Chapter 4

• Pulling up to the Silverstone Incorporated building with about five minutes to spare, she stepped out of her car, handed her keys to the valet, and made her way inside.
• The double glass doors opened to reveal a large lobby with a white ceiling and white marble flooring. The walls were made of a rich milk chocolate-colored wood, and to the left was a small lounge area with a few white cushioned armchairs centered around a black marble coffee table.
• On the far side of the lobby stood a glossy black marble counter, behind which was a young brunette with a name tag that read 'Layla'.
• "Hi, welcome to Silverstone Incorporated. How may I help you?" Layla asked, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.
• Despite her friendly demeanor, there was something about her face that made one question her sincerity.
• "I'm here for an interview. The person I spoke with over the phone about the ad, Marianne, didn't specify who I was interviewing for, but she told me to come at this time," Ann said, her statement sounding more like a question.
• "Ok, that's great. Your name, please," Layla asked, her fingers poised over the keyboard.
• "Annalisa Greyson," Ann replied, biting her lip. Her hands were shaking from the anxiety coursing through her veins. Sure, she'd had jobs before - a flashback to the dingy fast-food restaurant in high school - but this would be her first 'real big girl' job, and she wanted this interview to go off without a hitch.
• One of Layla's perfectly sculpted eyebrows rose as she slid a sticky notepad and a pen across the counter.
• "Could you spell that out, please?" she asked, her expression seeming to sneer. As Ann wrote her name down, she hoped that Layla wouldn't turn out to be the mean girl at this job.
• Handing the notepad and pen back to her, Ann began to take in the small decorative details around the lobby, such as the lamps on either end of the counter, a plant on the coffee table, and various different styled lighting fixtures on the ceiling.
• Her attention was drawn back to Layla as she scribbled a number on a sticky note and handed it to her, "Take this. Press 25 and then punch in this code," she instructed.
• She gave Ann a once-over before finishing with, "And good luck, Miss Greyson."
• Ann took the sticky note with a shy smile and assumed she was to take the elevator. She walked as confidently as she could to the far wall and pressed the button.
• When the elevator arrived and she stepped in, she could feel her hands shaking in anticipation of the unknown.
• 'Breathe, Ann, you got this.'
• She inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to calm her knotted stomach as the elevator stopped on the fourth floor and a slim, short-haired blond man with a phenomenal jawline stepped in, grinned, and said, "Hey, you must be new. The name's John, and you are?"
• He extended his hand for her to shake after he pressed the number 12 button. She blushed and shook his hand, "Annalisa, but please call me Ann. How did you know I was new?"
• "Well, Ann, you have that big doe-eyed look like this place hasn't sucked the life out of you yet," he smirked and leaned against the elevator wall.
• "Is it really that bad?" she asked in feigned surprise.
• "It's not all bad, I guess."
• His eyes raked over her figure, and she felt her cheeks turn a darker shade, but his face quickly fell as his eyes landed on her waist. He pointed to the sticky note in her hand at her side, "Is there a six-digit code on that?" he asked, standing up straight.
• "Uh, yeah...why?" she questioned.
• He took one last look at her face and then turned his body to face the elevator doors, "Good luck, Ann."
• She could feel her body start to sweat as her heart began racing, "What do you mean 'good luck'? Why does everyone keep saying that? Who's on the 25th floor?"
• He chuckled and softly said, "You'll see," as the elevator stopped on his floor.
• When the doors shut behind him, leaving her alone again, she had a sudden realization that she might just be in over her head.
• But she only had 13 more floors to go.
• Ann's stomach was in knots as the floors flew by. She wasn't sure what kind of situation she was walking into, and the whole thing seemed very mysterious and unnerving as she counted down the floors along with the digital reader above the doors.
• But she wasn't about to complain.
• The wages this person was willing to pay for a good assistant were well above what it would take to pay her rent, utilities, car note, insurance, phone bill, gas and groceries, and any other miscellaneous bills she might have, all while still being able to have a bit more left over for various out-of-budget items she might need or want.
• She was determined to land this position no matter the circumstances.
• Taking her compact out of her purse, she glanced over her makeup one more time and applied a little more powder to her T-zone just in case before returning it back to her bag.
• The elevator stopped at floor 25 with a cheerful ding and an automated voice came over the speaker asking for an entry code.
• She typed in the code and the doors opened to reveal a beautiful porcelain tile entryway with bubble-style mirrors on the right wall and a gorgeous waterfall painting on the left with a small mahogany table under said painting holding a vase full of white tulips.
• There was an extravagant-looking chandelier hanging from the ceiling and the way it sparkled in the mid-morning sun was breathtaking.
• She was sure she hadn't even seen half of this office and she was already highly intimidated.
• "Come in," a stern voice instructed and she willed her feet to move her body further into the office. She could've sworn she had heard that voice somewhere as it sounded so familiar but she just couldn't quite put her finger on it and decided to let it go.