A Change in Direction: Chapter Two

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Chapter Two

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The following night, I could barely sleep. I had so much on my mind, and I was so excited. It was crazy. It wasn’t like I hadn't been to many interviews before. I had even had a few second ones, but they went nowhere. But I knew not to get my hopes up too high, but I couldn't help it. I had an excellent feeling about my 'proper interview' as Mr. Masen called it.

Keeping it to myself, I knew better than to tell anyone. It was one thing for me to be disappointed about a job falling through. It was another for all my family and friends to be, too. I didn't like anyone feeling pity for me. More than they already were, anyway.

When I woke up at around six in the morning, it was still dark outside, but I couldn't sleep anymore. So I grabbed a quick and frighteningly cold shower before carefully styling my hair and ironing my clothes. This time, I went with the black suit jacket and skirt that Alice mentioned before. I paired it with a classic white button-down and my freshly cleaned pumps along with some black nylons. I was going all out. For me, anyway.

After a small breakfast of a one-egg omelet and a piece of toast with a cup of tea, I carefully applied my makeup. I didn't want to look like the blond bitch, but I wanted to appear attractive. There was a fine line between the two. Honestly, I would have preferred to go without it, but I had read a recent study that showed that people trusted women who wore cosmetics more than those who didn't. Hey, who knew if it was true, but it couldn't hurt. 

At seven forty-five, I couldn't take it anymore and headed out. I didn't want to seem overeager and get there as soon as the doors opened, but honestly, I was. I pulled into the already full parking lot at eight-ten, but I sat there for a few moments concentrating on my breathing. At least the weather was more pleasant, just a few clouds hanging in the sky to keep it from getting blindingly bright. 

When I was sure that I was at least somewhat ready, I got out of my car with my briefcase and made my way towards the door once again. I didn't even bother to glance at Lauren, who was once again sitting at the front desk. Instead, I held my head high and walked straight to the elevators. Thankfully, she said nothing.

I had studied Mr. Masen's card well the previous night, finding out that he was on the top floor. Of course, he was. Why wouldn't he be? Though, I wasn't entirely sure which office would be his.

But apparently, that wasn't something that I had to worry about. The entire top floor was his. When the elevator doors pinged open, I walked into a small lobby area with a large oak desk. Behind it was a tiny dark-skinned woman with big, nearly black eyes and freckles that dotted across her cheeks and nose. Dreadlocks were neatly pulled up at the top of her head and hung down back. When she saw me, she smiled brightly and adjusted her glasses as she stood.

“Hi, can I help you?” She pleasantly asked. 

“Um, Mr. Masen told me to come in for an interview today. He said to come in at any time, but if this isn't good, I can come in later,” I rambled on until I saw that she was shaking her head. 

“Of course, Ms. Swan. Mr. Masen is expecting you. He's not busy at the moment, so you can go on in. Can I get you anything to drink? Coffee?”

“Um, no. Thank you...” I trailed off, feeling even more nervous suddenly. She was expecting me and knew my name. This was serious. 

“Okay, if you change your mind, my name is Angela. Just go on it,” she smiled and pushed up her silver-rimmed glasses again before sitting down at her well-cushioned leather chair.

I thought about knocking on the big heavy wooden doors but decided against it since she said to go in. Twice. Poking in my head to see him sitting at his desk, Mr. Masen was talking on his phone. I thought about waiting in the lobby area until he was done, but he shook his head to keep me from leaving.

“Yes, I know, George. I realize that-” he spoke in an authoritative voice, but the smile on his face didn't match his tone. He waved me in, nodding his head towards one of the big leather chairs that decorated his large office. He must have had a thing for leather. “Give me a moment,” he mouthed. 

“Yes, sir. Of course,” I breathed as I sat down as gracefully as possible. I tucked one foot behind the other as I placed my briefcase on the floor, putting a yellow legal pad on my lap with a pen. It was always good to be prepared. You never know when you might need to write something down. 

“George, look, I know that I said she could have a job here, but she simply doesn't have the right personality for it,” he paused, the other person on the phone speaking. “What do I mean by the ‘right’ personality? How do I put this tactfully? She doesn't have one.”

