Chapter 2
On the morning of the interview, Elias woke at five a.m., went for a run in the park, showered, and caught the early train into work. When he stepped onto the fifth floor, the office was empty, washed in a pale white glow from the fluorescent lights. He heard the reverberating growl of the cleaner’s vacuum in the board rooms.
After making a coffee, he sat down at his desk and spent the next hour reading up on Blue Tail Media and Ava Wolfe. He searched Facebook, social media accounts, and news sites for any background information on the CEO. He dug up enough information to form an understanding of the infamous Ava Wolfe.
At thirty-four, Ava was divorced, had no children, and was known in quiet circles for her “promiscuous” reputation. According to some, she had a revolving door of men at her beckon call. She was often featured in trash magazines sneaking out of a lover’s house.
Elias considered himself relatively handsome, with his lean, athletic frame, ink-black hair, and clear blue eyes, but he wasn’t a womaniser, only ever having slept with two women in his life.
It was clear from the crap the tabloids were printing that Ava loved men, loved being around them, and being in bed with them. Would he be able to resist her? Could she resist him?
The first wave of employees trickled into the office at eight o’clock, followed by a morose-looking Bill Gander, dressed in a crumpled shirt and over-washed pair of jeans. Not wanting a confrontation regarding his resignation letter, Elias slipped from his desk and went down to the studio. He hung in the shadows, silently working until it was time to leave.
Blue Tail Media was located three stations away from Manny Magpie TV, based in Lido Place, a pedestrian-only plaza accommodating luxury stores, banks, television networks, and a post office.
Elias wandered the sun-drenched mall, his portfolio banging against his leg, spending some time to relax before his big interview. Grabbing a quick takeaway coffee, he crossed the plaza, stopping outside a ten-storey, stone building eclipsing the afternoon sun. The gold lettering on the glass doors read Blue Tail Media.
Elias drew a calming breath and entered the lobby. The blonde receptionist sitting behind the curved marble desk gazed up from typing and smiled.
“Good afternoon.”
Elias approached the desk. “Hello, I’m Elias Dorne. I’m here to see Blake Parker at two o’clock.”
“Sure, please sign in on the ledger in front of you and I’ll call for Blake.”
To kill some time, Elias watched people enter the lobby as the elevator doors opened and studied every woman that emerged, wondering if Ava Wolfe may be among them. He’d seen her picture in editorials and on the news, but never in person.
“Mr. Dorne,” the receptionist called him back over. “I’m afraid Blake’s been called into an urgent meeting, so Ms. Wolfe will see you instead.” She jerked her chin towards the lifts. “Please ride up to level four and Ms. Wolfe’s office is on the right.”
Elias thanked her, gathered his things, and hopped into the elevator. When he stepped out, he was greeted by two glass doors sealed with a security lock. If he turned his head, he could see a camera pointing at him in the corner of the ceiling. Heavy artillery.
He pressed a buzzer on the door and waited to be let in. The office was open planned, clean, and bright, with a grand view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge piercing the sky. A staff member directed him to the boardroom and instructed him to wait for Ava.
Elias sat at the table, tapping his foot methodically, getting more nervous by the minute. Keeping his hands busy, he opened his writing portfolio and spread out his best pieces across the desk. Hopefully, his work would impress the boss.
As if on cue, the door opened, and Ava Wolfe entered the room, carrying a notepad, a coffee cup, and his résumé. “Thank you for meeting me, Mr. Dorne.”
Elias swivelled in his seat and his body immediately betrayed him. Blood rushed below his belt at the sight of her, causing him to stay pinned to his chair as she stuck out her hand. Crowned with a headful of springy, copper curls, Ava was dressed in a royal-blue, knee-length dress, accentuating her wide hips and petite waist. A pearl necklace disappeared into the chasm between her breasts.
When she sat down opposite him, Elias understood why this woman had a cohort of rumoured lovers. Ava was breathtaking. She was blessed with wide, green eyes, a slim nose, and lush, plump lips splashed in red lipstick, the perfect hue to match the fieriness of her hair.
