Downtown Manhattan
Y/N pov
I sat in the sleek modern lobby Jauregui Corporation Headquarters, waiting for my interview to begin. Men and women in expensive suits bustle by. Everyone looked serious and professional…did I even have a shot? I can’t second guess myself I really need this job. A pair of doors slide open, and a stunning women with an icy demeanor approaches.
“Y/N?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“I’m Ally Hernandez, VP of Operations at Jauregui Corp. I’m ready to interview you now”
“Oh! Uh, sure…absolutely…”
“You sound surprised.”
“I just wasn’t expecting to be interviewed by someone so high up in the company…”
“You’re applying to be the executive assistant of our CEO, Lauren Jauregui herself, one of the kudzu powerful and influential man in the world. We take our hiding process very seriously.”
“Of course! I totally understand!” I tried keeping up a confident look as I followed Ally into a sterile conference room.
“Now then. The Jauregui Corporation is a global leader in technology and innovation. Why exactly are you interested in being the executive assistant to our CEO?”
“Well, I’d love to help make the world a better place. What I admire most about the Jauregui Corporation is your dedication to global innovation and improvement. The clean-water initiative…the vaccine for the cerella virus…the green energy project. You guys aren’t just getting rich. You’re trying to help people, to make technology that’ll save the planet. I can’t think of anything better than being a part of that.”
“Hmm. A good answer. A bit cloying, perhaps, but Lauren might actually like that.” Just then, the door at the back of the room swings open, and a stunning woman in a perfectly-tailored suit strolls in. Her eyes sparkle with a cold intelligence as she assesses me.
“Lauren. I wasn’t expecting you…”
“I had a free minute. Is this the candidate.”
“Yes…but I’ve just started the interview and-”
“I’ll take over from here.”
“-Of course, sir. Go right ahead.” Lauren pulls up a seat opposite of me. It’s like her eyes are burning right through me.
“Y/N, is it?”
“That’s right.”
“Tell me, Y/N. What do you desire?”
“You mean…why do I want this job? Because I-”
“I didn’t ask why you want this job. I asked what you desire.”
“I desire adventure. I want to live to the fullest. I want to see the world. I want to take risks and discover new things and…and have no regrets.”
“I can appreciate that.” She looks down at my resume.
“Let’s see here. Graduated college a year ago…Bachelor’s in Communications…interned at Mannon Financial… Volunteered in San Trobida abroad for a year.”
“Yep. That’s right.”
“And how was that? Tell me in three words.”
“Difficult. Enlightening. Rewarding.”
“Good. This job can be challenging and unpredictable. Are you comfortable running unusual errands?”
“Absolutely.”
“Handling confidential information?”
“I can keep a secret.”
“Working nights?”
“Always been a night owl.”
“Good. Anything else I should know about you?”
“Hmm…I have a great memory.”
“Oh? What was the first thing I said when I walked in?”
“You said I have a free minute. Is this the candidate?”
“Impressive. And also, not a bad impression of me, if I may say so myself.”
“I try.”
“One last question.” She leans forward, hands folded together on the table. Her expression is intense, impenetrable. “A long time ago, there lives a woman in a distant village. She had a good enough life…a wife, three kids, a village of friends, a plot of land to call her own. But one day, while plowing her field, she found a buried lamp. And when she rubbed it, a genie appeared and gave her three wishes. For the first wish, she asked for great wealth. A pile of gold appeared all around her. But the rest of the village suffered instantly. Their Corps withered, wells dried, larders went empty.”
“Mmhmmm…”
“Next, the woman wished for immortality. The genie granted it…but when she ran into her house, her wife and children were all dead.”
“Okay…” Lauren pauses, and stares into your eyes, searching, intense.
“Tell me, Y/N. What should the woman ask for, for the third and final wish?”
“She should choose to undo her last two wishes.”
“Because…?”
“Because she’d already had all she really wanted or needed. It’s a story about greed and temptation. There’s no way for the woman to win, because she should never have played this game. All she can hope for is to bring things back to the way they were.” Lauren nods thoughtfully, momentarily far away… She pauses, deep in thought, fingers steeped…then grins.
“You’re hired.”
“Wh…what? Seriously?” Lauren extends his hand, and I take it. Her grip is firm, her skin is impossibly smooth.
“Welcome to the Jauregui Corporation.”
“But…we have fifteen more candidates! We haven’t even…”
“This is the one.”
“…Of course. Understood.”
“Ms. Jauregui, ma’am, I…”
“Call me Lauren.”
“Lauren, I’m just…so honored for this opportunity! I promise I won’t let you down.”
“Good. Because I take promises very seriously.”
“When do I start?”
“Right now.” Ally leaves to process my paperwork, and Lauren escorts me out towards a glistening shiny elevator. I step into the elevator, and Lauren presses her keyword to the scanner to make a display with buttons appear. She presses one labeled ‘Executive Office’.
