After taking a shower, I wrapped myself in a towel and walked into my best friend's room. I took out a row of tops and asked her which one looked better with my new red dress. My best friend didn't respond for a long time. At that moment, a deep male voice came from my phone. "The black one looks good."
Chapter 1 (Part One)
After a shower, wrapped in a towel, I walked into my best friend's room, holding up a few different camisoles and asking her which one would look better with my new red dress.
No response from her.
Then suddenly, a deep male voice came through her phone.
"The black one looks best."
1
Tomorrow is my big interview at Infinite Technologies. To give myself a confidence boost, I dragged my best friend to the mall to help pick out a red dress.
Red had always brought me luck – I wore it for big presentations, important meetings, and even on the day I finally broke things off with my ex.
While we were eating, my friend, Ruby Roberts, got a call. The color drained from her face, and even her new limited-edition handbag couldn't lift her mood.
"Mia, Uncle Jerold is back, and I'll need to crash at your place tonight."
My appetite instantly waned as a tall, intense figure flashed through my mind.
Oblivious to my thoughts, she took an aggressive bite of her food, mumbling, "Mia, you're so lucky you don't have an Uncle Jerold."
Umm...
I couldn't respond to that.
I shifted uncomfortably, avoiding her gaze, and quietly moved all the steak from my plate to hers as a peace offering.
"Mia, you're the best!" she sighed. "If Uncle Jerold wasn't so distant with women, I'd have pushed you to be my aunt long ago."
What?
Distant with women?
Uh... I held back a laugh.
My thoughts were definitely headed in a less innocent direction.
Trying to look composed, I replied, "Ruby, your uncle is way too old for me. I'm more into younger guys, remember?"
She nodded seriously. "True enough."
Finally, the topic moved on.
Our apartment has two bedrooms and a shared living room, with one room for each of us.
After a few failed attempts at sharing, in which she found herself kicked off the bed one too many times, Ruby declared that separate rooms were necessary. I begrudgingly accepted the added rent, and we moved in together.
Most days, it's just me at home.
The moment we stepped inside, she threw herself onto her bed.
"I'm heading for a quick shower," I called out. "By the way, I think the red dress might be a bit sheer. I'll try it on, and you help me pick which undershirt works best."
"Sure thing!" she shouted back.
...
About half an hour later, wrapped in my towel, I headed back to her room with a selection of camisoles in hand.
"Ruby, which one do you think looks best?"
My friend didn't respond for a while.
As I looked up, a low male voice answered, "The black one looks best."
What...?
Right in the center of her bed lay her phone, camera angled perfectly to capture me in my towel-clad state.
My heart leapt.
"What's going on?" she asked, coming in with a box of half-eaten spicy chicken wings in her hand. She looked from me to her phone, her eyes going wide.
"Oh... crap." She slapped her forehead and hung up the video call.
"Mia, I was starving, so when Uncle Jerold called, I just answered it. I didn't think... thank goodness you're not a fan of streaking."
Some best friend.
2
Recalling that intense look and deep voice from last night, I could feel my face heating up.
Ruby looked at the camisoles I held, then picked up the black one, holding it out to me playfully. "Black is definitely the way to go."
"... Right."
That night, she sulked because I didn't make her the usual late-night snack.
Serves her right.
Back in my room, I saw a message waiting for me on my phone, "If you're unsure, you could always ask me directly."
I rolled my eyes.
As if!
It's not like I was planning to wear it for him.
I buried my face in my hands, still warm from embarrassment, and curled up in bed. Images from last night flickered through my mind until I finally drifted off.
At the first ring of my alarm the next morning, I was up. After a quick makeup routine and preparing breakfast for my still-asleep friend, I headed out.
Infinite Technologies was a leader in Cloudhaven's tech world. Like any computer science grad, I'd been dreaming of a job there.
When I arrived, the waiting area was packed, with everyone looking equally prepared for a tough competition.
I clutched my resume, took a seat, and overheard a few of the others chatting nearby.
"Did you hear? The CEO's here today, and he's hand-picking someone for a spot at headquarters."
"Yeah, they bring in a few of the top candidates each year, but it's always super competitive."
"Oh, that makes sense..."
I didn't pay much attention; my focus was on this R&D role. I'd done all my homework on the department, not on the CEO or headquarters.
Half an hour later, the interviews officially began. A man who appeared to be an assistant began calling candidates in for their interviews.
I felt a bit nervous – this was my first formal interview since stepping into the professional world.
My turn came.
Holding my resume, I followed the assistant into the conference room.
Seeing the man seated in the center, exuding authority, I froze in my tracks.
"Mia Nash."
His deep, resonant voice made my heart skip a beat.
Prompted by the other interviewers, I sat across from him and began the self-introduction I'd prepared.
As I spoke, my gaze rested on the other interviewers, but I could still feel that intense, playful stare fixed on me.
That scoundrel.
No wonder he sent me that message last night.
After my introduction, the other interviewers asked me several technical questions.
I answered each one confidently.
Since I had entered the room, the man in the center had only spoken my name and said nothing else. He simply sat back in his large chair, a casual smile playing on his lips, his slightly bent fingers tapping the table rhythmically. Under his palm was the photo I'd attached to my resume.
I felt my ears burning.
This was pure torture.
Having been around him for nearly half a year, I knew that whenever he smiled like that, it usually didn't end well for me.
3
The room was filled with a tense silence.
With Jerold Roberts keeping quiet, none of the other interviewers dared to make a decision, their eyes darting between him and me.
This was Jerold's doing, of course.
That petty man – if anyone had a right to be upset, it should've been me.
He knew I was coming to interview at Infinite Technologies, yet I had no idea he was the CEO.
Fine.
Straightening my back, I met his gaze directly, refusing to be the one who looked away first.
Jerold's mouth curved into a slight smile. Then, abruptly, he stood up. The other interviewers quickly followed suit as he walked toward the door, his voice floating back as he left. "She's hired. Have her report to headquarters tomorrow."