The Accountant

Chapter 2

Selena just hung up the phone after her conversation with her best friend, Molly. They talked about Selena's current job prospect, rather, it was mostly Molly talking her out of applying to this particular job, saying she should wait a little while for an opening in one of the companies in the city. Surely, there will be some companies who are willing to take inexperienced accountants. That was Molly's thoughts, but Selena has been waiting for quite some time now for a call from any of the companies she applied to. Nada. Zero. Nothing. She hasn't received any call. It was out of sheer desperation that she sent in an application in response to an ad she saw about a ranch needing an accountant.

Selena Rey. Twenty-three years old, just passed the licensure examination for Certified Public Accountants, and jobless. Nobody told her it's going to be equally daunting to land an actual job. She thought she had the worst part of her life behind her when she passed the board exam. She celebrated with her friends. No more sleepless nights, goodbye breakouts and dark under-eye circles, hello clear skin! Boy, was she wrong! She never knew how difficult it is to find a job when you don't have any related experience aside from internship. Her savings is already running low, she needs to find work as soon as possible, or she will find herself homeless in a few months. A homeless and broke accountant. The irony! So, when she found an ad in a paper she has been reading when she had lunch at one of her favorite deli last week, she promptly took the office address given and sent her application, vaguely noting that it is from a ranch in the country. She needs the money. If she gets hired, it'd be hitting two birds with one stone. She gets a salary and an employment experience that she could use later on. The downside? She has to work in a ranch. The next day, she received a call from the company secretary, saying that she is up for an interview on Monday.

That Monday is today. Now, as she boards the train towards her destination, she's thinking twice about the soundness of her decision. She has never been to a ranch. She's been in the city for most of her life and she has no idea what working in a ranch is like. Well, technically, she won't be working in the ranch, she will be in the office and up in her nose with paper works, assuming she will get the job, that is. She loves horses, but she hasn't ridden in one before. She doubts if horses even like her. The closest she got to animals was when her mom had a pet rabbit named Fluffy when Selena was about ten years old, but it died just after a few months. If she's going to be hired, does she need to relocate? More importantly, she will have to leave her best friend, Molly Sanders. The more she thought about it, the more doubtful she gets that she's doing the right thing.

Selena has found that the company she applied to is owned by a man, Hunter Adams. Probably an old rancher who needs help with his financial records. She can picture an older man, riding his steed, wearing dusty boots with a matching hat, twirling a lasso, and yelling "Yee-haw!". Selena smiled at that thought. From what she has gathered, the company is fairly young, just a little more than two years, but it's been making a name for itself around that region. She tried to research more about the owner of the ranch, but all she got is that he is a member of one of the old families in the west. Wealthy family, Selena figured.

At exactly 11:15, just before lunch, the train stopped at the station. 'Well, this is it. No turning back now,' Selena muttered to herself as she stood, picked up her bag, and walked out of the train. She was greeted by a blinding sunlight as she stepped in the platform. A good sign. She should have brought a pair of shades, though. She took mental note of that. She might need a new pair soon.

Her interview is scheduled at one o'clock. Perfect. She can still grab a quick lunch and relax a little before the interview. With the map of the town she purchased at the station on hand, she marched on to to find the nearest restaurant. As she exited the train station, she found herself in a busy street, she's starting to feel a knot in her stomach. 'Oh great. How will I find a decent restaurant here?' For as long as she could remember, a complete lack of sense of direction has been Selena's greatest weakness. Her Achilles' heel, you could say. 'I have to trust this map, then.' Selena thought to herself. She studied the map again, luckily, it showed that there's a diner just a block from the station. Her bag on one hand and the map on the other, she walked briskly towards the direction of the diner.

Funny, as Selena was walking, she has this weird feeling that some of the people are looking at her. 'Oh well, maybe just my imagination. Why would people look at me?' Selena has never paid too much attention to fashion, she dressed in whatever is comfortable. Friends have always commented that if she could just dress less plainly, she could've been a knockout. Today, she dressed formally - tapered beige trouser, white blouse underneath a dark blazer, and pointy pair of flat shoes. She reasoned that she didn't know the ranch's terrain, and she wouldn't want to wobble in heels. 'Besides, as an accountant, they would need my brain, not my looks!'

Selena stopped by the diner's entrance. She let out a sigh of relief. It's a good thing the map she purchased was updated. It would be a bummer if she gets lost before the interview. A bell chime sounded as she pushed open the door. A bit old fashioned, but quite nice. Selena surveyed the inside of the diner as she took one of the vacant seats. The diner is almost full, understandably, as it is already lunch time. The place is full with working class folks and group of families. She's just grateful that there's still an available table when she smelled the food being cooked in the kitchen. It's been ages since she last ate home-cooked meals. She ordered the diner's specialty - beef in mushroom sauce, and peach cobbler on the side.

After paying, Selena left the diner at quarter past twelve noon. She asked the waitress how she can reach Mr. Hunter Adams' office. The waitress gave her a quizzical look at first, then muttered that she can take a cab and just tell the driver where she needs to be. Apparently, Mr. Adams is quite well known, which is just fine, since it makes it easier for her to locate his office. Thankfully, it didn't take a while for her to hail a cab. Seated in the backseat, watching the sceneries pass by, Selena took a deep breath. It's now or never.