Chapter 2 - She Got The Job. Strange?
Carissa stood outside the office, grappling with conflicting emotions.
'What should I do? Simply leave since there's no hope?' she thought silently, her gaze returning to the closed door behind her. The joy of encountering David after six years warred with the hopelessness of potential job rejection and the accompanying pain.
As she took a step to leave, her phone rang, and she saw it was her best friend, Daisy. Clearing her throat, Carissa answered, "Daisy..."
"Hello, Miss soon-to-be honorable P.A., how're you doing?" Daisy's excited voice boomed through the phone, making Carissa suppress a sigh and force a smile. "I am... good. Yeah."
Daisy continued, oblivious to Carissa's internal struggle, "Well before you return home to give your family the good news about your new job, I decided to do a little pre-celebration with Angelina."
"Angelina is with you?" Carissa inquired, her heart sinking at the thought of disappointing her daughter.
"Yes. I felt like doing this pre-celebration with her, and I had to force her to go out with me to have ice cream because she was almost hell-bent on waiting for you to return and give the good news."
Carissa rolled her eyes, feeling choked by Daisy's words. She could hear her daughter's soft laughs over the phone and it broke her heart the more.
She couldn't bear to return home with the news of rejection, especially seeing her daughter's anticipation shattered. Her mother was surely going to give her a mouthful as always but she cared less about it.
Instead of indulging in Daisy's enthusiasm, she decided to share her current circumstances.
"Hey, are you there?" Daisy asked with a high-pitched voice and Carissa realized she probably had been blabbering on but she hadn't paid attention.
"Uh-huh. I'm here and I heard you," Carissa replied quickly.
"Good. So, I'm hanging up now and I'm going to spoil your daughter before you come back and…"
"N..no. Don't."
"What?"
She hesitated before breaking the news. "Daisy. I…I didn't get it."
"What do you mean?" Daisy questioned, confusion evident in her voice.
Carissa sighed, "I mean I didn't get the j—"
"Hey, so you're the one who got the job," the man from earlier who's likely his early 40s interrupted, congratulating Carissa with a smile.
"Carissa, are you there?" Daisy's voice continued through the phone.
"Uh, let's talk later. Sorry," Carissa muttered and quickly hung up. She stared at the man in surprise. "Sorry?"
"I mean, my boss just informed me that you're the one who gets the job. So, let's return to his office," he explained, gesturing for her to follow.
Carissa, still processing the unexpected turn of events, glanced behind her, thinking the man might be addressing someone else.
His frustration became apparent as he snapped his fingers at her, "Miss, I'm talking to no one other than you, and you're making me look stupid."
"Oh. S—sorry. I was just lost for a minute," Carissa stammered, following the man back into the office, where a new chapter in her life seemed to unfold.
Stepping into the office after the man, Carissa unintentionally locked her gaze with David, who looked up from his desk. Tension seemed to fill the room before he broke the silence.
"You're hired," he stated, his eyes shifting to the man, George, who stood nearby, caring less about Carissa's reaction. "Give her the document to sign, George," he instructed, and Carissa watched as George grabbed a document from the files under his arm, handing it over to her. He gestured at the seat before the table, signaling for her to sit.
Carissa took the document and sat down, her eyes widening like that of an owl. "You're to sign it. You're free to go through it," George explained.
"Don't waste my time by pointlessly reading through. Do the necessary thing," David said with a grimace, engrossed in a file before him.
Carissa nodded, even though he wasn't looking at her. She took out a pen to sign. As she flipped through the pages, her pen stopped halfway above one as she silently read something.
"I…have to start working from tomorrow?" she asked, surprised.
David looked at her, arching a brow. "Yes. So?"
"Da…uh, sir, tomorrow is Thursday, and I thought I was going to start from Monday so I can—"
"You're starting tomorrow, and if you're not ready for this job, then get your butts off my seat and get the hell out of here," he bluntly interrupted, getting her off track.
A part of her wanted to confront him for his bluntness, but she restrained herself given her vulnerable state.
The questions swirled in her head, 'But why is he acting like this to me? Doesn't he remember me?'
She couldn't fathom his demeanor, but she promptly signed the document.
