Chapter 6

Rainey

I couldn’t stop staring at the gorgeous man walking away from me. That was Michael Carrington? My almost-future boss? I remember seeing a small picture of him in the article I read and he was classically handsome, but he was even more attractive in person. And genuinely nice. His dark hair barely touched his shoulders and it looked incredibly soft. His eyes were so blue, like the ocean. He had seriously lucked out in the genetics department.

Hell. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to apply for the job. He was dreamy on a level I wasn’t used to contending with. He’d be professional, right? I wasn’t at all his type. I was homely. Comely. Just me. My thoughts shifted and I realized I’d pushed on his receptionist in front of him.

How long had he been standing there listening to me? I tried to think about what I said to the poor woman that had to put up with me. I hoped I didn’t say anything rude. Although if I had been rude, I doubted he would have given me the interview. Why did he give me the interview? I didn’t think I’d done anything spectacular other than be firm with his receptionist. He didn’t even want to see my resume.

I tried not to overthink it; this is what I wanted. As my dad would say, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

“I’ll be back here at eleven-thirty,” I said to the receptionist. I put on my coat and picked up my bag.

“See you then,” she said, plastering on the phoniest smile I’d ever seen. She had been superseded by her boss and that had to hurt her ego.

Oh well…I smiled back at her, but mine was giddier.

I didn’t need to impress her. I needed to impress her boss. And I planned on it. I had the qualifications for the job and with his acceptance of my interview, I knew I’d caught his eye somehow. I wouldn’t disappoint him when we met again.

I checked my phone and saw I had some time to run errands before the interview. I practically skipped out of the lobby and onto the crowded sidewalk. I imagined coming there to work every morning. I turned in a circle, looking up at the skyscraper. My cheeks started to hurt from smiling so much. The weight of getting the interview had lifted and now I had to focus on impressing Mr. Carrington. I hoped I already had. After the receptionist’s disapproval and the fact that he had to squeeze me into his day, I doubted I would have received the interview if I hadn’t spoken to him directly.

Each piece of the puzzle was coming together today. It started off rocky but I was determined to keep my eyes on the prize. This job would be so good for Tanner and me. I could finally be the emotional and financial support for him. We were our own little team and I didn’t want to be a burden on anyone anymore. And now I had the perfect opportunity in front of me and I wasn’t going to let anyone or anything get in my way.

I decided to backtrack my errands, saving the post office for last since it was closest to the office building. I had several bills that needed to go out and with the holiday weekend, I didn’t bother to send them before. Now they were in danger of being late if I didn’t get them out today. One of the items needed to be certified, and I needed stamps, so I had to wait in the long line that stretched almost a dozen customers deep. The Christmas season always brought more crowds to the post office but I’d never seen the line that big before.

I had some time to spare, so while waiting, I reviewed my resume and rehearsed some of the key points in my head. I hoped being a recent graduate wouldn’t stop me from getting this opportunity. Sure, I was green, but that might be an asset to him. Someone with a higher degree might require more money. The salary for the position was more than we needed to have a comfortable lifestyle. And with my lack of experience, I would be easier to mold in a way that others with more experience might not be willing to do.

Feeling more confident with my strategy for the interview, I checked my phone to see if Mom called. Behind several new notifications of Killian’s phone calls, the time glared up at me. I sucked in a breath. How had I been waiting that long? I must have zoned out. I only had twenty minutes until the interview and the office building was three blocks away. I peered at the line ahead of me. It had barely moved in the time I’d been standing there.

I knew I wouldn’t be able to get through this crowd and to the interview in time. I’d have to come back after. I’d hoped to do this errand earlier since I’d be coming back during the lunch crowd. And I wanted to be home when Tanner arrived from school. Maybe I’d be given the job on the spot and I’d be a happier person the next time I waited there.

I stepped out of line, already upset with the time I’d wasted. The people behind me were equally disgruntled but were probably happy that one more person wasn’t in front of them anymore.

I opened my bag and gently moved my resume to the side so I could place the stack of mail inside. The last thing I needed was a wrinkled resume for Mr. Carrington. I hustled to the door while trying to organize my bag.

I was about to open the door when it opened on its own, smacking into me.

“Oh!” I cried out as my mail flew out of my hands. Several of the pieces slid across the tiled floor and I scrambled to grab them.

“I’m so sorry!” said the man who had opened the door. He was a few years older than me with slicked back dark hair and a dark suit under a gray overcoat. He held a cell phone, coffee, a paper bag, and mail parcels in his hand. It appeared he hadn’t been paying attention either.

“It’s fine,” I said, reaching for another piece of mail. How many did I have when I came in? I couldn’t afford to get behind in my bills.

“Let me help you,” the man reached down and picked up a piece for me.

