The Boss of Me

4: The Interview

Percy POV

I was mentally cursing myself as I walked towards the boss. She was sitting behind her desk in a big, pushy leather chair. She aired confidence and power, and her gaze was enough to make anyone turn to stone. 

"Hello, Ms. Chase," I acknowledged while extending my hand. 

"Let's cut the bull shit, Mr. Jackson. Please have a seat," she replied hardly. She gestured towards the chairs before opening a folder. 

I sat uncomfortably while waiting for her to proceed. This could not get any worse. Now, I understood all the warnings I got about the boss. She didn't seem very nice. She radiated cold energy at the moment. 

Her office was plain and organized. 

There were no pictures on the gray walls besides a few certificates. Despite her young age, she was very accomplished. Of course, she was the COO of Olympus Architectures. 

The wall behind her was made of extravagant glass, and it gave a pleasant view of the surroundings. Nothing else stood out in her office. 

I would expect the office to be catered to Annabeth Chase. However, this office did not indicate her personality.

Unless this is her personality. 

"Are you done scoping my office, Mr. Jackson?" the boss asked boldly. 

"Um, I was just waiting for the interview to begin," I answered. I didn't know what else to say or how to defend myself. Her gray eyes were too intimidating. 

She crossed her leg and set the folder down. It was my job application. 

"Do I look like a middle-aged white man?" 

I sighed. "Not at all. I'm so sorry about what I said earlier. I wasn't aware that my boss was a very young and pretty-"

I faltered off and cursed myself some more. What is wrong with me?

"Mr. Jackson, you are not of my usual applicants. Let's get one thing clear: you came extremely unprepared. You don't even know about me or my company," Ms. Chase vocalized. 

"I'm a fast learner. I can get my hands dirty." 

"You're not going to be gardening, Mr. Jackson. This isn't about getting your hands dirty." Her steely gaze fixed me into my seat. This is not going well. 

"It's an expression," I replied softly. 

"What was that?" she snapped. 

"Nothing. I am interested in this job, Ms. Chase. I hope that we can have a fair interview and put the conversation downstairs behind us." 

"The interaction downstairs is a part of the interview. You can learn a lot about a person in a casual setting before the interview." 

"Um, what did you learn about me?" I asked nervously. 

Annabeth Chase stood up and walked around her desk. She leaned against the side of her desk and looked down at me. My gaze traveled her long legs and curvy waist before fixating on her face. 

"I learned that you're smarter than you look. You know about the world and the people who live in it, but you're uneducated. You don't care about academics," she paused. "Also, you're bold, a little too much so." 

"I didn't mean anything by my comments towards you. They were compliments more than anything," I affirmed. 

She leaned forward slightly; her piercing gaze froze me. 

"Flattery won't do any good. Why are you interested in this job?" she asked sternly. 

"Um, I'm going to be completely honest. I don't know much about business or architecture, but I need the money."