I own nothing!
Chapter Two
The next day, around noon I met up with Alice at her little store. For the most part it was almost done. She planned to open it before school started. That was only a couple of weeks away.
"Hey," I called as I entered. I spotted her in a pair of baggy overalls near the back wall. She was finishing the second layer of paint to the wall.
"Hey," she answered, not even bothering to turn around.
"I was right, that green is perfect," I grinned placing my bag down on a table that would hold a stack of jeans soon. The color green went well with the other brightly colored walls. The pink and purple.
"See, I told you," Alice stood back to admire her work. I leaned over the counter. No, I was the one who told you remember?, I thought as I rolled my eyes.
Of course being the great friend that she was, Alice had offered me a job if I hadn't found one by the time she opened. I took her up on her offer. I would have loved working in her store, but it wasn't what I had slaved away four years of my life to do. Still it was going to pay the bills. And it was temporary.
"So you're almost finished, huh?" I was really proud of her. She had begun this project mostly on her own, and she was doing this while running back an forth to the warehouse house where all her clothes were made. Plus she was doing all of that while she worked on her fall collection for fashion week in October. She was like the energizer bunny, on crack.
"Yeah, I'll start getting clothes from the warehouse in a week. I'll be able to set everything up then." She turned and eyed me. I knew that look. It was the "I need your help but I'm not going to ask," look. I rolled my eyes and sighed in defeat.
"Of course I'll help." She grinned and flew around the corner to jump on me.
"Thank you. You're the bestest friend ever." She tightened her tiny arms around me. She had a way of using words that didn't really exist.
"Okay, Alice, I can't breathe." I choked at her strength. For such a small person she sure could do a lot of damage.
We went out to lunch at this little restaurant just north of Brooklyn were I was currently living. We ate there before Alice had to get back to work, leaving me to walk the two miles to my apartment. I didn't mind walking and it saved on having to pay for a taxi. When I got home I saw I had a message. I dropped off my purse and keys and let the messages play. I fell face forward unto my couch while I listened to the three messages. Two were from my mother, whom I had yet to call . I'd call her back after I listened to the last message.
"Hello Bella Swan, this Angela from Cullen Corp. I'm just calling to see if you'd be able to come in tomorrow for a second interview. If possible, give me a call at-" I didn't register the rest. I sat there staring at the machine in disbelief. They wanted me to come in for a second interview. No way, I thought as I rushed across the room to replay the message. Maybe they got the wrong person. Clearly, they weren't asking for me. But sure enough the woman had said my name. I felt myself going into to shock. I was getting clammy and was begin to hyperventilate. I tried to calm down, to relax but I couldn't. I was too happy. I remember thinking, Oh no, I'm going to faint, right before I felt my eyes rolled back and I dropped to the floor.
Now fainting was nothing new to me. It happened almost every time I was surprised or shocked in someway. It was the reason I hated surprises. And since I was use them, when I opened my eyes what seemed like ten days later, it didn't faze me. I was lucky enough that not a lot of people had experience this side of me, because it had the tendencies to startle others. In fact that only people who had seen me faint was, of course my mother, my dad and my best friend back home. I felt my head throb and I touched my head where it hurt. I could instantly feel the huge knot on the back of my head. I groaned as I sat up. Nothing had changed in my apartment, except six minutes had passed. Crap, I should call Angela back. I scrambled to my feet and replayed the message to get the number. It rang twice before someone answered.
"Good Afternoon, Edward Cullen's office. This Angela speaking."
"Hello Angela. This Bella Swan. I just received your message about a possible second interview." I tried to sound as relax as possible, when in side I was dancing.
"Ah yes. Mr. Cullen would like for you come in tomorrow at eight. Is that okay with you?" Angela's voice was bright and refreshing.
"Yes, I'll be there. Thank you."
"No problem. See you tomorrow." I hung up feeling relieved. A second interview. I had never gotten that far. I didn't care one bit that it was wasn't in the field that I was looking for. Rent was due in two weeks and a job was a job. Plus it was Edward Cullen. If I got a job for Edward Cullen I wouldn't have to worry about, rent, or food. Or the fact that I couldn't afford a taxi. I would go tomorrow and I'd do better this time. Tomorrow was going to be perfect.
Or so I thought. I managed to wake up on time, but then I remembered that my suit, my only suit was still in the dirty laundry. In fact it was probably ruined from the coffee stain I hadn't had time to remove. Crap, I thought as I threw everything unto my bed from my closet. I found a nice blouse in the deep shade of blue and pulled it on. Then without a second thought pulled on my black skirt. I didn't really like how I looked in the skirt but I was determined not to show up in jeans again. I did my hair, nothing fancy, just pulled it back in a low ponytail. I glanced at my myself in the bathroom and groaned. I had had better days, but today it would have to do. I skipped the morning coffee and grabbed my purse. I flagged down a taxi and headed uptown. I talked to Alice in the cab.
"Okay just breathe. You'll do fine." She encouraged.
"You really think so?" I said shaking. My body wouldn't stop.
"Of course. You are going to be great." I thanked her and said goodbye just as I arrived. The building was even more intimidating than I remember but then realized it was because I hadn't known where I was. I took in a long gasp of air before I marched forward. Right, into some one.
