“I think I mentioned I don’t have any need for money. I’m giving you 10% because you bring a lot to the table. This company can flourish underneath the both of us.” I breathed a sigh of relief. Things were going according to plan.
It was time to hire someone to join this little family. I was hopefully going to start with the one who was out of her league.
Chapter five - Roseanne
I had a sense of anticipation. My clothes felt a little constricting and I would’ve been far more comfortable in the buff. He made me feel naked and exposed to his eager and hungry eyes. That one moment where we locked eyes hung in the air with the threat and promise of more to come.
Mrs. Wilson was perturbed and kept glancing at her watch impatiently. The other girls were of the same mindset. Some had decided to leave, thinning the herd of available candidates. I had a feeling those sticking around were more than qualified to fill the position.
One in particular was wearing expensive perfume and designer threads. Her portfolio was inside a leather portfolio. She was the only one outside of me who wasn’t looking to impress with her looks and sexual air of desperation.
“I know what you’re thinking,” she said. I didn’t realize I was staring.
“There’s no possible way you could be a mind reader. You might be able to presume, but there’s no way you could have concrete proof of anything.” I was being a bit defensive, but something about her made me feel she was my competition to beat.
“You’re thinking why is a woman like me stuck within the same category as all the rest of you. I’m obviously more experienced. I have several degrees. I made continuing my education my profession for years. I knew eventually I was going to have to bite the bullet and get a real job.” She was opinionated and self-assured about her skills.
“I can tell you have the intellect to go a long way. May I give you some unbiased advice?” She seemed curious to know more and moved so she was the only one to hear what I was going to say.
“I have a pair of shoes older than you. What makes you think anything you say is going to influence my decision one way or the other?” She wanted to hear what I had to say, but she needed a reason to listen.
“This place isn’t for you. This job will get tiresome for someone who gets easily bored. You need something to challenge you. Mr. Snowdon will take what you have to offer and use you for his own purposes.” I felt like I should be taking my own advice.
“I have had many second thoughts about coming here. His reputation and his misogynist attitude are well documented. I’m really not interested in being chased around the office like some ditzy blonde with no brain in her head.” Her sense of style was hard to ignore. She was at least five foot eight and a hundred fifty pounds strategically located all over her body. She wore her confidence like an Amazon princess. The straight black hair was mesmerizing, not to mention the beguiling smile to lure unsuspecting men into her lair of depravity.
“I see the potential in you to break the glass ceiling.” I said as a door slammed, and I looked up half expecting to see him walking in my direction.
“I appreciate the advice. I can see you’re not like all the rest. You obviously have your reasons for being here. I suspect it has more to do with the money than the actual position. No judgment. I wish you luck. You’re definitely going to need it.” She stood up and casually exited stage left using the elevator at the end of the hall.
The sound of high heels moving quickly to intervene was too late. The doors closed and there was a resounding smack of Mrs. Wilson’s hand in exasperation. She turned and glared with daggers in her eyes. If looks could kill, I would’ve been lying on the floor with a chalk outline around my body.
“I know your game,” she hissed. I looked around, shrugging my shoulders and feigning innocence of any kind of accusation.
“Games have never been my style. I tell it like it is without any kind of filter to censor myself.”
She lowered her glasses and stood defiantly with her hands on her hips. “She was at the top of my list. What could you have possibly said to make her leave without at least trying for the job? She had all the qualities and the credentials behind her name. I want to know how you sleep at night.” Her voice had risen in register and her tone was causing me some concern.
“I told her in no uncertain terms this place wasn’t for her. She was too good to waste her talents sitting behind a desk answering phones. I’m usually a pretty good judge of character.” I wasn’t backing down. Her anger had ignited my fierce conviction.
“I don’t know where you get off telling her anything. It would be best for you to leave right behind her. I can assure you that I have gone over your résumé and I wasn’t the least bit impressed.”
I suspected her reason for me to leave was more of a knee-jerk reaction. “I didn’t want her to waste her potential with someone pretentious and in need of always having the last word. We both know this position is beneath her. These girls will fawn all over him and tell him exactly what he wants to hear. I won’t be so transparent.”
There were murmurs of dissent from my comment. Some of them had taken what I said personally and they should have. There was a parade of those who gave some deep thought to what I said.
“Where are you going?” Mrs. Wilson yelled down the hall. “If you leave, there will not be another opportunity. I will make sure your names never cross his desk again.”
“I think they have other ideas of how their future is going to unfold. If I can protect one of them from this man’s advances, then I will leave here with a happy smile on my face. It doesn’t matter if I get the job, even though my passion for cars should be foremost on his mind.”
“I’m going to repeat myself one more time so there is no miscommunication. I don’t want you anywhere near him. I have a good mind to call for security and have you escorted out of the building.”
