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 of 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.”
She made me feel things. It wasn’t just about the twitch in my very expensive underwear. “You are very young to have a degree in engineering. Most people have no idea what they want to do at such a young age. You and I might be built from the same cloth.” I was giving her a compliment and sometimes I believed the youth was wasted on the young.
“It’s true and some people have no direction. I know a few friends who decided to take a few months off to find themselves. I’m one of the lucky ones. I’ve known what I wanted to do from the moment I was old enough to put things together and take them apart with my bare hands. It’s one of the main reasons why I feel compelled to make old things new again.” Something was missing from her story. I would have to dig deeper to learn why she was so closed off.
“There has been a revolving door in this position. None of them were able to make it their own. I’m taking a risk, but I feel the risk is negligible.” I wanted her to know how important it was for me to have somebody willing to bend over backward. “I’m giving you a chance to flourish and there are a lot of people who would give anything to be in your position.”
“I’ve never shied away from stress. I thrive in an environment of creativity and exploration. I can’t promise to be here forever, but this is where I want to be right now.”
This was my chance to show her the position wasn’t just about answering phones and getting coffee. “Some of the greatest discoveries come from accidents. Where would we be if Alexander Graham Bell didn't invent the light bulb? We have advanced technologically by leaps and bounds over the years. There has been no stopping the juggernaut of creativity around the world.”
I considered myself a visionary and someone who thought outside the box. I surrounded myself with those who had similar thinking to glean from them new and interesting ways of looking at things. Roseanne was one of those freethinkers even if she didn’t know it.
Something had drawn her away from what was going to make her shine like a newly acquired diamond in the rough. It was going to be my job to polish her and to give her the luster of brilliance. I could see an inkling of a newborn baby about to take its first steps. I was going to be the proud papa. I’d been responsible for cultivating those with a modicum of confidence. They blossomed before my eyes, and to me, Roseanne was in their league.
“I would love to be in the same category as many of those who didn’t allow negative thinking in their lives. Had they listened to their peers, many great discoveries would have gone unnoticed.”
She was right there on the cusp of discovering something amazing about herself. I was going to take her in my hands and mold her like a piece of clay.
“I see something underneath the surface of all of this mistrust. Somebody hurt you and somehow you managed to stand up and dust yourself off. You remind me of a child falling off a bicycle and getting right back on. No offense, but you are resilient no matter what anybody else says.”
I saw her eyes move down with subtlety until she was staring at my crotch. I had no problem mixing business with pleasure when the opportunities arose.
Clara stood up in a huff. “I’m going to leave before I say something I’m going to regret. Do what you want and it’s not like I have any say in the ultimate decision. Wait… I do believe that is precisely the reason why you hired me. I might have to reconsider my continued employment with this company.” I had upset Clara and was going to have to make some kind of grand gesture to calm the troubled waters, but for now I let her walk out of the room.
“She’s one of the ones you’re going to have to prove yourself to,” I said quietly. “I have no doubt of your ability to win her over. If you can do that with me then you can do that with anyone.” I got up and sat on the edge of my desk. With her visual acuity, there was no doubt how she was watching the jerking presence of my manhood.
“I hope you’re not hiring me out of spite. I wouldn’t know it even if you were. I do appreciate the comments you made about Montana. You weren’t just saying it to make me think that we had something in common.” She could compartmentalize her feelings, but deep down they festered into something that was preventing her from moving on.
“I can’t say that I haven’t hired out of spite before. This is different. I do expect the same kind of hard work I get from everyone else. There might be some sleepless nights working in the office at all hours of the day and night. You don’t seem to be the type to run away from a challenge. I find challenges the only reason to get up in the morning.” The day I was no longer challenged was the day that I would allow them to pile the dirt over my body.
“The one thing I have learned in my short years is that there’s always something more to experience in life. I try to do things that make me afraid. We only get this one life and we may as well make the best of it.” She got up and my heart sank when her attire went back to where it was almost covering her knees.
“This position will be an experience to remember. You won’t recognize yourself when you finally decide to spread your wings on your own. Mrs. Wilson wasn’t kidding about this being a learning position. Your enthusiasm will only take you so far. It will be interesting how you deal with the frustration of the job.” I was going to be watching her closely and testing her to make sure she wasn’t going to allow anything to fall through the cracks.
“I will do what I can to live up to your lofty expectations. I don’t want you to feel you are wasting your time on a lost cause. My personal life will never interfere in the job.”
It was a man who had made her less likely to jump into the deep end without water wings.
Her confidence was a little worse for the wear, but an encouraging word would go a long way to bring back the sparkle in her eyes.