"Thank you," George said, taking the document from her. "Follow me to sign other paperwork."
She rose and neck-bowed to David before following George behind. As she reached the door, she felt his eyes on her and turned slightly upon stopping.
However, his gaze was fixed on his laptop screen, leaving her with a sense of confusion and a barrage of unanswered questions.
In the hallway, George guided her through various offices to complete the necessary paperwork. Carissa couldn't shake off the strange encounter with David.
"You didn't meet up to the requirements that Sir Davis had listed out for the panel of executives to look out for while interviewing the candidates, but, surprisingly, he picked you over the others," George explained as he walked Carissa out of an office. She turned to look at him.
"Don't get me wrong. You look like one who's going to give their all in this work, but you don't have experience and you're an undergraduate. Still, you got this big job in this prestigious company. Your luck is really great. You need to give a good offering to your God."
"Yeah, I will."
"Hmm. Despite not meeting the requirements, you got the job. Strange?" He gazed at her. She was intrigued but said nothing.
"Anyway, see you tomorrow, Miss Carissa."
She managed to smile before leaving. Arriving home, she met her parents, daughter, and Daisy. Walking in with a long face, she noticed their panic.
When they said nothing, which was unlikely, especially her mother, Carissa decided to speak up as she lightened her expression. "Well, I got the job."
"Woah!" Daisy screamed before running up to her. "I knew you would get it." She pulled Carissa into a tight hug.
"Please don't squeeze the living hell out of my Mom before she turns into a sandwich," Angelina joked, causing them all to laugh. The air was filled with joy and relief, even though the circumstances surrounding Carissa's unexpected success remained a mystery.
"What was with your heavy expression earlier then?" Lennon asked, quizzically.
"I had thought she didn't get the job though," Joyce said.
"Gosh, Aunt, I had told you to be positive," Daisy remarked.
"And, Granny, I had told you that 7 was my lucky number, and I believed Mom was going to get the job," Angelina added.
Joyce's smile widened. "You're truly a soothsayer, my darling." She blew a kiss at Angelina and went to hug Carissa.
"Mom, you know, even if you hadn't gotten the job, I still would have been happy," Angelina said, and Carissa grinned before walking up to her.
"My sweetheart, you're such a lovely child." Carissa squatted in front of Angelina and pecked her cheek. "I'm sure you will forever have faith in me."
"Yoo! It's time for celebration, let's shake it!!!" Daisy quickly turned on the music, and all started dancing, apart from Carissa. She watched them jubilating before excusing herself to make hot chocolate for them.
While she made the drink, she couldn't get her mind off David. She smiled as she recalled his prominent features, how extremely dashing and refined he looked. His image lingered in her thoughts.
Abruptly quitting making the coffee, she lifted her hand to her chest and felt her heart racing fast. It made her blush like the first time she had met David years back. The unexpected reunion, the mysterious job offer, and the strange encounter with the man who once held a significant place in her life swirled in her mind, creating a blend of emotions that left her both elated and contemplative.
Lost in her thoughts, Carissa didn't notice Daisy walk in until she slammed the countertop, jerking her out of her reverie.
"Were you daydreaming? Gosh," Daisy shook her head. "Anyway, I'm super proud of you, Carissa. Look at you." She chuckled. "You're an undergraduate, and you beat a lot of high-class graduates and others to get the job. This is a miracle, you know."
Carissa smiled, acknowledging the surreal turn of events. "Yeah. It is."
"But, you always believed in yourself, so I will say your hard work and optimism finally paid off. Thanks to the heavens." Daisy paused, staring at Carissa.
"What?" Carissa inquired.
"Daisy, I... honestly, you need to know that I admire you. You've gone through a lot these last few years, and you've been incredible. The last couple of years, I think I've heard about that company, but I couldn't muster the courage to apply for a job there because I doubted myself despite being a graduate."
"Really? You never told me."
"Sorry. It was a little secret. And when you said you wanted to apply there for the position of a P.A., I doubted your capabilities."
"But you supported me because you believed in me."
"Yeah. I believe in you more than myself." Both of them giggled. "So, spill it. Who is your boss?" Daisy's question almost made Carissa shocked.
Carissa stared at her, uncertain of whether to say the truth.