- Ella -
When I walked into the hotel on Tuesday afternoon, the place was as stunning as I remembered. Even without the music and the socialites in formal dress.
Meanwhile, I was beyond intimidated and couldn’t get my palms to stop sweating. Which was all Jackie’s fault. Meeting Will was intense enough. It didn’t help that she’d made such a big fuss.
There was nothing more I could’ve done to prepare though. I had followed her instructions to groom myself to within an inch of my life. I even sprung for a manicure which was a very rare occurrence. I usually just ended up chipping it off when I got anxious, and it had taken all my energy not to do that on this occasion. By the time I reached the front desk, I was so on edge that a broken nail might have caused me to have a complete meltdown.
“Hello, Miss,” the smiley front desk manager said. “How can I help you today?”
“My name is Ella Riley.” I cleared my throat. “I’m here to meet Mr. Abbott.”
“Why don’t you take a seat, and I’ll let him know you’re here Miss Riley.”
“Thank you.” I took a mint from the bowl on the granite counter top.
“Can I get you anything to drink while you’re waiting?”
“No thanks,” I said. Though a stiff drink was probably just what I needed.
I turned towards the seating area and found a firm chair by the window. When I reached it, I sat down with my knees together and made a point of sitting up straight despite the fact that perfect posture wasn’t exactly my default setting. I rolled the mint around on my tongue and took a deep breath.
It was time to not blow it. It was time to play ball. It was time to repeat any motivational, confidence boosting cliché I could think of. At least I looked the part even if I didn’t feel ready.
I decided a black suit would be too boring, and after everything Jackie said I figured a skirt wouldn’t work against me. Most importantly, I was wearing my favorite jacket. It was a bold blue color that made me feel more self-assured than I was. Plus, blue elicited trust in people, and that’s what I was going for. I wanted Will to trust me with whatever the job was that he had in mind.
I am the person for the job I told myself, and he’s just a person. Just a regular guy.
But then the energy in the room shifted and when I looked up, Will was walking across the lobby like he was moving in slow motion. I think I actually saw the light catch on his bright smile as he waved and nodded at the people he knew. Which seemed to be everyone.
“Miss Riley,” he said when he reached me.
I stood. “Mr. Abbo-” The mint got sucked back in my throat when I spoke.
The smile fell from his face. “Are you all right?”
I brought my hand to my neck and my eyes started to water.
“Are you choking?”
I turned my back to him and tried to cough, but the mint wouldn’t budge. I put one hand on the back of the chair I’d been sitting in and smacked the other against my chest. My forehead felt so warm I thought I might faint.
Then I felt two arms wrap around me and squeeze just below my chest hard enough to lift my feet off the ground. My limbs hung like a rag doll’s as the air was forced from my chest. A moment later, the mint shot out of my mouth onto the chair in front of me.
His thick arms set me back on my feet, and I started to catch my breath again without turning around.
“Ella?”
My face was burning up. “Yes?”
“Are you okay?”
I turned around and stared straight into Will’s chest, letting my gaze travel up his tie until I was looking into his grey green eyes. “I am now. Thanks.”
“Wrong pipe?”
I nodded and took a step back. “So much for first impressions.”
“Nonsense. Fresh breath makes a great impression. Plus, we’ve already met.”
The friendly concierge appeared beside him. “Is everything okay, Mr. Abbott?”
“Actually, Paul, would you mind removing the mints from the front desk until they can be replaced with smaller ones?”
“Of course, sir.”
Will reached for the handkerchief in the front pocket of Paul’s jacket. “Thank you.”
Paul smiled at me and then made his way back towards the front desk.
Will held the handkerchief out to me and nodded at the chair behind me.
I grabbed the cloth napkin and turned around, pinching the mint inside it. When I turned around, he was holding out his open hand.
“You want this?”
“I think it’s safer with me.”
“Very funny.” I put the balled up hankie in his hand. “I’m very sorry about that I-”
“There’s no need to apologize. You had a mint before a job interview. It could’ve happened to anyone.”
“Thank you, but you don’t have to replace all the mints on my account.”
“Yes I do. I can’t follow all the guests around when they fancy a mint, can I?”
“No, but-”
“If anything I should be thanking you. You probably saved me a law suit.”
“Oh.”
“Let’s put it behind us and get you something to drink.”
“That would be nice.”
“And I assume you’re hungry or that wouldn’t have happened?”
“I thought we were putting it behind us?” I asked, straightening my shirt.
He raised his eyebrows.
“Yeah, I could eat.”
“Come on then. The restaurant’s on the fifth floor.”
I followed him to the elevator, trying to regain my composure.
He held the door open for me and I stepped inside, admiring the mirrored tiles that decorated the elevator’s interior. Then he got on and stood beside me, facing the door with his legs hip width apart.
“Oh- before I forget,” he said, reaching in his coat pocket. “I have your raffle winnings.” He handed me an envelope.
“Thank you.”
“Everything is in there except dinner with me, obviously. We can arrange that for an evening that suits both of us at a later time.”
“Okay.”
“And I’m a personal friend of the chef’s at the place we’ll be going.”
“Wow.”
“So if you want them to cut your meal up into tiny bites for you, that will be no problem at all.”
“You’re really hilarious.”
“One of my many gifts,” he said, smiling at me out of the corner of his eye.
When the elevator stopped, he held the door for me again. Then we went through to the restaurant where he greeted the hostess before walking right by. I followed him to a private wraparound booth in the far back corner, admiring the way his broad shoulders moved through the restaurant’s immaculate interior. Every place setting was perfect, every napkin was folded the same way, and every glass was sparkling in the bright space.
And in that moment I remembered why I was there: to get my dream job. To secure an opportunity to design events and parties with big budgets. I wanted to rub shoulders with glamorous people. Like Jackie got to do at her job. That way I could earn enough money to pay off my loans and get my Mom and I out of that roach infested shit hole.
I had to put the last few minutes behind me. After all, even though I hadn’t gotten off to a great start with the choking and him needing to give me the Heimlich within moments of me being in the building, it wasn’t too late. I could still impress him. I had to consider the whole thing with the mint an unconventional icebreaker and turn things around. And I could do it. I was smart, and I was the girl for the job. I had to be.