Chapter Six
Reagan
I woke up even earlier on Wednesday knowing that I had my interview that day. It was a good feeling, and even though I didn’t have the job yet, it was still a lot closer than where I was a few days ago. I just hoped I wouldn’t come back disappointed. I had no idea how many people they were interviewing for the job. The only thing I had going for me was that they were probably desperate for someone to start soon.
I spent the day before researching as much as possible so that I looked like I was well informed. Which, thankfully, I actually was. This was a huge opportunity for me and I didn’t want to blow it. I was excited to finally meet Josh Maxwell. Dana was right about one thing though: he did come across like a bit of an asshole on TV, but at the same time, he had good and strong beliefs. He wanted to make a difference, and I was more than ready to back someone like him up. I didn’t have to like him personally. I just had to believe in what he stood for.
I had already decided what I was going to wear for the interview the day before so I didn’t have too much stress that morning. After a hot shower, I changed into black, slim trousers, and a cream shirt, with cream heels. It was simple but elegant. I didn’t want it to look like I was trying too hard, but at the same time, I didn’t want to look like I hadn’t made an effort at all. I tied my long hair into a ponytail and gently curled the edges. Make up was subtle to make me look better, but again not too much so that it didn’t look like I was trying to hide something. I’d never been a big fan of makeup in the first place, so if I overdid it, I would only be making myself feel uncomfortable. And if there was one thing I was certain of, it was the importance of feeling comfortable during the interview of your dreams.
After a quick cup of coffee and a slice of toast, I drove to the interview. The building was tall and intimidating but at the same time it was brimming with excitement. I couldn’t help but wonder just how much went on in that building on a daily basis. Would this be something I would soon become privy too? I made my way over to the reception desk and asked for Ralph.
“Are you Reagan Knead?” she asked.
“Yes, I’m here for an interview.”
“Mr. Garrett is expecting you. If you’d like to just take the elevator. It’s Room 202. It’s on your left as you step out. You won’t miss it.”
She was right. Room 202 was a large conference room, and it was the first thing you saw when you walked in. I popped my head inside and smiled when I saw Ralph. I was happy to see that he was alone. I was hoping for the chance to talk to him before the interview started.
“Ralph, it’s so good to see you,” I said. I walked over for a warm embrace. We had always been huggers, and it was so nice to get a hug from him again. “Seriously, this is crazy. We need to see each other more. You look great.” He looked somewhat stressed, to be honest, but he did look good. This sort of working environment suited him.
“You look amazing, Reagan. Wow.”
I blushed. “Really? Thank you. I was kind of nervous about today. I wanted to make a good impression, but I also didn’t want to try too hard.”
“You never need to try too hard. You just have to be yourself.”
“Ah, no wonder we’re such good friends. You’re good for my ego. So, where is the interview going to be held today? In here?”
“Oh, didn’t anyone tell you?” he said.
“Tell me? Tell me what?”
“Ah, I’m so sorry. I thought I asked the secretary to tell you, but I’m not sure I did. Where’s my mind? I’m normally a lot more focused.”
“Don’t tell me the interview is off,” I said and felt a deep sense of sadness take over me. Was my dream job over just like that?
“It is,” he said. “But not for the reasons you think. Actually, I spoke to Josh, and he told me that he didn’t need to interview you. He trusts me, and he knows that we are in need of your services as soon as possible. So, you’re hired. And, I’m so sorry about the short notice, but you start today.”
“Today?”
He chuckled nervously, “Don’t kill me.”
“Are you kidding me? That’s the best news I’ve ever heard. I’m totally ready for the challenge. Getting the job is way better than getting the interview. This is incredible.”
The relief was visible on his face. “You see, this is why I knew you’d be perfect for the job. You’re so good with challenges. Nothing scares you.”
That wasn’t at all true, but now was not the time to tell that to Ralph. Instead, I smiled. “Thank you so much for this opportunity, Ralph. I appreciate it more than you know. So, what’s the plan for today?”
“Well, the team is going to arrive any minute now for a meeting. I wanted you to get the chance to get to know everyone. Afterward we can go and meet Josh. Then I’d love to sit down with you to create some sort of plan of action and to hear what your thoughts are regarding the matter. Oh, and lots of coffee in between. How does that sound?”
I smiled. “Ralph, that sounds like the perfect day to me.”
He grinned. “Good to have you on board, Reagan. I always knew we’d work together one of these days.”
“Yeah, you’ve said so since college. I’m glad to be here.”
