To say that Aria was nervous would be an understatement. Her palms were sweating, and her mouth felt dry. She had elected to wear the red suit, not because Landen suggested it, but because she felt confident whenever she had it on. The bright red was the color of cherries, and the crisp white shirt she wore underneath accented her glowing pale skin beautifully. She had carefully styled her curly hair this morning so that it looked less like a ball of fluff and more like a perfectly spiraled box of corkscrew pasta. Despite all her preparations, and the fact that she was wearing her favorite outfit, Aria still found herself pacing the waiting area nervously. When she arrived at Devry Media Conglomeration, the receptionist had told her she might take a seat, but she had stubbornly elected to stand. Now, that seemed like a bad idea, as she couldn’t stop walking back and forth.
Aria lifted a nail to the corner of her mouth, and was just about to chew on it, when a door opened and a woman wearing a crisp grey suit stood there with her hands folded politely. “Aria Linetti?” The woman asked. Aria gulped and nodded swiftly. She let her hand fall back down to her side. “We’re ready to see you now,” the woman said, her voice soft and appealing. She stood aside so that Aria could scoot in the door around her. The lady motioned to an open chair, and Aria took it.
The room in which Aria entered was something she’d only ever seen on television. The internships she had in the past had all been for smaller companies, and so this was the first time she was in what she would refer to as a proper board room. The room was long and in the shape of a rectangle. A smooth, highly polished table ran the length of the room, and one entire wall was covered in windows. The light that should have been flooding the area was tempered by heavy draperies that were made of a fine-looking fabric. Aria eased herself into the chair the woman had indicated, and she found herself sitting across from three individuals, as well as the lady in the grey suit.
Aria cleared her throat and shifted in her seat. She placed her portfolio on the table in front of her and then began extracting materials from it. She had printed copies of her resume, just in case the people conducting the interview needed them, and she brought out a pad of paper, as well as a couple of writing instruments so she could take notes throughout the interview. Undoubtedly, they would ask her if she had any questions about the job before the end of the interview, and Aria had studiously already jotted down a few things she wanted to ask.
As the lady in the grey suit found her seat, she pulled a laptop open and began typing furiously. She must be an administrative assistant, Aria thought as she watched the woman clack away on the keyboard. The three individuals sitting next to the lady were all wearing grey suits as well, in varying shades. Aria felt as though she stuck out, decked out in her bright red ensemble. Next to the typist, there was a man who was probably forty years old. He had a thick mustache, which he smoothed down every few minutes. In the middle of the group was a woman who looked rather young, except around her eyes. They were the same color as her grey suit, and perhaps because she was peering at Aria in such an astute way, Aria guessed the woman was the highest-ranking in the group. The final person was a man who was grinning from ear to ear. His grey suit was accented with a crisp pink pocket square, and he was the first one to speak.
“Ms. Linetti, we are so pleased you were able to join us today.”
“Thank you for agreeing to see me,” Aria replied. “It is my pleasure to be here.”
The man with the pocket square continued. “I assure you the pleasure is all on this side of the table. You come highly recommended by Dr. Werner, and according to your resume, you have achieved excellent grades and test scores.”
Aria cleared her throat and said quietly, “Thank you.”
“Should we go ahead and introduce ourselves, or should we wait for Mr. Devry?” the man with the pink pocket square asked.
The lady sitting to his right checked her watch and then motioned for them to proceed. “I suppose we’d better get started. We never can tell when Mr. Devry will arrive.” Aria felt her palms begin to sweat again, as they had been in the lobby. She thought she was just interviewing for an entry-level marketing job. She hadn’t anticipated the president of the company to sit in on her interview. As if the woman could sense exactly what Aria was thinking and feeling, she narrowed her grey eyes and supplied further information.
“Mr. Devry likes to meet all potential new employees. He says getting to know someone before they enter his company helps move everyone in a positive direction. He’s very involved, Mr. Devry, and he wants his employees to know him, so they feel free to come speak with him, if necessary.”
“That’s nice,” Aria said, and now that feeling of dry mouth returned. She shuffled the resumes that were lying in front of her nervously. She lifted her eyes toward the lady across from her and did her best to conjure a small smile.
