Chapter 3

• The position was for an assistant, offering $15 an hour with a minimum of 50 hours a week, and Ann was already dialing the number on her phone.
• The ad didn't specify whose assistant she'd be, but whoever it was, they were obviously well-off at the company, and she was eager.
• This also provided her with an opportunity at the company. Perhaps, she'd work as an assistant for a while and then return to college so that she could secure a job within the actual company, not just for someone at the company.
• "Thank you for calling Silverstone Incorporated. This is Marianne, how may I assist you?"
• "Hello, yes ma'am. My name is Annalisa Greyson and I came across your ad for an assistant position? I'm very interested and was wondering when I could come in for an interview," she replied, feeling a bit nervous.
• This could be a really good opportunity for you.'
• She couldn't agree more.
• She could hear the sound of Marianne's nails clicking against her keyboard before she responded, "There are no availabilities in the schedule until not this coming Tuesday but the next at...9 a.m.? How does that sound?"
• The thought of the interview being only a week and four days away made her insides tighten, but she was also very excited.
• "Yes, that sounds fantastic," she stated as she unlocked her car and got in.
• "Great. Let me just get some information from you and I'll let you be on your way. Could you spell your name for me, please? It sounds like a long one," Marianne chuckled.
• "Yes, it is pretty long. I find that lots of people have trouble pronouncing and spelling it. It's A-N-N-..."
• The following day, Ann had scheduled appointments with a realtor regarding the house and with the manager of a nearby apartment building.
• It was about time she found her own place and made Dallas her home for a while.
• Following the directions on her GPS, she arrived at the apartment building a few minutes before her scheduled meeting with the manager. Nevertheless, she decided to get out and take a look inside the building.
• Upon entering, she noticed a woman dressed in a black pencil skirt, a white blouse, and beige high heels, seated in one of the decorative armchairs in the lobby.
• Upon hearing Ann enter, the woman stood up, "Hello, you must be Miss Greyson. I'm Megan, the manager of the building."
• Ann extended her hand, "Please, call me Ann. And I apologize if I kept you waiting. I thought I was actually arriving before you," she said with a chuckle.
• Megan shook her hand and smiled, "No, you're fine. I was in the building today talking to the maintenance man. Are you ready to go check out the unit?"
• Ann smiled in return, "Absolutely. I must say, the pictures I saw online made the apartment look really appealing. And it's only $800?"
• As they walked towards the elevator, Megan confirmed, "Yes, and that includes water and trash. There is laundry in the building and I'm not sure if you're aware, but pets are not allowed, I'm afraid."
• "That's fine. I don't have any anyway," Ann replied as they ascended to the third floor.
• As they toured the apartment, Megan shared some details about the building. She mentioned that the neighbors were usually very quiet, there were rarely any disturbances as it was a good neighborhood, and there were security cameras installed for the residents' safety. She also pointed out the short drive to downtown Dallas, in case Ann worked there.
• Megan informed her that the apartment was available immediately. So, Ann filled out an application, paid the fee, and put down a deposit for Megan to hold the apartment for her, as she was very keen on it.
• It only took a day for Megan to get back to her, informing her that the unit was hers and that she could pick up the keys and start moving in.
• -----
• With the money her grandmother had left her for college, Ann purchased furniture for the apartment and by Friday, she was all moved in. All that remained was to buy groceries and continue packing up the house before the realtor sold it.
• Now came the hard part... waiting for the interview.
• She sighed in relief as she finished painting her last toenail. How many people can say they paint their toenails before an interview?
• Probably quite a few, actually...
• She quickly made her way to the bathroom, careful not to get any polish on her floor, and began checking her hair in the mirror to ensure that every strand of her medium-length dark brown hair was curled to perfection. She made sure to apply a little extra hairspray to the ends because the Texas humidity was no joke.
• Trying not to obsessively check her makeup once more, her anxiety wouldn't let her ignore the fact that one of her eyeliner wings was slightly longer than the other, but she pushed the feeling away because at least they were the same shape.
• She stared at her eyes for a few more seconds before giving up and hoping that no one would notice.
• Walking back into her bedroom, she sat on the foot of her queen-sized bed and touched her toenails to make sure they were dry before slipping on her black high heels.
• She stood and walked over to the full-length mirror on the outside of her closet door, running her hands down the sides of her torso to smooth any wrinkles in her dark red v-neck long sleeve blouse.
• She paired the top with a black high-waisted leather pencil skirt that stopped just above the knee with a small slit on the outside of her right thigh.
• Knowing she looked a bit more sexy than professional, she hoped that whoever was conducting her interview today would appreciate the effort she put into this outfit. It was edgy but still appropriate, she felt.
• Anxiety hit her hard in the gut, almost like an alarm, and she made the final few adjustments to her outfit: a small gold band around her wrist and a pair of onyx earrings lined with diamonds to match the necklace that currently lay on her chest, accentuating her very tasteful cleavage.
• 'You look good, Ann."
• She let out a sigh and grabbed her keys before stepping out the door, locking it behind her, and walking to the elevator.
• Once Ann had located her car in the parking garage, she slipped inside, turned the key, and checked the time on the dashboard. She had 15 minutes to reach her interview.