Chapter 3: Meeting Aaron Goodwin

After following my GPS and arriving at the strip of buildings where the GAC offices were located, I found a parking spot near the entrance and turned off my car. I sat there for a moment to mentally prepare myself for what was about to happen, and to try to calm my nerves. I glanced at my watch and, not wanting to be late, took one last deep breath before getting out of my car.

I walked into the door marked with the correct Suite number for the offices and walked down a short hallway to a set of stairs. As I turned around the corner to start up the stairs, voices caused me to look up and I barely had the chance to flatten my back against the nearby wall as two large security guards came down the stairs, each holding onto the arm of a girl who looked to be in her late teens. She was crying and pleading with the guards to let her go.

"Please! I just want to meet Zak! I promise I won't hurt him!" the girl cries.

I watched in slight horror as the guards walked her down the hall and toward the door in which I had just entered. It never occurred to me that there were probably a lot of female fans here, playing at really wanting the job, but really just wanting to meet the guys.

I shook my head slightly to clear my thoughts as I start climbing the stairs, not looking forward to the possibility that I was going to have to wait with a room full of teenagers and other women.

After walking two, short sets of stairs I reached a much longer hallway with doors on either side of the hall, both to my left, and my right. I looked at the sign posted on the wall in front of me and saw that I needed to go to the right to reach the correct office.

As I walked down the hall, glancing at each sign posted near the doors to check the number, I realized that the GAC office was at the end of the hall. As I was approaching the door that would lead me to an increase of my already heightened state of anxiety, I passed by the second last door and window of the office next to GAC. The blind in the window was closed, so I noticed it right away. No…not now.

Standing just behind me in the reflection of the window, was a little girl. A girl I recognized all too clearly. My sister, Emily. I stared at our reflection as she just stood there, dressed in the soaking wet clothes she was wearing on that horrible day. The last day I would see her alive.

She was looking at me with a look of confusion, but I sensed another emotion that I couldn't quite place. Her head suddenly whipped around to look back down the hall, as if she had heard something. I glanced back over my shoulder and noticed someone reaching the top of the stairs. I glanced back at the window and my sister was now crying and rapidly shaking her head.

"You can't do this! Don't!" I heard my sister's voice in the smallest of whispers.

Not knowing if I was really hearing her voice or just imagining it, imagining all of this, I barely whispered, "why?"

She looked down the hall again, rather quickly, before she looked back at me with a pleading look on her face.

"Excuse me…are you okay?" I heard a familiar voice from behind me. I looked back over my shoulder and was stunned to see Aaron Goodwin standing a few feet away from me, curiosity and concern written on his face.

I glanced at the window and saw that my sister had disappeared. Once again no sign that she was even there at all. I swallowed back the lump in my throat and quickly thought of an excuse.

"Yes, I'm fine. I was just trying to remember if I locked the door to my house or not." I replied, as I turned to face Aaron and made a sheepish look appear on my face. "I swear, I'm losing it," I added with a chuckle.

Aaron visibly relaxed, a laugh escaping him as he started walking toward me.

"Been there plenty of times sweetheart, I know the deal." He responded cheerfully. He reached me, pausing briefly before slipping past me. "Excuse me again. I'm here," he commented, motioning to the door I had been heading too.

I stood back to let him by, but then started to follow him and quickly responded, so as not to give him the impression I was a crazy, stalker fan.

"Me too, actually. I have an interview."

He glanced at me just as he was opening the door.

"You're the interview booked in for 3pm?" he asked, walking into the office and holding the door for me.

I quickly followed him inside, so as not to keep him waiting and nodded, glancing around briefly at the small lobby I'd just entered. There was a receptionists desk in one corner, with an older looking woman sitting at a computer. She looked to be in her fifty's.

"Yes. I'm Alicia Wilde," I replied, holding my hand out to shake his hand.

He smiled brightly and put his hand in mine and shook my hand. His hands were huge!

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Aaron Goodwin," he replied pleasantly. His happy go lucky nature instantly calmed my nerves quite a bit. "Great last name by the way," he added with a wink.

I laughed.

"It's not quite as descriptive of me as it could be," I responded, pulling my hand back as he did the same.

"Oh, I think it must be dear. If a beautiful young thing like you is applying to work alongside these young fools," the receptionist chimed in from the desk, smiling at me as I looked at her in surprise, a slight flush rising to my face.

"Oh hush Holly. Don't scare off our applicant," Aaron responded, jokingly.

"She must already be brave to be walking into this office," she fired back, throwing a wink my way and I couldn't suppress my laugh.

Aaron laughed too, responding, "Fair enough."

He then turned to look at me.

"I know this will probably be of great disappointment, but I'm afraid you're stuck with me for the time being for the interview. Zak's running a bit late," Aaron informed me, walking over to one of the four doors found in the lobby. The name tag read "Zak Bagans".

I couldn't help but feel a bit relieved. For one thing, I felt fairly calm and at ease already around Aaron. Secondly, his baggy jeans and black t-shirt covered in skulls made me feel much better about my outfit selection this morning. And lastly, hopefully I'd calm down some more before Zak arrived.

"Oh, that's fine, and not a disappointment at all," I replied kindly as Aaron unlocked the door to Zak's office and walked inside, again holding the door open for me. I smiled in thanks as I walked inside. "If he needs to reschedule the interview, that's not a problem," I added, wanting to appear flexible.

Aaron let the door close behind me, returning my smile and walked over to Zak's desk.

"Nah, he should be here soon. He asked me to fill in for him until he gets here," Aaron replied. "Which I must say, is turning out much better than anticipated." He added with a wink.

I smiled and felt my face flush again.

"Well, thank you for filling in." I replied, taking a seat in a chair in front of the desk that Aaron gestured to, before sitting himself in the chair behind Zak's desk.

"No problem. Now, let's get started, shall we?" He grinned.