Alluring Chaos

Marjorie sighed heavily, wallowing in self-pity and depression, completely zoned out of reality with her mind drowsy from sorrow and self inflicted boredom. Her brows furrowed tightly, over thinking the congratulatory email she had received earlier about the online job interview she had eagerly done after sending a spectacular curriculum vitae that was sure to stand out.

The email had lifted her spirits, having her dance around the house even with a broken heart, assuring herself that mother universe sympathised with her. She had even sworn in the spur of the moment to be done with relationships, and her friends would die before she changed her mind about loosing her heart to another man that did not deserve it. Her career was more important, after all money would solve most of her problems as it seemed men created more problems for her.

‘... asked me out and made.... Marjorie?'

She threw her head up from her milkshake distractedly, a fake smile plastered on her lips, nodding like she heeded her friends incessant chatter.

'Where have you travelled!? My boyfriend proposed!' Miranda’s announcement prickled her, it came out insensitive, considering how sourly her own relationship had ended. But she could not hold that thought for long as her heart suffered a certain kind of guilt, Miranda was her friend after all.

'Congratulations. It’s about time we are bridesmaids, right Danielle…?’ She said with a forced sense of humour, ignoring the sting that lingered beneath her eyes.

'Indeed. Chief’s bridesmaids though.’ Danielle corrected, slurping her drink in a manner that annoyed Marjorie. ‘Mine buys me flowers. Really? Flowers? Am I a garden? I mean I appreciate the gesture, but it drives me insane! I now live in a greenhouse. Why am I an actress when my boyfriend wants me to be a florist?’ Marjorie smiled genuinely at Danielle’s insignificant complaints, now slurping loudly to annoy her friends, after all the subject no longer concerned her.

Danielle’s boyfriend was simply insecure, bothered by his girlfriend’s profession. It happened one time that he cried in the cinema while they watched an erotic movie Danielle starred in. He constantly walked on egg shells around her, suspecting her of cheating on him with her entire crew, you would not blame him. Danielle was a goddess that flirted with any unfortunate species that had the luxury to the mesmerized by her.

'He will realize soon enough how priceless you are.' Miranda patronised, flashing her diamond ring into her friends’ thirsty faces. It was more insulting to Marjorie, reminding her of what could have been if Franklin had kept his pants zipped. But God he was fine, half Nigerian and half Italian. It would have been a rare disappointment if he hadn't cheated on her with that gorgeous model.

'Okay I can no longer pretend. I know you said you don’t want us talking about him but it is over a month now.You need to get back out there Marjorie, we can not encourage your decision to remain celibate and focus on your career. We need men.' Miranda advised boldly apathetic to her friend's depression.

‘I do not.’ Marjorie said sternly, not about to be advised by someone who just got engaged. The agony was too much too bear, and she now hated men, there were vampires that sucked the life out of women and tossed them away like garbage. Or Perhaps it was her attraction to toxicity, always falling for the vampires and not the good human men like Miranda and Danielle did.

‘You’ll be an old Aunt with a cat in a hut or maybe two cats.’ Danielle said almost believably sad with her puppy dog eyes.

'I'll consider.' Marjorie lied, eager to divert their attention from her.

Her friends nodded in pride. Marjorie could not help but roll her eyes in disguise as she sucked on her straw desperately. Tomorrow was her big day, the only good thing that kept her from rolling on mental pikes and burying her head in pain was the email from earlier, being the P.A to the youngest most successful business woman in the country.

Agnes Crawford.

It was mind numbing, the idea of assisting a woman with such power opened her heart to many possibilities, she could see herself achieving, learning, burgeoning and forgetting about her ex. It was almost therapeutic.

'About your new employer, I heard she's a lesbian.' Miranda accused.

Marjorie choked, coughing into the serviette handed to her by Danielle who was now laughing her head off.

'Not my business Miranda.'

