Amaira woke up with a start, the sunlight streaming through the curtains casting a soft glow on the messy room. She blinked at the clock on her nightstand—8:45 AM. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

“Oh no, no, no!” she muttered, throwing off the covers and jumping out of bed.

She had slept through her alarm—again. The evening before had been a blur of movie, takeaway pizza, and Max. She glanced over at the other side of the bed, where his rumpled pillow lay. They had spent the night together, but not in the way her romanticized teenage dreams once imagined. Max was her best friend and next door mate, nothing more. After another disappointing job rejection, he had come over to cheer her up, and their night had ended with both of them passed out on the couch watching reruns.

In a hurry, Amaira grabbed her phone, praying she hadn't missed anything important. As she scrolled through the notifications, a call came through.

“Sherry?” she answered, slightly breathless.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Sherry's voice chirped from the other end of the line. Amaira could practically hear her friend's knowing smirk.

Amaira groaned. “I know, I know. I overslept. What's up?”

“I've got some news that might just wake you up for good,” Sherry teased, a lilt of excitement in her tone. “So, my friend, Jessica, from college? She works for this up-and-coming tech company, and they’ve got an opening. It’s for a position that’s perfect for you execuritive assistant. You should give it a shot!”

Amaira's heart skipped a beat. “Wait, seriously? A real vacancy?”

“Yep. They’re hiring fast, though, so you need to send in your application today.”

The thought of another interview made Amaira's stomach flip. Her eyes flicked back to the calendar app on her phone. She had already faced 99 rejections, but something in Sherry’s voice filled her with a sense of hope. Could this be the one?

Sherry’s voice brought her back to the moment. “Amaira, come on! What’s the worst that could happen? This could be your big break.”

Amaira took a deep breath, her pulse quickening with both nerves and cautious optimism. “You’re right. I’ll give it a shot. Thanks, Sherry. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You’d probably still be in bed,” Sherry joked, her laughter making Amaira smile.

They said their goodbyes, and Amaira hung up, staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. “The 100th interview,” she whispered to herself, feeling a mixture of anxiety and excitement swirl in her chest.

She went to couch and saw Max still sleeping

The next morning, Amaira woke up early, determined to face the day with newfound energy. Today, she was going to nail the interview.

She took extra care getting ready. The bathroom counter was cluttered with makeup brushes and various skincare products as she methodically worked through her routine. After showering and blow-drying her hair, she put on a crisp white blouse and paired it with a fitted navy-blue blazer.

Standing in front of the long mirror in her room, she checked her reflection. Her dark hair was sleek and tied back in a neat ponytail, her face glowing with just the right amount of makeup—professional yet approachable. She turned side to side, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles and adjusting the collar of her shirt.

“Professional. Polished. You’ve got this,” she said to herself, giving a confident nod to her reflection.

Satisfied, Amaira grabbed her leather-bound portfolio and her phone before heading out the door. Just as she stepped out onto the bustling street, she almost collided with someone.

“Whoa, easy there,” came a familiar voice.

She looked up and found herself staring straight at Max. He was dressed casually in a faded gray t-shirt and jeans, his hair tousled in that effortlessly messy way that she had always secretly envied. He had his messenger bag slung over one shoulder, clearly on his way out too.

“Oh, Max! Sorry, I didn’t see you,” Amaira said, stepping aside. “Are you heading to work?”

“Yeah, some freelance gig downtown,” he replied casually. “What about you? You look... fancy.”

Amaira smiled nervously. “Interview day. My 100th, to be exact.”

Max raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching into a half-smile. “Your 100th, huh? Big day.”

She nodded. “Yep. Sherry’s friend told me about a job opening at her company. Figured I’d give it a shot. Hopefully, this is the one.”

Max’s expression softened. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, individually wrapped lemon sweet, handing it to her with a grin. “Here. For luck. It’s scientifically proven that lemon makes everything better.”

Amaira laughed, accepting the sweet. “Thanks, Max. I’ll take all the luck I can get.”

He gave her a playful nudge on the shoulder. “You’ll be fine, Amaira. You’re smart, you’re tough, and honestly, if they don’t hire you, it’s their loss.”

“Thanks,” she said softly, feeling a little more confident as they started walking down the street together.

They fell into an easy rhythm, walking side by side toward the subway station. The streets were alive with the morning rush, people hurrying past them with coffee cups in hand, cars honking as they navigated the crowded roads. Despite the hustle around them, Amaira found comfort in Max’s presence. He had always been her rock, her go-to whenever things went south. She couldn’t help but wonder how she’d gotten so lucky to have someone like him by her side.

“So,” Max began, glancing at her. “What’s this company about?”

“Tech start-up, apparently. I’ll be doing Executive Assistance, that kind of thing,” she explained, feeling her nerves flare up again at the thought of the interview. “It sounds perfect for me, but... you know how these things go.”

Max gave her a sidelong look. “Yeah, I do. But this time’s different, right? It’s the 100th one. That’s got to mean something.”

Amaira chuckled. “Or it just means I’ve been rejected 99 times.”

Max stopped walking and turned to her with a serious expression. “Amaira, you’ve learned something from every one of those rejections. You’ve gotten stronger, smarter, and better at what you do. This job is just waiting for you to show them why they need you.”

Her heart swelled at his words, and for a moment, she forgot about the interview nerves. She smiled at him, truly grateful. “Thanks, Max. I needed to hear that.”

They arrived at the subway station, the platform bustling with people heading to work. Max and Amaira stood at the entrance, pausing before parting ways.

“Well, this is where we split,” Max said, flashing her his trademark grin. “You go crush that interview.”

“I will,” Amaira replied, clutching the lemon sweet in her hand like a lucky charm.

As the train pulled up, she waved goodbye to Max and stepped inside, ready to face her 100th interview.