Michael's POV
Today is the day that the board and I decide who to extend job offers too. I can't even think about the contributions that Maite has made to the company worst part is I can't fully explain her brilliance to the board without disclosing my relationship with her. She had one of the best presentations out of anyone with an internship.
"We are here to discuss who we should move forward with. We want to bring the best of the best into ELQ and foster a new generation of businesspeople that will help us back into being a Fortune 100 company. We are very close to getting there and the new crop of talent should exemplify the vision we want to bring to our brand. Let's start voting." We all have our cards and we put our top candidates on the form and at the end we take vote on who to bring into the company.
Once I get all the cards back to review I start taking tallies and my heart drops a little I don't see Maite's name on anyone but my card and it's weird.
I start putting the votes on the hiring board and it becomes even more apparent that Maite won't get a position at ELQ and I am shocked. I don't understand how she didn't get a single vote of confidence.
"I want to ask everyone in this room to speak on their choices." I ask the room why none of them chose Maite and they looked at me like I grew two heads.
"Well Michael why would we hire someone that would cost us more money than anyone else? We can pick people who are already citizens and save more money. We are in the business of making money and sponsoring any non-citizens would hinder that. I think I speak for the rest of the group when we made our decision it wasn't for the lack of talent. If that were the case I would have chosen both Maria Teresa and Akako but sponsoring foreign nationals hurts our bottom line when it's possible to get U.S. citizens." I can't process this because I just might cry in the boardroom and that would be the most unpleasant thing I could do.
"I never thought of it that way and that is a great lesson to be learned today. Thank you for the insight and I will have my assistant contact HR and let them tell all the candidates the results."
It's not like I can just go home either now I have a meeting with the board of directors and will have to explain to them my vision on the trajectory of the company. The worst part of it all is that this is Maite's vision. She has really shaped how I have been running ELQ hell she would be a better equipped CEO than I would and she won't even be able to work in the company.
I can't fight the hiring board on this because they were straightforward and honest and Maite wasn't the only international worker who received an internship. It would look weird if I didn't advocate out loud for Akako too because she did incredibly well too. It sucks that they won't be able to work here because our company doesn't want to sponsor them. But I get the bottom line its more expensive to hire someone from a different country because it involves more cost and for such an entry-level position the company won't pony up. I could always exercise my power as CEO but I would also look like a fool if it ever came out that I am dating Maite.
I tried calling her but the phone went straight to voicemail and I wanted to be the one to tell her but she won't pick up and I can't leave. I might be stuck here for hours. None of the interns came today technically the last day was Friday so everyone was pretty much gone. I did see Tanya which was surprising she was one of the worst portfolios and presentations we had but nepotism got her ahead. She had enough people on the board vote for her and nepotism strikes again.
I can't really say anything because I only have my job because AJ happened to be my birth father. It's weird that a stroke of luck has me as a CEO and Maite who is wickedly smart doesn't have a job. She is going to be so crushed and what the fuck happens now. How long can she stay before she has to back to Mexico? I don't want her to leave but what can we do?
I never been so in love its weird what these couple of months have done to me. My mom has noticed it and keeps wanting the reason that has me so happy. She knows it and wants to meet her I wanted to tell Maite that tonight. It was gonna feel so right that would be working in the same company and she could meet the family. We could still meet my family but what happens after this… She might have to go back home.
I don't get off work until 10:30 at night and I tell her I will be there soon. I feel so depressed because she obviously knows I had HR contact every intern of their status. Will she blame me? I don't know how this night will turn out. I may lose her no matter what… When I use my key to open the door I expect her to be distraught but she doesn't really look anything.
I don't know how to describe not happy or upset just blank maybe she can't believe it yet. Maybe she needs some time to let it sink in. I want to be there to support her.
"Hey…" I don't know what to say so the first thing that pops into my head is a dumb greeting. She just comes up to me and kisses me and hugs me. She tells me it's okay and we just sit on the sofa. She forces me to eat dinner and she just watches me. I guess it's with pity or compassion I can't really tell I feel quite defeated that she won't get something she deserves so much. Everything taste like ash but I find a way to finish.
"Maite, I'm so sorry that you didn't get a job I really couldn't fight for you the way I wanted too without revealing our relationship."
"I wouldn't want you too there was always going to be a good chance that I didn't get the job Michael. I was always prepared for that but I wanted the experience on my resume no matter what."
"Why would you think there would be a good chance you wouldn't get it? You are brilliant and resourceful. I would be nothing without your help…"
"Michael I am a foreigner I knew it would be a hard sell for any company to take me. I tried my best to excel as much as possible because I wanted to make myself so exceptional that there would be no other choice but these jobs are too low on the scale to matter. Most jobs in the U.S. tell you they won't do work sponsor. Short of me doing something worthwhile in Silicon Valley I knew it would be a long shot."
