by J. S. Cooper
“Of course.” He held up a laminated sheet. “If you start at our platinum level, your buy-in is $5000, but you will start at $6 an hour. The $6 is earned by you going through our lists and calling to make appointments for all our salespeople. Also, you will help to pack the bags. You have to work a minimum of twenty hours here in the office, but the rest of the time you can spend in the field, selling.”
“Oh, okay.” I didn’t know what else to say. I was torn between tears and hysterical laughter. I was hoping he’d say, “Joke, I got ya, you’re on a hidden camera TV show!” or something, but I knew that wasn’t about to happen. I’d come all the way to Jersey for a pyramid scheme and not even a very good one at that. “Uhm, so I think that I will have to pass on this opportunity.” I stood up. “I heard back from someone else and, uh, that job seems more suited to me.”
I didn’t wait for him to respond and hurried out of his office and toward the entrance. My heart was racing, and I almost ran into the elevator when it arrived. I took two deep breaths and grabbed my phone to call Lucy. She would totally laugh when I told her this story. This didn’t even feel like real life. Only I would respond to an ad for a “job” like this.
I ran out of the elevator when it arrived on the first floor and it wasn’t a surprise to see the security guard still chatting on the phone as I exited the building. He didn’t even look up at me as I hurried out. I should have known when I’d seen him that that entire thing would be a fiery mess.
“How did it go?” Lucy answered on the first ring. I groaned loudly in response. “Uh oh, that bad?”
“Worse.”
“What were you selling?”
“You don’t want to know!”
“Sex toys?”
“I wish.” I laughed. “Girl, I will tell you when I get home. I’m so depressed. This sucks.”
“Why don’t you reply to that other job, then?”
“I guess so, it literally can’t be worse than the nightmare I’m just leaving.”
“Oh, I can’t wait to hear more.”
“Trust me, you will laugh all night long.” I sighed. “I’ll see you at home? I need to run to the train and then I will email The Wade Hart back.” I chewed on my lower lip for a few seconds. “I just pray to God that this is a genuine job and not some bullshit scheme. Telling me I can earn six-figures by donating six-figures or something.”
“What?”
“Nothing. I’ll tell you later.” I laughed, feeling better just hearing her voice. “I hope your day is going better than mine. See you later.”
I hung up and ran my fingers through my hair and shook my head. I had never expected that life would be so hard after college. I’d thought once I’d gotten into Columbia, my entire life would just be amazing. I had never expected that I’d graduate without a job and mountains of debt. And even if I wanted my parents to help, they couldn’t. My dad worked for a small paper in Brevard County and my mom had been a stay-at-home parent, taking care of me and my younger brother. My dad still worked, but he didn’t make much money. And he was helping my brother pay for college at UCF. There was no way I could ask him to help me out. My only options were finding a job to help me pay my bills or moving back home. And as much as I’d loved Palm Bay, I was in no hurry to go back. I’d respond to Mr. Hart and see how I felt about the job after the interview. And if push came to shove, I’d get a job waitressing in a restaurant or something.
Chapter 3
To Whom It May Concern,
I am available for a phone interview. I would like to know what the job comprises, though. I do not look like a dog, and I don’t appreciate the sentiment. Also, I’m not sure that I would say today was my lucky day just because you gave me an interview. To be honest, wouldn’t you say that it was your lucky day, seeing as I was the only one that was interested in the job?
Yours sincerely,
Savannah Carter
I read my response over. I knew that I sounded bitchy, but I really didn’t care. There was also no way I was addressing my email to The Wade Hart. I’d keep it as formal as possible, and if this was a serious job, they would understand that. I pressed send before I could change my mind. I sat back in my seat as the train made its way from the station and scrolled through the calendar on my favorite coffee shop’s website. There was a poetry slam coming up on Friday, and I figured that it would be a fun activity for Lucy and me to attend where we could let off some steam. I’d have to write something new, though. I opened the notebook app on my phone and waited for inspiration to hit.
Ping.
A new email alert appeared, and I opened it quickly. It was a response from The Wade Hart.
Dear Ms. Carter,
Are you available for a call now? I expected a response last night, but I can fit you in for an interview right now. What’s your phone number? I didn’t say you look like a dog. You did. Today was not my lucky day. Well, not yet at least. Let’s see what happens tonight.
My name isn’t To Whom It May Concern. It’s Wade Hart. Have you ever sent cover and/or informative letters for a job before?
The Wade Hart
I stared at his response and rolled my eyes. This guy sounded like a jerk. When the hell had I said I look like a dog? And what was he insinuating by saying that tonight might be his lucky night? Was he talking about sex? My face flushed. This kind of inappropriateness was out of control, but I needed this job. I needed a genuine job that paid me, and paid me quickly. Rent was due soon, and I had no other options right now. I regretfully responded to his email with my number and closed my eyes. Panic and anxiety flooded me and I tried to take a few deep breaths. My fingers felt sweaty, and as my phone started ringing, I dropped it onto the floor. My eyes popped open quickly, and I grabbed the phone and answered it, ignoring the rude stare of the elderly lady sitting across from me.
“Hello, this is Savannah Carter.”
