Chapter 17: The Job Interview

Rakiza's alarm clock rang once at 5 a.m. And she jumped out of bed, tumbling on the floor, the chameleon's jar rolling on the floor.
"What's going on?" It jolted Muriel awake.
"I'm sorry, but I need to prepare sooner because I have a job interview at ten a.m.," Rakiza said as she crawled on the floor to retrieve Charm Chameleon's jar.
Muriel remembered Rakiza's interview and stood up.
"I'm sorry, Charm, and I'm sorry, Muriel. You can go back to sleep now. " She dashed to the bathroom after returning Charm's glass to its proper place and took a quick bath.
At 7 a.m., Rakiza was already moving her head back and forth in front of Muriel's large mirror, which was surrounded by lipstick and other female beauty products.
"This isn't good; I looked so informal in these baggy pants." She was worried sick about how she looked that morning.
She began to blame herself for not purchasing a pair of formal dresses for job hunting. She frowned with annoyance and was about to give up when the door opened and Susan and Chin walked in with a slew of clothes in their arms.
"We should help you dress like a professional writer," Chin said, laying the dress on Rakiza's bed.
After half an hour of preparing, Rakiza was on her way downstairs after a few minutes. Walking in Muriel's borrowed shoes, she struggled with her feet. However, she was able to control it and was confidently standing by the side of the road. She was standing in line for a taxi.
Then a car came to a halt in front of her.
"Hop in," Theo said as he drove a blue car. It was a Toyota Big Buddy.
"Oh no, it's you again," Rakiza grumbled.
"You're going to be late for that nonsense interview if you don't ride with me," and his mood lightened. He was suddenly being supportive.
"What's with this sudden change of heart and acting like a full supporter of my job search?"
"Don't ask; I just want to be with you all the time. But it's more than okay to chat with you right here. "
Rakiza had no choice but to get into the car. "I don't expect you to be driving a car."
As soon as Rakiza sat in the front seat, Theo accelerated the car, and they were traveling at a normal speed.
Because the road was not congested, they were able to accelerate from time to time. Rakiza stopped talking. Theo concentrated on his driving, occasionally overflowing on the road, which Rakiza disliked. She kept her mouth shut to avoid further squabbles with Theo, until they came to a halt in front of the five-story old building with the above-mentioned signage name, Reign-Bridge Book Publishing Co.
"Your book company is waiting for you. I'll be waiting for you over there in the parking lot. And good luck. I hope you don't get the job. " He grinned.
Rakiza slammed the car door shut and said, "I'll take a taxi home." She was already smiling at the guard, and he smiled briefly and stared at her.
"Is your name Rakiza Zanier?" the guard asked.
"Yes, I am, and here's my appointment at 10 a.m." third floor I was one of the applicants who came in for an interview today. Where could I find the line for the applicants? "
"They're waiting for you in room 30 in the left wing, third floor. You can use the elevator there. "
"Thank you, sir," Rakiza replied, and ran to the elevator.
Not long after, the elevator door opened on the third floor, and Rakiza stepped out to look for the other applicants, but she saw an empty lobby.
"Where are the other applicants?" Rakiza mumbled and continued her search for the room, but when she turned left again, all she saw was a long corridor with no people walking around. The third floor looked like a five-star hotel corridor, and she trailed along the way looking for room 30. And found it, "There you are, room 30."
Rakiza composed herself before knocking three times and waiting for someone to open it. A blonde girl opened the door.
"I'm here for an interview," Rakiza said with a smile.
"I am Lyra," the blonde, beautiful woman said as she extended her arm to Rakiza. "Please come in."
Rakiza entered the room and was taken aback by the long table and the large LCD screen at the opposite end of the room. It was her first time being interviewed for a job, and the large conference room made her feels small. Rakiza shivered as she entered the room.
Lyra motioned Rakiza to a seat closer to the LCD screen, where she sat comfortably.
"What would you like to drink? Do you want coffee? "
Rakiza politely said, "No, thank you."
"I insist," Lyra said, as she went to the side table and poured a cup of coffee for Rakiza. "This will make you feel better during the interview."
Rakiza didn't try to refuse the second time; the truth was, she needed to sip the hot coffee right away to calm down.
"Am I the last applicant to be interviewed?" Rakiza inquired.
"You are the only one scheduled to be interviewed today," Lyra said with a smile. She placed the hot cup of coffee she had made for Rakiza. "Just enjoy your coffee; I'll be right back," she said as she walked to the door and exited.
Rakiza was enthralled by the exquisite interior design of the room. It looked elegant with the black and white paint combinations on the wall, in an abstract design.
On the other hand, a wall glass that looked like a large mirror added to the room's elegance. Most of all, she couldn't believe she was there for a job interview. She felt small again, thinking she was only a poor student who aspired to have a steady source of income.
Lyra reappeared a few moments later. And this time, with an envelope in her arms, she sat opposite Rakiza.
"So, how did you come up with the idea of submitting storylines to our company?" Lyra inquired.
"One day, I picked up a newspaper by accident at the dorm door. And it had an advertisement for your company looking for new generations of writers, so I submitted three storylines. And my story about the bloodstone was being chosen, "Rakiza said with a smile to Lyra.
The interview went on until eleven o'clock in the morning.
"Thank you for coming," Lyra said as she shook Rakiza's hand, "Please wait for my phone call."
Rakiza said "Yes, I will," as she exited the room, a little frustrated. Lyra was interrogating her about her writing style, her inspiration, her hobby, and other topics that caused her to stammer most of the time. What she didn't realize was that someone was watching and listening to her from the other side of the two-way mirror.
Nikolas was looking at her from the other side of the mirror, through the glass panel. He was present throughout the interview.
"Here's Rakiza Zanier's profile," Lyra said as she entered the secret door.
"Hire her as soon as possible," Nikolas said as he opened the folder.
***
Rakiza walked quickly, hoping to catch a passing taxi, but it did not stop for her. A car abruptly came to a halt in front of her.
"Come on, hop in," Theo said.
"I told you I was taking a taxi home," she said as she started walking slowly by the curb.She was determined to get rid of Theo. What she didn't realize was that he was determined to bring her home.
Theo followed her to the curb.
"I'll still follow you home if you take a taxi," Theo said, adding, "What happened to the interview?"
"It's none of your business, Theo, so please leave me alone," Rakiza said, continuing to walk on the curb.
"It's my business to know because I'm your guardian," Theo replied calmly.
Some people notice their chaos and stare at them as they argue.
"Theo, please stop bothering me," Rakiza walked faster, but Theo's car moved to match Rakiza's rhythm. "You’re embarrassing me!"
"I won't stop until you get in," Theo stated emphatically.
"Okay, you win," she said as she slammed into Theo's car. "Don't you know you're annoying?"
"That's not my problem," Theo replied casually, "but I have a solution for that."
"I don't need your advice."
A limousine appeared behind Theo's car and hit them from behind.
"What is it?"
"Hold on," Theo said, his voice hardening and speeding up.
Rakiza turned around and recognized Nikolas Limo, yelling at Theo. "Theo, stop the car!"
"Let them chase us," he said as he sped up and turned the corner of the straight into an open field.
The limousine had no intention of stopping, and it followed them wherever they went.
Rakiza screamed angrily at Theo. "Stop the car, Theo!"