This is not the first time I'm going to a job interview but, for some reason, I'm feeling more nervous than usual.

There are a dozen other applicants lined up and they all look like they swallowed a big chunk of confidence before stepping inside the building. Another interesting thing I notice is that most of them seem older than me, both by age and by experience. Huh. Does that mean I might be the only millennial here?

Some of them are also talking to each other. I faintly hear the lady in front of me asking the man beside her how things are going in his previous job. I look around and see the others talking to one another as well. The woman next to me is busy playing Candy Crush on her phone, obviously intent on not having any sort of human interaction.

“Kian?”

I look up and find Tunisha, Jared's friend, walking towards my direction. She opens her arms and I let her wrap them around me.

“Hi,” I say, placing my hands tentatively on her back. “I'm Kian.”

“I know that, silly.” She releases me from her embrace and eyes me up and down. “Jared told me you're a cutie and he's not lying.”

Tunisha is as tall as I am, maybe a bit shorter if she isn't wearing those dangerous-looking red stilettos. And also, I think this goes without saying, but she's by far the most beautiful woman I've ever seen after Audrey Hepburn. Her skin is a deep bronze shade that is glowing for the gods. Her hair could even beat out Sophia if she auditioned for those L'Oreal ads. She might be wearing makeup but no makeup can cover imperfections, and I'm sure she has none underneath all of that.

I feel like she just called me ugly in two hundred languages. Her overall aura is just fire. Everyone in this room should just pack it up and leave.

“I know I'm beautiful but that's not what we're here to talk about, pretty boy. Sit down.” She sits on the chair next to mine with the grace of a queen. “So, Jared told me you lost your job because disgusting gremlins run your former company.”

I nod. We just met in person for the first time but it feels like I've known her for years thanks to Jared telling me and the rest of our friend group stories about her. Her presence might be a little intimidating but she sure makes me feel like I could trust her.

She tightens his red, glossy lips and shakes her head in pity. “I'm so sorry to hear that. Here in Stargaze, you don't need to worry about people who are against the not-straights. This is a friendly environment! Why do you think I got accepted here in the first place?”

I smile at that. Companies usually don't really care about their workers' sexuality. The only time they will care is when they deem that an employee's ‘inappropriate behaviour’ affected their ‘pure and untarnished reputation’. Bollocks.

“Anyways, most of the people here are nice. The pay is good and there is a lot of fish to catch,” she says, winking suggestively at me before pointing at the group of guys at the other side of the vicinity.

I direct my gaze at the men talking with cups in their hands. Is Stargaze only accepting employees who look like they could be models for Men's Health or Vogue? I have yet to see a mundane-looking worker in this company because right now, it seems like my chances of working here are slim to none. Tunisha called me pretty boy, but I suppose looking pretty is not enough. You got to be sculpted by the Greek gods. Case in point: Tunisha.

“They look perfect, Tunisha. They're like sculptures! I think they are waaaay out of my league.”

“With the pay we're receiving here, you best believe everyone can be sculpted the way they want themselves to be.”

“What do you mean?”

Tunisha runs her hands around her body. “This is an example of being sculpted. And by sculpted, I mean plastic surgery, botox, liposuction. Y'know, the usual.”

“Are you saying they don't look like humans because they underwent surgery?”

“Well, not all of them. That guy over there who looks like Chris Evans's Captain America?” She points her finger at the bloke wearing a blue dress shirt that probably a bit too small for his chest because his buttons are looking like they're going to pop off anytime. “He didn't remodel himself and, fun fact, he's the biggest out of all the five guys I slept with among their group.”

“Yeah, I could see that.” I wave my hand over my chest. “He's got big pecs.”

“Oh no, honey. I'm not talking about his body. I'm talking about his big dragon down there.”

“Oh? Really? Of course, you were.” 

Okay, how can someone still sound graceful while talking about NSFW stuff? This is so unfair. 

“What's your work in here, by the way?”

“I'm a social media manager. Every tweet, every Facebook post, and every Instagram picture we put out on our official social media pages—that is what I work on twenty-four seven. It sounds like an easy job but, sweetie, no work is easy.” She adjusts her position on her seat. “How 'bout you? What position are you vying for?”

“Editorial assistant.”

“Starting from the bottom before making your way to the top, huh?”

There's something about the way she said bottom and top that makes me giggle. “Exactly. And uh, in case you're wondering, I can do both ways.”

“A versatile! A very rare kind. I mean that as a compliment, pretty boy.”

I beam up at her. “Thank you.”

“Anyways, my break's almost over but, just so you know, if you ever get accepted here—and I'm claiming it, you will—do not hesitate to ask questions to anyone especially me. Okay?”

I grin, nodding my head. “Thank you. You're such a sweetheart.”

She tucks her hair behind her ears and gets out of her seat, sending me air kisses. “I'll see you very soon, darling.” And with that, she steps inside the elevator and disappears, leaving me alone with no one to talk to again.