Where He Stands

Prologue: The Job Offer

Michael opened the car door for me. Before I got out of the car, I looked up at him and pouted. I know he couldn’t resist my pout. “Why do I have to do this?” I asked him.

He sighed and took off his shades. “It’s not my decision,” he said exasperatedly. I couldn’t blame him. I was bugging him since last night. “Mr. Hoffman wants to meet you. I don’t know why.”

Pursing my lips, I got out of the car. Michael closed the door behind me and then he made his way inside the building. I followed him, because really, I had no choice. I walked faster to keep in pace with my brother. “So, this Mr. Hoffman… is he a nice person?” I asked conversationally.

Michael looked down at me disapprovingly. “I knew him for more than ten years. He was the one who helped me – us– when our parents died. He gave me a job and it fed us all throughout the years.”

There he goes again. Whenever we talk about Mr. Hoffman, Michael would talk about how much he helped us. But, if I was in the position of my brother, I’d feel grateful too.

Our parents died when I was only six years old. Michael was eighteen (don’t ask about the age gap). He stopped going to school to support the both of us. Luckily, he met Mr. Hoffman. He gave him a job as a personal assistant, which was weird because my brother is a guy and mostly assistants are girls. But I think Mr. Hoffman felt sorry for us that time.

Today, however, Hoffman Incorporated is one of the most successful companies in the US. My brother doesn’t work as a personal assistant anymore. He’s one of the board members in the company. Thanks to Mr. Hoffman, he convinced Michael to go back to school and take something in business administration in college. Seriously, we owe Mr. Hoffman a lot.

But this was the first time I’m going to meet him. Somehow, we never got introduced. Mainly because I was a shy girl and I’m the type who would just stay at home, curl up with a book or study. But now… he said he want to meet me… for reasons I don’t know.

The elevator doors slid open and my brother and I got in. Michael looked over at me and grinned. “What if Mr. Hoffman would like you to work here? That would be awesome, wouldn’t it?”

I gave him a look. “I’m still seventeen. I’m still an underage. Plus, why would he want me to for him?”

“Because you’re the top of the class, and you’re really smart?”

It’s true though. I’m always the top of the class. But that hardly surprises me. My brother is as smart as I am. Maybe it runs in the family. I think my parents were also smart, like us. “Oh I don’t know,” I sighed. “Let’s just find it out later.”

The rest of the ride was silent. When the doors opened, Michael stepped out and I followed him. This was also the first time that I set foot here in Hoffman Incorporated. For eleven years, I never even got to see where my brother worked.

“This is Mr. Hoffman’s office,” Michael said, nodding to the room on the far right. “I’ll be waiting here.”

“What?” I said sharply. “You’re not coming with me?”

“Nope,” he said, popping the P. He sat down on the seat beside the receptionist’s desk. “Besides, I need to talk to someone.” He looked up and the blonde girl (the receptionist) giggled.

I made a face. “You’re flirting,” I said, not a question, but a simple statement.

“Yes, that’s right, little sister. Now shoo.”

I turned around and fought the urge to roll my eyes. Ugh, sometimes my brother annoys me so much. He’s twenty-nine and he seriously needs to be mature. I walked towards Mr. Hoffman’s office and took a deep breath. I knocked at the door.