“Savannah, this is Wade Hart.” A smooth silky voice sounded in my ear and it surprised me at how much the sound delighted me. He sounded hot, arrogant but super-hot, if a voice could sound hot.
“You mean, The Wade Hart?” I couldn’t stop myself from responding and I froze as my comment was met with silence. Oh, shit—had I blown the interview already? And then he chuckled, a warm, delicious sound that made my stomach flip.
“Yes, the Wade Hart.” He cleared his throat. “I’m guessing this is who let the dogs out, Savannah Carter?”
“You can just call me Ms. Carter.”
“Maybe I want to call you Savannah.”
“That works, sir.”
“How did you know my favored title?” He chuckled, and I rolled my eyes. I looked around the train and I could tell that the older lady across from me was listening to my conversation.
“I made a good guess,” I said and then realized that I was not going about this the right way if I wanted the job. “But I will call you whatever you want, Mr. Hart. I was hoping you would tell me more about the job.”
“You’d be my personal assistant. Have you ever been a personal assistant before?”
“Uhm ...” I hadn’t, but I wasn’t sure if I would stand a chance if I said no. “Not in a professional capacity, but while I was in college, I helped to TA a class and was the assistant to one of my professors.” That was a bit of a stretch. I’d helped to collect tests at the end of one of our exams, but I would not tell Wade Hart that.
“And your resume says you went to Columbia.”
“Yes, yes, I did. Graduated with a 3.8 GPA.”
“So, not a perfect 4.0?”
“No.” I bit down on my lower lip. “Where did you go to college?”
“Harvard undergrad, Wharton for business school,” he said smoothly. “I studied economics.”
“So, you work in finance?”
“Did I say that?”
“Not exactly, but I suppose I made a guess based upon what you told me.”
“So you assumed?”
“Yes, I assumed you were in financ
e.”
“You know what they say when you assume something ...” There was a light tone to his voice, and I realized he was teasing me. I wondered if he would actually complete that sentence. Was he really going to say you make an ass out of you and me? If he did, I would hang up right now. I would hang up the phone, go home, sleep, and hopefully wake up in a new and less cliched reality.
“No, I don’t know.”
“Hmm, well, they say you shouldn’t do it.” I said a silent prayer as he didn’t complete the juvenile saying. “I dabble in the stock market, but I’m actually more focused on trade in emerging markets.”
“Uhm, okay.” What the hell was he talking about?
“I’m involved in a lot of import and export and supporting third-world economies with sustainable businesses.”
“That sounds wonderful.” I still did not understand what that meant, but I would not tell him that.
“I need an assistant who can be on-site with me for the next six months.”
“May I ask why? Where do you live? Can’t I just commute to work?”
“I live outside the city. And no, you can’t just commute to work. Given the nature of the job, we will work at different hours of the day. Some days, we might start at three a.m., some at noon. I need you on hand at all times.”
“Oh, hmmm.” I couldn’t really argue with the time-zone logic. “And I’d be paid a salary? And be given my own place?”
“You’ll be living in my house, and you would have your own room.” He said. “Given how often and quickly I will need your services, it makes no sense for you to not be on the property. And of course, you will have a salary. I don’t expect you to work for free.”
“And what is the salary, and does the job only last six months?”
“The first assignment is for six months. If we work well together, I will extend it. You will receive three lump sums of a hundred thousand dollars. One payment on acceptance of the job, the second payment at month three, and the last payment at the end of the six months.”
“That’s a lot of money for six months.” My mom’s words hit me again, if something sounds too good to be true, it usually was.
“It is, but you will work a lot. Some weeks you might work a hundred hours, and I will need for you to do everything I ask when I ask.” He sounded serious. “You will work hard. I need someone that can commit to doing everything I require of them when I require it.”
“What will you be requiring of me?” Please God, do not say I will have to go door-to-door selling plastic brushes and combs.
“You will facilitate meetings between me and different world leaders and corporation directors, you will create PowerPoint presentations, you will create graphics and videos for ads on social media, and you will write press releases. There will also be some travel where we will set up different site locations, and you will be in charge of quality control for the different products. You will also be in charge of cataloging all of said products, you will be responsible for the weekly grocery shopping and menus for lunch and dinner. I can take care of my breakfast.” He paused. “Those would be some of your duties.”
“Okay, well, just so I know.” Was he joking? That sounded like a laundry load of duties. Much more than one person could handle.
“I know that it sounds like a lot, and I know that you might wonder why I’m not hiring multiple people. I do not trust people. I believe in the saying, too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the pot. I need one person who can do everything I require, and that is why the salary is so high.”
“Hmm,” I bit down on my lower lip. I didn’t even know how to do half of the duties he was asking of me, but I knew that the salary sounded amazing and what was six months? Nothing. I could pay off a significant amount of debt. I could pay my rent.
“Also, I know you most probably have a place in the city, I would cover that rent while you were upstate with me working.”
“You will? On top of my salary?”
“Yes. And of course, I will provide all meals.”
“Wow, okay, that sounds great.”
“I know it is a generous offer.” He paused again. “Now I need to ask you some questions. Please tell me about your previous work experience. I know you studied English in college, but that will only be helpful for the press releases, not any of your other duties.”
