DEATH FLOWER

Chapter 6

Morana

After a jiffy, I assembled myself, loading the loosened mask of indifference back onto my face, eliminating any traces of my past proclivity. I cleared my throat as I plastered a professional smile across my face. The stretch of my lips portrayed an emotion that neither made it's way to my heart nor my eyes. That's the thing with work. No matter how fucked up life was, customers didn't give a damn about excuses. Adaptability is indeed essential for survival.

With utmost regard, I slid my tedious tone into an engaging one "Welcome to Bluebells. What can I help you with?"

"I had an interview scheduled with you today. For the job..." The guy, with the dazels of his ocean looked into mine.

"Oh." My eyes widened a bit as the fake smile that had evolved on my lips earlier went into hiding again. I had completely forgotten. I was going to go through the last two applicants before they came in but Oh, well. My thoughts didn't give a fuck about personal plans.

I liberated myself from my comfy chair and made my way out of my exclusive place.

"Please come this way." I carried myself to the homey seating I had arranged at one corner of the shop. With a round table made out of ebony, and a green sofa streaming with brown cushions on one side and a total of two chairs on the other, with flowers laminating the glass window, giving a clear view of the busy street swarming with people in the middle of the day. It all made the whole atmosphere reek of warmth.

The guy complied and followed me until I motioned him to take place. He plopped on the sofa and looked up at me.

"Coffee or Tea?" I asked him without giving much of an expression. I never said I was a decent person but I never said I didn't know how to be one.

"Ah- No. I'm totally fine without it." The guy slightly lifted both of his hands to decline my impending offer and I couldn't help but notice a faint spanish accent leak out of his original American one.

With a face too stern, I raised one of my eyebrow "If you don't answer, I'll get you whatever."

"Oh... Coffee then, I guess." If he felt offended by my brutish behaviour, he didn't let it show.

"K." Saying this I swanned off to the small room beside the front desk where I was previously seated and returned with two cups full of coffee in hand. I stationed one of it on the ebony table in front of him and settled down with mine on the chair directly facing him across the table.

I rested one of my leg on top of the other as I said "Your good name?"

"Hael. Hael Carlton."

The next 40 minutes went by in the blink of an eye. I asked the questions that were met by every human being to exist. Nothing hard. Nothing complicated. Just some basic stuff that would endow me to make a rigorous judgement if I could bear him for more than a month or how serious he'd take the work. Because in the end, he would be my sole employee and my sole helper. Couldn't have him slacking off now. Could I?

He was a university drop out who didn't know what to do with his life. The bounty of questions lurking behind his one statement was none of my concern as long as he had no criminal records. Which he in fact didn't. All he did was do part times to make both ends meet. Luckily, he would'nt have to worry about it if I employed him. Which of course was a big fat if. I earned enough from stock market and I was gracefully benevolent when it came to money.

'Says the one whose brother is a billionaire.'

No offense. But reality check, this guy could have made much more than just making ends meet if he had a clear view of himself in the mirror. Or a good knowledge of how to put his face to work. Nothing unethical. Even I could tell any agency would accept him as a model and he would do great at it. Especially with that sunlit smile. Not that I'd ever admit that or say it out aloud.