answer questions and explain why I'm a good candidate for the position. I wasn't expecting to get offered liquor and be looked at like I'm a hopeless little animal behind a crystal case. He sits down in front of me and drinks from his glass. It's painfully silent and he stares at me to the point where I begin to feel uneasy. I want to say something, but what? He's the one that's supposed to be asking the questions.

I think back to the redhead who was just in here a few minutes ago. Is this what happened with her? Did he just sit and stare at her until she made the first move. I shiver, thinking of what that first move might have been. My mind wanders and I look around the office trying to distract myself, noticing the different paintings on the wall and a large bookcase filled with books I've never even heard of before.

"Is this how you go about your interviews?" I finally ask, bravely.

He smirks, almost mockingly. "Rebekah asked me to hire you because you really need the job. Is it really necessary for me to ask you questions when it won't matter at all what your answers will be?"

"No, I guess it's not. But why did you schedule me for an interview then? Why schedule any of the other girls who were out in the lobby if you already had a clear choice made?" I realize I'm being a little feisty and frankly, I have no idea where this courage is coming from. He's the one drinking, not me.

"You know, you're the first girl that comes in here and doesn't try to take her clothes off?" He smiles wickedly, taking another gulp of whiskey. "The last girl acted like she was hear to get a physical exam." The corner of his lip lifts up in a crooked, arrogant smile.

My eyes widen and I can't help laughing. "I'm sorry, am I hurting your ego?" My sarcasm knows no bounds. "I suppose that you, being a man and all, couldn't possibly turn any of those women down. Right?" I look around the office, disgusted by the sort of things he must have done in the past.

"I don't know. Is that the kind of man you think I am?" He asks and something about his question stuns me.

"Mr. Mikaelson, I don't know you. All I know is that I saw a very pretty redhead walk out of your office, looking like she had just been in a very compromising situation." I look him straight in the eye. He licks his lips, smiling and his stupid little dimples make their appearance again.

"Miss Forbes, your sharp tongue and high morals are actually quite impressive. They're admirable qualities in a town like this, where looks and money seem to be the only thing people value." He's not angry, at least I don't think he is; he's very hard to read.

I can't quite decide on how I'm supposed to feel about what he just said. He obviously doesn't come across many women with self-respect, that much is clear. But he also mentioned people value looks and money, well I sure as hell am not rich. Is he also trying to imply I'm not pretty? Why do I even care what he thinks of me?

"But we're not here to talk about your character traits, so why don't I just tell you what is expected of you as my personal assistant?" He smirks, staring at my blonde locks as they fall over parts of my features. His hand reaches over his desk and hesitantly tucks the loose strands behind my ear. "Your face is far too beautiful to be hidden behind your hair." He clears his throat and straightens himself in the chair. I'm motionless, not knowing how to respond. Is he coming on to me? He's crazy if he thinks I'm going to crumble to his feet and become putty in his hands.

"Mr. Mikaelson, don't take this the wrong way, but I'm just here to do my job. That's all." I know what's in my best interest and right now, keeping my distance is it.

The last time a guy cheated on me, I was too stupid to see the signs. I would have to be a real idiot to fall for a guy who clearly doesn't take women or relationships seriously.

"Of course," he replies, "You will be in charge of setting and confirming appointments with potential clients, answering phone calls, taking messages when I'm out of the office and keeping my calendar organized. You will be expected to remind me of any appointments or events I have to attend." He pauses so I can assimilate what he's just said, "You will also be required to attend all business meetings and take notes for me. As well as accompanying me on the occasional business trip."

I nod, "Ok, sounds simple enough." I say unconvinced.

"Also, you should know that punctuality is very important, so please be here on time every day."

"You don't have to worry about that, Sir. Punctuality is very important to me too." I relinquish a smile.

"There are other things that might be asked of you as well. Please try your best to comply with my requests." He concludes and something about that last statement makes my imagination run wild.


Thank you guys so much for taking the time to review the chapters! I appreciate it tons & keeps me motivated :) xoxo