We parted ways a couple of hours later and I left to go get ready for my shift that evening. On the way home I couldn't stop thinking about what Jackie said. Could she put me forward for the job of my dreams? I squealed, making an old lady jump as she got on the bus. Then there was the delicious Mr. Crawford, that tantalizing smile, and hungry eyes. How could I ever get him out of my mind!
The not so friendly robotic voice announced we had reached my stop. Buses had changed so much in the last few years! Back when I was a child, the driver used to do all the talking. Heading home I walked down Bakerman Street, turning on to Phyllis Drive.
My family home stood before me, the lawn was covered in snow and. The roof was covered in mossy shingles, the brick was old and weathered.
The gutters are rusted and dirty, the lawn is overgrown, thistles pop up between the grass. At two stories high, the house looks more like an upscale motel. Painted white with bright blue trim, it was one of the newest houses on the street. The house is brick on the bottom and wood on the top. The dark green brick cradled windows, which shined with a golden hue. Lots of windows, a wide front porch that stretches to the street, and a little chimney poking up to the sky. Dad's car sat in the driveway beside the front yard.
I had always wondered about our neighbors on my block. I knew their names and faces, but not much else. They seemed to live in their own worlds, rarely interacting with each other or with me. When I was young, I had longed to live in a small town, where you could leave your doors unlocked, everyone knew everyone else, that there was a quaint but dreamy diner that served the best food, albeit filled with grease. I had wished to go to the local hairdressers and listen to the old ladies, under the dryers discussing any gossip, whilst perfecting their blue rinse. The current neighborhood didn't have that same appeal. I had often wondered what secrets they hid behind their doors, what stories they had to tell, what dreams they had to pursue.
Mr. Jones, the old man who lived across the street, was a retired teacher who liked to play chess and listen to classical music. Beside him was Mrs. Lee, the young mother, she was a nurse who works night shifts and had a son who loved superheroes. Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the middle-aged couple who lived next door to Dad and me, were lawyers who argued a lot and had a dog who barked a lot. Tom, their son, was in college, he is a computer science major who played video games and ordered pizza every night.
But I didn't know what made them laugh or cry, what made them angry or afraid, what made them hopeful or hopeless. I didn't know what they thought about life, love, or themselves. I didn't know if they had any friends or family, any hobbies or passions, any regrets or wishes. I also didn't know if they were content with their lives or longing for something more. I longed for more, I craved it. I needed to work with numbers. I love numbers. I love the way they can be arranged, manipulated, and analyzed to reveal patterns, insights, and truths. I love the way they can be used to measure, manage, and improve anything from business performance to personal finances. I love the way they can be communicated, interpreted, and applied to solve problems and make decisions.
I have always been fascinated by accounting, the language of business. I studied it in college and excelled at it. I wished to pursue a career as an accountant. My goal was to work for various firms and clients, managing their books, taxes, audits, and reports. I would hope to earn a reputation as a reliable, efficient, and skilled professional. But I want more. I want to use my accounting knowledge and skills for something bigger, something more meaningful, something more challenging. I want to make a difference in the world, to help people and causes I care about, to create value and impact.
I have a dream: to start my own accounting firm, one that would specialize in serving non-profit organizations and social enterprises. I want to help them achieve their missions and goals, to optimize their resources and operations, to maximize their social and environmental benefits.
I have a plan: to save enough money, to find the right partners, to build the right network, to attract the right clients. I have a passion: to make my dream come true. Sighing to myself, I noticed Dad's plant was on its last legs, frost bitten from the constant icy air. Picking it up, I took it inside.
***
I quickly changed for my job and made it to the building in record time. I had printed a copy of my resume and was going to leave it at the reception desk in the HR department on my way up to the executive floor, I pushed the button for the fifth floor and as the doors began to close a hand shot through the gap and I quickly pressed the open doors button. The God himself entered but he wasn't alone, Mr. Crawford strode into the elevator with another expensive suited man, I retreated into the corner and had a perfect view of the men standing in front of me.
"I believe if you examine the numbers Chase you will see that the revenue alone from the sale of their assets will make the company millions of dollars, on pages 68 to 91 details how much their assets are currently worth and the breakdown states 27% of 51 million dollars plus 36% of 80 million dollars is forty million five hundred and fifty thousand dollars" the man besides Mr. Crawford shifted on his feet, excited or nervous energy coursing through his legs, moving his feet involuntary.
"It's actually forty-two million five hundred and seventy thousand dollars" the words, barely a whisper left my lips before I could cover my mouth with my hand. Mr. Crawford spun around, eyes narrowing at this small intruder in the elevator.
"Excuse me Miss, what did you just say? I'm not sure I heard you" Mr. Crawford crossed his arms, I expect he wasn't used to waiting for people to reply, especially when he asked them a direct question, power, influence, and the same hints of sandalwood licked the edges of my nostrils, I lifted my chin and our eyes locked.
"I said, Its forty-two million five hundred and seventy thousand dollars, Sir. And I wouldn't go with what he said unless you want to lose money" Mr. Crawford's eyes widened and spoke softly as if he didn't want to break whatever spell we were both under.