“Thank—” Elias cleared his throat, having difficulty finding his tongue. “Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”
“I promise I won’t take up too much of your time, Elias.” Lowering her gaze to his résumé, Ava tilted her head to one side. “You’re currently employed at Manny Magpie TV. Is that correct?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“What does your role involve?”
“I’m the production manager, so I assist in the studio, setting up the cameras, script work, corresponding with the performers, editing, and post production.”
“Do you write copy?”
Elias referred to his portfolio spread out across the table. “All my y freelance and contracted work is in here including pieces I've written for Manny Magpie.”
Ava’s gaze flicked upward. “The studio was involved in a scandal recently. An actor high on ice went berserk on live television. I saw it on the news.”
Elias bit the inside of his cheek. “Yes, that’s right. The company has since moved on from the incident.”
“Did you have any part in damage control? I can imagine something like that would deeply affect the public’s influence.”
He nodded in agreement. “Yes, my main concern was minimising the negative perception caused by the airing. As soon as the situation came to my knowledge, I published a blog explaining the mistake the studio made, followed by an apologetic email to our advertisers. You’ll find in my portfolio a public apology I released with the assistance of a PR company.”
“What were the results of your work?”
“They were generally positive. Our ratings were still down and stakeholders believed going off the air would be beneficial. However, I fought for the decision to stay on. I surmised that in going off the air the studio would be accepting defeat.”
“I agree. Did you work on your own or had a team around you?”
“I worked solely by myself. The studio manager entrusted me with managing all public relations and communications.”
“So, you were second-in-command?”
“Yes, I guess so.”
“I want to be honest with you, Elias.” Ava leaned back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other, giving him a momentary flash of milk-white skin. “I’m sure you’ve heard the rumours regarding this company’s previous management. As you can imagine, right now I’m in damage control. I need the help of someone who can alter the public’s perception of this company. Contain the damage. You’ll be amazed how long the stink of a scandal can linger, even when the company has been bought out. Nothing is worse than the Australian media. They will chew you up and spit you out.” She tapped his CV with a manicured fingernail. “You’re more than qualified for the position and Blake was very adamant in pushing your application forward.” Her emerald gaze penetrated his soul. “I remind you the role of Director of Communications is not for the faint of heart. It involves long hours and you’ll be on call twenty-four/seven. If I need something, I’ll make contact, no matter what time of day or night.” She pursed her lips together and gave him a cursory look over, a glance that made him uncomfortable. “Are you married? Do you have a family?”
Thinking it was an odd thing to ask, Elias shook his head. “No, I’m single.”
“Elias, I’m not like other employers. I take serious interest in my staff’s wellbeing and I try to create a good work-life balance here. If you’d told me you had young children, I probably would’ve denied your application on the spot. This company is everything to me, Elias. I need someone to be one hundred percent committed.” A small smile peaked her lips. “Are you still interested in pursuing your application?”
Ava Wolfe wasn’t the type of woman to repeat an opportunity like this again. She would go to the next applicant, repeat the same pitch, and keep going until she found someone willing to give up their life for the job. Elias was twenty-seven years old, uncorrupted, committed, and ready for a challenge. He was so used to cleaning up other people’s messes that damage control was part of his routine.
He drew a sharp breath through his nose and shut his portfolio. If he had to give up his life, he wanted to know if it was worth it. “May I ask the remuneration?”
“Of course.” She plucked a sheet of paper from her notepad and slid it across the desk toward him. “I hope this figure will sway your decision.”
The salary was double what he was getting paid now. “Are you interviewing other candidates?”
Ava smirked. “Is that your subtle way of asking to go forward?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Ava leaned over the table, giving Elias an ample view of the black space between her breasts. “Congratulations, Elias. You’re hired,” she said as they shook hands. “I assume you’ll have to give your employer eight weeks’ notice. But we’re dealing with a time-sensitive issue here so I need you as soon as possible. Please speak with your employer. Human Resources will be in contact with you again regarding your contract.” Ava stood and smoothed her dress down with one hand. “Welcome to Blue Tail Media.”