“So…is this your own private elevator?”
“Yes.”
“Wow…”
“It’s not as pretentious as you might think. Sometimes, it’s necessary for me to get around the building quickly.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean…I understand you’re a busy person.”
“One of your jobs is to help me be more efficient so I can get more done. My previous assistant…she didn’t understand that.”
“Is that why she’s no longer…with the company?” Sunbathing unexpected passes in Lauren’s eyes. Guilt?
“…Among other reasons.” Lauren turns her steely eyes to mine, studying me almost clinically, without a word… Her eyes are like stars in the night sky.
“I’ll absolutely do my best, ma’am… I mean, Lauren.”
“I have no doubt you will. That’s why I hired you.”
“I’m ready to hit the ground running. What’s on the agenda for today?”
“My schedule for the rest is the day is packed. Right now, I need to prepare for a meeting with some very important partners.”
“Got it. How can I help you prepare?”
“I like your initiative.”
“I can order some food to be brought in. There’s an incredible Mediterranean place around the corner.”
“Thank you, but we won’t need anything to eat. Not that you can provide. However, there is something else…”
“Whatever you need.”
“My guests are formidable people, at the height of power in their fields. And I’m conducting since delicate negotiations… So I wanted to welcome them with some memorable gifts.”
“No problem. Would you like me to run out and shop for some special items? I can shop like nobody's business. Especially with someone else’s money, I’m seriously like, semi-pro.”
“I’ve actually already personally selected a few…unique things. All you need to do is pick them up for me.”
“Absolutely.” The elevator stops at the top floor and the doors open to reveal the lobby outside Lauren’s office.
“This’ll be your desk.”
“Wow.” I step towards it but Lauren stopped me.
“You’ll be going back down. All the way down…to the basement archives.”
“Is…that here the gifts are?”
“Yes. They should have everything ready for you. Afterwards, come find me on the 75th floor conference center. Just be prepared… The archive clerk can be a bit…unusual.” Lauren reached into the elevator and pushed B for basement.
“Unusual? Wait, is this some kind of a test?” Lauren doesn’t answer, just steps back out and smiles faintly as the doors close. The elevator descends, down, down, down… I exit the elevator and find myself in the basement archives.
“Um…Okay…not what I expected…”
“What are you doing here?”
“Whoa!” I was startled by an old clerk with a deep scowl and an old-fashioned suit. I gather my composure and offer my hand. He doesn’t shake it.
“This is a test, right? This has to be a test.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Right. I’m here to pick up some items for Ms. Jauregui.” He doesn’t say anything. “Some gifts she requested for her guests?”
“Do you have an authorization form?”
“Authorization? No,I…” He turns on his heel and hunches away. “Wait! I need those gifts. Now.” The clerk stops and turns around still scowling. “It’s very important that I get the items Lauren requested right away. She’s counting on me.”
“No form. No help.”
“I don’t have a form, because I got authorization straight from Ms. Jauregui herself. I think she’d be very upset if I had to go interrupt her meeting because of adult formality. I mean, do you think I stumbled down here randomly, that I just happened to know she had something waiting to be picked up this afternoon?”
“…I suppose not.”
“So give me the gifts and let’s get this show in the road.”
“…Fine.” He disappears down a Dark corridor of shelves. Well, either that hissy fit actually worked, or they’re gonna find my body down here someday… A few moments later, the clerk reappears with a carved wooden box in his hands.
“Is that…everything?”
“It contains three things. Do not get it wrong.”
“Get what wrong?” He reaches into the box and pulls out an elaborately engraved silver dagger.
“Um.”
“The dagger is for Mr. Castellanos. It’s from the 14th century.”
“Like…the for real 14th century?”
“Do I look like I play jokes?”
“No. I was just expecting like…a fancy own with Jauregui Corp logo or something.” He carefully places the dagger back in the box, and next takes out a good Egyptian scarab beetle, encrusted with precious stones.
“This is…beautiful.”
“This scarab is 2100 years old.”
“Like…”
“For real 2100 years.”
“Holy…I studied these in a history class…”
“It is intended for Ms. Hansen.”
“Got it. Anything else?” The clerk pulls one last item from the box: a tiny glass vial filled with a red powder and sealed with a tiny cork.
“Mandrake extract. That is something Ms. Jauregui requested for herself.”
“Dagger, scarab, Mandrake… I’ve got it.” The clerk nods and hands me the box.
“Godspeed.” He turns and disappears down a dark corridor.
“Okay…Thank you, bye…” From down the corridor, I hear him muttering… Well, that was incredibly weird. What is the deal with this place? I got back in the elevator, carefully cradling the box and its precious contents. As I ride up in the elevator, I pull my phone out of my pocket with one hand and search Mandrake extract.
