Lavender

Chapter 10 - Mr. Ellington

LAVENDER'S POV

"Mr. Ellington. I-I'm here for the interview."

After saying those words, Mr. Ellington continues to be silent as I watch him gaze back at the scenery from the ninety-ninth floor of Ellington Enterprises.

His silence is unnerving. I don't know what's going on with Mr. Ellington but I'm silently praying that he starts talking as I also need this job. Especially since I have traveled for four hours just to get in here, I have also spent half of Dad's hundred dollar pocket money that is why I really don't want this opportunity to go to waste. I need this interview to be successful, or else I did not just waste Dad's money but also waste time and effort to get dressed.

"You may seat, Miss Miller," Mr. Ellington said that made me raise a brow.

Mr. Ellington knows my name? Now that's shocking, but maybe Larry Jones already mentioned it to him so never mind.

But speaking of Larry Jones. That jerk! I will indeed smack him in his head once we cross our path. He did inform Mr. Ellington about me, while I had no idea that my employer is someone like Mr. Ellington, a CEO of Ellington Enterprises. If Larry only me informed earlier, I would have recited my answers a hundred times for the interview when it started. If only Larry said to me that his friend is a CEO, I should have prepared more than I did hours ago.

But now that I'm here, sitting in the visitor's chair inside Mr. Ellington's office, all I can do is pray and answer his questions properly, or I wouldn't get a chance like this again. It's a freaking hundred dollars we are talking about here and even if the wage were uncanny, I'm still hopeful that I will get the job.

"So Miss Miller..." Mr. Ellington said that immediately got my attention. "Welcome to Ellington Enterprises. Are you ready for the interview?" said Mr. Ellington's young, deep, baritone voice.

"I-uh, yes! I'm ready!" But really! I don't know if I'm really ready.

After knowing that a CEO is going to be my employer, it gives me such a scare. I feel like everything I've learned is not enough as my employer is someone who deserves the professional help of a caregiver for his sister, not someone like me who just passed an exam just to get enough credentials.

"Okay then..." Mr. Ellington said as he got up from sitting on top of his desk and stood still as his broad back was still facing my direction.

Now that he stood up, still staring outside of the dark one-way glass panel his office has, I have finally seen how tall Mr. Ellington and how broad his back is. He was actually the same height as Larry. They are both six-footers in size but Mr. Ellington is still a bit taller.

"But before we start the interview, Miss Miller. I want to ask you first about something," Mr. Ellington said that made me raise a brow.

"Uh, okay, Mr. Ellington," my answer, feeling something different as I wait for his question.

Actually, Mr. Ellington's acting seems weird. I really don't know what's going on with him but maybe the fact that he had a problem with his sister is enough reason to understand his silence. No one can really get past something that is hard to conquer at all. Especially if someone doesn't have any reason to be courageous, no struggles are easy to conquer. Only those who do not give up get past their battles. And in Mr. Ellington's case, whatever it is his sister's case, I will do my best to lessen the burden he is feeling. Not because it's my job as a caregiver but because I love helping everyone.

Suddenly, I heard Mr. Ellington chuckles. It was a cold but baritone laugh that quite made me imagine Mr. Ellington's face. From the time that I entered his office, I haven't still seen his face as I don't what to break the peacefulness he is having while he was gazing at Sunny Isles Beach's scenery.

"Well... do you have a temperamental issue, Miss Miller?" he asked, which made my forehead creased.

Temperamental issue? Maybe, Mr. Ellington is finding out if I had the patience for his sister's condition. I'm actually easy to piss sometimes but it depends on the person I'm surrounded with like Dad or Jada. Still, for the sake of this job interview, I'm leaving the personal stuff and will answer using the experiences I have gained. With that thought in mind, I smiled before answering his question.

"No, Mr. Ellington. I'm actually a very patient person. I've been taking training classes for the past years and patience is one of the things I must possess to become an efficient caregiver," I said but Mr. Ellington suddenly snorts that made me taken aback a bit.

I don't know why but I instantly felt uncomfortable while also watching Mr. Ellington shaking his head, his back still facing my direction as if I said something he disagreed with. What is wrong with him? I said in my mind but I kept myself quiet as I waited for Mr. Ellington to talk again.

"Miss Miller..." Mr. Ellington said with a thick cold voice. "I really don't like liars."

"W-what..." Liars? I instantly put my left hand to cover my mouth, preventing raising my voice.

What does Mr. Ellington is saying anyway? The interview did not even start but I felt like I'm going to be dismissed earlier as Mr. Ellington talked to me like he saw me being impatient.