“Well, obviously I don’t have a wealth of experience seeing as I just graduated from college, but I’m smart and a go-getter. Some of my previous duties in different jobs included creating PowerPoint presentations, balancing different bank accounts and reconciling the numbers, shopping for the elderly, making phone calls to different law enforcement and federal agencies about defective consumer products ...” I took a deep breath, trying to think of other creative ways to talk about my past.
“Let’s be honest here, Ms. Carter, that all sounds like a lot of bullshit.” He cleared his throat. “From what I can tell, you’re not even remotely qualified for this job, but I do like the way you have tried to make your lack of work history sound like more than it is. You can spin a web, and I need someone willing to spin and weave whatever I tell them to.”
“I don’t know if I should be happy or offended by your statement.”
“Be happy. There’s no point wasting time being offended by the truth. I need you to start tomorrow. I’ll email you a train ticket. You’ll leave from Penn Station.”
“But I haven’t even accepted the job! Plus, you don’t know if I can leave tomorrow.”
“Send me your checking account details tonight via email and I’ll wire you the first payment of a hundred grand tomorrow morning.”
“Like I said, I haven’t even decided if I want the job.”
“The mere fact that you answered my ad and that you’re on the phone with me right now tells me you want and need this job, Ms. Carter. I don’t like playing games, so please don’t start playing any now.”
“I’m not playing any games.”
“Find someone to look after your mutt and pack your bags tonight. The train will leave at seven a.m. Be prepared to work when you arrive. I’ll have you picked up at the station.”
“You mean you don’t expect me to pick myself up?”
“You have a sense of humor. To be honest, that’s one of the reasons why you’re getting the job.”
“Why, thank you. I always knew my personality would work for me one day.”
“Are you going to send me your photo now?”
“Nope. Are you going to send me one?”
“Are you scared you won’t get the job because you’re ugly?”
“Are you scared I won’t accept the job because you look like a troll?”
“I can assure you that I don’t look like a troll, Ms. Carter, far from it.”
“Uh huh.”
“You’re twenty-one?”
“No, I’m twenty-two, and I’m fairly certain it’s illegal to ask me my age in a job interview.”
He chuckled. “You already have the job. I’m making a personal inquiry.”
“Sure.” Even though I could tell the man was insufferable, I quite liked the sparring that we did. I’d never met or spoken to a man like this before. “How old are you?”
“I’m thirty.”
“Old, then.”
“You think thirty is old?”
“Well, it’s not young, is it?”
“I can tell that you’re a woman that enjoys a good spanking.”
“Excuse me?” My jaw dropped. “What did you just say to me?”
“My apologies, you’re right. I misspoke. I should have said, you’re a woman that deserves a good spanking. I don’t know if you enjoy it or not.”
My heart started racing then because I hadn’t expected the conversation to turn this inappropriate already. Who the hell was this guy? And why the hell did I want to work for him?
Well, I didn’t want to work for him, but I wanted the salary. Shit, the money would solve all my immediate problems. But
not if he turned out to be a crazy man. If I ended up locked up and or dead, the money wouldn’t matter.
“Look, Mr. Hart, I’m not sure what you’re saying, but I just want to make sure that this job is legit. Do you have any references I can call? I can’t just catch a train and go upstate and live with you without having even met you.” I cleared my throat nervously. “And I’m not sure what you’re saying about the spanking? You’re not looking for some sex arrangement, are you?” I tried to lower my voice at the last words because the older lady was practically gawking at me now.
“I don’t need you for sex, and I have no interest in paying someone for a sexual arrangement.” He laughed. “Far from it. You need not worry. I will send you a reference to check. The head of a reputable hedge fund on Wall Street, he will vouch for me.”
“We’ll see.”
“I have to go now, Ms. Carter, but if you’re serious about making some money, I expect to receive your bank account info tonight and I’ll see you first thing tomorrow.”
“That doesn’t even leave me much time to—” My voice trailed off as he hung up.
I sat there just staring at the phone. Had he really just hung up on me? I waited for the phone to light up to show he was calling again, but nothing happened.
My brain went into overdrive. It was a lot of money, but something about the situation made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Nonetheless, I was such an idiot that I was excited as well as scared by the possibility of working with him. What did he look like? Was he a hottie? And why would it matter, anyway? It wasn’t as if I was going there to date him. I would be his assistant, his subordinate. I would be kissing his ass more than his face.
I was about to email him to let him know that I would not take the job when a text came through from Lucy.
Hate to scare you, but the landlord just called. Rent is going up $400 starting next month. Might have to call my dad. Ugh. Good luck with the interview. I hope you get the job because we need some good luck.
Fuck it. I would have to take the job. I’d hit up a camping store tonight and buy a knife to take with me. If Mr. Wade Hart tried anything with me, I’d cut off his balls, or at least puncture a rib or something as I made my getaway. I needed this job and this money. I knew Lucy didn’t want to call her dad. He wasn’t happy about her internship. She’d been the best and most supportive friend I ever could have asked for, so I’d suck it up and work at this job for six months.