The Day I Kissed An Older Man by Cher the Cherished

At the newspaper agency, the other colleagues could not help but ask Rita a few questions when they saw her so cheerful.
However, Rita was good at keeping secrets, so not a single word leaked out of her lips.
"Hmph, let's just see how long you can remain this cocky. It's just securing a small interview. If you don't do well, this interview
might as well have been given to someone else earlier," Chase remarked.
Rita disregarded Chase's words. "Chase, why not focus on writing your own article instead? Then again, I understand if you can't
do it well. After all, Claire has rejected you many times. I can't help but wonder if she doesn't like you. You'll definitely mess up
the interview if I let you do it. Chase, can't you just focus on writing your piece? I'm going to attend to my work now."
With that, she grabbed her bag and walked into the coffee shop where she had arranged to meet Claire. She was earlier by
nearly an hour as she wanted to go over her questions once more.
Half an hour later, Claire appeared at the coffee shop. They exchanged smiles.
"I thought I was early. It seems like you've arrived even earlier," said Claire.
"We reporters are used to coming early to scout the location. It helps us understand the environment better and makes our
interviews more convenient. I didn't expect you to arrive so early," Rita replied.
"We dancers also find it helpful to familiarize ourselves with the environment. It ensures smooth performances."
"What do you mean by familiarizing yourself with the environment, Miss Claire?" Rita inquired.
Claire chuckled softly, realizing that the interview had already begun. Rita was different from others she had met.
"You might find it hard to imagine,
but there's a lot of rivalry in the
dance world. It's not uncommon for someone to sprinkle broken glass or place a few thumbtacks on the performance stage.
That's whyl only work with a team I completely trust even after coming back from abroad. It's crucial to ensure the floor is clear
before the performance begins," Claire explained.
Rita nodded in understanding. "Young dancers like you are indeed rare. I can see why you'll stir up a lot of jealousy from the
other dancers. Those younger than you see you as a target to surpass, while those older than you often carry a sense of
superiority and are resentful."

Rita's words struck a chord with Claire. As someone slightly older yet still young in the dance world, Claire was in an exact
position as Rita had described.
However, Claire could not openly confront those people. Otherwise, she wished nothing more than to tear into them and ask,
"What gives you the right to behave like this toward me? If you think you're better than me, then why don't we have a dance-off?
Otherwise, stop resorting to such underhanded tactics behind my back!"
"Have you had such challenges with those more senior in your line of work?" asked Claire.
'Good. She's showing interest in my work. This means she's starting to open up to me,' thought Rita.
"To be honest, my colleagues have been subtly undermining me ever since I was assigned to interview you. They all thought I
wouldn't be able to complete this task. Even after you've agreed to let me
interview you, they spoke with a tone of mixed praise and criticism. But I'm used to it by now. I believe that their displeasure
won't matter as long as I deliver the results. After all, the results speak for themselves," Rita remarked confidently.
Claire nodded. "Do you know why you've managed to pique my interest?"
"Because I believe you're much more than what meets the eye," Rita replied.
Rita's words gave Claire a great deal of encouragement. Even until then, she still got passionate when speaking about it.
"Exactly. Many people think that I
refuse to be interviewed because I'm
above everyone else. But it's quite
the opposite. I've been waiting for
the perfect opportunity to leverage my existing strength to the fullest The public might still misunderstand me and consider me
too
materialistic after this interview is

released. But I believe that artistic performances, especially dance performances, won't last long if we can't capture audiences
outside of our circle. In other words, we can't afford to stay in our ivory tower."