CHAPTER 10

"Anything else on my schedule?" Ralph's baritone voice asked.

"We're in the interview process for the interviewees, sir. Would you like to attend?" Malthus waited patiently for his boss' reply.

"Carry on without me, it's you who needs an assistant." Ralph dismissed.

Malthus mentally sighed in acceptance. "If it finalises today, she resumes on Monday." He informed.

"Whatever you say." Ralph indifferently replied.

Malthus couldn't pinpoint why his boss wouldn't work with a woman. Tilting his head in bewilderment, he exited from Ralph's office.

****

"I CAN'T BE LATE."  Laura was surprised when she noticed the time after she added the finishing touches to her makeup. It was already 8:50 am, and her interview was scheduled for 10:00 am. She knew that it now appeared that she had extra time, but her vast experience with interviews would never agree with that. She still couldn't believe that she was going to be interviewed at the famous Landers Tech company. Although she was in a rush, her head was throwing out sparks of uncontained excitement.

Anna wouldn't believe her until she saw the mail from Landers Tech Co.: Dear Laura, As per your application for the Assistant Secretarial position at Landers Tech Co., we are pleased to inform you that you've been granted an invitation for an interview. Further details will be forwarded to you soon. Best regards, Landers Tech HR.

As Laura was dressing up, she momentarily smiled at the remembrance of Anna's reaction. Anna's deafening screams weren't shocking at all, neither were her jittery and bubbly paces. What was unexpected and, truthfully, almost annoying, was Anna's insistence that she was to be the one to choose Laura's interview outfit.

Now looking in the mirror, Laura couldn't recognize herself; Anna's taste was pretty provocative. She's never left for an interview in such revealing clothing. As Laura tried to drag down the short corporate skirt, she immediately remembered Anna's high-pitched voice, "You're supposed to show dem legs, girl. Why else do you have them? Since your brain is clearly not doing a good job, those legs should do the trick!"

Remembering this, Laura surrendered. Although she wanted to protest, she had mentally reached the point where she was willing to do anything to get the job, even if she was going to do as Anna said. If she ended up being rejected yet again, she would know that she, at least, tried a different approach. Her attention was grabbed by Chance's presence in her room.

She noticed as Chance's eyes followed her every move. Even though she turned on the TV to his favourite cartoon, his eyes were fixated on her; it only meant that Chance could sense that she was going to leave him soon. She knew it would be a tug of war having to convince him to stay with the neighbour, Grace.

Although it was Friday, and Anna was going to return earlier than normal, it still wasn't going to be early enough to meet her at home, and for her to stay with Chance after she left; the neighbour was the best option. Laura packed all her necessities inside her handbag and carried a file of her documents in her hand. She was set to go.

"My precious…" Laura softly called for Chance. "Come on, let's go." She stretched her hand to him.

Seeing his mum call for him, Chance quickly wrapped his tiny fingers around her pinky finger. "We're going to Miss Grace's place." Laura used her high-energy tone as she spoke to Chance.

Laura had already contacted Miss Grace about Chance's visit, so she just had to drop him off. She closed the front door and headed straight away for Grace's apartment. Immediately she headed that way, Chance began to cry. Instantly Laura heard this, she squatted to his level. Seeing her skirt roll up, she placed her file on her lap as a cover.

"Oh common, don't be like this now, please." Laura tried to talk to Chance, but his voice only increased.

Grace lived beside Anna's apartment; she was a divorcee in her late 50s who lived with 3 cats and was currently on pension. Whenever Laura had to leave for interviews, part-time jobs, or sometimes grocery shopping, she would often leave Chance in Miss Grace's care. Although Chance knew who Grace was, he always wouldn't want to separate from his mother.

Laura believed that with time, he would learn to stop, but that was not the case recently; it seemed to be worse. Now, Chance was 3 years old, he would always begin to cry whenever they headed for Grace's apartment. Laura was always grateful for Grace because she was so kind, even in the face of crying Chance, but she wasn't happy that Grace had to deal with the whole discomfort of her crying child.

"Mummy will be back soon; I won't be away for long, I promise." Laura was trying to maintain her high-energy tone, but she kept breaking; she knew that she was running out of time.

"Mummy will buy you an ice cream." She tried to pacify Chance, drying his tears with her thumb, but he wasn't yielding. "No, mummy will buy you 2 ice creams when she returns." Laura continued, but this caused Chance to cry even louder.

Just as Laura was confused about what to do, she heard a door open. Looking in the direction, she saw Grace's head pop out. "Bring him already, Laura!" Grace's shaky and vibrant voice ordered.

"Grace…" Laura stood from her squatting position in relief. Walking Chance to Grace's apartment door, she tried not to appear disturbed by Chance's screams. "He's such a mess!" Chance now gripped her leg with his little strength, determined not to be separated from his mother, as they both faced Grace.

"Aren't all children?" Grace chuckled. "Why d'yu think I have none?" Her statement made Laura smile. "Good thing I made brownies!" With this, Grace quickly left her door to go inside her apartment.

In 5 seconds, she returned, her ginger cat hiding behind her leg. She stretched her hand to Chance's face, a brownie in between her thumb and index finger was placed in his sight. "Here."

Noticing the food in Grace's hand, Chance loosened his grip from his mum's leg and collected the brownie. Holding the brownie, his cries softened and finally subsided as he shoved the brownie into his mouth.