“My name is Marilyn Cook. I’m in charge of the marketing group. If you get this position, you will be working directly underneath me. The lady at the end of the table recording this interview is Ms. Shields. She is my administrative assistant.”
“I’m Anthony Romano,” the man with the mustache added. “I’m here representing human resources.”
Finally, the man with the pink pocket square spoke. “I work with Marilyn in the marketing department. I handle all overseas accounts. My name is Abe Yetter.”
“It’s nice to meet you all,” Aria said, swallowing hard, wishing that her nerves would just leave her alone. Then, as if things couldn’t get worse, her stomach gave a hard lurch. Now was not the time for a bout of morning sickness to rear its ugly head. Aria took a calming breath and allowed herself to present a shaky smile.
“Shall we begin?” Ms. Cook asked, raising her eyebrows at her colleagues. The gentlemen both nodded, but Ms. Shields continued typing, keeping her eyes fixed on the computer screen.
“Why don’t we begin by having you tell us a little about your internship at People Plus magazine?” Ms. Cook asked politely, scanning Aria’s resume and then lifting her grey eyes. Aria locked onto those grey eyes, and then she began speaking.
She was still rather nervous for the first few minutes, but that slowly faded as she kept talking. Aria really did have a passion for her job. When she spoke about the field of marketing and what she thought she could bring to the Devry team, her nerves melted away. She felt confident that she was the right person for this job, and she knew, as she continued talking, that this panel of people was responding positively to her answers.
As they reached the forty-five-minute mark, Aria knew that Ms. Cook was thinking it was about time to wrap up the interview, as she checked her watch once more. She lifted an eyebrow at Mr. Yetter and then turned toward Aria. “Well…we have another couple of interviews this afternoon, but I don’t mind telling you I have rather enjoyed this conversation. Thank you for coming in to meet with us,” Ms. Cook said politely.
Aria flushed with joy. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”
“Do you have any final questions about the job position?” Mr. Yetter asked, and Aria lowered her head so she could quickly look over the notes she had been making.
“Thank you for asking. There are actually a few more things I still want to know,” Aria said as her eyes glossed over her hastily scribbled words. Aria’s head was still lowered, and so she didn’t see the person who entered the room, but she heard the door swing open and shut. On the other side of the table, Ms. Cook cleared her throat, and Aria hurriedly looked up to meet her gaze.
Ms. Cook lifted her chin and said with just a hint of irritation, “Mr. Devry, what a pleasant surprise. We thought you would be joining us almost an hour ago.”
Aria followed Ms. Cook’s gaze and her eyes came to rest on a devastatingly handsome man. He was tall and broad shouldered. His dark hair was combed into a smooth pompadour. The blue eyes, which Aria had only seen on that one night, twinkled in the sunlight. Aria had imaged seeing Ethan again many times over the last few months. She had thought she might run into him on the street, or she had pictured him walking into the restaurant casually. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that he might walk into the biggest interview of her life. “Ethan?” Aria asked, unable to contain her surprise.
Ms. Cook’s eyebrows shot up her forehead. “Do you know each other?” she asked, clearly surprised by the way Aria had called the president of the company by his first name.
Aria recognized her error at once, and her cheeks flamed as bright red as the suit she was wearing.
Ethan looked at Aria critically, and he tilted his head to the side. “We do know each other,” he replied at length. “Aria, I am happy to see you again.”
“It’s nice to see you again, too, Mr. Devry,” Aria squeaked out. She grimaced at the way her voice modulated. She wanted to be the kind of woman who could come face-to-face with someone she’d spent the night with and maintain a sense of pride, but she was incapable. She was thoroughly embarrassed. Even her voice betrayed her. Aria wanted to drop her head into her hands and then shuffle out of the room.
Ms. Cook let her eyes drift between the pair, and it was clear that she caught every single uncomfortable look that passed from Aria to Ethan. Aria knew that the older woman could feel the tension emanating off her, and so she tried to grin meekly. The woman gave Aria a knowing look and then turned toward her boss. “Won’t you have a seat, Mr. Devry? We’re almost through with Ms. Linetti’s interview.” She took a second to glance at her watch again. “We have another candidate coming in shortly, so…”
“Yes, of course,” Ethan said, pulling out a chair next to Ms. Shields and sitting down neatly. Aria let her eyes drift in his direction, and she watched as he unbuttoned his jacket as he sat. She gulped nervously, thinking of his strong hands. Ethan noticed Aria looking at him, and he gave her a dazzling smile. Aria felt her heart flip-flop, and then her stomach followed suit. A thin line of perspiration popped out on Aria’s forehead as she suddenly realized this man sitting across from her wasn’t just the president of the company…he wasn’t just a man she had met at a club and slept with one night…he was the father of her child. Queasiness overcame her, and Aria had to fight the urge to rush from the room and wretch.
