Trial Marriage Husband : I Am CEO's Plaything

Two days later, Lisa and Andien returned to job hunting, going harder than ever. They both had to fight tooth and nail over the vacant seats from the rows of companies around  Jakarta and compete with college fresh graduates. It was almost like a survival game since many companies preferred those who were still relatively young as their prospective employees.

But this would not stop both Lisa and Andien. 

They tried any company, from small, medium, to multinational companies. With or without benefits for employees. It didn't matter whether the workplace would be comfortable or not, especially for Lisa. So long as she landed a decent job, she'd be grateful for it. She still had a bigger responsibility than whether or not she would be comfortable with the workplace she was applying for.

She had sent almost hundreds or more applications online to various companies but until now, no great news had come to her inbox.

Today, Lisa decided to take a break from job hunting. When was the last time she rested and pampered herself? She almost forgot. Lisa took the food ingredients from Andien's fridge and cooked for herself and her best friend. Not long after, her cell phone suddenly rang.

Lisa took it from the top of Andien's bed while looking at the number of the caller. It was a number she had never seen before. Without thinking much, Lisa immediately picked up the call and greeted, "Hello?"

"Good afternoon, is this Lisa?" asked the caller from across. The voice seemed to belong to a woman in her 30s. She sounded very organized and professional.

"Yes, who am I talking to?" Lisa replied.

"I'm a representative from the personnel department of Maraya Group. I received a job application that you sent via email a few days ago. Congratulations, you are up to the next stage. Can you come to the Maraya Group office tomorrow morning at 9 for an interview?" The woman from across the phone explained.

Hearing the good news, Lisa was immediately surprised. The results of staying up late a few days ago finally bore fruit! Not only that, her heart was suddenly blooming after these few days of being gloomy and lethargic.

"Is it true!? Okay, I'll be there in the morning," Lisa replied happily.

"Okay then, don't be late. I look forward to our interview tomorrow. Thank you very much, good afternoon." The caller immediately hung up the call.

Lisa put her cellphone on the dining table and looked at the pot filled with water that she hadn't heated with a happy gaze. She was lost in thought, stunned, unable to believe what she had just heard. 

"Crazy, I finally got a job!" Lisa cheered in her mind.

No matter what job she would do in the future, the most important thing was that one out of the hundreds applications she sent out was finally accepted. Lisa could not say anything other than feeling very happy.

It was the best morning, so she cooked her meals with passion and all smiles!

Andien, who was busy with her laptop, suddenly turned her attention to Lisa as her friend was seen blushing to herself while stirring food. She raised an eyebrow and said, "Lis, why are you smiling to yourself as if you just won the lottery?"

Lisa did not pay attention, her mind was still wandering from the good news she'd just received.

"Hey! Don't ignore me and answer my question!" Andien said, raising her voice.

Lisa's attention then was diverted to Andien. She turned her head and said, "I got great news!"

Andien only tilted her head and raised her eyebrows.

"I got accepted at one of the companies I applied to!" Lisa replied happily, almost jumping from where she stood.

Hearing the good news, Andien immediately cheered. She approached Lisa then hugged her best friend tightly. "Crazy! Congratulations! I am also happy to hear it, even though I haven't got any good news from the companies I've applied to, huhu sad.... But I'm happy for you!"

"Hey, don't worry! Don't give up yet, they must've been scrolling through the applications. Trust me. Don't let failure discourage you," Lisa said, trying to comfort Andien who looked gloomy.

"I swear it's crazy, I don't really know how to react to this good news. I actually feel like a failure, you know. No companies have responded to my job application yet." Andien said again with a sad look.

Lisa tapped Andien's shoulder and lifted her best friend's chin so that they stared at each other. Then she took a breath and said, "Hey, don't talk like that. Trust me. Luck doesn't go anywhere! You have to be more active and just be patient."

Tears began to fill the corners of Andien's eyes, either because she felt happy to hear that her friend got a job or sad because she hadn't landed one yet. "Lis, I'm a little jealous of you. I am also afraid that I will not be able to work…"

When Andien said this, the tears that had been flowing immediately streamed down her cheeks. Her face grew increasingly grim and full of despair.

Seeing her best friend shedding tears, Lisa immediately wiped her wet cheek and said, "Come on, don't be sad. I understand your fear. Be patient, you will definitely get it!"

"I'm so sorry. At that time, I resigned from Petersson Communication just because I didn't like Oscar and Clara. I'm really stupid, always listening to my feelings. I didn't think about the risk of my life at that time!" Andien said, her tone full of regret as she lowered her head while wiping her tears.

Lisa then patted her back, trying to calm her down. "It's okay, don't regret it, it's already in the past. We can't go back in time, but we can still fix it in the future. Next time, try to learn from the lesson so that you don't rush into making decisions or that you let your feelings decide it for you."

Hearing the good advice from her friend, Andien nodded. "Thanks a lot, you really are my best friend..."

"Let's just eat well today, shall we? I'll make you sukiyaki later," Lisa said, squinting one eye.

"Hey, didn't you say you wanted to save money?"

"Yes, but this is just once in a while, right? So let's just eat instant noodles first this afternoon, okay?" Lisa replied jokingly.

***

That night, after Lisa went shopping from the supermarket, she immediately made sukiyaki like she promised before. She wanted to celebrate her happiness with her best friend.

"Look, I also bought beer for both of us!" Lisa said, taking out two cans of beer from the grocery bag.

"Wait, are you sure you want to drink this evening? Didn't you have an interview tomorrow?" Andien asked curiously.

"Yeah, it's tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock," said Lisa dryly. She took out all the groceries and put them on the dining table.

"Let's just have a drink tomorrow after the interview. You'll be late if you're drunk the night before!" Andien replied in a worried tone. She rested her chin while watching her friend prepare dinner.

"Are you serious? Why are you so worried though? It's just a can of beer? Are you going to get a hangover from that?" Lisa teased with a laugh.

"What? Hell no! I won't collapse even if it's two!"

Ten minutes later, the two friends had dinner together accompanied by a can of beer. Both of them were like hungry tigers, eating sukiyaki so heartily that there was nothing left.

While eating dinner, Andien suddenly said, "Lis, do you have any future plans? You have already got a job now,"

Lisa took a quick sip of her beer and then replied, "Umm… Not yet. Anyway, I'll think about it when I already have a stable job. It's better to think about the future at that time. Right now, supporting my family is my first priority."

"Don't you... want to get married after that?" Andien asked casually again.

Hearing the word marriage immediately made Lisa feel a little shaken. Her facial expression immediately turned sharp. 

"Can we please not talk about marriage again? I'm tired of it!"