The person on the other end got much louder, though not enough for me to make out the exact words. Mr. Masen smirked and rolled his eyes. 

“She was extremely rude to a guest yesterday, and that won't be tolerated. I've put her on a final written notice. I was just giving you a polite heads up. If she hadn't been your daughter, she would have been fired on the spot. If I were you, I'd have a talk with her about respect. As it is, as soon as I find the right person to take the lobby position, I am moving her into the mail-room. I'm deathly serious when I say that she will be terminated if that behavior transpires again. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work. Yes, thank you. Goodbye.”

He returned the black receiver back to its home and turned his full attention to me. “Good morning, Ms. Swan. You're here almost exactly when I expected you to be.”

“Good morning,” I answered quietly, not sure how to reply to that. He kept leaving me for a loss of words, but I had a feeling I wasn't the only one that had troubles like that around him. “I hope that this time is okay. If not, I can go.”

“No, this is perfect. Would you like anything to drink before we get started?”

“No, thank you,” I declined politely, swallowing hard. 

“Alright,” he responded before pushing a button on his phone. “Angela, hold all my calls, and I don't want to be disturbed until I'm done with Ms. Swan.”

“Yes, sir,” her voice answered, static mauling the background. It cut off suddenly, leaving the room nearly silent. 

Mr. Masen removed his jacket then picked up a few pieces of paper from his desk, glancing at them for a moment. One of them was my messed up looking resume, lined and crumpled around the edges. “So, you're the only daughter of a retired police officer and a kindergarten teacher. You've had near-perfect grades your entire academic career, and you've never gotten a parking ticket before. You even have an almost flawless credit score even though you've been out of work the past couple of years.”

Wow, he must have done an in-depth background check. All I could do was stammer out was, “yes, sir.”

“I have a position that I would like to discuss with you other than the receptionist. You're overqualified for that, anyway.” He stood up from his chair and walked over to the glass wall that made up the back of his office. Mr. Masen brought his hand up to his mouth, running his finger over his lip mindlessly as he gazed out at the Red River. 

“I'm willing to do anything for a job,” I told him truthfully.

“You say that,” he scoffed quietly before falling silent for a few moments. I allowed him the time to gather his thoughts. “It would be... unconventional, to say the least. Unethical, even.”

“Unethical?” I questioned, slightly surprised. The idea of spies and other companies came to mind. It was silly, but I couldn't really imagine what else he could say. 

“It wouldn't hurt anyone,” he assured me, glancing in my direction before looking back out the window. “In fact, the opposite. But, with you being such a good girl, I'm not sure it's for you.”

“I'm willing to do anything,” I sighed, confused, and almost a little offended at being called that. I didn't like his tone when he said it. “Tell me the job, please.”

“My companion.”

“Pardon?” I asked, even more confused than I had been before. “What do you mean?”

“Ms. Swan, I'm a busy man. I'm not from here, and I don't expect to stay here forever. A couple of years at most before I move on to somewhere else. I work hard, and I barely have the time to keep up with everything on my plate. That doesn't keep me from being lonely. I need a female presence in my life. Someone to make sure my groceries get bought and my maid cleans to my expectations. And I need someone to return my personal phone calls and to attend local events with me,” he explained, never looking at me as he did so. His voice was even and unemotional, but it seemed to me that he was trying very hard to keep it that way. 

“So, I'd be like your personal assistant or something?” I inquired. “How is that unethical?”

“It's more than that,” he loosened his red silk tie slightly and finally turned to look at me. “You'd eat dinner with me. You'd keep me company in the evenings. You'd help...fulfill my needs.”

“What needs are those?” I raised my eyebrows at him, not exactly sure where this was going. The interview had undoubtedly gone in an unexpected direction. 

“All the ones a man has. Isabella-”

I corrected him automatically, “Bella.”

“Bella,” he continued, “I'm lonely, but I don't have time for a girlfriend. I need companionship in every sense of the word, but I want a woman with brains and at least some morals, even if I'd be the one to test them.”

“Are you saying what I think you're saying?” I pushed, the words coming out slowly, thoughtfully.

