Ana Gray's Servile Marriage

2: Old friends

I stepped into the office and was first greeted by the cold from the air conditioning, it took me all not to shiver under such a temperature, I could perceive the fresh smell of stacks of new papers and files, the depressing symbol of work, papers more papers.

My eyes rested on the back sitting on the desk chair, with how broad his back was, it was obvious to me that it was a man and no more secretary, the office chair slowly swirled 180° before I could see Mr. Eastern's face, he wore glasses with a brown frame, so thick I could compare it with his desk table that surely cost more dollars than my house rent.

His hazel eyes matched his expression, cloudy, though they were behind the glasses they were so attractive that I couldn't help staring at them. Mr. Eastern had a white beard that was attached to his mustache, it crawled all the way to his ears and throat, more like a Vikings beard but very trimmed and properly taken care of. Above his brows, there were frown marks. His hair was just as white as his beard, with no sign of baldness, he was the type I'll describe as fine wine better with age.

His hazel gaze found my face and refused to let go. I played along, walking up to his desk and not wanting to stay behind waiting for permission like a puppet.

"Why do you need this job?" The question shot out of his lips like I had not expected, and it caused me to halt in my steps. I felt a lot of my confidence and courage go down. At that point, I felt stupid and exposed for gawking at him like an idiot that had lost her voice against a stupid question of nothing.

I swallowed the lump in my throat silently and held back a smile. I knew his type, the boss that never smiles, you can never smile at him or laugh on his face, but can do that to his back.

"To satisfy my needs," I replied.

"You're hired." He said. Once again he was surprising me, his quickness with the job was spooky to me, he must be the guy that loves toying with people before giving them a job. He looked like it and he seemed like it.

I didn't realize I was staring at him like a fool till he cleared his throat.

"Okay." I tried to speak like I knew what I was throwing myself into.

"Come back tomorrow for the signature and paper submission, you're starting tomorrow. You can dismiss." He said to me,

I turned around and started for the door, "Are you married or fiancé?" another breath-hitching question.

"No sir," I responded respectfully, holding back my doubt about his last question to myself.

I was quick to leave his office and his company, I stopped the first cab and hopped in with a confused mind.

I jerk my door with a weak arm after unlocking it, I threw my body in with an exhausted expression I kicked my heels off my feet before strolling to the couch and plopping down, of course, Fiji came along waving her tail and leaking my face, I patted her hair and gave her a threat, then I laid on my back staring at the ceiling, *too easy, it was so easy. Why would he want to know about my personal life?

Nothing about my interview made sense, all complications, and confusion. I turned to Fiji with a look of despair I knew I was putting. "Baby, life is hard, I wish I could be like you, with a loving beautiful girl to take care of me." I sniffed and she kissed me the dog way.

"Yeah, you right, if I was a dog then who would take care of you?" I chuckled.

I reached for my phone in my bag and hit Phoebe's number, "darling." Phoebe's cheerful voice hit my eyes and I felt the urge to be cocky.

"darling? That's new, Bibi," I smirked.

"Enough of your bitch ass, come get the door I'm waiting for you." I gasped while sitting on, Fiji stared at me with her head cocked to the side, I went to the door while hanging up I flung it open with an impressed eye roll and a huffed followed by a smile, and she stepped in with a beaming smile I shut the door behind her and followed her into my living room where she was already getting along with Fiji her longtime friend.

"Do you get the job?" she asked while dropping the boxes of ice cream and cake on the coffee table.

Phoebe and I have known each other for a long time, our friendship started in preschool, and we were often transferred to the same foster system and stayed in the same orphanage. She was my only friend to date, her rosy cheeks and innocent brown like star eyes were the first things I noticed when I saw her getting bullied on the playground, it was love at first sight for me, and that was why I stood against all her bullies with a baseball bat, from that instant we have always been intertwined with each other, unlike me, she had better luck and was adopted by a cheerful couple who fell for her just like I did, at first sight.

"Of course, don't you trust me Bibi?" I rolled my eyes while picking up two bottles of cocktails from the fridge. I returned to the living room, placing them on the coffee table and attacking the ice cream. Vanilla, I shook my head softly.

"Yes! I knew it!" She exclaimed, she looked more enthusiastic than me who supposedly got the job of my dreams.

Then I opened up and spilled all that happened to her. As I have always known her to be a worry-bearing person she was the first to wipe off that happy look on her face replacing it with a slight frown.

"But why would he want to know if you're single or not?" she grabbed her cocktail taking a light gulp while staring directly at me in her spooky way.

Phoebe was the kind of girl that saw suspicious in all, she was super pessimistic particularly when she had doubts and I was about to have full of her conspiracy theory concerning my new job, so I hung on by gazing at her like I was really paying attention while savoring my ice cream patiently.

"what if he employed you because he needs a mistress, or you know how rich men behave they think they can have all thanks to their money, but that is a huge mislead of course, or maybe he is doing human trafficking and needs you, or maybe he is choosing you as a wife for his son?" She blurted in one breath.

I shook my head softly as she stared at me with worry. I sighed, "be at peace, dear Bibi, he was asking to know my husband's employment or about our kids, you know, the measures he has to take for me to be comfortable, but he can be assured I have none. That's just it, he isn't planning to betroth me or give my hand in marriage to anyone, and you know how I feel about men, they don't worth it, when the time comes I'll get married to a man who would have the same power as me in our home, I'm not ready to be tamed but I'm ready to tame, but that is in a long time, I need to hit fortune for that." I waved my hand dismissively.

Phoebe nodded softly, "just be careful, Anna I don't wanna lose you," she added.

"Aw, come on Bibi you worry too much we're here to celebrate my victory, let's do so with huge grins on our lips." I grinned like the sun, it was obviously an exaggeration and she saw through, this may be her lips to split in a small reassuring smile that melted my heart.

Phoebe was not only a friend to me but my sister from a different mother, I adored her like no one else, even if she was a little extra of a person that breaks down at any point of doubt.

She was somehow my secret lucky charm cause all the luck came from her, all my luck I mean.

At that point of relaxation my mind wandered to the future I've always pictured for myself and I knew the job could provide it for me, whatever was behind Mr. Eastern's mind was yet to be known, and honestly, I was not a bit shaken by what the future reserved, all I knew was my determination. It will always do like it has only done.

The next day was about to unravel many secrets and I couldn't miss that.

Another release, yup, I wanted to catch up with those times. I have exams next tomorrow.