17 Interview Continued

At 5:30 p.m. Meredith stood outside the Maxwell Sharpe Marketing Inc. Building waiting for Sean. She had decided not to get the origami book she found at the book store because she didn't want to bring it with her to the meeting. Also she didn't want anyone to know she was into origami. Carrying an origami book around near work would definitely be a good way for people to take notice of her secret hobby. So, she opted out and made a mental note to return later for it.

She made sure to be early this time for fear of messing up whatever this interview was. She knew she was probably a bit over zealous with her promptness being thirty minutes early. However, she had run out of things to do and was very anxious to find out what the interview was for and if she was going to keep her job. She rather liked her job and was very worried that bumping into a driver was jeopardizing the job she loved so much.

Five minutes after Meredith had stepped in front of the building a black Mercedes pulled up. Meredith thought it looked vaguely familiar but didn't really pay too much attention to it because she was going over all the things she should have said in the interview earlier and wondering if what she had said was enough. She assured herself she must have done something correct seeing as she currently was still employed.

Meredith smacked her palm against her forehead.

"Research..." She whispered to herself and pulled out her phone. She should have been spending this time to learn everything she could about her company and who ran it and whatever else could possibly be useful to her in this strange impromptu interview.

Just as she opened her search engine on her phone Sean stepped out of the car and walked around to open the door for her. Meredith looked up confused.

"I was told I was picking up the woman who ran into me." He chuckled as she climbed into the car.

"So sorry again about that." She apologized again finally recognizing the man as Sean the driver she had run down on the sidewalk a couple times too many. The David had brought it up so many times already she was slightly worried about it.

"Don't worry about it." He closed the door and walked around to the driver side then drove her towards Streeterville. "You look nice today, fancier than normal. Did you dress up for this meeting?"

"Thank you. No, I had a presentation earlier with Edward Maxwell." Meredith looked down at her attire slightly embarrassed. She normally wasn't so dressed up and she felt a little bit out of place.

"Oh, wow! You're a big shot then? Two Maxwell meetings in one day." He chuckled nervously. She wasn't sure why he was the nervous one. Maybe because it was partially his fault that she might get fired if this went badly since she had run into him. He should know it wasn't his fault. He simply happened to be standing in the line of fire. She was the one running late and not looking where she was going. All the blame was hers and rightfully so. If she lost her job because of it he shouldn't feel bad. Well maybe he should feel bad for working for such an asshole of a man that would fire someone over such a thing. Accidents happen, she told herself as she rode in nervous silence.

"Here we are. Mr. Maxwell already had a meeting here earlier he just finished up so he should be waiting for you inside." Sean said as he pulled over to the side of the street and got out to open her door for her. She never quite understood why the driver had to get out and walk all the way around the car to open the door as if people couldn't just open the door themselves. Did they have the child safety lock on or something?

Meredith stepped out of the car and was in front of a fenced off restaurant on Ontario street lined with trees and decorated with a garden path. The beige awnings on the building were lit up and the sign said, Les Nomades.

Meredith told the host that she was there to meet with Mr. Maxwell. She was led through a restaurant in a brown and taupe themed color with large fresh flower bouquets accenting the walls and random abstract paintings. The paintings seemed something Mr. Maxwell would have in his office albeit there were much smaller than the one he had. She was finally led to a table in the far back of the restaurant where the David sat already looking over some paperwork.

"Please seat he told her." And the host helped her into her seat. A server came by to get her drink order which the David insisted on so she asked for the server to choose a glass of house white wine for her and with that he was gone. "You're early."

"Yes." She said and noticed a small smile on his face which was contagious and she returned it. "I figured I'd been late enough as it is."

"True." He pulled out some papers and a pen and slid it across the white table cloth towards her. "First is a NDA, which I am sure you are familiar with. Our company uses them a lot and I'm sure you probably had one to sign on your previous project as well."

"Yes." She skimmed over and it looked like a typical NDA so she signed. So this was about another project like Mr. Hubert had thought. Well that eased her nerves a little bit that she wasn't about to lose her job for bumping into drivers on her way to work.

The server returned with a glass of white wine and filled her water goblet as well.

"Are you hungry?" The David asked.

"I could eat." She was famished. She had a light breakfast a bowl of soup and a cookie at barnes and nobles with her coffee. He ordered them both, something she wasn't entirely sure what and the server left.

"I have a couple more questions then depending on your answers I will tell you about this project." the David informed her. "First, You don't know who I am, do you?"

"Umm…" She should have done her homework before returning to meet with him.