The other woman

The 'practical' interview

If she'd classed yesterday as her theory test, then today was her practical one and Aleksandra could barely keep her eyes off of the view as she ran alongside Sebastian. The uphill run was challenging, even for someone who liked to push hard like herself, but the undulating hills, snow covered mountains and deep valleys made the extra effort well worth it - even on a dull, grey winters day like today. Stretched out below her were frost covered meadows, bare trees and bare looking farmland that was waiting for spring crops to be sown, interspersed with old, traditional looking farm buildings. To anyone else it probably looked dull and almost lifeless but to her, it was exactly how she liked it. Winter was her favourite season. She loved the long nights and the short days because it meant less time interacting with people but it also meant wearing more clothes (unless she was out hunting for her next male fix), making it easier to cover up the bruises left by Soren. The physical bruises on the outside might have now faded away but the scars inside both physical and mental were still painfully raw and meant that she viewed herself and her body as damaged goods. The thought of him and what he did filled her lungs with a toxic, choking smoke and she came to abrupt halt, coughing and gasping for air.

Hearing her sounding like she was in trouble behind him, Seb suddenly realised that she'd stopped and he sprinted back to her. "Shit, Alex are you ok?"

Leaning on a tree, she screwed her eyes shut, fighting hard to regain control of her breathing. Of all the times for her to start thinking about him, now was not the time to do it! Sebastian was going to think that she wasn't properly fit, that she was weak and I AM NOT WEAK! As she tried to take in a deeper breath she felt his hand on her back, his voice full of concern.

"Alex?"

I'm fucking Aleksandra, not Alex, and I don't want your pity! She flinched under his touch. "I'm fine." She spluttered angrily, while raging at herself inside.

He stepped back, her physical reaction to his touch on her back telling him that she needed space. Was she asthmatic? Had she been ill? But then she would have told him or it at least would have been in her file. Maybe she just wasn't as fit as she made out. He noticed her starting to take deeper breaths, the coughing and gasping stopped. Whatever it was, she seemed to be getting over it now.

She wanted to die of embarrassment as she forced herself to turn around and lean back against the tree. Way to go Alex! Nearly choke to death on your first day, he'll think you're not fit enough to work with him now. He looked worried but was getting less so as he seemed to realise that she was still breathing. "Damn it!" She cursed loudly. "That was so embarrassing!"

"Are you asthmatic or something?"

"No Sebastian." She caught her breath and fixed her confident mask back on. "I just choked on my own saliva and I'd prefer it if you called me Aleksandra and not Alex."

He looked understandably surprised at both her excuse and her correcting him with her name. "Oh." Shortening her name just seemed like a natural thing to do, he was sure that she wouldn't have minded. He'd obviously been wrong.

Pushing herself off of the tree, she started to jog on the spot and looked towards the slope of the hill they'd been running up. "Let's carry on."

Seb spent a moment watching her as she started to run off. Her coughing and gasping had seemed rather extreme for someone who'd just breathed in their own saliva and now she was off up the hill as if it had never happened.

"Come on!" She yelled glancing behind her. "I'm not even half finished with you today yet! This is just the start!"

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Gisela checked her appearance in the mirror one final time as she heard voices downstairs. Antti had arrived about ten minutes ago so that he'd be here when Seb came back from his long run with Aleksandra but now she could hear her husband's voice and that of his potential new PT. It was time to meet this woman and decide whether or not to give her approval.