Page 8 of Little Miss Fortune

My distraction works, because Steven says, ‘Oh please, don’t apologise. Let us know if you need more time or for us to rearrange the interview, Fukoh.’

‘What was your question before I hit the floor?’ I point at Toby with both hands. That’s good, Fuko, bring it back to the point of this gathering.

‘Yes, right! Um.’ Toby checks his notes, face making his paper look pink. ‘Why didn’t you talk about upload times?’

‘In the task, right?’ I ask, and he nods without looking me in the eye. ‘Well, as of last week, it doesn’t matter what time you upload. The social media algorithm will drive traffic from all over the world if the content is high quality. It also decides the optimum time to push the content to people. If it weren’t for the recent change, I would have included that in the write-up.’

‘Are you satisfied with the answer, Toby? Is everyone fine to continue with our normal programme?’ Adzo asks, looking concerned, but ultimately moving on from our exchange.

Still bright in the cheeks, he flashes a warm smile at me and then gestures to Adzo to take the floor.

There are three more questions. I answer them to the best of my ability, but I can’t stop thinking about my answers. I’m concerned I didn’t actually talk about what I could do for SIMPO or their favourite campaigns of mine, as the only thing on my mind was how bloody embarrassing it was to faint at a spider. With how early I arrived, I should’ve gone through a park before the interview, maybe I would’ve stepped in dog poo and exhausted my bad luck for today.

‘Let me walk you out,’ Toby Lewis says, correcting his tie and holding the door open.

‘It was lovely to meet you, Fukoh.’ Adzo smiles.

‘Thank you.’ I walk out the door and bow to the panel, still in my head about everything that just happened. ‘Sorry, still in Japan mode.’

Steven puts his hands together in a praying motion and bows to me with the enthusiasm of a man who wants to prove that he is cultured. I won’t be a dick about his form (it was more of a namaste than an arigatougozaimasu), but A for effort.

We walk off far enough for the small window in the door not to allow Steven and Adzo to see us. Toby stops and covers his forehead, as if without his hand, his entire head would roll behind the dying bird of paradise plant in the corridor’s corner.

‘I am so sorry. I wouldn’t have been interviewing if I’d recognised you. I was without glasses back then.’

‘There was a lot less skin this time,’ I blurt out.

Toby Lewis chuckles at my comment, which is nice. ‘Same inn in rural Japan. What are the odds of that?’

Bloody high if you’re me.

Huh, he has a nice smile.

I force one of my own, but the complete failure of my interview is now creeping in from all sides. All of my chances are gone because I couldn’t keep it together and then couldn’t shut up in time. What’s even the point of having a magical amulet if it did fuck all?

‘You can report this incident to HR. Honestly, I will deal with it,’ Toby says, as if trying to lighten the mood

He must have misread my gloominess as an offence to his social faux pas.

‘Well, maybe I will ask them to redo the interview. Fainting was not my proudest moment.’

‘Oh, there will be no need to redo anything.’ He taps his card on the lift to hail it to the third floor. ‘I think you are the only appointable candidate, and you were the last interview.’

My heart drops to my soles. Did he just say what I think he said?

‘Steven or Adzo should call you later today.’ A dimple appears on his left cheek.

I gape at him, processing what he just said. ‘Are you telling me this because of the onsen situation?’

‘Absolutely.’ The elevator arrives; Toby Lewis walks in with me. ‘I’m kidding. You are the only person who did the task correctly and who had a good rationale for it. I thought I’d just speed up the process. Sorry if I came across as a wanker.’

Oh, he definitely did. Who interrupts an interview to be rude and demeaning?

‘You didn’t,’ I lie.

‘That’s good. It was just such a long day, and you were showing potential. I just wanted to make sure you were the right one.’

The lift lights up with a green G, and the doors open. We don’t move. A rush of warm prickles dances on my skin.