"Hey watch it," she snapped. The women was about my height with lighter brown hair than I and she was wearing a tight red suit and pumps. She was on the phone and she looked really annoyed that I had interrupted her conversation.
"Sorry," I apologized. She glanced me over in disgust and continued on her way in the direction I was heading. I glanced at my watch and saw I was late.
"Crap!" I muttered and rushed forward again.
When I arrived, Angela was seated behind the desk. I charged to her hastily.
"I'm so sorry, I'm late. There was traffic, you see-"
She stared at me wide eyed as I attempted to explain.
"couldn't find anything to wear-"
"Miss Swan-"
"and then this women down stairs. I ran into to he-"
"Miss Swan-" She said louder, getting my attention.
I stopped.
"It's okay. Mr. Cullen has just arrived." I felt relieved.
"Oh." I sighed the word. Angela smiled.
"I'll let him know you're here. Mean while have a seat." I did as she instructed. I was getting antsy for nothing, I tried to lie to myself. I didn't work. I knew why I was so nervous. This was Edward Cullen. Just the name made me sick. I continued to breathe. This was not the place or the time to have a fainting spell. I tried not to think about what I was actually about to do. A moment later I was standing in Edward Cullen's doorway.
"Come in, Ms. Swan," he waved me in. I stepped forward and took a seat.
"Good morning," I uttered, surprised at how well I kept my voice from shaking.
He leaned back in his chair and fold his hand over the other. I tried not to stare.
"Do you know why you've been called here today?" he asked. I swallowed and went with the only answer I knew.
"I'm here for a second interview," it was suppose to be a statement but it ended up sounding more like a question. I was already off to a horrible start, but I kept breathing, in and out.
"Actually your not," I felt my stomach turn. Great, he brought me in here only to reject me face to face. How could people be so cruel, I thought. Even if you look like a god. I didn't say anything, really what could I have said but I was slightly tempted to jump up and exit the room, save us both the time.
"I brought you back so we can talk about your duties and maybe your benefits." I wasn't sure I had heard him right. Had he mentioned benefits?
"Benefits, duties? What are you trying to say Mr. Cullen" My heart began to race even though I didn't want to set myself up for disappoint. If I got this job even though I wasn't sure how I'd accomplished that, then so many of my problems, well wouldn't be problems anymore.
"I'm saying that you'd be perfect for the job, if your still interested." He smiled and my heart flipped inside my chest. How could on man be so beautiful. How could his smile cause my chest clamp shut?
"Are you saying that I got the job?" I stated. I surprisingly calm.
He nodded and not two seconds moments later I felt myself beginning to grow weak. My breathe caught in my chest and I closed my eyes, if only so I couldn't see his reaction, as I passed out. But I didn't. My breathing started again normally and the lightheadedness disappear.
"So, would you like to accept the job, Ms. Swan." I opened my eyes again. I knew I wasn't going to be able to speak so I nodded. He smiled again and I fell into a trance. He had to know the affect he had on people. It wasn't fair. Dazzling people like that. It was a sin but he was an angel. A perfectly manufactured angel.
So he explained to me a couple of details, while I zombied over to excited and happy to actually pay attention, before he handed me over to Angela who actually worked downstairs in Accounting. She was more than pleased that she would be able to go back to her old job. Too much pressure she said, which didn't help me any but with the pay rate I would do this regardless. I learned that I wasn't just Mr. Cullen's Secretary, but also his personal assistant as well, as his work had the habit of crossing over into his personal life. I asked what it meant to be a personal assistant and Angela stated, that on occasion I would have to make hotel reservations, pick up his dry cleaning and more important all, make sure he eat. He had a habit of skipping meals. Ok, I could do that. Other than that I would help organize his work, make sure things went smoothly for him.
She took me around the office and showed me how to answer the phones, place a fax and make Mr. Cullens coffee. I followed her around all day helping her organize files and folders, and she even let me answer the phones. I was grateful now that I had worked in the Admissions office at school so I had some experience with computers and spreadsheets. Thank god, she added that the numbers and calculations were left up the Mr. Cullen himself. But it was still good to know that I wouldn't be starting from scratch. At the end of the day, she reluctantly commented on my attire which she didn't have too. I already knew that I looked no where as professional as she did and she suggested, suits, pencils skirts and heels. Mr. Cullen also had a reputation to uphold and that extended down to me as his secretary. The suit and pencil skirts I could handle,it was the heels that had me worried. Angela should of have been worried too but I agreed with her, noting to myself to find Alice later to go shopping. All in all, everything had gone well. I only fell twice and spilt one cup of coffee. I did great in front of Angela, but when I entered Mr. Cullens office, my mind went out the window. He only chuckled to himself as I left after falling flat on my face. When the day was over, I said good bye and immediately got on the phone.
"Hey Alice."
"So how did it good!" I could hear the excitement in her voice. "You got the job, didn't you?"
"How did you know?" I gasped. Somehow, Alice always had a way of predicting the future. She was never wrong.
"It's a gift. Where are you? You wanted to go shopping right?" How did she do that.
"Yeah," I agreed
"Tell you what, just meet at the warehouse in twenty." She was gone before I could think 'Goodbye'. I waved down a cab and hopped in.
"Where too?" The driver asked.
"6745 Washington Blvd."
Yeah, chapter two. So what do you guys think. Do you like? I hope so. Review and let me know.