Sugar

29

chapter twenty nine
florence thompson
song: so close - NOTD, Felix Jaehn ft. Georgia Ku & Captain Cuts

Thursday came much faster than I was anticipating, and very much dreading. I've never gone to an interview other than Glenn's when I was in high school, so the fact that I'm going to an interview for a position so out of my league was nothing short of nerve-wracking.

After video chatting with both Aria and Rico this morning, I'd settled on black dress pants and my only not currently ridiculously wrinkled blouse. I wasn't overly ambitious when it came to my hair, deciding to run some anti-frizz gel through my curly tendrils in hopes for a more polished look.

Running a whole half an hour early thanks to my dear friend anxiety, I found myself sitting silently in the waiting room after being sent up to the correct floor. I'd watched eager, happy women cheerfully walk into what I'd now named The Room of Doom and walk out with their mascara running.

It definitely didn't do anything to calm my nerves, that's for damn sure. In fact, it seemingly only made my nerves skyrocket even further, the sweat collecting in my palms multiplying and the rate at which my knee was bouncing only increasing.

Vincent had given me some pointers at our last dinner in order to ace the interview since he knew I was fairly inexperienced in this area. Things like eye contact and small social cues to play off an air of confidence that I clearly lack. How to answer questions and such, small things that I would never think of.

"Miss Thompson, Mr. Vanderbilt will see you now," a nasally voice called. I looked up to find a vibrant red head with a bored expression on her features.

I nodded, swallowing my nerves and pushing myself out of my chair. I passed the last interviewee on my way in, her glassy blue eyes glued to the ceiling as she attempted to keep the floodgates closed.

My heart sank further into my stomach, the dread I'd been feeling only thickening with each step I took.

When I finally made it to the door of his office it quickly swung open, the person that I wasn't able to catch the features of quickly began walking out, glancing down at papers in their hands and before either of us could react they ran straight into me, sending me backwards.

Immediately my cheeks felt as if they were on fire.

Thankfully since I'm the last interviewee I didn't just eat shit in front of a waiting room full of people. That would have been quite mortifying if we're going to be completely honest.

I glanced up at the person who had let out a string of deep cuss words. My heart that had already been lodged in my throat only propelled further. There stood the mysterious man I'd met at Vincent's complex, twice now.

Shivers ran down my spine as realization washed over his blue eyes at the same time.

"Florence?" He asked as if we knew each other well enough, as if we were acquaintances.

"Wow, this is a little far when it comes to stalking tendencies, don't you think?" I chuckled, semi-playfully.

He let out a deep laugh, offering a hand down to me which I quickly grabbed, letting him pull me up with a ridiculous amount of ease.

"I know you probably won't believe me when I say this, but I had absolutely no idea you were interviewing. Margot, head of HR, takes care of all that and finds the most fitting candidates," he admitted, his voice just as smooth as I remembered.

He seemed much warmer and less cryptic this time around, more welcoming overall in comparison to the last two times I met him. Every other time he gave off an odd, secretive vibe but this time he just felt like a friendly stranger.

"Fair enough, I suppose," I teased lightly as I brushed myself off.

"Sorry about that," he motioned towards where I'd just fallen with his partially folded paper in his other hand. "I was reading over this document, I hadn't realized I had another interview. But alas, it turns out I happened to be wrong."

"Oh," I breathed, my posture deflating momentarily. "I can reschedule, if you'd like? I understand you may have other things to tend to," I quickly offered, a slight ping of disappointment tugging at my heart in my chest.

"Oh no! Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come off like that. Come on in, I'm just going to run this paper to Amanda and I'll be right in," he assured me, pushing the door open further to his office for me to go in.

"Okay." I nodded, tucking a loose strand of blonde hair behind my ear and walking through the doorway into his office as he took off towards the receptionist's desk.

Upon entering I quickly realized how immaculate the space was. It was a corner office, the whole wall behind his desk was all window, ceiling to floor. It overlooked the entirety of the city, the bright daylight allowing me to see every detail from here, not even close up to the window.

Not to mention how ridiculously nice the interior design of his office was. It was all white, a large black desk sat a little ways back, completely spotless and everything in its place. A matching black swivel chair was tucked into it.

He had two black shelves on either side of the room sporting intricate pieces of abstract art and too many books to count.

As I seated myself in the seat across from his desk, he was sauntering back into the room with a secretive smile on his lips.

"Well, Miss Thompson, I must say we seem to run into one another far too often for strangers," he teased, sliding into his chair behind his desk.

I glanced to the plaque on his desk that read Sebastian Vanderbilt and I quickly realized just how stupid I am. I completely forgot when he'd told me his name the first time I met him. I should've put the pieces together when Vincent mentioned this interview to me or even when Margot had called me.

"We really do," I joked back, clutching my purse in my lap.

He moved his piercing gaze down to an open folder in front of him and I took a deep breath, trying to ease my nerves. This was either the start of a new beginning or a bitter failure.

• • •

q: what is your dream job??