Purple Romance

Maria went back to the company after roaming around for three hours. This was her third time of going in there and she was on the verge of giving up already. She wondered the kind of interview they were conducting for it to take this long.

Walking absentmindedly into the reception, she bumped into a group of four men and was about to fall when one of the men swiftly caught her, holding her sturdy with his strong arms wrapped around her waist. Maria's body hit against the man's chest and they stood so close to each other. Their appearance was akin to that of a movie scene where the female lead is being swept off her feet by the male lead. The other three men looked on with amusement and that was the exact same scene that Ad-Din witnessed the moment his car pulled over.

He couldn't believe his eyes and robbed them hard before looking again and saw the same scene and his mood skyrocketed.

He clutched his fist and was about to get down from the car hastily when he saw Maria stepping aside, making her distance with the man more appropriate.

Maria flushed and looked up at the man who just saved her from falling. He was a handsome man with brown eyes. Maria opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out and out of embarrassment she pursed her lips looking at the man who was smiling down at her because of their height difference.

''Are you…okay?'' The man asked and looked at Maria interestingly and she nodded her head like a kid before turning about to go inside. At the door, Maria turned back and said to the man ''thank you'' and ran off.

The man whose name was Monroe chuckled and looked at her retreating figure before turning to his group of friends saying ''did you see that? I think I just fell in love with her''.

''What? Love at first sight?'' one of the men asked and Monroe nodded his head.

''Seriously?'' the other one asked and looked at Monroe as if he had grown a third head.

''Seriously. Let's talk later, I am going to ask where that lady is going to''. Monroe said and ran off inside.

Ad-Din got out of the car angrily and banged the door before leaving. He walked to the men and looked at them scornfully and walked away puzzling the men.

The building where La-Brande was located at was a big one and housed three major companies. A law firm, Ad-Din's company that dealt with electronics and a fashion theatre that belonged to Calia.

The law firm was run and owned by Monroe Lazzy and those three men were his friends who were also lawyers and owned their own firms at a different locations. They had gathered for lunch and just returned when they bumped into Maria.

...

Maria washed her face at the washroom and walked out towards the interview room. She reckoned it will definitely be her turn once she got there but she was wrong. The unknown CEO had suddenly pulled out of the interview just some minutes ago and she was asked to return the following day for her interview.

''Why should I go and come back tomorrow when we can have the interview today? Please I don't understand?'' Maria asked dishearteningly and looked at Paul.

Paul was trying his best to act calm and cool but the woman's question was also the same question he wished to ask his boss. He returned from his doctor's appointment and asked him to tell this woman to go home and return the following day. His boss' mood was very bad so he didn't want to incur any wrath upon himself by asking.

''As I said, our boss who intended to interview you himself suddenly got an emergency call and left. He said you should come tomorrow if you are desperate for the job''. Paul spoke while observing Maria.

''What? Wait. Why do I feel that your boss' behaviour is quite petty and childish?'' Maria asked.

Paul wanted to tell her that it wasn't that she felt his behaviour was petty and childish but indeed it was. He was a grown man. If he had an unsettled business with this woman, then he should come out and do it. Why was he hiding and bullying a little woman like the one in front of him?

'Will I be guaranteed the job when I come here tomorrow?' Maria asked.

''Huh?'' Paul was startled.

''I asked if I would be guaranteed of the job if I come here tomorrow? You see, I have another interview that I must attend tomorrow. If I am going to boycott that and come here, then I should have some assurance. Don't you think so? Why don't you ask your boss that question for me?'' Maria glared at Paul and Paul almost lost his stance.

This woman was quite daring to pose such a question at their boss. It looked like she wasn't that easy to be bullied after all. Paul couldn't wait to find out their relationship and how things were going to unfold between his boss and this woman.

''I will wait for your company's appointment call between the hours of 8:00AM and 9:30Am. If I don't get a call by then, then I will go to my next interview. That will be much better than coming here to waste my time''. Maria picked her bag and glared at Paul before taking the employee elevator this time around.

Paul released a breath he had been holding in for a while and sighed. That woman looked exactly like his boss when he was commanding someone to do something. She even had the guts to set her own time and ask for an appointment call. Wasn't she having just a teachers' degree certificate that even dated back to 8 years ago?

Paul wondered what exactly she was going to do once she got a job at the marketing department. He shook his head and went towards the CEO's floor to deliver the news to him.

...…

''What? She even dared to threaten me? This woman is still so shameless''. Ad-Din banged his fist on the table after saying that.

''Boss, so what should I do about her request?'' Paul asked cautiously.

''What request? Are we here to be honouring people's request? Let her go to her stupid interview and realised how different my company is from that one. Maria Portia Lee. Don't even think you can escape from her sight just like you did 8 years ago''. Ad-Din said.

8 years ago? Paul's eyes widened at the latest information he was getting. So it turned out that his boss knew the woman from 8 years ago? But, why was he so worked up over her? Paul shook his head.

His boss was a person he could never figure out.