“Right.” There’s no mistaking the relief on Ashley’s face that I’m not having a breakdown or been abducted by aliens.
“Well, you are seeing Aidan at eleven and then from one pm it’s the interviews for your Deputy position.”
“That’s today? Shoot. Let me see the files as soon as possible please.”
“Yes, Sir. Anything else?”
“Yeah. Can you arrange for a selection of donuts to be here along with a good strong coffee for when Mr Hall arrives. He has a sweet tooth.”
“Already done, Mr Carter.”
“Thank you, Ashley.” I told her, wondering now if I’ve ever thanked her for what she does either. “I’m very grateful for everything you do to keep me in order. Get yourself a coffee and donut too, okay?”
“Yes, Sir,”
“And please call me H when there’s no one else around, just Mr. Carter in front of other people in a professional capacity.”
“Yes, Sir, I mean, H.” She rushed from the room.
I sat back and let out a hearty laugh. I had to admit that watching the bemused faces of my staff as I acted a little human around them was kind of entertaining. Then I realized that up until now I must have seemed like some kind of robot and suddenly it was not as funny as before.
I searched through the three applications of the interviewees. They all had merit. All three had no identifiable information, so that there was no bias before interview. I had asked Aidan to sit in on the interviews along with Katy, a member of my human resources department so that I had an extra business opinion. Ultimately, if this person was going to be my second-in-command I’d need to be able to trust them and also get along with them, albeit on a professional level.
I walked into the interview room with Aidan and Katy and the first two interviews went fine although a gut feeling told me neither was suitable. As a businessman, gut feeling went a long way, you seemed to develop an inbuilt suspicion of people. “Okay,” said Katy, “I’ll go and fetch Lia.”
And then there she was in front of me, wearing a navy suit and looking the height of professionalism. Her blonde hair tied up in a bun, Amelia had on a white blouse, simple jewelry and carried herself with confidence. She walked over and shook all three of our hands and thanked us for interviewing her before she took her seat. The only hint at nerves came from her taking a sip of water from the glass placed in front of her by Aidan.
I looked over her application again. She’d worked for an estate agents for the last few years, selling exclusive properties in the Hampton’s. She’d taken a business degree at University. Clever girl. I had severely underestimated Amelia, imagining her to be the spoiled daughter of overprotective parents.
Her interview was flawless and then she was asked to leave and that we would let her know our decision later that day.
I told Katy I’d be in touch, and Aidan followed me back to my office where I poured us both a scotch before I sat behind my desk.
“Well,” Aidan loosened his tie. “I know which one I’d be choosing, though I’d be distracted wondering what she looked like with that hair swinging while she sucked my dick.”
“Amelia is Vee’s younger sister. Well, half-sister.” I told him.
His jaw dropped. Aidan was rarely speechless, but this time it took him a good couple minutes before he found his voice again.
“Holy fucking shit. Did you know?”
I sighed. “Not one clue and she arrived at my house last night. Mary put her in the spare room. I had breakfast with her this mor
ning. She asked if I’d take some time to show her around Manhattan this week. Said she’d come to look for a job. Said she had an interview this afternoon. Failed to mention it was for my company.”
“Sly. I like it.” He said.
“You keep away from Amelia.” I shot back.
He held his hands up in surrender. “Dude. Heard loud and clear. How old is she anyway?”
I sat and thought about it. “Twenty-three I think. She was nine when Vee passed.”
“Well, H. Wake the fuck up, man. She’s going to be dating or doing dirty stuff with men by this age so maybe you can cut me some slack and maybe let me take your sister-in-law out one night, for just dinner of course.”
For some reason my neck stiffened. I didn’t want to imagine Amelia like that. Like how Aidan and I viewed the women at the club. Of course at twenty-three she wouldn’t be the innocent I seemed to picture her as.
“No. At least not right now. Let her get settled. So, what do you think? Do I give her the job?”