*Tina's P.O.V*

I gave my self a pinch. I felt pain.

I did it again.

And then again.

And then again, this time I felt the last pinch and winced.

I was definitely not dreaming. I was standing right in front of the large building known as Gonzalez Industries. The black brass doors with Gonzalez labelled in gold stared right back at me. This was the moment I've been dreaming of since I was discharged last night. Bless Armando's soul for footing the bills. I don't think my paycheck would have covered it. Now that I think about it, that hospital was a damn rip-off. Who the hell bills someone that high for staying for a short time? I wasn't even diagnosed with any form of illness. Well, I was glad that was out of the way.

Throughout the night I couldn't think of anything else. I was going to be an employee of this prestigious company. This is something lots of people would kill for.

Well, at least I was hallway there. If the devil that waited for me inside didn't try anything funny, that is. I just had this feeling that Alejandro would not be fair on his interview. His attitude at the hospital was a big hint.

I stared at the door until I heard someone clear their throat.

"You know the last time I checked, I don't think a door will just open magically if you keep staring at it."

I jumped up a bit and spun to my left. A man dressed sharply in what looked like a security uniform stared at me curiously. I squinted my eyes at his uniform and saw a Gonzalez emblem on the upper left.

But he didn't look aggressive. He had a gentle and yet bemused smile on his face. And then I realised how ridiculous I must have looked. Standing on the road and staring long and hard at the door like a woman in a trance.

"Oh, sorry." I laughed. "I'm here for an interview."

I clutched my bag tighter.

"Ah." He nodded in understanding. "Well, I think you should proceed. Unless you plan on interviewing yourself here." He laughed again.

He pushed open the door.

"Right this way, Miss." He gestured.

"Thank you." I walked.

"Goodluck." I saw him give a thumbs up before he closed the door. I felt myself shiver. I really needed the luck. This was my last shot.

I spotted the receptionist at the lobby. She was a pretty woman with ebony hair styled neatly in a bun, grey eyes behind perfectly designed spectacles and straight nose. She busied herself, typing furiously on the computer. I took a deep breath and advanced towards her. She raised her head.

"Good morning, Miss Campbell." She smiled after acknowledging my appearance. I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"How did you.." I began.

"Oh, Mr Gonzalez already briefed me on your coming." She replied. "One second,please."

She picked up the phone beside the system and dialled it.

"Hello, sir." She said. "...Yes, she's here...Alright."

She dropped the phone and turned to me.

"Mr Gonzalez would like to see you now " She said.

"Thank you." I replied.

"The turning on your left. The elevator is there. Last floor." She pointed.

I nodded and made my way towards the mentioned direction. I took another breath as I pressed the button and stepped in. The elevator hummed and rose slowly, giving me time to access my situation.

The interview.

How was it going to go? Was he going to ask me something stupid? Or was it going to be personal? Or probably, he was going to make things difficult by asking things that are not related to the resume I submitted. I nearly tore my hair out in frustration.

The elevator dinged and I stepped out. I walked towards the end of the passage way, stopping by a large crafted door with the golden words CEO crafted neatly above. What was it with this family and gold? I took a deep breath and knocked.

"Come in." I heard his muffled voice.

"This is it, Tina." I counted to five and walked in.

My eyes glazed over. This office was big enough to be a master bedroom. It was spacious enough to play tag. The floors sparkled and the windows had a bluish hue in them. Either the architect was very talented or Alejandro had good taste.

Speaking of the devil. Alejandro was at his desk, focused and stoic as ever. He was typing at his system.

"Have a seat, Miss Campbell." His ever mesmerising accent decorated his words as he gestured to the seat in front of the desk, without sparing a glance at me.

Rude.

I sat down and that was when I noticed a goldfish at a smaller table by his left. I smiled as the cute orange creature busied itself, swimming about.

"That's Sebastian." Alejandro's eyes was still on his system.

Sebastian? Seriously? I nearly laughed but I caught myself at the last minute, feigning a cough instead.

"Is there something you find amusing, Miss Campbell?" He said.

"No, that was a cough. Something was caught in my throat." I said quickly.

