Chapter 3 - Vivian

I dried my hair straight today after my shower, leaving time to apply light makeup. It seemed like I rarely did this anymore and I worked on trying to just accent my eyes instead of making a thick line with the black gel liner that Lainie gave me. She did a makeup vlog on Youtube and got a ton of stuff for free, so I had a growing collection now. I just needed to learn how to use it all for work.

I pulled on the clothes I had picked out and roused Mason for the day, cooking him eggs and toast. He came out of his room dressed for school and I sat him down as I poured myself some of the coffee that was on sale at the store this week. I didn’t eat like he did in the morning but I choked down some toast to set an example of a good mom. I preferred to eat later in the day after he was at school, but that might all be changing now.

I sighed. I was nervous just to be in Carter’s building. My hands shook as I sipped the coffee and tried to focus on the positive of the situation, which was money and stability for my son. I put my uncomfortable heels on and walked Mason outside. I hugged him goodbye before he climbed on the bus and found a seat next to his new best friend.

I gathered everything I needed from the apartment and made my way to the subway to get into Manhattan. For a small-town girl, it was an overwhelming experience. I found a seat in the corner, listening with interest to all the chatter around me. If I got the job, this would be a regular thing for me. I did love to people watch but I’d need to adjust to the hustle and bustle. It was better than driving to work, with the traffic and the street parking. I’d learn to use this time to relax and maybe get some reading done.

If I got the job. I hoped that I did since the benefits were incredible. I would have health and dental for Mason and a great salary. I could make something of myself here since I’d done online college from home while Mason was younger. I had a thing for numbers.

I got to my stop and adjusted my big purse before leaving with a big throng of people as they got off the train. I walked up the dark stairs into the sun and took a deep breath as I stared around at the big buildings. It had a completely different vibe than Brooklyn and excited me. I figured out where to go and walked with all the other people to their jobs or maybe just for coffee. There was a lot to do here.

I saw the building I was looking for. As I waited for the light to turn green, I took in the tall structure that was nearly all windows. It was beautiful and I felt a burst of pride for Carter for a moment before a sadness entered my heart when I remembered that he’d never know his son. I frowned as I walked over to the building and through the automatic doors. The lobby was massive with a small coffee cart, several couches, and a large reception desk with two beautiful women helping people. It was a very modern room and I sensed the company’s professionalism. I looked doubtfully at my outfit for a second. Did the cardigan make me look like a grandmother?

Never mind. I was already here. I approached the desk and the blonde asked how she could help me. I told her my name and added that I had an interview. She took me in with a shrewd gaze for a quick moment. Then she looked at her computer and clicked some buttons before nodding. “Yes, I see you. The fifteenth floor.”

“Fifteenth? I thought it was the third floor?” I asked as she narrowed her eyes.

“It says the fifteenth. Just take a right off the elevator and go to the reception desk right there. They’ll get you to the right place.” Her tone suggested that I was being clueless about why I was here. I nodded and walked away, trying not to let my nerves and confusion get the better of me. I wasn’t going to lose the job because of a bitchy receptionist making me feel insecure.

I stood in the back of the elevator as others piled on and watched them get off on various other floors. Everybody seemed to be in a good mood, speaking of deals and clients with a sense of enthusiasm. I smiled to myself. This was a good sign. I was alone as the elevator rose smoothly to the last floor. I stepped out and took a deep breath. The view from here was incredible. I took a second to walk over to the window, glancing down as my hands shook. I was a bit scared of heights but this was a building, not a bridge. I walked over to the gorgeous redhead behind the reception desk, asking myself if I even belonged here. These women were all supermodel material while I had a little extra weight on me. “Hello. My name is Vivian Smith. I’m here for an interview.”

Her blue eyes sparkled as she looked at the computer. She gave me a curious look. “That you are. Right around the corner, you’ll find a conference room. Number one. Would you like any coffee?”

I held up the cup I’d brought from home. “I’m still nursing this. Thank you, though.” I was glad this woman wasn’t bitchy to me, but I did wonder why the first one seemed to give me such an attitude when I told her my name and why I was here. I made my way past the reception desk and around the corner, talking myself up. I saw conference room one and walked inside, looking around. It was a good-sized room, done in cream and sage colors, with a long table in the center of the room. Everything was beautiful here.

I walked to a seat that gave me a good view of the door. I wondered who was going to interview me. I’d been told that it would be a manager who was relatively low in the company’s hierarchy. But this was the top floor. I fought back the thought that I might actually run into Carter here. No, that wasn’t going to happen. He might work remotely, to begin with since he’d built this place. Owners had the luxury of doing that if they had a good staff.

I closed my eyes and told myself to focus on the interview, but his gorgeous face swam behind my eyelids. He got the girls crazy back in high school. We dated on and off for a couple of years, but I wasn’t the only one who was in love with him and there had been a few other girls in between those times, as much as I had hated it. But whenever we were together, we were all over each other, which made up for it. We had a chemistry back then and I liked the fact that my first had given me such pleasure.

I heard a familiar voice and watched as a man strode through the door, speaking sharply into a cell phone. My glossed pink mouth dropped open as he paused, seemingly listening to the person on the other end. My skin heated up. I shrunk back into the chair, trying to disappear.

This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. I wasn’t being interviewed by him. I was here for another position.

Unaware of me and my heated face, Carter kept talking and getting agitated by whatever was being said to him on the other end, finally telling the other person that he needed to take care of something. He ended the call and looked around the room. I shivered as he looked at me. Recognition flashed in his beautiful eyes.

“Vivian?” He sounded shocked and he blinked at me before regaining his composure.

“Yes, it’s me,” I murmured, frantically trying to think of a way out of this situation. I wanted to run, but my legs wouldn’t move. He moved to the table and sat across from me, taking me in with a roving gaze. He cleared his throat.

“I need a new PA so Nick gave me his interview. I lost my PA very suddenly and there’s a lot of work to be done.” He looked at me as I again fought the urge to get up and walk out.

I couldn’t work with Carter. There was no possible way that I could. I needed the money more than anything but I was shaking, thinking of my son and the risks.

“What are you doing in New York?” he asked as he leaned forward to look closely at me.

“I had a friend who lived here and she suggested that I come out. More jobs and all,” I offered as he nodded thoughtfully. “I guess I needed a change of pace.”

“You’re in finance now?” Carter sounded surprised and I sat up straight and narrowed my eyes. He licked his lips slowly.

“I have a bachelor’s degree in it, from an online college. I was always pretty good with numbers. I just didn’t know what to do with it for a while.” That was close enough to the truth. I had always planned to be a teacher, but this degree was quicker and easier and offered good job opportunities. I would never admit to him that my plans changed when I had a baby, his baby.

“I remember that. You always scored well in classes that dealt with numbers and you were good at English. I always admired that,” Carter murmured. Heat washed over my skin. How was I going to tell him that I didn’t want this job?