'You sure? Cause I heard someone trying to give up on the male species due to a certain heartbreak by a certain fool.' Danielle taunted devilishly, earning a fierce supporting nod from Miranda and a wide grin. 'I'm not into women and Frank does not have that control over me. I am simply a brokenhearted girl with an opportunity to break forth in her career, with two beautiful friends I'm starting to feel like punching.'

The three women laughed. And for a second her happiness was interrupted by an intruding nervousness. What if Agnes Crawford saw through her? A pathetic brokenhearted woman with a good-looking CV, almost chubby body, and a not so optimistic face.

'Marjorie Williams?' The receptionist called to her with a judgemental attitude, stripping Marjorie of the little confidence she had managed to muster before leaving her house.

'That's me.' She signaled with a hand in the air, her voice more quaky than expected. Deep breaths weren’t even working at this point. She straightened the imaginary fold on her straight black skirt, rising from the three seater aluminium waiting bench that squeaked disturbingly and rewarded her glances from the other visitors in the reception.

'Congratulations Miss. The CEO will see you for the final interview now.'

Final interview!? They had told her she had been qualified to come and start work, not drill her with more philosophical questions.

‘There. The office by the left is where you will be interviewed. Good luck.’ The receptionist did have a problem with relating the right expression to words, because what Marjorie read from the receptionist's countenance was ‘Bad luck’.

Her legs found their way to Agnes' office, heat spreading from her chest to her stomach, palms sweaty and mouth dehydrated from anxiousness. She debated on knocking or barging in as she was already expected. Butt clenched, breath held in anticipation, she knocked softly on the huge mahogany door.

'Come in please.' A deep sultry voice called from inside, a voice that sent shivers down her spine. She heard the voice clearly, but something in her head convinced her she had to be sure, stupid as it seemed, she knocked again.

'I said come in...'

She twisted the knob with every strength in her body, forcing a tight smile on her lip, she could feel the bead of sweat rolling down her temple and into her eyes. it was an intensified sting, but incomparable to what was before her that encapsulated every nerve of her being, overcoming her senses.

It was the chilled scent of fresh coconut in summer, accompanied by the warm primal smoky scent of leather in winter and a hint of sandalwood undoubtedly whiffing off the man that stood beside the eccentric looking woman. But before she studied them, she allowed herself to be absorbed by the ambience, one that conveyed her into a trance. It was an enormous office, larger than every room in her house combined, she could see her vivid reflection in the shiny marble tiled floors, loose herself in the grand golden chandelier right above the floating center glass table with a middle aged woman behind it and two empty swivel chairs in front. Close to the door was a white chaise longue that soothed her mind with the thought of sleeping on it…

'Yes young lady?' The eccentric woman interrupted, the man by her side arching a brow in amusement.

Move damn it! Oh God no, you're embarrassing yourself! You've gotta move your legs! She reminded herself, her anxiety returning like a raging storm, washing over her radically.

'Would you mind stepping in and shutting the door behind you?' The woman behind the desk asked nicely.

'Oh I'm so..so...sorry.' Haphazardly, Marjorie managed to comport herself to do as she was told. Maybe it was the office, or the woman, or the man that stood beside the woman. Her brains had refused to make sense of anything.

'Marjorie Williams? Comment ça va?(How's is it going?) '

'Oui, Ça va bien Merci, Madame.(I am fine thank you, madam.)' Ah yes at least she still knew how to speak French, it was part of the requirements as Agnes' assistant to have the knowledge of at least four languages that Agnes herself spoke fluently. But where was Agnes? The young beautiful CEO she had always admired.

‘Excuse me ma, I am supposed to meet with the CEO for my final interview.’

‘Good cause I am the CEO.’

Why was the room spinning so fast...? In a state of utter perplexity her body went light, her legs giving out under her and ... Darkness. Marjorie....! Miss.... Voices beckoned to her In the darkness but she could not reach because she was too far floating in the sweet abyss that drowned her.