Deceptive Allure: Bound by Lies

Chapter 1: Skye

'I see you studied abroad?'

My eyes flick to the man across the table. We are seated in a sterile conference room. I feel the drab grey walls closing in around me which does nothing to settle the flutter of butterflies invading my stomach. There was no personalisation, nothing on the walls to distract myself with. Even the window outside offered nothing of substance.

Infront of me sat three businessmen. At the start of the interview, they had introduced themselves as the heads of three major departments within Apex Technology, none of which were the department I was hoping to win a spot with.

In the quiet moments that pass between us I question every decision I had made leading up to the interview.

Was my outfit too casual? Not casual enough?

I nervously adjust the loose cuffs of my plaid blazer which I had rolled up my forearms. I had decided on a breezy white linen shirt underneath to account for the warm summer's afternoon. The scent of my cheap perfume wafted across my nose with each rise and fall of my chest, the notes sickly sweet and artificial.

Tucking a strand of my ashy brown hair behind my ear I offer a warm smile, stamping on the fire that was my anxiety, 'yes Edinburgh University.' Chewing on my bottom lip I war with myself unsure if I should add additional context. When the man who first spoke quirks his brow, I take the hint.

'I recently graduated with a Bachelor of Business and Law. My mother was deployed in Edinburgh, and I was lucky enough to enrol. Once I graduated, I made the decision to move to Manhattan whilst my family bounced to another posting in Amsterdam. I had grown up outside of New York, but I wanted the opportunities offered by the Big Apple.' Finally, I had found my rhythm, the uncertain thoughts washed away as I spoke. I blink my disarmingly green eyes to the panel. 

One of the men looked up from his laptop his eyes searching mine before returning to his screen. Gregory Brooks, research department head and fellow army brat. Internally I celebrate the positive bias my story would win me.

'And you've applied for...' the first man trails off searching the pages in front of him.

'Office of the CEO.' I smile hoping that the brightness reached my eyes. 'I feel it's an area that is often overlooked, but having exposure to the entire business structure excites me. I understand that it is far more than simple secretariat duties.' This at least was true.

With the initial nerves out of the way the rest of the interview passes quickly. The more I relaxed the more the men relaxed. We even shared a few jokes about the current price of rentals in the city, the men bemoaning their investment properties.

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'It's far from guaranteed, but I think I did well.' Tilting my head to the side I wedge my phone between my ear and shoulder using my free hand to tuck my blazer into the crook of my arm. Waving off a street vendor I silently praise the row of trees offering shade as refuge from the biting sun.

'You better hope you did better than just well Skye.' The voice on the other end coos with a motherly calmness, an unmistakable yet subtle Scottish accent licking at the edges of her words. I resist the urge to pinch the bridge of my nose, not wanting to smear my makeup.

'Ma, you don't think I don't know that?' I fight the annoyance by adding brevity into my tone with a nervous chuckle. Spotting a hole in the wall café, I duck inside eagerly placing an order for a chilled coffee as the voice on the other end of the call continues to berate me. 'You aren't the only one going for the role.'

Offering her a non-committal groan, the woman continues, 'make sure you text me the second you find out, one way or the other.'

And with that the line cuts leaving me to soak in the quietness of the café, which I now come to realise was clearly trying to pack up around me. An annoyed barista slides my drink towards me. I offer my thanks wrapping my hand around the sweaty plastic cup. Taking a sip, I grimace at the acrid sour taste.