“Would you like to be seated?” he asked.
“Thank you, sir,” she answered, her voice so soft he had to strain to hear her. Her eyes were wide and staring. She sat down slowly, feeling her way into the chair, never taking her eyes off him. What was that emotion he saw? Was it fear? Awe? He expected his employees to respect him, but he couldn’t imagine having a personal assistant who became catatonic in his presence.
“Tell me about yourself, Ms. Everett.” He opted to use her real name since she already appeared to be rattled.
“Uhmm... It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Gherring,” she spoke, her voice almost a whisper.
“I’ll need you to speak up just a bit, Ms. Everett. Can you tell me why you want to work at Gherring Inc.?”
“I just can’t believe I’m really standing here,” she said. “It’s so surreal.”
Steven decided he liked her better when he couldn’t hear what she was saying. He returned his attention to his computer to answer another email. Then he turned back to the girl who still wore the same shocked expression.
“When would you be available to begin working if you were hired?”
“I could start right now!” She smiled with excitement. “Do I have the job?”
“No, Ms. Everett,” he corrected, quickly. “I have to conduct the other interviews before I make a decision. Thank you, Ms. Everett.” He nodded to Katie, who ushered
the stiff gaited girl out the door.
“Okay,” Katie said, ruefully. “I admit, that one was a dud. But the next one looks better.”
He glanced at the top of his stack. “Enoch Grant? You really think I want to spend all day every day looking at a male secretary?”
“Don’t try to pretend you’re the kind of boss who choses a secretary for her looks. I know better.”
“Perhaps not, but it does make my day more pleasant.”
“I’m sorry Mr. Gherring, but I happen to know from my investigation you’ve had male executive assistants in the past.”
He smiled. “Okay, I admit it’s true. But I still maintain it’s not my preference.”
“Well you have two men to interview today. So, remember to keep an open mind.”
Katie went to the door and called in the applicant. Once again, Gherring ignored him completely while he studied the components of the resume. This one had impressive credentials—too impressive. Even a Masters Degree in Economics. He wouldn’t stay in the job for more than a year.
“Mr. Grant,” he said, glancing up to find the man studying the diplomas on his office wall. “Are you quite through with your tour?”
“Excuse me, Mr. Gherring,” he said, with a beaming smile. He moved to the desk with long, confident strides. “I couldn’t help myself. I didn’t know you had a degree from Harvard Law School. That’s awesome.” He held out his hand. “Enoch Grant. Nice to meet you. I know, Enoch is a strange name, but I’m kind of a strange guy so it fits. What would you like to know about me? I’ve got a Bachelor’s degree in Business, and a Masters in Economics. I just got out of school, so I don’t have much experience, but I can learn quickly. Oh, and I’m a whiz with computers. I really can do most anything you need around here. And I’m willing to work long hours, because I don’t have a family or a girlfriend, even. Really, is there anything else you need to know?”
Gherring chuckled to himself and shook his head. “Mr. Grant, I’m going to refer you to personnel. If you just graduated, I think we have an internship available in our CMA department. If you succeed there, you’ll have a chance at a long-term position.”
“Are you kidding me? Just like that? Are you serious about this? Because I was willing to be a slave secretary for years just to get a foot in the door.”
“Mr. Grant, you’re overqualified for this position, and frankly it would be a waste of my time and resources to hire you as an executive assistant. But I’ve seen enough to predict you’ll do well in CMA.”
“Thank you, sir! Wow! This is the best day of my life!” He pumped Gherring’s hand a few more times before allowing Katie to direct him to the personnel department.
The afternoon continued, until Gherring had dispensed with the last resume on his stack. He sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers on his chest.
“Ah, Ms. Carson. It seems we’ve come to the end of our possible candidates, and none of them are suitable for the position. Perhaps we should table our efforts until after the wedding. Although, I would say Ms. Jones could be a perfect fit for Climbing High.”
“There’s one more applicant.” Katie handed him a single sheet of paper.
“I don’t have time to interview another applicant.” He refused to accept the paper from her hand. “We’ll have to reschedule for another day. It’s already five o’clock.” He scowled and began to pack his briefcase.
“This one came from out of state. And she’s been waiting for her turn since one-thirty. You’ll simply have to stay and do the interview now.”