"If you can do those sums in your head, maybe I should employ you instead of him" the sound of a shuffle broke the silence, and the expensive suit interrupted us declaring he was correct and that he would prove it. A ding behind Mr. Crawford signaled we had arrived at the fifth floor, holding my bag to my chest I maneuverer between the two men and quickly left my resume in the internal mailbox before taking the stairs, all twenty-five floors of them, up to the executive floors, some serious cardio combined with leg day would help clear Mr. tall dark and serious from my mind. Hopefully.
Men or boyfriends hadn't really been part of my life up to now. My only long-term relationship was with Alex Park. I met Alex in my senior year of high school. He was charming, funny, and incredibly handsome. Alex had transferred here from Arizona. I really liked him, fortunately he seemed to like me, too. He would often ask me out for coffee, and we would talk about everything from our favorite books to our hopes and dreams. It felt like we had a real connection, and I was excited to see where things would go. But then, one night, I found out that he had been cheating on me with one of my classmates. I was devastated. I had trusted him, and he had betrayed me in the worst conceivable way. I couldn't believe it - how could someone I thought I knew so well do something so hurtful? For a while, I was inconsolable. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, and I couldn't focus on my studies. I felt like my entire world had been turned upside down. But eventually, with the help of my friends and family, I started to pick myself back up. Jaiden helped me through it, most of all. He had to pick litter from the school field for a month after Principal Harris caught him fighting with Alex. Dad's intervention with Jaiden and Trish gave me the courage to return to my studies instead of going to college. They had secretly enrolled me in the night school classes, Dad had paid for them upfront and when it was my birthday, Jaiden presented me with a new laptop, suggesting that I would need it. Dad then continued and told me about the classes. I was mad at first, but then my mind went on a journey, I imagined all the possibilities, they could finally come true. I had a job cleaning, then accounting classes. The future never looked brighter.
***
The following evening a letter greeted me at the front desk as I signed in to begin my cleaning shift. I held the crisp white.
envelope in my hands, unsure of what it could be. Turning the envelope over in my hands I tentatively lifted the sealed edge and pulled out the piece of paper. Perfectly typed words filled half of a
a page and I had to read it three times before I could comprehend the words. I read it aloud the last time.
"Your presence has been requested to discuss a possible position within the company" I couldn't quite believe what I was reading., perhaps this was my break, this could be the opportunity I had longed for.
Tucking the letter in my bag I took an elevator up to the executive offices and began my usual routine of cleaning, my thought dreaming of how much of a deal this could be, and what it would mean for me and my dad.
Eager to reply, I emailed the contact on the letter during my break. Surprisingly, a response hit my inbox immediately. I read through the email. I was invited to meet with someone from HR tomorrow afternoon at 4pm., they would be waiting for me. That part of the email intrigued me, why would they be waiting for me? I tried to not dwell on the meaning and finished my hot tea before gathering my cart and went to finish the last four offices.
As I approached Mr. Crawford's office, I could see a light was seeping from below the door frame. I lifted my hand to knock, hesitating mere centimeters from the dark wood. Shaking off how silly I felt, I took a deep breath, then knocked, I knocked three times then waited for a signal to enter. Moments passed and I was about to knock again when the door opened in front of me., Mr. Crawford stood filling the path between me and the office.
"Oh! excuse me Mr. Crawford, I so sorry to disturb you. I was here to clean but I can come back when you have finished are done for the day." Turning away for from Mr. Crawford and the magnetic pull of his stare, I began to push my cart towards the CFO's office when an enticing voice stopped me.
"You have given me an excuse to finish for the day, please come in and I will be out of here in a moment." Mr. Crawford gestured for me to enter his office. I smiled and began to walk in. But as I was pushing my cart inside, I caught his foot with a wheel.
"Oh, my goodness! I'm so deeply sorry Mr. Crawford, I'm so clumsy, is your foot, OK?!" pushing my cart aside I bent down and reached out towards Mr. Crawford's foot to check the for any damage. An overwhelming urge to touch him overtook me as my hand made contact with the soft black leather of his shoe., feeling for any damage I slid my hand upwards until I could feel the softness of the sock appearing from the top of the shoe, I moved upwards again and suddenly my hand touched skin., the contact made me gasp as it seared up my arm., withdrawing so fast, I fell backwards onto my bottom.
Once again, our eyes met, a carnal heat rose in my chest, flushing my cheeks crimson.
A small movement pulled my gaze from his penetrating stare; I focused in on his now outstretched hand beckoning me to him. Like a lamb to the slaughter, I reached for his hand and lifted myself up, steadying myself on his door with the other hand as the blood rushed around my head, making my legs unsteady.
We were now so close together. Sandalwood assaulted my senses as I took a deep inhale, committing his aroma to memory.
"Not to sound like a broken record but I am so sorry! Unfortunately, I am always this clumsy, I'll just leave you and go hide in a corner now." Backing away, I put my hand behind me to feel for the gap in the door.
"You have nothing to apologize for, my size eleven's elevens have got me in some especially important business deals. Who knows, perhaps we may have a business deal coming our way very soon." Letting go of my hand Mr. Crawford lingered at the door, I had to maneuver my cart carefully as to not catch his foot again. Swinging it around I took a hasty exit towards the next office on my list and away from the fire Mr. Crawford stirred inside of me.