‘Mandrake extract is a hallucinogenic and narcotic. It was historically used to treat melancholy. In large doses, however, it can induce delirium or unconsciousness.’
Okay, like…at what point do I get alarmed? I slide the phone in my pocket and pull out the Mandrake vial. I hold it up to the light, examining it. The red powder is refined, silky, mysterious… The elevator arrives. I tuck the vial into my pocket and knock on the door of the conference room. Lauren lets me in.
“Excellent, Y/N. Come in please…?” I look to see two other people seated at the massive table. A stunning elegant woman with an intense gaze and a sweaty, older man who looks me up and down with hungry eyes. “This is Y/N, my new assistant.”
“You do go through them rather quickly…”
“Y/N, this is Dinah Hansen. CEO of Ahmanet Financial.” I reached over to shake Dinah’s hand, but she dismisses it with a curt nod. “Dinah is a brilliant and fascinating woman, but warmth is not her forte.” Dinah rolls her eyes at her.
“I, on the other hand, world be more than happy to shake your hand, gorgeous…”
“And this is Lester Castellanos, of Castellanos Meats.” Later rises and grasps my hand in his. With his other hand, he reaches out and strokes my forearm gently.
“What a beautiful, beautiful girl…”
“Whoa…Um…Lauren…?” I look over to Lauren with alarm in my eyes. Fast, impossibly fast, Lauren crosses the room, grabbing Lester’s wrist, and slams his hand into the table with a crack.
“Hands to yourself, Lester.”
“Hrrrrk!”
“Lester, please, come join us in the 21st century. This sort of conduct is so tiresome.” With a scowl, Lester jerks his hand back and cradles it.
“Y/N, I apologize for Lester’s behavior, since he doesn’t have the manners to do it himself. Are you okay?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Back to business. To commemorate our partnership, I have a chosen some small gifts for you. Y/N, can you do the honors?”
“Absolutely…” I reach into the wooden box and pull out the bejeweled scarab. “This scarab is for Dinah Hansen.” I glance over to Lauren to double check. She smiles. Relieved I hand the scarab to Dinah. Dinah turns it over in her hands, admiring it.
“Ptolemaic Dynasty. Very nice, Lauren.”
“I thought you’d appreciate it.”
“The scarab is a symbol of rebirth, if I’m recalling my college class correctly?” Dinah glances up at me, as if really noticing me for the first time. Our eyes meet. Hers are brown, the deepest, most beautiful brown I’ve seen…like I could list myself in them… Lester loudly clays his throat, pulling me out of the moment.
“Lovely. Poetic. But what do I get?” I pull the dagger from the wooden box. “Ooo…angel with a switchblade! I’m in love.”
“For God’s sake…”
“Actually, it’s an antiquity from the 14th century…and it’s for you, Mr. Castellanos.”
“Please, call me Lester. Or Daddy. Whichever you prefer.” He takes the dagger, facetiously making a point not to touch my hand as he does. “Thank you, Lauren. And did you see, I minded my manners!”
“Congratulations, Lester. You did the bare minimum to not be walking slime. Thank you, Y/N. You may go.”
“Let me know if you need anything, I’ll be at my desk.” I leave the room. Blech, what a creep. Though Dinah seems pretty cool…I’m just glad I made it through that without being fired!
I head to my desk and wait for the meeting to be over, and text my roommate Lily.
Me: It’s getting late and they’re still in there. This equals weird. Do I stay or come home?”
Lily Spencer: It’s your first day. Stay. It’s not like you have plans.
Me: Yeah…I guess she did say is have to work some nights…
Lily Spencer: Careful w/ that. Been more weird attacks all over the city…
Me: More?
Lily Spencer: yeah…
Me: Ugh, so creepy. What are you up to tonight?
Lily Spencer: Date night w/ Melanie❤️
Me: Sexay… Have fun, you be safe too. Gotta go! Later!
I hear the door to the conference room open and Lauren saying goodbye to Dinah and Lester. I tuck my phone back in my bag as Lauren approaches my desk.
“You’re still here?”
“Well, I wasn’t sure if you still needed me, so… How was the meeting?”
“Satisfactory.”
“Fair…enough. So…is there anything else I can do for you, or…”
“No, you’re welcome to go home, I don’t want to keep you any later. But…”
“But?” She hesitates for once…as if thinking it carefully over.
“I make it a point to get to know my new employees. Especially those I’ll be working closely with. There’s a restaurant I was planning to go to tonight. One of the finest in the city. Perhaps you’d care to join me for dinner? If you’re not busy that is.”
“I…have other plans”
“Ah. I understand. That’s too bad…Another time, perhaps. Thank you very much for your help today. Have a goodnight, Y/N.” She smiles and there’s a surprising kindness to her, for just a second. “I look forward to working with you.”
“Yeah. Me too.” I grabbed my bag and head out.
