1-Birthday ball.

POV - Eleonora Vitale.

The man in front of me stared at me with some insistence and I confess that I was already getting nervous and impatient with his cold and warm look at the same time.

Insane!

Before I entered this room, when I was still waiting for my call, I thought the owner of this company was a grumpy old man. But I almost fainted at the door when I saw this man so imposing.

And now, with his blue eyes facing me, I felt my hands tremble and my back was sweating.

Completely embarrassed, I look away from you and direct him to the glass of your office. The silence was embarrassing, I felt that I was disintegrating and it seemed that at any moment would disappear.

"Good afternoon, ma'am." Finally break the silence, making me sigh in relief and giving me the strength to answer it:

"Good afternoon, Mr. Sorrentino. I'm Eleonora Vitale and I am interested in the job of assistant, proposed by your company." Say at once all the sentences that I spent part of the morning rehearsing.

"As far as I can see..." she recounts, looking at my resume. "The lady has good qualifications, speaks six languages, and has good grades in higher education. A good resume, so good that it is intriguing why you are here, running for a simple assistant job." His voice is almost harsh and I can't help but notice how much he belittles the profession.

"Pardon, sir, I see no problem in this work. Sometimes we study to practice such a profession and we do not always succeed in what we choose." He frowns and leans a little further forward. I know that I could be going too far and no matter how much I felt embarrassed and nervous, I would not let him talk about the profession in this way.

"You're right." You stand up, cross your hands behind you, and slowly turn around your table. "Maybe I gave a bad impression in my speech, but the truth is that I'm just a little curious." He stands behind me, I swallow dry, closing my eyes and mentally asking the Lord up there to help me get out of this place. "She seems nervous." I open my eyes and notice that my hands are trembling, I turn abruptly towards her and see that she is very close to me.

"Sir, I'm sorry but..."

"Silence..." He puts his index finger on my lips, I open my eyes wide, incredulous with his gesture. "She's hired!" He walks away and goes to a small cellar, serving himself some drink.

"Won't you ask me any questions?" I ask, trying to contain my happiness in knowing that I finally got a job.

"I already know everything I need to know about you, Miss. Now you can go, it starts on the second and a first rule: no delays. The other rules I will tell you in the course of the next few days." he says, nodding his head too much.

"Have a good afternoon, Mr. Sorrentino," I say and walk out the door, walking to the door, opening and closing it right away.

A YEAR LATER...

"Ms. Vitale, come to my office." I hear the voice of my boss through the small telephone handset. He then hangs up without allowing me to answer.

"No education!" Bufo, because all he wanted was to stay away from his person. "Yes, I know, it's impossible since I work for him." I think about myself.

I get up and walk to your office, put me in front of the door and knock some.

"Come in." I hear your muffled voice and rush to enter.

"Sir, what do you want?" I ask with my head down and cross my hands in front of me.

"Why don't you look at me?" Your question induces me to do exactly what he is asking. I stare at him and for sure I'm grimacing.

"Pardon, sir," I say and again lower my head. And by the sound of his shoe, I could deduce that he had risen and was now close to me.

"I make you nervous?" Your face is a few inches from mine. I start to shake, as in all the times he plays these games with me and this has happened since I started working for him.

"Sir, what do you want?" I ask again, trying to push it away and succeed in my attempt.

"As you well know, we hold the company's annual birthday ball. I want you to go as my escort."

"I don't know if I'm qualified for this kind of event. Look at me." I point, trying to make him give up.

"I'm looking..." His voice comes out in a different, dark tone, just like his person. Viktor analyzes me, his eyes wander all over my body. "And yet, I want you to be there. And no more talk about it." Seeing that these were his last words, I just sat down and remained silent. "Go away." He says between my teeth, so I do what he commands.