Mr. Yetter cleared his throat then, and Aria was grateful to him for doing so, because his interruption pulled her away from her other thoughts. “You were going to ask us a few questions, Ms. Linetti. Please, proceed.”
Aria looked down at her notes, and as she did, she noticed that her fingertips were trembling. Quickly she dropped her hands under the table and held them in her lap. She knew that moments ago, she had been nailing this interview, and the questions she’d meant to ask were only going to raise her estimation in the eyes of the hiring committee. But now, sitting here in front of Ethan, Aria couldn’t even read the questions she had scribbled onto the paper. They were right in front of her, but her eyes wouldn’t focus on the words. Aria lifted one hand from her lap, and she flipped over the notepad. “I was going to ask a few questions, but I just realized that you already answered them.” Aria smiled at Mr. Yetter sheepishly. “I’m sure I’ve taken up enough of your time.”
“Ms. Linetti, please feel free to ask us anything you like,” Mr. Romano prompted, fidgeting with his slick mustache. Aria’s eyes darted toward Ethan, but he looked perfectly at ease. She cursed herself for not being able to keep her nerves under control, but that didn’t help the situation any.
“No, really, I’m fine. Thank you for your time and for agreeing to meet with me.” Aria stood at once and reached across the table. She began shaking hands with Mr. Yetter, then Ms. Cook, and finally with Mr. Romano. As she reached toward Ethan, her heart thumped erratically in her chest, and she worried that everyone else in the room would be able to hear it. When they touched, the electricity that had thrilled her at the club was strangely non-existent. Maybe it was because she was so frazzled, but this time, when she shook Ethan Devry’s hand, she felt little more than the bundling and unbundling of her nerves. Ethan’s clear blue eyes locked on Aria, and she felt her knees wobble. She had to get out of there. Without any further salutations, Aria dropped Ethan’s hand and gathered her meager belongings. She left her stack of resumes on the table, but she knew now it was hopeless.
Even if she had impressed Ms. Cook and the rest of the panel, she had made a terrible impression on Ethan, and it was probably his opinion that mattered the most. Ms. Cook had told her at the start of the interview that Mr. Devry liked to familiarize himself with his staff. As Aria raced toward the elevator, she snorted. She was already quite familiar with Mr. Devry, but that wasn’t going to help her get this job. She stepped dejectedly into the elevator, and as the doors closed behind her, tiny tears sprang to her eyes. I needed this job, Aria thought glumly. Her hand floated to her stomach, and she lowered her eyes. If only…Aria thought, but then she let the idea drift away. She didn’t want to live in the land of “if only.” It would only lead to pain and regret.
As the elevator coasted to the ground level and Aria stepped out into the lobby of the building, she tried to take heart. The interview had been going swimmingly right up until the moment Ethan Devry walked into the room. Maybe she wouldn’t get this job with the Devry Media Conglomerate, but now that this first interview was under her belt, she could seek out other companies. As Aria walked out of the building, she refused to wallow in her own despair. Everyone has a tough interview or two, Aria told herself. If I don’t get this job, I’ll just search for another.
And as Aria walked down the street, back in the direction of her apartment, she refused to let herself feel blue. She was a smart, capable woman. She would have been a perfect fit for the job at Devry, but no matter. She would find something else, and it would be great, too. Aria’s happy mood lasted her entire walk home. It didn’t fade until she strode into her bedroom. It was at that moment that she recalled the cool blue color of Ethan’s eyes and she remembered that it was his baby she was going to have. Ethan Devry, a man she barely knew, was going to be the father of her child. Aria collapsed onto the bed, wrapping the mint green and blue sheets around her body, and allowed herself to shed the tears she had been holding inside for so long.