If looks could kill Coral would have been dead on the spot.
"How dare you?" Danzel yelled, but his voice was drowned out by the loud music.
His assistant rushed over and saw the scene. He stood protectively in front of him and gestured to a guard. The music stopped and people stared at them, hearing the commotion.
"Hand this girl over to the police." Danzel roared.
Einar was horrified when she heard him. She hurriedly approached coral, who was so drunk that she couldn't stand up and lay half-conscious on the floor. Einar grabbed her shoulder, helping her sit up.
"I will call the police immediately, sir." Liam took out his phone.
"Please don't call the police, sir." Einar pleaded. "It was a mistake. She's drunk and not in her right mind. Please, I beg you."
She and Jack helped Coral stand up, but she couldn't stand still. Liam stopped and looked at his boss for orders. Danzel stared at Coral. His face twisted in disgust, looking at her condition.
"Leave it. Just throw them out of the bar." He instructed before walking towards the exit.
He wiped his lips with a handkerchief and threw it in the dustbin before exiting the bar. The bar manager arrived at the scene. Liam talked with him for a moment before leaving.
A few moments later, Coral and Einar, along with Jack and his friend, were thrown out of the bar. The manager cancelled their pass and severely scolded them as well.
"These rich people and their arrogance." Einar said, gritting her teeth. "It was just a kiss!" She shook her head in disbelief.
They had no idea who the man was but they realized he was a big shot. Then again, only big shots came to this bar.
"I'll never tell you to kiss a man again.... ever." Einar vowed.
They called a cab and returned home.
.....
A few days had passed. They forgot the bar incident as a nightmare and never talked about it. Their lives went on as normal until one night Einar brought some news to Coral.
"What is it?" Coral asked as Einar hesitated to say it.
"Jack wants me to move in with him." Einar said, fiddling with her hands as they sat on the couch of their apartment.
"Wow, that's good news!" Coral replied, her eyes widening with surprise.
"But I'll have to leave you alone." Einar pouted. "and I Don't want to."
"But you want to live with him too. Don't you?" Coral asked, placing her hand on hers.
"Yes. But..."
"No buts. I'll be fine. Move in with him. We will still meet regularly." She assured her.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." She nodded with a smile.
"Thank you." Einar hugged her.
Ever since Coral had left her village and gone to university, Einar was her only constant friend. They were roommates back in the university dorm, and from then on, they were inseparable. Einar and Jack were in a relationship from university days. Coral was very shy, and had no male friends, let alone a boyfriend. Jack was a good guy, and she felt comfortable around him. After graduating from university, they moved to the city together. Einar and Jack both got jobs at a good company. Now that they were taking their relationship to the next level, Coral didn't want to be a burden.
"You should try other jobs." Einar said after a while. "You are a brilliant student. You can easily get a good job."
Coral gave her a sad look.
Einar sighed. "I know you wanted to be a fashion designer and that bastard seemed to shatter that dream of yours. But you can't give up on a good future. You need to find a decent job. You can't possible work in a cafe for your entire life."
Coral remained silent, listening to her.
Einar continued. "A good job brings good money and better security. You can save the money, and who knows, one day you'll launch your own fashion brand. But here in this cafe, you will go nowhere."
Coral nodded. Einar was right. That evening, she sat with her laptop. After searching a lot, she applied to a few companies and hoped she would get one.
....
"So, where do you see yourself after five years if you get this job?"
"In five years, I see myself growing into a position where I can take on more responsibility and mentor new team members. I want to grow steadily and become someone the team can rely on, helping the company achieve long-term goals." Coral replied.
"Hmm." The middle-aged man nodded and closed her file. "It was a nice meeting. You can go now, Miss Stone."
"Thank you, sir." Coral exited the room.
She got three interview calls after applying for jobs. She had already been to two, and this was the last one. She was very excited to come here as it was the biggest company in the country, the Knight Corporation.
A woman told her to enter the next room as she came out. She thought it was a strange interview process, as they had to enter three rooms to give their interviews. She had just completed her first one. As she entered the second room, she saw a young, handsome man sitting behind the desk.
When he looked up, his brows rose a little as if surprised or impressed by seeing her. His eyes roamed over her, assessing. Coral swallowed. Ever since that horrible incident, she felt uncomfortable around men, especially alone in a room.
"Miss Stone, right?" He asked.
There was a hint of amusement in his voice.
Coral cleared her throat. "Yes, sir." she answered, approaching the desk.
"I'm Raymond Parker. Please take a seat." He said with a sly smile.
Coral thanked him before taking the seat opposite him. He returned his gaze to the file in his hands, which she assumed was her resume.
"So, you're here for my secretary position." He stated.
"Yes, sir."
"You have excellent qualifications. A brilliant student, typing speed, organizational skills, fluency in four languages… impressive." He closed the file and looked up again, arching a brow. "But tell me.. can you handle… me?"
Coral fell silent for a moment at the question. But she quickly composed herself.
"I believe in hard work, sir. I'm confident that I'll be able to perform the job of a secretary." She replied.
She couldn't think of a better answer given the way the man was looking at her. Even the way he asked his question held a deeper meaning, which she didn't want to understand.
Suddenly, he stood up and rounded the desk, sitting on it in front of her. Her face paled and she tried to stand up.
"Relax. Everything is fine." He said, touching her shoulder.
Her eyes shot to her shoulder where he touched her, and he removed his hand. She wasn't sure, but she sat down at last and moved the chair a little away from him. He noticed everything like a hawk but said nothing.
"You are comfortable now?" He asked.
Coral nodded hesitantly. She would leave the room if he tried to touch her again.
"So... I expect perfection and I'm demanding too. I work late nights… there will be long hours, unpredictable schedules..." He paused for a moment, looking at her reaction before adding, "Do you think you can keep up with me, Miss Stone?"
Coral gathered her courage and looked at him in the eyes. "As I said, Mr. Parker. I'm a hardworking person. I'm not afraid of responsibilities. As long as it remains professional, I'll never back down from my work." She answered, giving her message clearly.
The man smirked at her answer.
"I like your confidence." He said and leaned forward. "But be careful... Sometimes confidence gets mistaken for temptation."
Coral frowned as she leaned back, creating distance between them. "Sorry, I think you're mistaken..."
"Relax... I was just joking." He cut her off and stood up, returning to his seat and sitting down.
Coral sighed in relief. The rest of the interview went smoother though the man didn't miss a chance to flirt. Coral felt at ease when she left his office.
The next one was the most comfortable one for her. There was a middle-aged woman and she was very nice to her. After the interview she returned home with mixed feelings.