The ticking sound from the antique grandfather clock adjacent to the door matched the rhythm of my feet nervously tapping away on the shiny, black marble floor. 

No matter how much I tried to distract myself, my gaze always turned back to the clock . 

The position of the hands on the clock verified that I had indeed been waiting here for the last seven minutes. 

No matter how comfortable the plush green sofa was , it did little to ease the nervousness in my heart . By each passing second , my anxiety weighed further and my brain started having second thoughts about coming to this interview.

It's not like I needed a job desperately. I could continue lazing away at home and read all the books I wanted.  But it's not everyday that such a huge job opportunity presents itself in front of me. 

 Even if not for the high salary that the job offered, the position itself was alluring enough to cocoon the introvert in me out of its shell and be brave enough to try my luck at getting this job. The role of assistant editor in a publishing company seemed like the perfect job description. On top of that, this was the famous Inked Fusion we are talking about. One of the biggest and most flourishing publishing companies which currently exist. 

Tugging on my navy blue blouse , I pulled it down over the wide legged white pants I was wearing and adjusted my outfit for the upteenth time in order to look presentable. I turned on the front face of my phone's camera and brushed aside the stray locks of hair falling in front of my face and tucked them back along with the rest of my shoulder length hair. 

Seven minutes ago, the busy receptionist had spared a brief glance at me before going through my resume and directing me to wait here in this room for the boss to come and conduct my interview. 

It hadn't evaded me that some employees seemed to be in an anxious mood and I had overheard them talking about how the boss was in a particularly grumpy mood since some workers had messed up an important  order. 

This information added fuel to my worry and after a quick Google search , I had gotten to know that Ashar Wahid, the owner of Inked Fusion was a strict looking elderly man in his mid fifties. 

I have been nervously waiting for the boss ever since, my resolve to carry on with this interview growing weaker by each passing second as the nerves took control. 

Every time someone would pass by the open door to my left, I would jerk up on the sofa with a jolt only to be left disappointed. 

Just as the clock striked 5 , indicating 10 minutes since my arrival, someone walked into the room and I sat up straight .

But instead of the strict old boss I was waiting for , my widened eyes fell upon an attractive young guy wearing gray sweatpants and a green hoodie. 

His messy , disheveled midnight black hair hinted that he had just woken up from a nap. 

The guy walked straight ahead to the coffee machine at the end of the room and pressed a button. Smooth, golden brown liquid dripped out of the machine and filled up the polystyrene cup resting beneath it. 

The guy picked up the steaming cup of coffee and turned around. His pupils locked on mine and he held my gaze as he blew on the surface of the liquid and gingerly took a sip from the steaming cup. 

I gulped in embarrassment at being caught openly staring and averted my gaze, turning to look outside the door. 

A few seconds passed and I turned back to look at the direction of the coffee machine only to find him still observing me. 

Upon finding my gaze meeting his, the guy shot me a small friendly smile, " Hi miss -... ?  Are you new here ? " 

" Yes. I'm actually here for an interview? " 

I mentally facepalmed as my answer seemed like I myself was confused about what I was doing here. 

His smile widened as he leaned back against the matte gray wallpaper and asked ," Oh for what position? " 

" Assistant editor. " 

His eyebrows went up upon hearing my reply and he paused before continuing, " Cool! I'm Keihan.  I - um work here.  " 

He took another sip from the cup clutched in his hand , " What's your name ? If you don't mind me asking. "

" Zaneya." I said, shifting to sit up straighter as I awkwardly fiddled with my idle fingers. 

" Nervous for the interview? " He inquired in a sympathizing tone. 

I cast my gaze at my lap and slowly nodded, " I'm not the best at interviews, plus I heard the boss is not in the best mood today." 

" Right, there was some problem earlier. He's probably busy dealing with that. But don't worry it's nothing major. " 

I pursed my lips and looked back at him before nodding again, not knowing how to continue the conversation. 

" Since you're so nervous, I think I might be able to help you. " 

I perked up at his statement and looked at him with curiosity, urging him to continue. 

