Chapter - 10
"Ethan."
It was finally his turn. Ethan took a deep breath, as his hand grazed his pocket, feeling the dozen or so business cards.
As he walked into the room, it was different from other rooms, it was an office chamber. And sitting behind the massive desk, staring at him was the one and only Anya Sharma.
He didn't notice it before from afar, but now that she was standing close to her, he found Anya undeniably beautiful.
Her wheatish coloured skin looked smooth, her brown eyes looked mesmerising on that serious face. Her lips were full and naturally defined.
She had a curvy, voluptuous figure, with a narrow waist and big breasts that her fitted blouse barely managed to hold in.
Meanwhile as she saw Ethan just stand there, looking at her, she gestured to the chair opposite her. "Please, have a seat."
Ethan was quick to oblige.
Anya folded her hands on the desk, her dark brown eyes pinning on him.
"So, Ethan," Anya was the first to speak, "Your performance on the crisis simulation was... unconventional. Asking the company to not go all out, and buying out the internet. It was promising to say the least.
"But why did you not choose to deny it? Shouldn't that be the instinctive reaction?"
Ethan shrugged as he smiled at her question, "Because it was the truth," he said simply.
"Their nude photos were indeed leaked. So why leave room for future embarrassment?"
"This way, the girls who actually felt jealous of those actresses, might even feel sympathetic towards them."
"And the boys? Well, let us say they would be glad to know what they have is actually the real deal."
"I would say it is a win-win for all of those involved."
"Your clients manage to widen their fan-base, people feel sympathy for them and the money would just rain on them."
"And if they shower in green, I am sure you will enjoy the fruits as well."
Hearing him, Anya nodded in appreciation, "That's a bold idea you have got there. Changing crisis into an opportunity. Nice."
"Now let's talk about you," She turned her gaze towards his file and said, "Ummm… Your resume is, for all intents and purposes, a blank page."
"I don't see any educational history. No previous employment. No recommendation. Tell me, Ethan, why do you think we should hire you?"
It was the question he was always prepared for, "I am sure you see potential," he said, his voice steady.
"You won't have a stereotype because of the college I graduated from."
"You won't have to fear if I worked for your rival before."
"You won't have any expectations, and I will bring fresh ideas to the table."
"You won't have to look at some old book. I am the first page of a new book, waiting to be written."
Anya leaned back in her chair, a smirk creeping on his lips, "Well said! You must have practiced it quite a few times in front of the mirror."
"But you do realise this is a real world and not some Disney Cinderella story, right? These poetic words can get you only so far."
"But here we prioritize results," She tapped her finger on the desk.
"How do we know you won't crack when a billion-dollar client is breathing down your neck?"
"When you have no past, the only thing that defines you is your actions, what you do in the moment." Ethan smiled as he spoke, "And most of all, it is the desperation."
"And I am desperate enough."
"Let us see how desperate you are." Anya smiled.
The interview continued after that for another 10 minutes, and Anya was very precise. She wanted to know everything about him to the absolute detail. It was like she did not want to leave anything to chance.
Finally, after she was done grilling him, Anya had everything she wanted to know.
"You are, without a doubt, one of the most intriguing candidates I have ever interviewed, Mr Ethan."
"I was told to be truthful." Ethan smiled back at her.
Anya nodded at him, and then her gaze shifted, looking past him, over his shoulder to a far corner of the room. He instinctively followed her gaze, and saw a girl sitting on a couch in the corner. He did not even notice her earlier when he walked in. that he hadn't even noticed.
When he walked in, the girl was hidden behind the tall, palm plant in the pot beside the couch.
The girl was engrossed in her phone, with one long, impossibly smooth white leg crossed over the other, her foot idly tracing circles in the air.
Sensing Anya's gaze, the girl slowly looked up, and Ethan drew in cold air.
She was, quite simply, one of the most captivating women he had ever seen, almost on par with Isabelle.
The girl looked in her late twenties or perhaps early thirties.
The fit silk blouse she wore couldn't be any more generous to the spectators. The blouse covered those big breasts so tight that the buttons wanted to pop-out.
And her black pencil skirt hugged her hips so perfectly that it was almost as if they wanted Ethan to cup them up and feel up.
But the most unusually stunning was her hair. They were black with shades of grey in them. And Ethan could tell it was not her age showing up. They were natural. Because her eyes were a shade of grey and blue as well.
Her eyes were like a magnet, pulling him towards her.
'Who was she?' Ethan could not help but think.
With Anya looking at her, the girl raised her perfectly made eyebrow. They were communicating with their eyes.
Anya gave an almost imperceivable nod.
Seeing that, Jasmine elegantly uncrossed her legs and stood up. She made her way towards Ethan and Anya, her heels making no sound on the plush carpet.
She stopped a few feet away, her stormy grey eyes giving Ethan a quick overall look.
"He's hired," she said, her voice nonchalant.
Ethan, who had been confused all along, looked at Anya's smiling face to Jasmine's indifferent one. It was evident this girl had the final say.
"Thank you," he said standing up, "Thank you, Ms..."
"Jasmine," she told him. Her attention was already back on the phone as she typed with furious, frantic speed, "Anya, handle the details."
Jasmine. This was Jasmine. The CEO of Aura Media. But what was she doing here? Why was she interested in such trivial things?
"Congratulations, Ethan," Anya said, standing up and extending a hand, "May I call you Ethan?"
"Sure," Ethan nodded.
"Welcome to Aura Media." Anya was all smiles.
Ethan took her hand, and smiled, "Thank you. And thank you, Miss Jasmine. I won't let you down."
But Jasmine didn't even look up, "Mmm… Good," she murmured, her entire focus was on the phone in her hands.
Anya knew how her boss was, so she intervened, "if you will come with me, we can get the contract signed." She told Ethan.
"Signed contract and other details will be sent to you within an hour. You will start from Monday." Anya started to explain.
"If you face any issue, you can call the HR, or here, take my card and you can contact me as well. I will get back to you as soon as possible."
Ethan nodded and then gave one last look to Jasmine, but with a frown on her face, she was staring at her phone. Ethan wanted to say something, but he decided to leave just like that.
Just as Ethan and Anya turned to leave, they heard a continuous buzz behind them. The phone buzzed a couple of times before Jasmine finally answered it.
"What do you mean by that text?" She snapped at the person on the other side.
The voice on the other end was inaudible, but its effect on Jasmine was immediate and dramatic. The cool, untouchable CEO façade crumbled.
"No," she said, her voice tight. "Absolutely not. I told you I am not doing it…"
"I told you not to interfere in my things."
"That's ridiculous, I don't care what you have promised."
"No, you listen to me, I am not... Don't you dare pull that card... Don't you…"
"Listen to me…"
"Hello! Hello!"
"Ugghhh!"
The person on the other side had already ended the call. And absolute silence spread in the room.
Jasmine stood completely still, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She ran a hand through her perfect, greyish-black hair, messing it up in a way that only made her look more wild and beautiful.
"Jasmine?" Anya asked, her voice laced with concern. "Is everything alright?"
Jasmine took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
Then with absolute calmness she spoke, "Everything is fine."
Then her gaze fell on Ethan. She stared at him for a couple of seconds before her lips parted.
"You are fired."
*********
[
Author's Question: What do you think happened?
Like always, Wrong Answers Only
]