“That’s rare,” Cyrus remarks.
I forget all about the oddness of him suddenly being friendly at his words. “You know what it means then?” Because I’mhonestly stumped. What does 7003 have to do with my being accepted for a job?
My question makes him smile for some reason, and while I know all of the girls in our training batch think he’s cute and all—
His smile is really refreshing because it’s not the kind of smile you’d ever get from the usual sexual predators and drunks that my mom loves to date. Cyrus’s is a good, harmless smile, and so I allow myself to smile back. It just feels good to be in the company of a normal guy, you know?
“It’s a Wallace International thing,” Cyrus continues, leaning closer like he’s letting me in on something. “When you get hired, you get the room number, and then you try to find your way there without asking.”
“I see.” I don’t, really, but company things don’t always have to make sense, right? “Thanks for the tip—”
Cyrus is already shaking his head before I’m even done speaking, and I guess I’m confused again. Did I miss anything?
“It’s not a tip.”
It’s not?
“I’m afraid I don’t ever do things for free.”
That sounds fair, but before I can apologize—
“How about a date after work?”
I’m about to say no when I remember something my therapist told me.
You need to take a chance sooner or later. Just take a chance, if only to get rid of your fear of trusting men once and for all.
And so I take a deep breath, smile, and nod. “Deal.”
Cyrus suddenly clutches his chest, and I freeze. Is he about to have a heart at—
“I can’t believe I’ve scored a date with my dream girl.”
I...I honestly don’t know how to react to that so I just laugh weakly and try not to be so obvious about wanting to get away. Something about his words doesn’t feel right to me, in more ways than one, but I just mumble something incoherent which I still hope will pass as ‘goodbye’ while managing another weak laugh before turning around and...
Walk, Kyara, don’t run!
My stomach starts twisting itself in knots as I hurry to the elevator, but I tell myself that I’m just being paranoid, which my therapist also warned me against. There are times when I feel like my mother’s insanely toxic taste in men has scarred me for life, but...
The world isn’t black or white, Kyara.
You can’t paint all men with the same brush.
Don’t lose hope.
I promised myself that I’d give this community-sponsored therapy a chance, so...
Deep breaths, Kyara.
I do my usual breathing exercises while I navigate my way to 7003, which—surprise, surprise—turns out to be in the 70th floor (highest floor in the building, mind you), and where all the company’s top executives work.
Unlike the other lower floors, which are basically a series of hallways of offices, the 70th has its own reception counter and lounge area, and I’m asked to wait until a brunette comes out from the leftmost hallway. She briskly introduces herself as Lara, and as we walk down a carpeted hallway that makes me feel like I’m walking on clouds, butterflies actually start fluttering their wings inside my stomach as she tells me about her boss, who’s also to be my final boss—I mean, someone I’ll end up working for if all things go well.
He’s not an easy man to work for, but he’s also reassuringly fair. In this office, you won’t have to worry about connectionsor currying for favor. You’ll be judged solely on the basis of your work.
Lara suddenly stops, and I nearly lose my balance as I come to a half-stop, half-turn because I don’t want to accidentally walk past the older woman.
“May I be frank with you, Ms.Dunn?”