“How about I ask you some common questions . Like a mock interview. This will help you sort through your answers and also ease your nerves for the actual thing. " 

I mulled over the proposal and found myself nodding again, " That would be great. Thank you. " 

Keihan pulled a chair from the corner and sat across from me. 

" So, miss Zaneya. What made you want to apply for the position of assistant editor? " His friendly tone had disappeared as he asked the question in a very formal and authoritative tone. 

" It's actually one of my dream jobs. Any work related to story books is ideal for me. I absolutely love reading. In fact I still can't believe I get to have a shot at working for Inked Fusion no less ." 

I surprisingly found myself rambling on . This always happened whenever I talked about storybooks. 

" Aha , I see. A book lover is always welcome here. But being an editor would also require certain qualifications. Do you have any past experiences ? " Keihan's gaze bored into my eyes as he raised his eyebrows. 

" I - not really. " I paused and gulped, " I used to be a writer for my school magazine. In university I finished a minor degree in English literature but my major was psychology. Since then I have been doing online freelance jobs. I also write books, but they're just for my own eyes. Never tried publishing any traditionally you know. " 

Keihan nodded but didn't smile which made me think I had said something wrong. 

" I'm sorry, did I say too much ? Was it informal and unprofessional? Gosh I'm gonna flunk this interview . " I muttered with anxiety and slumped down with a sigh. 

" Relax Zaneya, it's all good. Breathe in and out. Remember it's just me. Just speak from your heart and it'll be all good. " Keihan assured me as he finally broke his formal character and shot me another one of his swoon worthy smiles. 

Wait - was that a dimple ? 

Heat creeped up my cheeks and I shook my head to shake off the jitters. 

" You're doing really good. So, what are you most looking forward to about this job ? " He leaned back against the chair and folded his arms over his chest, continuing with the mock interview. 

His friendly demeanor eased my nerves and I found myself answering as it I was talking to a friend and not a random stranger. 

" I'm not great at public speaking or socializing. I thought being an editor would allow me to showcase my aptitude with words and help improve my communication skills. " I finally smiled at him before adding, " Also I heard this job allows us to work from home for specific days of the week. Is that true ? " 

Keihan was looking at me with a weird expression. I watched as his lips twitched slightly upwards before he burst out in chuckles , " So that's what made you want to seal this deal huh ? Working from home ? " 

He shook his head while an amused smile played on lips , " Right, that's true but only for two days a week. You'll have to physically come to the office on the other days. " 

" Ah, that's still a great deal. " I grinned back at him as I started fantasizing about working from the comfort of my bedroom. 

But my bubble of fantasy was burst open as I realized I still had to speak to the boss and pass his judgement in order to bag the job. 

Keihan noticed my worried expression and got up from the chair, " See, that wasn't so scary was it ? You're pretty impressive miss Zaneya. "

"Thank you for helping ease my nerves. This really helped . " I gave him a grateful smile whilst trying to fight off the redness breaking through my cheeks. Why did a second of attention from this guy turn my face into a ripe tomato? 

" I'm glad you're feeling okay now. But the credit was yours all along. " He pushed back the chair in the corner it was previously at and walked towards the coffee machine.

" Anyway, you can go home now. You'll receive an email in a few days which will let you know the results of the interview. " Keihan announced as he discarded the empty coffee cup in the waste basket beside the machine. 

" You really got immersed in the role of the boss huh ? Great acting skills. " I reply to his previous statement as he turns to walk out of the door.

Keihan swivels around and faces me again, " No, seriously. The interview is over. " 

I stare at him blankly and my eyebrows scrunch together in confusion, " But the boss - " 

" Right, I'm sorry. He's a busy man so he doesn't personally conduct interviews. Plus , since you applied for the position of an editor, the Editor in Chief will be the one who talks to you. "

" Okay, so where's he ? "

My question is left hanging as a knock sounds from the left and the receptionist pokes her head through the doorway. 

“ Sir, there's been a problem with the final draft. You're being called to review and finalize the edits so it can be sent for publishing.” 

Keihan simply nods at her words and motions for her to go before hesitantly facing me. 

He slowly looks up and meets my eyes before declaring the shocking words which confirm my bubbling suspicion since the last few seconds, “ I am the Editor in Chief.”