Three days later, Charles Kosonen actually called her back. He'd also arranged a limousine to take her to KE's headquarters.
The headquarter wasn't just a single building. It was a massive campus that screamed luxury from outside in.
Compared to everyone there, who was either wearing tailored suits or quirky, fabulous outfits that looked pulled straight off some high-end runway, Kaija looked painfully plain and simple in the comfy sweater and jeans she had known all her life.
"Your name, please," the receptionist said, eyeing her up and down with a judging look.
"Kaija Sepala. I'm here to see Charles Kosonen."
The receptionist shot Kaija a skeptical look, before lowering her gaze again to the computer, checking the schedule. A few seconds later, she shot up from her seat.
"Ms. Sepala." She bowed deeply. "I apologize for not recognizing you sooner. This way, please!"
Kaija blinked a few times at the sudden change in the receptionist's tone, but she followed her to the elevator anyway.
When they reached the top floor, the receptionist led her into a luxurious waiting room.
The room wasn't empty. Someone was already in there.
His face tightened the moment he saw the receptionist walked into the room.
"Why is that old cunning fox making me wait this long, huh?" he muttered.
His voice was the deepest, raspiest timbre Kaija had ever heard from a man.
Hearing how familiar his voice was, her sleepy gaze shifted from admiring the ornaments in the room to his face at last.
"Oh... Karl Hanski," she mumbled, blinking a few more times, as if unsure she saw him right.
The young man before her sat at the long black leather couch in the middle of the room, dressed from head to toe in a white suit with some cutouts along the sleeves that seemed questionable to her eyes.
His hair was a stylish ash-blond shade, a contrast to the turquoise of his eyes. With that pale skin and those elegant, defined features, he looked like an angel sent to Earth by God himself.
He was only twenty-eight this year, yet he had already claimed for himself the title of the King of Pop in S Country. Every album he dropped made it to the top charts within a day. Every tour sold out, even at sky high prices.
Even Kaija must admit, she'd been his fan once, back when he first debuted.
She used to listen to his albums nonstop, when she was still in high school and he still did hip-hop. Later on, he switched to pop, and his music just... lost her.
Still, part of her still regarded him as one of the most talented artists of her time.
The young superstar paid her presence no mind. His voice came toward the receptionist one more time, now dripping with impatience. "Am I not this label's number one moneymaker?
"Why couldn't that stingy fox just give me that damn flat I've been asking for for months now and stop wasting my precious time?
"I still have a yoga session, a Pilate session and three face masks left for today to take care of this marvelous face and body that make him millions of S dollars a year.
"Go tell him to pick up his aging ass and end whatever meeting he's in right now, receptionist, or I'm gonna storm in there myself."
The receptionist bowed deeply toward him, her tone shaky. "Karl, I'm very sorry, but Mr. Kosonen is expecting a... special guest this morning. I'm afraid you'll have to wait another hour before seeing him."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Karl shot back indifferently.
The receptionist stammered, "Mr. Kosonen made it clear that... Ms. Sepala is to see him immediately when she arrives, I'm afraid."
Karl's eyes narrowed slightly at the trembling receptionist.
"Sepala who?" he muttered coldly.
Then his turquoise eyes shifted past her, and landed directly on Kaija.
The corner his mouth curled into a contemptuous smirk, scoffing, "You?"
"Uh...yeah." Kaija raised a hand awkwardly. "That'd be me."
"Who are you?" he muttered.
"I'm here for, uh... an interview," she said, scratching her face.
"Name?"
"Eh... Kaija?"
"You've slept with Charles?"
Her brows furrowed. "Excuse me?"
"That old fox let you in before me," Karl said lightly, "What other reason could there be?"
"Well, I don't think I've slept with anyone here," she replied. "It's my first day here, and I'm not an escort, you see..."
"Of course, you're not," he scoffed. "You dress a little too cheaply to be an escort."
Now, Kaija's face started twitching slightly.
"It's quite refreshing to see that old fox had changed his taste these days, I must say," Karl went on, eyeing her plain outfit from head to toe. "How long did he last, though?"
Kaija turned sharply to the receptionist, face blooming into a bright smile. "Sorry, miss, but is there a different waiting room? I don't enjoy breathing the same air as scum."
Karl's angelic face darkened at once. "What did you just say?"
He leaned forward, glaring up at her, his tone dropping to a guttural growl. "Listen, cutie. You're not the first woman to come here begging for that old fox's attention. Don't think so highly of yourself."
"And you," she shot back coldly, "don't think you're such a superstar that I'd let you rub your dirty slanders in my face. You think you're so great yourself? Sorry, but your music is only good for putting me to sleep."
Karl shot up from the couch, storming toward her with a face that screamed, "I'm going to kill you right here, right now, with my bare hands".
Kaija blinked a few times at the taller guy before her. With that towering height, he did look a bit intimidating, but his baby face wasn't helping him.
"What a shame, Karl Hanski," she muttered, blue gaze sharpened into cold blades. "I used to listen to your music nonstop back in the days.
"You lost me the moment you switched to pop, but I've always thought you must be an angel in person, given that baby face of yours.
"Turns out you're actually a jerk."
All words got stuck in Karl's throat.
Before he could lunge at the blue-eyed girl and strangle her in place, the receptionist quickly jumped in between them.
"Please, please! There's another waiting room," she told Kaija.
Then she turned to Karl. "Karl, please wait here, I beg you! Mr. Kosonen made it clear this meeting with Ms. Sepala here is an important one."
Then back to Kaija again. "Ms. Sepala, please come with me!"
"Important my ass!" Karl growled, both hands reaching out toward Kaija, making the receptionist jump at him and stop him with all her might.
"Ms. Sepala, please get out of here immediately and go to the room next door!" the receptionist cried.
With one last pitying look over her shoulder at the fuming superstar, Kaija walked guiltlessly out of the chaos she had just caused and headed for the waiting room next door.