His eyes narrowed at his system. After a while, he looked at his watch and stared at me.

"You arrived early." He said. "A good sign of a diligent and determined person."

I inwardly rolled my eyes.

"Now, I looked at your resume." He cleared his throat. "You graduated with a first upper class honour of 3.75 in public administration. That is impressive."

My heart lit up. This was going to be easier than I thought.

"But I will need more than that."

My heart fell.

"Obviously, from your appearance and your resume, you don't seem like the typical beauty without brains." He tapped his fingers on the table.

That son of a... Wait, did he just say I was beautiful? I felt myself flush as I looked at his face. With his signature blank look, I couldn't tell if he was flattering me. Then again, why would he? He was a jerk at the hospital.

"Now I would need some more details." He continued. "Something that is out of the eucational sector."

"Okay." I folded my arms.

"Did you have a past criminal activity?" He asked.

"No." My eyes went wide.

"Are you a lesbian?"

My eyes went wider this time. What kind of messed up questions were these? What did my sexual orientation have to do with getting this job?

"Hell no!" I snapped and his eyebrows raised. I realised by outburst and coughed akwardly, staring at the table. I didn't see it but I could feel his piercing gaze on me. After some seconds, I managed to look at him.

His stoic demeanour was back and he raised himself a bit on his seat.

"One final question." He said. "Why should I hire you?"

My eyebrows furrowed. I stared into his eyes. They looked hypnotic. It was as if they compelled me to make an error. No, I was going to win. I was going to get this job. I had a lot to lose.

"Because you should." I smirked.

"Excuse me?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Mr Gonzalez I believe my credentials speak for me. If you read them as you truly said you did, them you would realise why the bank I walked in was able to gain more customers."

Surprise was written clearly on his face. Good, I had him. My confidence rose and I folded my arms, leaning back into my seat.

"Mr Gonzalez." I continued. "If after you've seen proof of my skills and you don't want to give me this job, them you won't be playing fair. From your interviews I watched, i know you to be a smart person and someone who appreciates competency and efficiency. If you're expecting me to grovel on the floor and beg, that's not going to happen. "

As the surprise intensified on his face, I added another weapon to my arsenal.

"Besides, if you don't hire me, you'll get on the wrong foot of your father." I grinned.

I saw his expression darkened and I shifted uncomfortably. Did I go too far?

"Miss Campbell, are you trying to emotionally blackmail me?" He frowned a bit.

"No, I'm just being rational." I shrugged.

His eyes zoned in on me. I swallowed a bit. Outside, I had put on a brave face but deep within me was chaos. Alejandro's stoicness made him look unpredictable. I watched as he opened his lips to pass the review. I braced myself.

"You passed the interview. You're hired."

"I'm sorry, what?" I blinked.

"You heard me, I didn't stutter." He rolled his eyes. "You will get the post of one of our marketing staff. You will be earning $50 an hour and working on weekdays only. See my secretary on your way out and tell her to make preparations for your ID card. You're to resume tomorrow. Have a good day."

"Thank you,sir."

I stood up and walked towards the door. This was a dream. I can't believe it. I got the job. Mrs Jones was right. I found my silver lining

"One more thing, Miss Campbell." I heard Alejandro call as my hand reached the door knob.

I stopped and turned around.

"I don't condone lateness. You must be punctual." He folded his arms. "The person whose post you're taking over broke that rule. She was fired."

I gulped.

"I'll keep that in mind,sir." I cleared my throat and turned around, reaching for the door again

"Another thing." His voice stopped me again.

I gritted my teeth in frustration.

"Yes?" I faked a smile as I turned around

"Office romance is also not permitted." He added.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Like I would date anyone. Not after dealing with the Mike saga.

"Noted." I replied

"You can go. I look forward to working with you." He said.

I nodded and stepped out of the room. Outside, I nearly leapt in joy. I stopped myself at the last moment for two reasons. He might probably hear me from within. Secondly, my heels weren't exactly designed for jumping. Asides that, this was a moment of celebration.

Then I paused.

What the hell did he mean he looked forward to working with me?