CHAPTER 5
Olivia
I stare at him. I feel scared and aroused at the same time. Normally fear would have my eyes darting all over the place, and certainly not holding eye contact, but for some reason not with him. Once you lock on to those blue eyes of his there’s no letting go. I grip my bag tighter, but I can still feel my hands shaking.
He just stares at me. His look penetrating me. It’s almost as if he’s looking through me, and not at me.
“There’s an aptitude test loaded onto my computer.” It wasn’t a statement, but a command.
He stands and steps to the side of his chair, placing a hand on the top as if he’s waiting on me.
I stand. My heart is beating even faster now and my legs feel weak. My balance is a bit off. I’m wobbly. I try and straighten my back and display good posture, even though I’ve fully lost the illusion of having the composure I was trying so hard to convey.
I walk up to his desk and make my way around to the back. It’s huge. I glance down quickly and catch a glimpse of his groin. Apparently the desk isn’t the only thing that’s huge. I sit down in the chair in a ladylike fashion. Just as I go to ease myself into position I hear him inhale, taking in my scent.
It’s impossible not to notice his. He smells like cut timber, a huge contrast to the perfect angles and lines of his building which is a feat of geometry and man’s ability to build things in perfect form.
I can feel his body behind me, ready to impose his will at any time if he so chooses. Not that he’s not in a position enough already.
I raise my hands to the keyboard and tap on the button that says begin.
Suddenly a barrage of questions appear. The first one looks like a warm-up question. I move my finger across the track pad to select the right answer but before I can it’s gone. The second question moves up into the first spot, as all the other questions also move up one spot.
I see what’s happening here. This is meant to throw me off balance, and it’s working. But I didn’t get all this way to lose my opportunity now.
I ignore the first two questions and look at the third, answering it right as it falls into the second position. The synapses in my brain fire quickly as I answer questions as quickly as I can. There are no green or red indicators to let me know how I’m doing…only more questions.
The faster I go the faster the test goes. It’s nerve racking.
I feel the back of my chair move back, but try and ignore it, just continuing with the test.
Suddenly there are no more questions.
I realize my heart is beating fast and I look up over my shoulder. He has both hands on the chair and he’s looking down at me with an arrogant look on his face and an air about him that’s smug, assured, and overconfident.
I wanted to know what he thought, but he gives no indication as to my performance.
“Tomorrow morning you’ll report to my office. You work for me now, but there are certain rules that come with the position.”
Rules?
“I’ll expect you tomorrow at 8:00 a.m.”
His tone was so business like, so matter of fact. He made me so emotional. He tried to turn me into a wreck, but he didn’t. I feel like I did okay. But the minute I was through with his test he sucked all the emotion and tension between us out of the room and inserted a different kind in a business sort of way.
Maybe he does this with all his personal hires. Maybe I’m nothing more than just a number to him. Maybe everything I felt was all just in my head. This game he’s come up with is simply to see who can take the pressure and who he can rattle.
If I’m nothing more than just another girl to him then I’m certainly not happy.