It wasn’t long before people started to trickle into the room. I sat in the corner with Ralph while we waited for the boardroom to fill up. A few people smiled my way, but for the most part, everyone seemed to be deep in conversation with one another. The mood around the office was definitely not a good one, and in a way, it was unfortunate that I was starting my first day on such a low note. Adversely, things could only get better, so at least I had that going for me. We waited until everyone was seated, and then Ralph stood up.
“Hi, everyone. Thanks for coming in so early today. I hope you all got yourself some coffee because today is going to be a very busy day. Before we commence, I’d like to introduce you to our new member of staff. Reagan Knead is not only an old friend of mine, but also an incredible public relations officer. I’ve hired her to help us sort this mess out as seamlessly as possible. Now, as you can imagine, she hasn’t exactly started at the happiest time here. So I’d like you to all make her feel as welcome as possible. She’s getting thrown into the deep end, so she’ll more than likely be part of the furniture within a few days. Reagan, we’re so happy and grateful to have you with us,” Ralph said.
“Thank you for having me,” I said. I looked around at the room. Everyone was looking me with looks of pity on their face. “And I look forward to getting to know everyone.”
We sat for a bit longer, just talking about everything that was going on, and after the meeting, a few people came up to say hello to me, which I thought was very nice. In a way, it was also a great time to start because nobody seemed to care much about anything other than getting through the election unscathed.
“Right, Josh is here now. Are you ready to go see him? Hope that meeting didn’t rattle you too much. It’s not normally that crazy around here.”
I chuckled. “I expected it to be crazy. And yes, I’m ready.”
I was itching to meet Josh Maxwell. I’d seen him so many times on TV, and I knew it would be strange to see him in person. I was hoping that he wasn’t as bad as Dana seemed to think he was going to be. Surely someone with such a passion for his country couldn’t be all that bad. I walked with Ralph, checking myself in the mirror to make sure I still looked presentable, and then took a deep breath as we walked in.
Josh was sitting behind his desk, talking on the phone, and he signaled for us to sit down. I smiled politely as I listened to him talk. Whoever Josh was talking to was clearly not someone that he liked all that much. It was obvious in his tone and his remarks, and I wondered if that’s what he was always like. Considering he was meeting me for the first time, he didn’t seem all that interested in making a good first impression. Perhaps Dana was right.
When he eventually put the phone down, about five full minutes later, he turned to look at me. He had dark brown eyes, and he looked like he hadn’t shaved in days. The look startled me. Josh Maxwell was far better looking in real life than he was on TV. And Josh Maxwell was gorgeous on TV, so that was saying a lot.
“Josh, I’d like you to meet Reagan Knead. Reagan, this is Josh.”
I smiled and stood up to shake his hand. I liked that he didn’t loosen his grasp just because I was a woman. His handshake was firm and solid.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Josh.”
“I’m not sure if pleasure is the right word. You’ve arrived in the middle of a shit storm,” he said.
A shit storm? Charming. “I’m here for damage control. It’s what I was expecting.”
“So, do you know what you’re going to do, then? Do you have a plan of action?” he said. I noticed he hadn’t yet told me that it was a pleasure to meet me, either. The man was certainly very rude. No wonder there were still so many people that didn’t like him. He had good view points, but it was hard to follow a man that you didn’t respect.
“Yes,” I said, staring at him without flinching. “I’m going to get this mess figured out. And I’m going to start with you.”
“Me?” he asked, obviously surprised by how direct I was being. I had a feeling that people didn’t often stand up to him.
“Yes, sir,” I said. “It’s important that we sort out your image. It’s not just about Kason here. It’s about making sure that everything goes smoothly for this election. You have a lot of the public backing you, but you have a whole lot that don’t agree with your ways. We need to sort you out so that you can gain their trust. We’ve got this; I know we do. We just need to smooth out the rough edges.”
I noticed that Ralph was beaming at me, but that Josh was scowling. He laughed ever so slightly and stood up. If he was trying to act intimidating, it wasn’t working.
“Well, thank you very much for coming in. Now, if you’ll both excuse me, I have a very important meeting to get to, and I don’t want to be late. Reagan, I’ll see you tomorrow, and we can start my transformation then.” His last words were said sarcastically, but I didn’t mind. I knew that he wasn’t going to be the easiest person to change. I’d dealt with much worse in my life, and I was always ready for a challenge.
I smiled at him, ignoring his sarcasm completely. “Wonderful. I’m looking forward to it.”