"But anyway, if you say so," Mr. Ellington suddenly said, still wearing the cold, affecting baritone voice he possessed before, turning his body and finally showing his self to me.

Mr. Ellington was wearing a classic navy black blazer, matched with a light blue collared shirt and chinos, dark chinos until I finally saw the face of the man who just bumped me earlier in the entrance of Ellington Enterprises.

My eyes widened in shock as I gaped at the man I hadn't seen since senior high school. I can still remember what happened that day and every time it passes my mind, I can't help but still feel embarrassed and silly even if the man who caused that uncomfortable feeling suddenly disappeared. His disappearance made me also blame myself as the rejection I did to him was really humiliating. I only got lucky that I had already run out of the Gymnasium hall before even everyone could get photos of him and me.

I admit that day was shocking because his world is really different from mine. Everyone's eyes follow him while no one doesn't even care about me except Jada, of course. He's the school's most valuable player while I was like just a fly everyone's disgusted at. That day was indeed shocking, especially to know that someone like him like a star got his attention on someone like me, like dirt in the ground.

He said that like me. The school's most valuable player said that he had a crush on me. On someone like who doesn't even know how to beautiful who is worth it to be seen beside him. And knowing that Jada also has a big crush on him, I need to get away. Away far from him that day. I want him to forget me. I want him to notice Jada and not me.

But after what happened at the last tournament, I heard that our school's basketball players lost the game. The MVP didn't also play, making everyone pissed that why after knowing the news, I also dyed back my hair to black. As I know that everyone only knows me having white hair that day while the ordinary Lavender only has hair colored black that everyone doesn't care about.

I blame myself for his disappearance and I hide the fact to myself that it was me, the reason for his disappearance, while Jada was heartbroken. She became heartbroken because he disappeared because of me.

And now that I'm sitting here, staring at his cold and stern features, I don't even know what to say. I mean, I wish that I already knew from the start it was him, Larry Jones's friend so that I could decline Larry's offer even if it was a large sum of money I'm going to lose. Or if only I knew Damon's family name back then, I would definitely recognize it but no, it looks like Larry doesn't even want me to know at all.

It was only Damon Ellington he informed that's why earlier, in the entrance, while I still don't have any idea of who is my employer is, Damon already knows it's me. Damon intentionally bumped me but I don't know for what reason. If only he's not the interviewer and the employer, I would definitely shout curses at his face.

And the last thing I want to happen is to see him again. Seeing the man I'm also attracted to way back in senior high school, seeing Jada's crush, I really don't know what to do. I feel like, frozen in place, not breaking my stare to Damon Ellington as I feel like, any moment, he's going to get his revenge on me. I, after all, humiliated him back then in senior high school, for saying no on his date proposal.

The moment right now is really awkward and even if I want to run again, I can't. It's like my body is also betraying me after seeing how Damon Ellington changed so much. From the cute and attractive most valuable basketball player to the sexy, stern, and cold appearance he has now.

Damon Ellington has a pair set of bedroom blue eyes paired with soft angled arch eyebrows and rosy cheeks but he's looking more mature now that he's facing me with a stern expression. He also has an ivory complexion faired with his red lips like he just ate a raspberry while his brown hair is styled in a short blowout with tapered on his sides.

"Miss Miller---"

"Uh, yes! Sorry!" I said as I realized that I'd been staring too much now. Embarrassed, I lowered my head and trained my eyes in the skirt of my Jada's black printed dress.

He looks like he's not bothered as much I do because of this moment at all. God, Lavender! Why am I even stuck in that part of my past senior high school life? We are both grown-ups now so I need to stay focused but how can I do that if I'm also, distracted.

The fact that I meet him again, smoking hot but cold, surfaces unwanted feelings in my body like feeling hot.

"Again, Miss Miller. I already said that I don't like liars but I also don't like women gawking at me, understand?" Dam-- no. Even if he was someone from my past back then, I still need to address him as someone who will be my employer.

Even if the awkwardness was quite unbearable and I had already embarrassed myself enough, I needed to get the job. Even though it looks like I'm the only one affected because of our pasts and not him, I need to act professionally. I just wish he's not going to do anything stupid while I'm working as his employee.

"I understand." With that, he nods at me before taking a seat in his executive swivel chair.

He points his right hand to the envelope that contains my resume so I instantly move, taking out what I need to show to him before handing it to him. With a stern expression, Damon continues to scan my resume while I keep quiet, still feeling the awkwardness of this moment. The air-conditioned of the CEO's office did not even help me from feeling hotter.

I know that I'm also blushing as I can feel the heat in my cheeks so I keep my head low while I wait for Damon, who's now quietly scanning my credentials from the view I'm seeing.