"If you knew there's was a strong chance you wouldn't get it why would you do it?" I am confused as to why she would subject so much of herself to making a company succeed and it wouldn't be fruitful for her.
"I still had to try even if I didn't get anything from ELQ I got experience at a Fortune 200 company. I was good enough to get the internship so I wanted to see myself through. You know Akako knew she wouldn't get the job but she did the program because she wanted to have crossover appeal. She is looking to work for Sony now. I could have done the same with a Mexican company that does business in the U.S."
"What happens now?! You didn't get the job at ELQ… what's the plan?" I don't know what it means for us in the grand scheme of things but the most important thing is that she is okay with herself.
"Well that is something that I wanted to talk to you about. So, I came to Port Charles with a plan. It wasn't an accident that I chose ELQ to even apply for the internship. I could have chosen New York, Chicago, Miami, even Houston if I wanted but I chose Port Charles, New York. I knew even if I didn't get the internship that I would be fine."
"What are you saying?" I hope this whole time she didn't come her and set her sights on me. I couldn't take us if we were a lie…
"Promise me something… promise you won't get mad when I tell you?" This is making me scared I get up from the couch and I slowly pace the apartment because I have no clue what she wants to say I just hope it's not using me. After Kiki, I don't think I can take this kind of betrayal.
"Port Charles University was looking for a person to chair a sub-department for Latin American studies and Latin American-U.S. Relations from a Latin American Scholarly Perspective. Many people were asked but all declined for other positions with other universities. The chair got my info from my thesis advisor. They read the transcripts to my thesis and wanted me to come to Port Charles. Normally they wouldn't choose someone with only a master's degree to chair this department but with the people who had PhD didn't want to work there it kind of fell into my lap. PCU wants me so bad they are giving me a work visa while I work everything out." I start to pace faster because she fucking planned for this just in case she didn't get a job at ELQ. I am fucking pissed she lied for months. I felt guilty for what?! She had all this shit figured out and kept it to herself. Why didn't she tell me?!
"Were you planning on telling me ever or was this just convenient?" I can't help it but I stop and I stare at her like she is a dragon I am ready to slay. I can't believe that she goes on about us working together and being a damn team and keeps shit from me.
"I was always going to tell you Michael I just needed to make sure that it was my decision. I have certain plans in place that I have to follow and I just had to make sure I made the right choices."
"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! Maite, tu tan loca?! Now you are saying you had to make sure it's your decision… did you think I would take your decision away?! Who the fuck do you think I am?"
"Michael that isn't what I meant by it. I just didn't want to let myself be swayed into something its more of me knowing myself than you."
"It still feels like that is a cute and nice way to say you didn't want me influencing your decision. All this talk about us being a unit is so damn hypocritical I don't know how you can just sit there and expect things to be okay. You fucking lied to me every day. You had so many times to tell me. The worst part about all of this was coming home trying to figure out how we would talk about you not getting the job. I sat there in that boardroom thinking how could they choose to overlook you because you are so brilliant and here you were with all this shit figured." I am fucking angry I feel like a fool.
"I didn't want to be influenced even if it was indirectly. I felt it might change my outlook if you knew even if you didn't do anything directly. It was more on me not you. I want you to understand."
"Understand?! You must be kidding… there's no justifying this. You went around talking about us being honest with each other and you do this." Her face changes and she gets up and she looks like an angry storm I can see it in her green eyes.
"Do not speak over me! I let you speak don't interrupt me Michael. I am trying to explain to you where I am-" I cut her off before she can speak more. Everything she wants to say I am just going to interrupt her.
"coming from? Is that what you meant to say?!" I want to laugh because even though she is angry she is on the verge of tears. I feel freaking crazy and erratic.
"Let me speak… Just listen to me-"
"…Please?!" I can't help but antagonize her at this point. Its petty but it feels so good.
"Let's just talk about this… please Michael just let me say what I want to say."
"I don't fucking care what you have to say everything you say is going to be bullshit to me. We are fucking done." I can't believe what I am saying but I am so angry and she is angry too but her eyes look defeated. I shouldn't feel this way about someone I have only known for the summer.
"Michael, don't say that I love you."
"You say the words but your actions prove otherwise. Delete my number from your phone. If you see around town just walk the other damn way." Thank God, I left my luggage from our trip it makes it so easy to pack up all my shit. When I get close to the door I see her making tea and I feel a pang of regret but it doesn't last long because I am replaying this whole day and the little regret I have turns into anger. I slam the door with a big boom and I hear something falling from inside the apartment. If I never see Maria Teresa again it would be too soon