“You do whatever you think you have to.” I never blinked and I wanted her to know losing this job wasn’t going to break me like a fragile doll. “Life is about choices, but you should always be prepared for the consequences of your actions. Each action has an equal and opposite reaction.” She was fuming mad and I was waiting for her to wrap her hands around my throat in an effort to shut me up.
“I have a better idea. There’s no possible way he’s going to hire you over the other more qualified candidates. I’m going to give you enough rope to hang yourself.” Her voice had lowered and she was kneeling like she was giving me an encouraging word.
“I don’t have to sit here and take this verbal abuse from one of his lackeys. It makes you look small.”
She was grinding her teeth and trying to stare me down in an obvious tactic of intimidation. “You really do have more to say than you should. I have influence over the hiring process. I will make sure to guide him away from hiring you. Mr. Snowdon is considered a visionary. You’re not even fit to tie his shoes.” She was rapidly crossing a line in the sand.
“Mrs. Wilson doesn’t speak for me. I am more than capable of speaking for myself. I apologize for her unprofessional attitude toward you.” He very casually persuaded her to leave me alone.
I watched with a keen interest as they were having a spirited debate. I gave her credit for not screaming or making a scene. She did have the misfortune of pressing her finger into his chiseled chest. He did not take kindly to anybody invading his personal space.
There were only four other girls left. Two of them would have had their head floating above their bodies had it not been attached to their shoulders. The other two had the smell of desperation surrounding them. Their perfume was sickeningly slathered on like they had bathed in the stuff.
I was burning up with a fever for more than casual conversation. It was quite an aphrodisiac to see him wield his power like a god on Mount Olympus. The truth was very easy to see. Mrs. Wilson was his conscience.
She prevented him from making the mistake of hiring those who could easily survive a capsize
d vessel using the flotation devices on their chest. She was never going to get her way, not when he was holding all the cards.
She walked toward me and I was worried she was going to strike me. Thomas Snowdon spun her around to face him, not more than a couple of feet from where I was sitting.
“I don’t know why this is so hard for you to understand. I want to see her first before seeing anyone else. Don’t worry, I won’t be alone with her. I know you will be constantly breathing down my neck. The possibility of human resources getting involved is the reason I hired you.” I wasn’t sure how I felt about his interest in me.
I could only imagine what position he really wanted me to fill. It most likely had something to do with being on my back on top of his desk. The idea should have made me cringe, but instead, I was thinking about the possibility of more than a working relationship.
“I want to go on the record to say this is a bad idea. I always thought you valued my opinion. My hiring process is quite extensive. I make sure the best person gets the job each and every time.” He wasn’t making any kind of rebuttal. His expression more than said what was on his mind.
“There’s no reason to get your panties in a bunch over something as inconsequential as this.” He was smiling, but underneath I could feel the anger welling up inside him. I could almost swear his eyes had changed color. It must’ve been an optical allusion. The fluorescent light was playing tricks with my eyes.
I shook my head to clear the cobwebs and everything went back to normal. I still couldn’t get the blazing yellow from his eyes out of my mind. It was permanently imprinted like some phantom image grabbing me by the throat.
It wouldn’t let go. The chill down my spine was unforgiving.
“How dare you talk to me in that tone of voice. I’ve been here from the beginning, pulling your fat out of the fire. I don’t ever want to hear those words coming out of your mouth again. I told you when you hired me, I was only going to give you one warning. The next time you say something sexist, it’s going to be the last time you see me.” Mrs. Wilson wasn’t afraid of losing her job and was standing on principle alone.
I grudgingly found respect for her stance on equality in the workplace.
“I didn’t mean that. Things can be said in the heat of the moment. I apologize for saying anything offensive. You might be right about her. There’s really only one way to find out.” There was a perceptible nod, even though I’m sure she was dying inside by having to give me a chance.
He motioned over his shoulder for me to join them in his office. I could only hope I proved myself despite any of her misgivings.
I got up and had to hold onto the chair for support. My knees were wobbling and a flash of heat almost knocked me off of my feet. I straightened my skirt. I didn’t want there to be any hint of impropriety. I took a breath to settle my nerves.
I walked with long strides, which of course accentuated my legs. He was standing at the threshold leering at my form and most likely thinking about the obscene things he wanted to do with my body. I knew I was thinking about him in a less than platonic way.
Chapter six - Tom
“I would like to know the reason why you think you would be a good fit around here. I’m not convinced by anything I see on paper. You have no real experience and it concerns me that you are so willing to stick your head in the lion’s mouth.” Mrs. Wilson said after regaining some composure by asking the initial interview questions.
Clara was my secret weapon and she was rather astute when it came to those who could work with me rather than against me.
Roseanne quickly took the defensive position. “I’ve been on several interviews and they are always the same. The only thing missing from this one is the prerequisite question of where I’m going to be in five years. To be completely honest it’s not going to be sitting behind a desk taking phone calls and getting coffee for the boss.” I saw the fire in her eyes.
She moved to cross her legs nervously. I saw the briefest hint of her red panties.