“You'd be my built-in, well-compensated, personal assistant, companion, and lover.”

So, there it was. He laid it out on the table. I stood quickly, my legal pad dropping to the floor with a thud. “Lover? Lover! Do I look like a hooker?”

He kept calm in the face of my rising anger. “No, you certainly don't, which is part of the reason that you're here right now. I don't want a mindless escort.”

“And how many women have you offered this position?” I demanded sarcastically. 

“Only you,” he said, looking directly in my eyes. “It's something that I've thought about for a while, but I hadn't considered doing it for real until I saw you yesterday. You spoke your mind, and you were confident. I want someone that I can actually have a conversation with. The sexual aspect would be just a small part of it. You'd never have to do anything you are uncomfortable with, and you could tell me to stop at any time. I just don't have the time for a relationship that I have to work on. You'd be respected and taken seriously.”

“I'm not a whore.”

“No, you're not.” He nodded and walked back to the window. 

“You're serious about this, aren't you?”

“Very much so.”

The words hung in the air for a long awkward moment. 

“I'm not sure I could do that,” I told him, picking up my briefcase from the ground. 

I began to turn towards the door, but he spoke again. “One hundred thousand dollars a year. Full health benefits, an expense account that you could literally charge anything to, and a personal driver. You'd still be an honest, tax-paying citizen. We can even give it a six-month probation period. If you're uncomfortable after that time, I'll give you the rest of the year's pay without a single argument. You wouldn't have to give me an explanation, and you'd never have to see me again. And with my connections, during that time, you may find a job in your field...” he trailed off. 

The black faux leather case slipped through my fingers and back down to the ground. “Are you serious?” I repeated.

“Once again, yes.”

“Why me?”

Mr. Masen turned around and looked at me with a small half-smile on his face. “I've already told you why.”

“But I'm not exactly what you’d call the All-American Man's dream. I'm not thin, blond, and blue-eyed. Lauren seems more that type.”

“Where is that confidence from yesterday?” He asked in a rather seductive voice, a tone that he hadn't used with me yet, and it took me by surprise. A shiver ran down my spine, making me bite my lip nervously. “You may not be every man's dream, but it doesn't mean that I don't find you attractive. Honestly, you listed all the reasons I do. You're not a stick. I prefer my women with a bit more to hold on to. And I prefer brunettes.”

“And what if I'm a horrible lay?” I blurted out, throwing my hand over my mouth as soon as it came out. Embarrassment colored my cheeks a near purple shade. 

Mr. Masen laughed, throwing his head back as he did. When he composed himself, he came around his desk and stood about a foot away from me. “That's doubtful.”

“How do you know that?” I frowned. “I could be awful. You don't know. I could be frigid-”

He cut me off by wrapping his hand around the back of my neck and pulling me closer with the other on the small of my back. Heat filled the pit in my stomach and slowly spread as his mouth found mine rather forcefully. At first, I could hardly respond, but after a second, my lips automatically began to move against his. My hands slowly slid up to his chest, my fingers digging into his freshly pressed shirt. 

God, he smelled like cookies and fresh coffee and books and sunshine and everything right in the world. Just his kiss was making me a little light-headed.

After what seemed like the longest and shortest thirty seconds of my life, he released my lips and body. I thought I was going to drop to the floor, my knees were so wobbly. 

“That's how I know.”

I opened my mouth several times, gaping like a fish out of water, but no words came out. “Mr. Masen,” I finally began. 

“Edward,” he corrected me with a smile. “Ms. Swan, Bella, I don't expect an answer right now. This is a big decision, and I realize that it may not be something that you’re comfortable with. I would respect your answer if you said no, but I hope that you say yes. Think about it tonight. Sleep on it. If you decide to do so, come by tomorrow, and we can sign the appropriate paperwork to get things in motion. If not, I won't bother you again.”

“Okay,” I breathed, picking up my bag again. I could barely stumble my way out the door and onto the elevator. Angela, his secretary, called goodbye to me but all I could do was wave back. My mind was literally blank, but I had so much to think about.

