The Hidden Truth

Chapter 4

Anastasia sat in the chair across from a man behind the desk, his back turned to her as he read through her resume. He was older, perhaps in his late 50s or early 60s with a graying beard and peppered hair. He wore large framed glasses paired with his yellowish button-down shirt, brown pants, and a purple tie. His face seemed kind and inviting, but his eyes gave a much different impression. His eyes were of a green hue but they reflected something underneath when he smiled at her when she walked through his door. He gave her the creeps, sending chills down her spine when he looked at her. She didn't know why but she knew she had to meet with him in order to get the job she wanted. She needed that job. It was the only way for her to continue what her father commissioned her to complete.

The name Steve Raglan was imprinted on the nameplate on his desk, under the title of a career counselor, just as the lady on the phone had told her the other day. His office was decorated as any other normal corporate office with accommodations for customers. There was a bookshelf adjacent to his desk and behind him, a computer on his desk, and a coffee station with a mini-fridge on the opposite wall. It was bland and simplistic, yet his disposition was brighter. He swiveled in his chair to approach the conversation.

"It seems like you've had a rocky working past. Fired twice in the past year. Laid off three years ago from a secretary job. The closest thing to a stable job you've had is your freelance work for the local paper. You haven't seen anyone like me, have you?" He asked, looking up to meet her gaze. A chill ran down her spine suddenly, but she shrugged it off and shook her head at him.

"No. I haven't. I guess I thought I could handle it on my own. I realize now I need more help than ever." She told him with an odd confidence that had entered her system. She sat with her back straight and her face cordial toward the man before her. He nodded to her and looked back down at her resume.

"Alright! I am here to help. What is it that you need exactly? A job? Advice?" He asked.

"A job." She spoke immediately, almost cutting him off.

He looked at her with slight confusion as to her urgency but sat back in his chair instead. "Okay. That's doable. You don't have a terrible wrap sheet, but I'm sure we can fix that up with a decent job, some tips, and motivation. Let's see." He grabbed a folder from the shelf behind him and opened it up, looking through multiple job listings around town. "Oo! Here's one. Another secretary gig with a local small business. Furniture, it says." He mentioned.

Anastasia shook her head, having only one job in mind. "No, I wasn't thinking about going back to that. I have one I'm already interested in. A security opportunity at the old Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. I saw it online that it was hiring."

He gazed at her even more confused. "Um, yeah. An odd choice, but I don't think that position is open anymore. I just gave it to another man who just came in. Or well, he's at least interested in it." He told her, before shifting to look at her resume again. She sat displeased but didn't let the thought deflate yet. "Well, Anastasia Winds-" He paused, his voice stuck in his throat. He looked up at her, shock filling his eyes. Anastasia's back straightened as he leaned forward squinting his eyes at her, almost as though he was beginning to recognize her.

"Sir? Is everything alright?" She asked him, quickly becoming freaked out by this man's strange behavior.

He sat back quickly and cleared his throat. "Coffee?" He croaked.

Anastasia quivered her brow. "Excuse me?"

He rose and walked to his coffee station, pouring lukewarm black coffee into his mug. "I made coffee a little bit ago. Do you want some?" He asked, his voice starting to even out.

Anastasia shook her head. "No, I'm fine." She declined.

He shrugged and returned to his seat, folding his hands together as he gave her his full concentration. He narrowed his gaze on her and cleared his throat once again. "Why do you want that job? It seems quite the recline compared to your past jobs, as well as your current one. Are you planning on writing an article on the place?" He inquired of her.

She shrugged. "Not necessarily. It's mostly for extra money. I think it would be beneficial to add some more money to the regular income rather than just royalty checks every other week. It would help me save a little. However, if the place is interesting enough, it might just appear as the subject of one of my articles. You never know." She explained thoroughly, taking on a confident and nonchalant persona.

He nodded understandingly and turned to her paperwork. "Well, I don't why not hire two security guards? The more the merrier." He smiled at her. She let out a small breath that she had been holding the entire interview. He shuffled through a drawer in his desk and pulled out a form. "Just fill this out the deal is made." He said, his eyes watching her the entire time. Anastasia took a pen and carefully read through the form. It was a normal employment form, just like any other. No strings attached. She signed it and slid it toward him. "And that's it! Thank you!" He exclaimed.

"Of course. And thank you for this. This whole meeting really helped a ton. Thank you so much for your time." Anastasia smiled and shook his hand. She turned and began to exit his office when he called after her unexpectedly.

"Miss Windsor?"

She backed up and looked at him with a furrowed brow. "Yes?"

"Just be careful in that old place. It's a bit...unstable." He said, his voice seeming to twist slightly. Anastasia simply nodded. "I'll give you a call when I hear back from the other guy and I'll give you a quick rundown of what you have to do and whatnot. But I think you'll do just fine." He winked at her. Another chill went down her spine as she gave him a nervous grin and waved goodbye before heading down the hall toward the front.

The entirety of the conversation felt incredibly weird. Some were his gestures while others were just his mere presence. She didn't understand it. And what was the whole looking at her weirdly bit about? That creeped her out the most. What was it that he saw in her? What was that look about? It made her whole body tremble in fear and anxiousness which only just now came out of her as she made her way out of the building to her parked car. The day was overcast and cold, which only added to the trembling throughout her body. She ran to her car and quickly turned it on to pump the heater. She held her freezing fingers to the vent as the car heated up, still running over the strange interaction with that man. She didn't know what it was about him, but she knew that it wasn't pleasing or good. She shook it off and pulled out of the parking lot, heading for home to decompress.