“This job isn’t some glorified secretary position. It’s insulting to me and to Mr. Snowdon for you to think so. This position is not only employment but it’s a teaching opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the business world. Most would consider this a necessary window of opportunity.”
For some reason, Clara was perturbed. I could sense some of my words in the lobby had been harsh and most likely put her on the defensive.
“I came here, with respect, to learn and to find something I’m passionate about. I’ve been rebuilding cars for years with my cousins. I love the mechanics and the process of seeing a vehicle go from a mere notion to something tangible.”
I was glad Roseanne didn’t mention my greatest failure. The last vehicle was a dismal disappointment and I felt embarrassed. It was the only reason why I had decided to delay my latest revelation until all the bugs were sorted out.
“Passion for cars is nothing. You are wasting our time when there are more qualified candidates. Your education is impressive, but there’s more to life than what you see in a classroom.”
I felt like Clara was trying to sabotage the interview before it got very far. She had made her feelings quite clear, but I thought that I had made myself equally as clear.
“I don’t know what you want me to say. We both know how you feel about me. There’s no hiding the animosity. Anything I say is going to be the wrong thing.” She wasn’t willing to back down.
This was the kind of person I wanted in my employment.
“I would like to know where you come from.”
Clara turned to me, but I gave her a glaring representation of my power through the expression on my face.
“I previously resided in Montana. It’s very beautiful with sprawling hills and mountains as far as the eye can see. My most treasured memory is sitting outside with my grandfather and watching the sunset. There is no place in the world where the colors pop so vividly. It makes you feel like you’re in the presence of God.”
My hunting ground was Montana and for good reason, so I found myself speaking for the first time since the official introductions. “I know exactly what you’re talking about. Lying under the stars in Montana is one of my favorite pastimes. Camping in the great outdoors and living off the land for days is a pleasure.” I was enjoying the fact we had something more in common than cars.
“Only those who have been there can truly immerse themselves in the beauty all around them. I’ve seen that faraway look in others’ eyes and I know it like the back of my hand.”
Clara was all but forgotten, but I could feel her displeasure radiating off of her in waves. I always gave her the power when it came to filling these positions.
“It’s like a picture postcard. I’ve been around the world twice over and there is no better place to get lost in nature. The smell in the air and the feeling of solitude is almost better than sex.” It had been a slip of the tongue. I didn’t mean to blurt it out so blatantly.
I saw her shift and she licked her lips, which confirmed my suspicion the attraction was mutual. “I guess… you could say that.” There was nothing that could replicate what I saw in her eyes. Her knees were slightly knocking together.
“I want to know why you have chosen my company. Don’t give me false platitudes. I don’t want to hear how you want to be part of something bigger than yourself. I don’t want to hear anything about admiring my work and following my career. I want the unvarnished truth without all the bells and whistles.” I knew I was putting her on the spot, but she was fascinating. A little damaged and gun-shy, but I could work with that.
“I came to New York to carve my own path.” She sounded determined and quite sure of herself.
“Can you expand on that? I see here that you have a mechanical engineering degree. I have one myself and I know how difficult it is to attain.” I was giving her an open forum to speak freely without judgment.
“I wasn’t ready for a long-term commitment. This is my way o
f dipping a toe into the water. The deep end is a little scary at the moment, after a disastrous relationship. Trust is a commodity in short supply.” She took a deep breath. “I’m a quick learner and I pick up things like a sponge. Give me a chance and I won’t disappoint you.” She didn’t sugarcoat any of her responses. It was refreshing to see her as an equal, rather than the timid thing out of her element she had been when she walked in the room.
I suspected her duties would entail more than what the job description was initially. Late nights were not uncommon for my assistant to spend at work in my company. She would be an unnecessary distraction, but I couldn’t turn her away without offering her a lifeline.
“I’m inclined to take everything you say at face value. I don’t think I need to see any more candidates. I’m not usually one to buy the first house or car I see without trying others. In this instance, I’m going to go with my gut. It has never failed me in the past.”
“I have to vehemently oppose this decision. These interviews were mainly for show. You’ve always stressed how you wanted to promote from within. There was one outsider, but she decided this position wasn’t in her best interest.” Clara glared at Roseanne. She was right that this was a definite departure from my usual employing practices.
“You should be more upfront.” Roseanne said bluntly. “It would avoid people getting their hopes up.” She was itching to get started and I was anxious to see her in my element.
“I’ve decided to give you a chance to prove yourself on a probationary period. I’m usually a good judge of character.” She wasn’t afraid to fly by the seat of her pants. It was an interesting trait and one we had in common. “You might think this is only a stepping-stone to your mechanical engineer dream job, but I can assure you there’s more to this company than meets the eye.”
“I have to apologize for judging the book by its cover. I should have learned by now to make my own opinion by what I see and not what I hear. I promise to be better about not making snap judgments on hearsay alone.”
Daddy Plus One: A Single Dad Secret Baby Billionaire Romance Page 37