“Thank you,” I said, grabbing it from him.

“I’ll get that one,” he said and then I felt something wet splash against my shoulder and then down my chest.

I stood up and met his wild expression. He was adjusting his coffee cup in his hands.

My mouth dropped open as I looked down. He’d spilled his coffee all over my coat. The liquid moved down my chest and I knew it had soaked through my brand new white shirt.

“If I could be even sorrier than I already was, I would be,” he said, equally as stunned.

Shit! I had no time for this. I picked up the two last pieces of mail from the ground and headed for the doorway.

“Here’s a napkin,” he said, fishing in his bag for one.

“I have to go,” I said.

“Are you sure?” he asked. “Again, I’m so, so sorry. I can pay for the dry cleaning.”

He was sincere but I didn’t have the time to get his number for him to pay. I had to go if I was going to pay for anything in the future. “It’s fine. It was an accident.”

I pushed through the door and the cold air stung at my already tearful eyes. I couldn’t believe this happened to me! And before an interview that could change me and Tanner’s life. I steadied my breath while keeping a brisk pace to the building. If I had been paying attention to the time, I would have known to go to the post office afterward and then I’d never have coffee all over me.

I ran back to the office building, remembering the sign for restrooms on the first floor. I’d have a chance to quickly clean up before the interview. I hoped I’d be able to get out the brown spot from my brand new white shirt.

I was out of breath by the time I reached the bathroom. I stripped off my coat and placed that and my purse on the counter. My black blazer had been spared but there was a huge stain in the middle of the white shirt. Great. It wasn’t a spot that I’d be able to hide even if I buttoned the jacket. I reached for some paper towels and wadded them up before wetting them under the sink. I scrubbed at the stain. Some of the brown was coming out but not enough. I checked my phone again and I had less than ten minutes.

The door to the bathroom opened and I turned away from the woman, continuing to scrub my shirt.

“I totally nailed that interview,” she said aloud.

I glanced at her in the mirror. She was on her cell phone. She was smartly dressed in an outfit many times more expensive than mine. Her black hair was slicked back into an elaborate yet professional up-do. She continued to talk into the phone as she reapplied her lipstick. “I hope I get the job, it will definitely boost my career and with any luck, I’d be able to sleep with Michael Carrington. That man is a freaking sex god even without his billions.”

Had she interviewed for Mr. Carrington? She looked flawless and professional. And there I was, dirty and about to be late for the interview.

I walked over to the air dryers and squatted down underneath one. The sensors picked up on my presence and a hot blast of air shot out from the dryer. After a few seconds, the spot was almost dry but completely noticeable.

The woman glanced at me through the mirror and smirked. “The other candidates don’t have a chance over me,” she said into the phone as she left the bathroom.

I smoothed several pieces of my frazzled hair back into my bun and tried to forget her. She seemed way overqualified for the job anyway. At least I hoped she was.

I shook my head and focused on the matter at hand. How the hell was I going to cover this up? I didn’t want to look like I wasn’t taking the job seriously by wearing a shirt with a giant stain on it. I put my blazer on and the stain was still clearly visible. I looked in my bag for anything that could cover it.

A colorful piece of fabric beckoned up at me from the bottom of my purse. I reached for the scarf and pulled it out. I laughed excitedly, the sound echoed across the room. I’d forgotten it was in my bag from a previous interview. I had added it to my other interview outfit to add a pop of color and try to distract any future employers from noticing my ill-fitted ensemble. And now it was here to save me from embarrassment.

I tied the scarf around my neck and adjusted it so the ends laid perfectly over the stain. I breathed a sigh of relief. This wasn’t a big deal. I’d overcome another obstacle today which gave me even more confidence.

That is until I checked my phone again and saw that it was eleven-thirty-two. I grabbed my coat and purse. How the hell did twelve minutes go by that quickly? And why was today the unluckiest I’d ever had? I glanced at myself one last time and sprinted from the room, refusing to be defeated.

Of course, Mr. Carrington’s office was on the higher levels. The elevator gave me a major head rush and when it stopped on his floor, I stumbled out of the small space with my stomach doing flip-flops.

I didn’t even bother to look at my phone. I knew I was late.

The waiting room was empty and I went straight to the secretary. She was busy typing something on her computer and didn’t acknowledge my arrival.

“Hi,” I said. “I’m here for an interview with Mr. Carrington.”

“Rainey?” she asked, not looking away from her screen.

“Yes.”

She turned to me. Her nose was bright red and her brown eyes were glossy. “You’re late.”

“I know, I’m sorry. But only two minutes. Can I go in so we don’t make it three minutes?”

She didn’t find the joke very funny. She stood up from her desk and started down a long hallway. “Follow me.”