Chapter 19 Nicholas At Her New Office?
Alyssa stared at the gigantic twin towers of the commercial complex in front of her with awe. How did she get an opportunity at such a place with no experience at all? The elevator took her up to the 17th floor, where Cygnus Financial Services was located. She loved the extensive and grand office where she would work if selected. She just prayed that the CEO would choose her! The receptionist directed her towards the lobby in front of the CEO’s office and she waited patiently, noting that she was the only one there.
Did he not summon anyone else for the interview? Alyssa felt nervous about being the only one to be interviewed. Did Lucas give in a recommendation to her?
The sound of heels clicking towards her made her look up to see a scowling, middle-aged woman, elegantly dressed in a pantsuit walking towards her. “Ms. Alyssa Van Every?” she asked in a haughty tone, making her cringe and wonder what the woman had against her!
“Yes,” she answered, calming her annoyance towards the woman, who seemed to think no end of herself as she looked at Alyssa down her nose.
“What are doing here when sir is waiting for you inside?” she scolded her, making her jaws drop. Was it her fault? No one had informed her she needed to go in just now.
“Sorry, but the receptionist asked me to wait here,” she replied, refusing to be intimidated by the woman. The woman scowled more, seeing her answer back, but Alyssa just got up and walked towards the CEO’s office. She knocked and asked for permission to enter.
“Come in,” said an annoyed voice, and Alyssa’s heart started beating faster in her rib cage. His annoyed tone made her wonder if she lost her chance after all. She pushed the door and walked in confidently to see a tall, suit-clad man sitting at a desk near an enormous bay window. He looked up and strangely, a faint smile tugged at his lips.
“Alyssa Van Every, right? Please sit down.” Alyssa nodded and sat down opposite him, wondering what sort of mood he was in.
“Good morning, sir.” He nodded and smiled at her, making her instantly suspicious of what was going on. Maybe Lucas gave in a word of recommendation for her after all.
“Shall we start the interview?” he asked, and Alyssa nodded nervously. “Do you have your resume with you?” Alyssa handed him her resume and watched him warily. Would he throw her out, seeing her average GPA score and lack of experience? However, Mr. Clyborne’s eyes widened, and he sat reading her resume with interest. Alyssa was surprised to see him so engrossed in her resume that he hardly asked her questions.
“I actually have no experience, sir, but I’m willing to work very hard and learn,” she said confidently, wanting to get selected here. She really had no wish to hunt for more jobs at all. He looked up at her with an amused smile on his face.
“So you’re Eva Ann Rayner, a nurse at Bellevue Hospital?” he asked, his eyes twinkling with amusement while Alyssa’s mouth hung with horror. What the fuk was he blabbering?
“No sir. I’m Alyssa Van Every. Eva is my best friend,” she pointed out, her eyes falling to the resume she handed him. Did she mistakenly hand him Eva’s resume instead of hers?
“Then where is your resume, Ms. Van Every?” he asked, shaking his head at her mistake. Alyssa was flustered beyond words, and searched for her resume inside her folder.
“I’m sorry, sir. I don’t know how I gave you hers instead of mine,” she said, taking out her resume and handing it out to him. Strangely, he didn’t return Eva’s resume, and Alyssa frowned at the man. Wasn’t he weird?
The rest of the interview was as weird as he was. He didn’t ask her much except a few questions about why she didn’t take up any job earlier. Alyssa was honest about it and explained her disinterest in her step-dad’s business, which was the only option available to her.
“So what if your step-day finds out that you’re working for me? Would he force you to leave this job?” asked Maxwell Clyborne.
“No one can force me to do anything, sir.” He smiled at her answer and then nodded at her.
“You’re hired in the capacity of Entry level Finance Analyst, Ms. Van Every. Congratulations! Please meet our Accounts Department Head, Michael Delaney and he will explain everything to you. That will be all.” Alyssa gaped at the man and wondered why he actually selected her when she failed to impress him.
