Chapter 3 The interview

Samantha left her editors office with her newly given tough yet interesting assignment, she couldn't she off the feeling of trepidation.She had a sense of forebodings,as if she was walking into the lion's den. She spent the rest of the day researching about Julain Blackwood trying to learn as much as she could about him.But the more she reads the more enigmatic he seemed.she acknowledged ruefully that this new task wouldn't be easy but she is  determined to carry it through. Besides, challenges were part of her,her life has been challenging,she didn't have a easy, rosy or beautiful life or upbringing,her parents had been high school sweethearts who didn't even go to college because her mother Lilian Taylor had fallen pregnant with her, Lilian and Thomas Taylor didn't care about anything else in the world,they had each other and that was enough,they were both from middle class families making their lives even more difficult.Their education ended in high school due to the pregnancy, they got married and started life together surviving on menial jobs, her dad,Thomas Taylor had been a popular basketball player in her school, who was going to be signed into the New York knicks, his dream got cut short after receiving the news from Lilian, he couldn't leave her to cater for a child they were both responsible for,so he stayed with his dream  forfeited.Life has not been easy for Samantha,she was born to two inexperienced and young teenage parents,who barely had enough,she grew up in a cramped two bedroom apartment with her parents in Tremont,Bronx.Her parents were loving but not so supportive of her career, they wanted her to study medicine,become a doctor  and earn higher to make their lives better,in their defense, their dreams and lives were thrown away because of her,but she didn't asked to be born !!she thought angrily, how was it her fault,her parents were lacking in terms of knowledge and ability to provide what she needed for a comfortable  living,her dad,a high school basketball junior coach and mum a seamstress in a local fashion store,were not earning enough,she had started working and taking part-time jobs since when she was fifteen to support and assist her parents in paying rent and billsApparently that wasn't enough, they wanted her to sacrifice her life long dream of being a journalist to satisfy theirs of being a doctor .How is it her fault she had been born? How was any of her parents mistakes her fault?.Her dream of being a successful journalist was what kept her sane and hopeful of a future that seemed so bleak and uncertain.She had no friends growing up not even in high school, her books,news papers,magazines and tabloids were her friends, while other kids were having a much  fun and carefree life, Samantha was always head deep buried in her books, instead of entertaining television series or shows and animation, children her age usually enjoyed, Samantha enjoyed watching the news more, she has always found  the newscasters  smart , incredible and amazing, her parents always thought she was weird, as she basically had no interest in television series children are age were smitten by.They tried all they could to make her drop her obsession with being a journalist and being in the media world, fearing for her safety considering how dangerous being a journalist is. Her parents may have their flaws,but they love and cherish their only child,but sometimes misplaced parental love can be overwhelming. She sighed,taking a stroll down the busy street of Manhattan,her stomach growled, she didn't eat breakfast before leaving the house, she walked into her favourite cafe, morning star cafe shop and ordered her regular, the slightly chubby owner beam at her like she always does and went to get her order. She sat at her favourite place in the cafe as she  search the internet for more pictures and information about the billionaire playboy ,Julian as she sat waiting for her order, she had seen his pictures displayed in the front pages of tabloids,magazines and even newspapers many times before,sometimes with women,especially blondes,he was not just one of the most richest billionaire playboys in New York,he was by far the most ruthless, she had once read somewhere that he in fact does not  go out with one woman twice,there is always a new woman in his arms in every high class New York event,and she also read that he doesn't date,he only does flings,with models,actresses and even heiresses.

Her breakfast was placed on the table, coffee,with milk and sugar and cinnamon pancakes, she ate slowly as she scroll through the internet and displayed pictures of the billionaire on her phone,he is very handsome she acknowledged,very ruthlessly handsome and looks formidable too. In one of his many pictures online,he stood very tall,proud and unsmiling,in his well tailored suit.She finished her breakfast,paid for it, say her good bye to the polite owner and left.She walked through the busy street of manhattan and stopped a cab after walking shortly,getting in side, she took out the address of the billionaire's high rise building, she had called his office earlier to make an appointment and was

scheduled for eleven thirty a.m. It's almost time, in fifteen minutes time she would be facing the billionaire and that made her nervous and unsettled, she breathed in and out softly to calm her nerves, she does not want to go there and look nervous,scared or disoriented. She can't have him thinking that she's weak or even worse scared.The cab stopped in front of the building in midtown Manhattan seven minutes later.

Samantha got down looking up the luxurious building,she went into the foyer and was led to the elevator entrance by a well dressed usher, she entered the elevator,pressed in the floor number,which is the top most floor,she arranged herself,smoothening her clothes in the elevator watching her reflection in the elevator walls.In no time the elevator stopped, she got out and walked confidently to his assistant desk in an

open office."Good morning miss Carter " she said smiling,she had learnt of the other young woman's name when she called the billionaire's office earlier. She had also learnt that she's the only assistant that stayed for more than three years, all the billionaire's former assistants always ended up leaving because of his temperament and arrogance,she is the only one who has stayed for this long, five years is long compared to the two or three months his assistants usually lasted ."good morning Ms Taylor" Martha said standing,she offered her a seat,picked up the telephone and buzz, she heard her say, "good morning sir,a journalist from daily times is here to see you, for a scheduled appointment and interview" she couldn't hear what was said from the other end,she ended the call and sat down,"in five minutes time you will go in" she said smiling sweetly.In exactly five minutes Martha buzzed and announced "Miss Taylor"Samantha stood outside Julain's office ,wondering what he would be like,arrogant ?condescending? She thought to herself. The door was opened, Samantha went in and Martha closed the door from the outside,she heard her receding steps as she walked away.She was face to face with the most stunning man she had ever seen,piercing blue eyes, chiseled features and a smile that could charm the pants off her, she took her eyes of him and pretended to be observing his office,and eventually looked at him again blinking, at the sheer masculine beauty sitting in front of her, he exudes confidence, power,grace,arrogance,wealth and seduction all at once,she squared up and looked more determined to mask her shameless admiration as he was carefully observing her.

"Ms Taylor"he said firmly but politely "what can I do for you?" She smiled and answered "I'm here to ask you about your fast and rapid business growth if you don't