Short Fiction – The Interview

by Tina Basu June 24, 2015

written by Tina Basu June 24, 2015

I was planning to catch up with some sleep, I am feeling dog tired somehow. And it’s about to be 12 in the night here in India. But I went through my email and saw the Three Word Wednesday word prompts waiting in my inbox. I just couldn’t resist writing down something. Yes sometimes i get into this zone of ‘love for words’ yet sometimes I sit with a blank face and think what am I going to write? Ironies of life!

Anyways today I am going to mix two prompts together –

Three Words Wednesday and A prompt each Day. But first

let’s go ahead with the story.

Here are the words from TWW

Lump, noun: a compact mass of a substance, especially one without a definite or regular shape; a swelling under the skin, especially one caused by injury or disease; a small cube of sugar; a heavy, ungainly, or slow-witted person; verb: put in an indiscriminate mass or group; treat as alike without regard for particulars.

Nervous, adjective: easily agitated or alarmed; tending to be anxious; highly strung; anxious or apprehensive; (of a feeling or reaction) resulting from anxiety or anticipation.

Puzzled, adjective: unable to understand; perplexed.

And the word prompts from APED (any three)

The Interview

Romi felt uneasy. What sort of an interview is this going to be? She thought. She was puzzled why her future employer wanted to meet at the hotel and not the office for the interview.

She was reluctant at first, but finally agreed for the interview. She needed the job badly. She had bills to pay. The sudden recession across the country was not helping anyone.

Romi, however, made it very clear to the consultant that she was willing to meet Mr. Zimmer over tea at the coffee shop and not in his suite.

She waited at the delicately decorated café at the Hilton. He was already late by 20 minutes. What sort of a boss is he? She thought while sipping her English Black tea.

The waitress left a note at her table this time.

‘1709, A. Zimmer’ it read.

Romi wanted to ask the waitress but couldn’t find her anywhere nearby. Do I meet him? Do I just leave? Her mind was in a constant debate for the next five minutes.

Her heart was pounding fast as she entered the lift. While walking towards his suite she ran through the little self defense stunts, she knew, in her mind. But this is one job I can’t afford to lose!

A nervous Romi tidied her hair before ringing the bell gingerly.

“Come in” was all she heard. The voice sounded composed.

The living room was dimly lit. She could only see the shadow of a man on the plush couch. She felt uneasy, she could barely speak, and with a lump in her throat she could manage a feeble good evening.

The shadow rose, leaving the magazine aside and started walking towards her.

‘Andrew Zimmer, and you would be Miss Regan?’ he asked in his calm voice.

For a moment Romi couldn’t respond. She kept staring at his pale blue eyes. In a wobbly voice she replied ‘Romi Regan’ after few moments.

While he talked through her scope of work, only thing that Romi could concentrate was Andrew. He was young, brawny and looked devilishly handsome!

‘Congratulations Miss Regan!’ The words kept reverberating in her ears as she walked out with her appointment letter in her hand.

He wasn’t lecherous as I had assumed.

But will I remain his personal assistant? Can it be something more?

She left the Hilton with questions crowding her mind.