Under Her Control (GxG)

Chapter 3 - The Interview

It's already eight o'clock. The interview was in an hour and a half and I hadn't even gotten on the train yet. I brushed my hair about a million times, but my curls did not want to cooperate. I decide to leave it in a low ponytail. I go with a simple red lipstick. It was simple, bold, daring; enough to make me feel ready to take on the world. There's a light knocking on the bathroom door.

"Come in," I call out, taking another look at myself in the mirror. Chelsea enters the reflection. Her eyes light up when she spots me.

"You look amazing! You should really start heading out though, if you want to make it on time. Delays and all that..." Chelsea informs in an almost parental tone of voice. Her philosophy was: Early, you're on time. On time, you're late. Late, you're fired. Pretty intense.

"Thanks, Mom. I know. I'm leaving right now," I answer back sarcastically, but there's a smidge of laughter at the end of my sentence. "I think I'm all set to go though," I sigh out, taking a deep breath.

"Before you do... I got these shoes yesterday from H&M. All that walking we did hurt my feet, and I figured I'd need something more comfortable. I accidentally got like two pairs though and I thought you should have one since we wear the same size." Chelsea winks at the end of her sentence.

The shoes were really cute, and they had a slight heel at the bottom. Nothing narrow enough to make walking difficult. It made me feel a little guilty for receiving another gift from her, but I accepted it and gave her a small smile. "These are nice... thank you so much, Chelsea." I also pull her into a deep hug.

Chelsea looked so happy after receiving my hug that honestly warmed my heart. It felt nice to be cared about so deeply. I take the shoes with me, putting them on near the door. They're snug and keep my toes feeling nice and warm. "See you later!"

"See you. Good luck with the interview. You have to tell me everything!"

And with that, I'm off on a journey into the city again. I felt pretty much like a professional this time navigating the trains and street signs. I somehow found my way back to the building again without the help of an Uber. Just a lot of walking and asking strangers for help. Once I'm by the doors of the LUMINANCE office, I take a breather to ready myself. I step through the revolving doors, now focusing my energy on the front desk receptionist. She stares at me, looking me up and down.

"Do you need something?" She asks, having a look at the digital pad attached to her desk.

The tone of her voice sent chills down my spine and not the good kind. I approach with a big fake smile and nod my head. "Why, yes I do need something, actually. I have an appointment for an interview scheduled in five minutes."

"Okay. Name?"

"... Brooklyn Álvarez."

"Alvariz? Hmmm," The receptionist hums, seeming to almost intentionally mispronounce my name. There seemed to be a slight hint of amusement in her voice. She scrolls up and down on her touch screen, for what feels like five minutes. The silence was painfully awkward. Then, suddenly, there is a sly smirk on her lips. "Sorry, it looks like you're not on the list."

My heart pounds as I ball my fists, trying my best to retrain and contain my feelings. I step closer to the desk. "That... can't be right, because I have an email that clearly says I need to be here at 9:30 sharp." I remove my phone from my pocket and open up the app. Saved in my favorites is the email. I glance at it. Correct time. Correct address. Correct Company. I bring it up to her face but she doesn't even look at it. Instead, she shakes her head.

"That email doesn't matter, I can go only off of what I see and hear, and from what I can see, you are not on the list. You're not even in the system," she purrs, sending another bullet my way.