I said that I would do any job and that I would do anything for one. Now I had to literally put my money where my mouth was.

Would it be so bad? Could I be what he wanted me to be? Would I be willing to put my morals to the side for a few months for that much money? I could do it for just a few months and make a lot of cash. And he had a point. He had connections. Mr. Masen could help me put my foot in the door, and he said that he would respect me. Though, I wasn't sure exactly how he could do that if he was willing to randomly ask me for sex. 

Once again, would that be so bad? It had been a few years since I had been in a relationship. I hadn't dated at all since I lost my job, and it had been about three years since I had gotten any. It wasn’t like I didn’t crave attention from someone else; it was just that I needed to focus on myself. 

I had no idea what to do, and I really couldn't talk to anyone about it because if I decided to do it...

I couldn't believe that I was actually seriously considering doing it. 

He would pay me to be his girlfriend. Mr. Masen would be my sugar daddy, basically. It wouldn't be hard work, and he wasn't bad to look at. And he was a hell of a kisser. 

And my God, to have health insurance and an expense account. The money to fix the stupid hot water heater. I would be able to take hot showers again. Literally, a week or two from accepting the job, I could be using hot water again.

I sat on my couch and gnawed at my nails nervously as I weighed the pros and cons. Good pay. Be a whore. Health insurance. Whore. Good-looking boss. Whore...

My phone rang loudly, making me jump. I wouldn't have answered it if it hadn't been Alice, but I needed a friendly voice in my ear. 

“Hey! Jasper said that he saw you today at Eagle, but he couldn't get your attention. He told me that you looked freaked out. Did you have a bad interview or something?”

“Oh,” I sighed, “no. I wouldn't say that.”

“What happened then?”

“He offered me a position,” I told her slowly, not sure what else to say.

“That's awesome!” Alice cheered, but she paused for a moment. “You don't seem thrilled, though. Why?”

“It's doing something that I've never done before.” I wasn't exactly a virgin, but I wasn't that kind of girl either.

“What would you be doing?”

“I'd be his... personal assistant,” I kind of lied, sort of didn't. “For everything outside of work.”

“That sounds fantastic. You're organized and a hard worker. I don't think it would be too hard for you. Hey, there are worse things you could be doing. Jasper says that he's really serious but that Mr. Masen is a good man and that he's fair, at work at least. I think this could be right up your alley,” Alice gushed happily. “And I'm betting it is better money than being a desk jockey.”

“I'd be making more than I ever have before.”

“But you don't sound convinced. This is better than what you could have hoped for, Bella! Look at it this way, at least it's not slinging burgers or waiting tables. Not that there's anything wrong with it. It's just that you're made for more fabulous things. Girl, you need this job.”

“I know,” I breathed into the phone, looking at my nonexistent nails. I heard Mr. Masen's voice in my head, asking me where my confidence had gone in that sultry voice of his. A chill ran down my spine.

“Did something happen in the interview that has you doubting this?” Alice inquired in a knowing voice. I was quiet, not sure what to tell her. “Bella?”

Pausing, I gnawed on my bottom lip. “I'm just not sure if it is for me.”

“Well, I am! I think you'll be great! Take it. I just have a feeling that it will be good for you. And hey, if it doesn't work out, you can always just look for another job elsewhere.”

“Because, you know, it's so easy to find one now. The offers are just pouring in,” I snorted and then frowned as I became more serious. “Alice, can I do this? What if I can't?”

I knew that she didn't have all the facts, and I wouldn’t give them to her, but I just had to let those questions out into the universe. 

“If there is any person I know that can do anything they set their mind to, it's you. You're tenacious, hard-headed, and proud. You're a great worker and a good person. Just believe in yourself, and you can accomplish anything. So, are you going to take it?”

That was the one hundred thousand dollar question, now, wasn't it? 

“Yeah,” I declared, once again looking at my ragged nails. I didn't feel the need to chew on them anymore. “Yeah, I think I am.”

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Hi, y'all! I'm taking the holidays off from posting to spend time with my family. A Change in Direction will be returning January 9th with Chapter three! Happy Holidays and see you then! 🎄🎁💛⭐❄⛄