The driver said, “Nope. We’ll be there in about a half hour because the address is in the heart of town. Is this your first time visiting Birmingham?”
“Yes! I’ve heard that Birmingham is a lovely city, so I’ve wanted to visit here for a long time,” Alicia replied, leaning out the window. She saw many beautiful sceneries on the streets that she had never seen in her hometown. As a result, she couldn’t stop taking photos with her phone.
“Why are there so many racing car advertisements at the bus stop? Is there going to be an event?” Looking at the racing car advertisements, Alicia couldn’t help but ask.
“Yes, these are all Carousel Group’s advertisements. The international racing competition’s opening ceremony will be held here at the end of this month,” Holding the steering wheel firmly, the driver nodded and replied.
“What is the Carousel Group?” Alicia blinked and asked, “Is it famous?”
“They are well-known here because they are powerful. Also, their president is very young. Well, I don’t think he knows anything about business. Do you know what he’s up to now in business? Car racing! Can you believe it?”
After a short break, the driver kept on saying, “You may not have heard of this group, but you have probably bought something from their brand. They own many companies. Well, this is not the point. Believe it or not, the president of the group is only fifteen years old.”
Alicia exclaimed in surprise, “Wow! Can a fifteen-year-old manage such a large corporation?”
“No way! He can run the business because his father guides him secretly. In fact, I bet that he knows nothing. You see, instead of doing serious business, he began competing in racing competitions. Last week, the site of the project he was working on collapsed. The incident made the news. He will ruin the group if he does not take serious business!”
With her eyes widened in astonishment, Alicia asked, “So there are no other heirs in the group? Why do they want a fifteen-year-old boy to manage the whole group?”
“He has a sister, but no one knows her name. I heard that his father had to retire early because he was in poor health.”
Hearing his words, Alicia nodded and thought for a moment. Seems like rich kids also have a lot to worry about, she thought.
About half an hour later.
“We’ve arrived, young lady.”
“Thanks. Keep the change!”
After getting out of the taxi, Alicia stood at the curb with her suitcase. She smiled as she looked at the tall building in front of her, thinking, This is where my dream begins! I can’t believe I managed to make it this far! Then she took a selfie with her phone.
***
The location of her interview was on the twentieth floor of the building. And Alicia stood at the elevator’s entrance after pressing the elevator button.
At that moment, a black car pulled up in front of the building. Matthew stepped out of the car, surrounded by a group of bodyguards and assistants. They arrived at the elevator entrance at the same time.
Then Matthew’s subordinate reported, “Mr. Wright! The man in charge has arrived in the conference room. They’ve found the right person, and the application deadline is today.”
Hearing that, Alicia took a cautious step to the side. She then blushed when she saw Matthew, who was in the middle of the crowd. Staring at his handsome face, she thought to herself, This young man is so good-looking! Is everyone in this city so attractive? I’m so glad that I will be working in a building with this handsome boy in the future!
Minutes later, the elevator doors opened slowly. Alicia was about to go in when she was stopped by the bodyguards as there would be no more room in the elevator after they all entered it.
Alicia was so thin that she could barely fit in. However, a warning bell rang as she stepped into the elevator. As Alicia looked around to see who would exit the elevator. To her surprise, none of the men beside her moved. They didn’t appear to want to leave the elevator. Annoyed, Alicia frowned.
“Excuse me, young lady. We’re in a hurry, so please wait for the next elevator.” One of the men said.
Alicia frowned, turned around, and grumbled, “Why should I go? I also have urgent things to do now. I got here first, and I’d been waiting a long time.”
Without saying a word, that strong man stared at her expressionlessly. Sensing the hostility in his gaze, Alicia swallowed hard. She was terrified, but she refused to admit defeat. Then, she heard a boy ask in a low, clear, and powerful voice, “Why are you all standing here? What? Are you expecting me to leave so that the elevator will go up?”
When Alicia looked up, she noticed it was the handsome boy who had just spoken. And she realized that the boy was not only attractive, but he also had a pleasant voice.
Everyone in the elevator seemed to be afraid of this boy. The man who had just spoken to Alicia said, “I’m so sorry, Mr. Wright. I’m getting out now.”
The elevator’s alarm went off after the man left. Alicia couldn’t help but turn around and look at the boy again as the elevator rose. However, because there were so many people in the elevator, no one went down until they reached the twentieth floor. They appeared to be working on a higher floor. So, Alicia failed to take a closer look at Matthew.
We seem to be the same age! Is he a celebrity? Alicia thought. She knew there were a lot of media companies and celebrity studios in this office building.
“Hello, I’m here to apply for an interview,” Alicia said to the receptionist after she arrived at the front desk of the company that might hire her.
“Who are you looking for?” The receptionist asked with a smile.
“I’m looking for Amber.”
“It’s the second one down the road on the right.” The receptionist answered.
“Thanks.”
After she reached the door to the office, Alicia nervously knocked on the door.
“Please come in,” a girl in the room said.
“Hello, is Amber there?” Alicia cautiously pushed the door open.
“I am Amber,” the girl said as she turned to face Alicia.
Alicia was taken aback when she saw the girl. Her eyes were the deep blue of the sea, and her cheeks were the color of ripe raspberries. She was dressed in a dark green jersey, which added charm to her youthful appearance. At that moment, in Alicia’s heart, the girl in front of her was as stunning as a movie star.
“Are you… you’re Amber? You look stunning,” Alicia stammered nervously.
“Yes, in the flesh! Why are you standing there? Come here!” the girl said in a soft and sweet voice as she extended her hand to Alicia, “You’re Alicia, right? Thanks for your compliment, by the way.”
Tammy had been an e-sports live streamer for a while, and she had always gone by the name “Amber.” Nobody knew her appearance because she never let the camera capture her face. So, she could understand why Alicia was so surprised.
“So, are we doing the interview now, Miss Amber? Here’s my resume. Please have a look at it,” While struggling to catch her breath, Amber said.
“That won’t be necessary. Back when we communicated with each other, I found that you knew how it goes with live streaming very well. So, I believe that you’re competent enough for the position. If you’re okay with the salary, you’re hired,” Tammy said, setting her resume aside, “And I’ll tell you the specifics later.”
“I’m totally okay with the salary. Thank you for hiring me,” Alicia said with a nod, smiling happily.
“All right, then. Take your time reading the contract. I’ve already signed it, so you can also sign it if you think it’s okay. You can come to work tomorrow.” Tammy took two papers from beneath the table and placed them on the desk. She then picked up her book bag from the hangar and placed one foot on the chair to tie her shoelaces.
“I still have to get back to school,” she explained, “so just take your time reading the contract. Feel free to send me messages anytime if you have any questions about it.”
“All right.” Nodding, Alicia replied.
“By the way, here’s the access card,” Tammy pulled a card from her bag and handed it to Alicia before leaving, “I’ll send you the code to open the door later, and you can input your fingerprints there.”
“Okay.”
After Tammy left the room, Alicia still gripped the access card tightly. She then suddenly realized that Tammy hadn’t told her where she was supposed to live. So, she texted Tammy and asked her about it.
Before long, Tammy texted her back, saying, “You’ll live in the apartment on the top floor of this building. You can just take the elevator there.”
Reading the text, Alicia let out a sigh of relief. Is this where I’m going to live for the time being? Anyways, at least I don’t need to worry about the commute, She thought.
***
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.