“Thank you, sir,” she said, getting up to see herself out. Strangely, he didn’t return hers or Eva’s resume and she didn’t have the courage to ask him in case it made him change his mind. She breathed a sigh of relief once she went outside and looked around to see if she could ask someone for Michael Delaney’s office. However, after one look, she felt conscious of everyone’s attention on her and wondered whether anything was wrong with her. Why were they all staring at her? Was something wrong with her hair or outfit? She saw the guard at the entrance of the lobby and asked him for Mr. Delaney’s office.
Thanking him, she walked straight opposite to the accounts department where a young man directed her towards the office. After an hour, she had completed all formalities and settled down at her cubicle. With the open layout and contemporary design of the office, she could see everyone all around her through the glass enclosures. Although most of her colleagues scoffed at her, Alyssa tried to concentrate more on the work Mr. Delaney gave her.
The work was simple, and she settled down in no time, keeping herself busy till someone pulled a chair and sat down beside her. Alyssa looked up to see a pretty woman of her age smiling at her.
“Hi, I’m Stella Campbell. I joined last month as an accountant here. So, did Maxwell sir interview you personally?” she asked with interest. Alyssa smiled back at the woman and nodded.
“Yeah, he did. I’m Alyssa Van Every! Nice to meet you, Stella.” Stella gasped with surprise and leaned towards her as if telling her a secret.
“You’re lucky because he never interviews people like us, only the top departmental heads,” she whispered, looking around her to ensure that no one heard her. Alyssa’s mouth hung open with surprise and she wondered why she got such a privilege. Was it because of Lucas?
“Oh!” Stella gave her a suspicious look.
“Do you know him? How did he interview you in the first place?” she asked with a frown, while Alyssa shrugged.
“No, I don’t know him. I’m meeting him for the first time. I don’t have any idea why he interviewed me,” she admitted. Stella gave her a once over and her eyes flashed with envy.
“Isn’t your dress a designer wear? Everyone here thinks it’s an original Dolce and Gabbana collection.” Alyssa looked down at her dress and, for the first time, realized that it actually looked out of place here. She wasn’t the CEO of this place, but just an entry-level employee.
“Umm, does it matter? I’m just like you guys. I’ve come to work here, and that’s what I’ve been doing since morning,” she shrugged, now realizing why she was getting the attention and the hate-filled glances.
“Do you really need this job? Please don’t mind me asking you,” said Stella, and Alyssa smiled at her, her glance roaming all over the place to see everyone staring at the two of them.
“Yes, I need this job. Now if you’ll excuse me. I need to complete this,” she said, going back to what she was doing.
“It’s lunchtime. Why don’t you join us for lunch?” asked Stella, but Alyssa shook her head disinterestedly.
“I’m not hungry at all,” she answered with a stiff smile. Suddenly, a flustered woman who looked like she had received the shock of her life came hurrying towards them.
“Hi! Are you Alyssa Van Every?” she asked breathlessly and Alyssa nodded while Stella watched with her jaws dropped to the floor.
“Great to find you, finally. I’m Clarissa Drake, Mr. Clyborne’s PA. Sir wants you in his office right away. Please come with me,” she said in a single breath. Alyssa stood up nervously, wondering what exactly she had done now. Would he throw her out for chatting with Stella instead of working?
“Umm, why does he want to see me?” she asked, hesitating a little while Stella rolled her eyes in jealousy.
“Maybe he likes you,” she mumbled angrily, and Alyssa glared at her, not liking her at all.
“Why should he? Please stop jumping to the wrong conclusions. I’ve come here to work and not get liked.” Stella looked snubbed and got up to leave.
“Maybe to sign some documents,” informed Clarissa, leading the way. Alyssa followed her nervously into the office. However, the moment she looked up, she froze, seeing Nicholas sitting in Maxwell Clyborne’s office instead of him.
“So, Alyssa! Do you like your new job?” he asked while she stood like a statue in front of him.