I check myself in the bathroom mirror one last time before heading toward the office where I'm expected in five minutes. The heels I stupidly chose to wear are already hurting my feet, and my hijab isn't helping either since it keeps shifting as if it has a life of its own. But I still smile while walking, trying to trick my brain into believing that everything will be fine. Otherwise, I might end up having a panic attack on my first day of work, which would probably be my last if that happens.

I sit in the row of chairs in the hall, waiting for my name to be called, just as the secretary at the entrance of this gigantic place instructed. After what feels like an eternity, I hear a low, velvety voice calling my name, mispronouncing a few letters—nothing new. I force my legs to start walking toward what seems to be my new boss's office, and I say a quick prayer, hoping that everything will go smoothly.

The first thing I notice as soon as I enter are his eyes, which he locks onto mine the moment he sees me. He looks exactly like the pictures online: tall, with a strong and defined jawline, piercing brown eyes that seem to look straight into your soul. His dark hair is perfectly styled, adding to his air of confidence. He is dressed in a well-tailored suit that highlights his toned physique. As he sits in the chair, his posture exudes power and authority, making it impossible to tear my gaze away from him.

I take a step toward his desk and take a deep breath. 
"Nice to meet you, I'm—" 
"You may sit down, Miss Zoubaid," he says, still looking at me like I'm some kind of burden to him. 
I follow his instructions with wobbly legs and wait for him to continue. 
"I asked for your presence just to inform you of some important matters you must know before starting work here. My assistant will be here shortly to explain everything else you need to know." 
I nod slightly, trying to maintain his scrutinizing gaze. 
"I expect perfection in my company. I always require my employees to have at least a few years of experience in the field before hiring them. You are the only exception, so don't make me regret my decision." 
"I'll make sure not to disappoint you, sir." 
"Oh, and remember something: your position here is not guaranteed. After the six months we agreed upon in the contract, we will evaluate whether we want to make your stay permanent or not. That's at my discretion. And one last thing- " he says, glancing at my hijab, and I already know what he's about to address. "I also don't tolerate extremism in any form. I hope I made myself clear." 
I stop myself from rolling my eyes. 
"You did, sir. Thank you for your... clarifications." 
"You may leave." 
I quickly get up and try to exit the office as fast as possible. Once outside, I take a deep breath that I must have been holding until now. I place a hand on my chest, trying to steady my breath, but this moment is interrupted by a hand on my shoulder that makes me jump in fear.
"Oh my god, I didn't mean to scare you girl, but I guess the meeting with Damien didn't really help, huh?" 
I turn and see what looks like the human version of Barbie. This woman is... gorgeous. 
"Who's Damien?" 
Her green eyes look at me as if I just asked her what color Napoleon's white horse was, and then she continues. 
"Right, you may know him as Mr. Harper, not Damien." 
I nod in acknowledgment and mentally slap myself. 
"I'm Sasha, by the way. I'll be showing you around and telling you everything you need to start working here." 
"Nice to meet you, Sasha. I'm Jasmine. Sorry for my reaction; I didn't notice you coming," I say, laughing at how foolish I must have seemed to her. 
"Don't worry; on my first day here, I was just as anxious as you are. Now come on, let me show you your office and the people you'll be working with. It's a very big company, so you'll probably never get to meet everyone who works here. That can be either a positive or negative thing, depending on you." With that, she starts leading me toward the elevator, explaining how things work here.

We go from one office to another, meeting many people whose names I've already forgotten. After what feels like hours, though it's merely been half an hour, we arrive at the office where I'll be working. 
"I'll have to leave you now because technical matters will be explained by the other engineers you'll be working with. But I hope to see you soon, Jasmine. Oh, and good luck, you've got this." 
Her words are so gentle that I feel like crying, but I try to maintain my composure. I put on a smile and enter the office.