Chapter 7

 

The Interview

 

Melissa

 

 

I woke up Thursday morning, showered, styled my hair, and applied my makeup, but everything after that was a blur. I wasn’t sure if I was more excited or scared. I followed the saleslady’s advice—you have to look worthy to feel worthy. Something told me it should probably be said the other way around. You needed to feel worthy to look worthy. Hell, I didn’t know anymore. I just knew I needed to look and act the part, so I found the new sexy and expensive bra and panties and put them on. After I did, I stood in front of the mirror and cried. I literally cried because no matter which way the saying went, I felt it—worthy. For the first time in longer than I could remember, I felt worthy. Yes, I was still nervous, but a sense of calm had magically fallen over me.

I could do this.

I would kick ass in the interview and finally be the girl who got her dream.

Karen had explained during a call that if I was chosen, I’d have specific responsibilities to maintain. At times I would have to attend social functions, and to that end, I needed to demonstrate my ability to appear professional and elegant. It was why the shopping spree was essential and necessary for the second part of the interview. All of the clients of Karen’s company enjoyed a high financial standing, and as such, they had an expected image to uphold.

At precisely 8:25 in the morning, I walked out of the hotel and was greeted by the driver who picked me up from the airport. James held open the door to the backseat of a black limo.

"Miss Summers," James said as he approached.

"Yes."

"I’ll be driving you to your interview this morning and bringing you back once you are finished.”

I smiled and took a deep breath of the New York air that surrounded me—it felt different from home. One could smell the salt in the air in Myrtle Beach while here, the odors of the street filled the air.

"Thank you." I lowered my head and entered the back seat of the limo. It wasn’t the same one that picked me up from the airport. Once again, this limo was fully stocked with alcohol. Whoever employed Karen had a shit-ton of money and had no problem spending on luxury. It was more than I ever imagined. I couldn't help but think that even if I didn't receive the scholarship, I experienced more in this trip than I would have in a lifetime.

We drove for about twenty minutes before we pulled up to a tall building made of glass. James opened my door and escorted me into the building. We passed the receptionist and security guard to head to a bank of elevators without even stopping to check in. James pushed the up button and waited until the doors opened, and we both stepped in. I walked toward the back, and he went straight to a control panel and inserted a key under the numbers.

He turned to me. "The elevator is programmed. Once the doors open, someone will greet you and take you to your interview.” He turned back around and left without another word.

When the doors opened, I was greeted. "Miss Summers, I'm Hannah, please follow me."

I didn't get a chance to respond before she turned and headed in the direction of a large oak desk with several chairs on the side.

"Please, have a seat. Ms. Flores will be with you in a few minutes."

"Thank you."

I laughed to myself when I thought about Ms. Flores's warning about not being late. Just as with a medical office, tardiness only applied to the person who had been requested, not the one who held the appointment. Apparently, her punctuality was not essential. I pulled my phone out to check my messages and waited.

Someone approached and held out her hand. "Miss Summers, I’m Karen Flores."

I accepted her hand and thanked her for the opportunity to interview for the position.

"Please, come in and have a seat. I'll be in with you in just a minute." She held her door open for me to enter, and her secretary approached and handed her some papers.

Ms. Flores shut the door and walked to her desk. "Melissa, nice to finally meet you."

"Thank you for meeting with me, Ms. Flores."

"Karen, call me Karen." She smiled. "I explained to you on the initial call and the invitation that our company holds a strict confidentiality policy. Anything said or done from this point forward is sensitive. The information you’re about to learn may not be divulged to anyone including your family or friends. Therefore, before we begin, you are required to sign a nondisclosure agreement. It is at your discretion, but if you do not wish to sign, your interview will end here. Your expenses will be paid and your account credited the five thousand dollars we agreed upon, but no other discussions will transpire." She handed me the NDA. "Melissa, I know this is a big decision; therefore, I’ll have Hannah escort you to a private room to review the paperwork in private. If you agree to sign, we can begin your interview today."

I read the NDA as Karen suggested; the contract was basic. The terminology was above my head; the way lawyers wrote contracts was more complicated than necessary. Honestly, I didn't need to read the contract for the name itself explained it. Nondisclosure agreement. You can’t repeat anything you see, hear, or do, outside of those who are privy to the arrangement.

Simple.

After fifteen minutes, I went back to Hannah's desk and handed her the signed NDA. "I'm ready to talk to Karen."

"Have a seat, and she'll be right with you."

I waited for about fifteen minutes before Karen opened her door. "Melissa, please come back into my office."

We both took our seats, Karen behind her desk and me in the leather chair in front of it. She shuffled some papers before she began.

"You understand that from this moment on your NDA is in effect? Anything said is confidential and prohibited from being discussed outside of this office. If you breach the NDA, fines and other legal action can and will be taken against you."

"Yes, ma’am."

"Good, let us get started. I work for a company called Infidelity. We match clients with prospective employees. However, our clients do not hire the employees for their businesses but for companionship. Just as the word implies, you would spend time with the person who holds your agreement. As an employee of one of our clients, you may be required to attend social events. Time alone in private settings would be at their discretion."

Karen took a breath and continued as if she didn't just say private setting. I had no response except shock and OMG wrapped up nicely to say WTF. She stopped to gauge my reaction before she began again.

"I’m sure you have a lot of questions, but before you ask, please give me a chance to explain more about the service."

Karen spent over an hour detailing the ins and outs of Infidelity. Wealthy clients paid a monthly allowance, college tuition, and all room and board expenses in return for companionship. Many clients were workaholics and didn't have time to date—they required a companion to accompany them to social events. Others were in relationships and when stressed needed a place to find comfort with no expectations.

Karen never mentioned sex, which said more than if she had. A company wouldn't be able to sell sex legally, but companionship wasn't sex. Therefore, there was no law prohibiting it. Infidelity had a loophole within which to operate legally as long as the service provided was strictly companionship. If the client and employer chose to engage in sex—well, it wasn't part of the signed arrangement.

After the interview with Karen, I was sent on to the second part of the interview, a lengthy evaluation with a psychologist. I was also required to have a medical exam to ensure my health. Infidelity needed to confirm my physical and mental health before I could be considered. I answered more questions about myself, sexual experiences, and topics that seemed entirely irrelevant.

All of it took up the entire day. By the time I was done, I had no more energy for anything. As glamorous as this trip was, I wouldn’t see much of New York because every night since I arrived ended in exhaustion.