by Sky Corgan
“God bless you, Jim,” I whispered after ending the call, jumping up and down with excitement. If I could nail this second interview, then I wouldn't have to move out, and all of my troubles could go away. With that in mind, I decided to do whatever it took to land the job.
That night, I told the story of my meeting with Jim to Mandy. Since I now had a second interview, it wouldn't seem like I had wasted my time by going out for coffee with him. I made sure to describe him in detail, gushing about his attractiveness.
“Did you see a ring on his finger?” Mandy asked, her enthusiasm higher than normal, though I knew it was because of the second interview and not because of my awesome coffee date.
“Nope.”
“Did you even look, Miss Unobservant?” she teased.
“Of course I did. There are a lot of things I miss, but that isn't one of them.” I smirked. “If I get this job, that means I'll get to see him again.”
“Well, don't go turning this into a way to get a date. Work relationships almost never work out. If you see him, you should just thank him for helping you get the interview and then go about your business.”
“But what if I don't get the job?” I gave her a sly grin.
“Don't even joke like that.” Mandy shook her head, sighing. “You need this job more than you need a warm body to sleep by.”
“I know. I was just joking.” I tried not to get agitated by her seriousness. “So, what if I do get this job? What does it mean for our living arrangement?”
“Well, you only paid part of last month's rent, and even if you get this job, you won't be able to pay any of this month's rent. I'm still not sure this is going to work,” she said, and I knew exactly what she was thinking. Even if I got this job, it would only be a matter of days or weeks before I ran my mouth, got fired, and was out looking for another one. Mandy wasn't stupid.
“Please, Amanda. I promise if I get this job, I'll keep it no matter what. I don't want to go live with Eric. I've really done a lot of thinking about this.”
“I don't know, Jen. My dad is riding my ass to get you moved out. I don't think I can dissuade him any longer.”
“Please. Please. Please. Please. Please.” I clasped my hands together, begging. “I promise I won't screw up again. Just give me this last chance. Talk to him. Tell him that if I quit this job or get fired, you won't even have to ask me to move out. I'll do it on my own, on the very same day. I promise. I really really need this last chance. You're my only hope.”
I could see the pain in her expression. She hated it when I got like this. Hell, I hated it when I got like this, but it was the only way I could make Mandy cave, with begging and a pouty lip and puppy-dog eyes.
“We'll see,” she said finally. “But first you'll have to get the job. There's no point in talking to my father until then.”
“Alright.” I nodded, hopeful.
“Research the company before you go in.” She stood and pointed at me.
“Fine. Fine.”
Before I went to bed, I flipped on the computer to do a bit of research on Syngex. The company was founded by John Kemble Senior and had been around since eighteen-seventy five. It was the parent company to multiple business ventures, from shipping to energy production to manufacturing. By the time I got down to the bottom of the first page, I was bored to tears. Who really cared about this stuff? It wasn't like I needed to know the history of the company to do the job.
As I drifted off to sleep, all I could think about was how this was my last chance. If I didn't get and keep this job, my life would be taking a dramatic turn. Perhaps living with Eric wouldn't be as bad as I thought. Maybe I was just turning a mole hill into a mountain, as I often did with other things. The truth though was that I didn't want to find out if I was right or not. I had to make this work.
The next morning, I got up bright and early to make sure I looked absolutely perfect for my interview. My long brown hair was slightly curled into a stylish do that hung loosely over my shoulders. This time, I wore a black pencil skirt with a white blouse, making sure that both were tight enough to accentuate my better features. If I couldn't win the interviewer with my words, then maybe I could sway him with my body. It was a degrading thing to think, but I would use whatever I had to work with to get this job. Today was swim or sink.
I held my head up high as I walked into the Syngex building, wondering if I'd be lucky enough to have a chance meeting with Jim, my knight in sexy business attire. It was a nice thought, but I couldn't let my mind be distracted for too long. The building was absolutely massive, seventy-nine stories tall, to be exact. Odds were, Jim and I would never cross paths again.
Unlike last time, when my interview was held on the thirty-second floor, this time I was required to rocket all the way up to the top of the building. Luckily, the elevator ride was so smooth I could barely feel it. Usually, elevators in buildings that tall made me ill with motion sickness since they moved quickly. To be honest, being up that high made me uncomfortable, but I tried not to think about it.
When the door opened, the first thing that I noticed was that the walkway leading to a large set of double doors was lined with desks manned by blonde bombshells. It seemed like each one was prettier than the next. They smiled at me politely as I passed, though I knew their eyes were scrutinizing everything about me.
“Are you here to interview with Mr. Kemble?” one of the women asked. Her honey blonde hair was pulled up into a tight bun. I could tell by the way she spoke that she was no bimbo.
“I'm here to interview,” I said, though I hadn't known I would be interviewing with Jack Kemble himself. This was where my hopes got dashed. My dark-brown hair should kill his interest in me instantly, if what Mandy had said was true about him only hiring blondes. From the looks of the top-floor staff, she'd been right on the mark.
The woman picked up the receiver on her desk and dialed in a number. “Mr. Kemble, there's a woman here to see you. She said she has an interview with you.” When she hung up the phone, she gave me a courteous nod. “Mr. Kemble will see you now.”
“Thank you,” I replied, unsure of whether to be nervous or not give a crap. This had all been a waste of my time, so why should I care. As soon as Jack Kemble laid eyes on me, he'd be every bit as dismissive as the man who interviewed me before; I just knew it.
The woman gestured to the double doors, and I walked forward, curling my hand around the handle before tugging it open. Taking a deep breath, I stepped inside, closing the door behind myself. It wasn't until my eyes met the man on the other side of the desk that my breath hitched in surprise.
“Jim?” I asked with a curious smile.
The man stood, beaming a grin as he extended his hand, urging me to step forward and take it. This time, Jim's handshake was firm, more professional than casual.
“Jim is a moniker I use in public so people won't know who I really am. Please forgive me. My real name is Jack Kemble, and I'm the CEO of Syngex Incorporated.”
I was at a loss for words. Part of me was happy to see this man again, but the other part was horribly disappointed, now knowing who and what he really was. This kind person, who had gone downstairs to aid me in my time of need, was a womanizer.
“I'm shocked, to say the least,” I finally muttered.
“I figured you would be.” Jack sat back down, gesturing toward the chair on the other side of his desk. “Now, if I remember correctly, you were looking for a job.”
“Yes,” I replied, rounding the chair to sit in it.
“I had some time to look over your resume. It appears you have mostly restaurant experience. What do you know about working in an office?”
“Nothing really.” The room was suddenly hot, though I was sure that it was just me. My mind was still mulling over how the polite man who had helped with my flat tire was now sitting before me, interviewing me for a job. It seemed so surreal.
“It's not a very difficult job. All you'd have to do is run errands for me, accom
pany me on business trips when required, make my coffee in the morning, and take a few phone calls.”
“So, I'd be like one of the girls out there.” I pointed over my shoulder.
“Yes and no. I'm looking for more of a personal assistant, someone to stay by my side and tend to my needs as they arise.”
If that didn't sound cryptic and sexual, I don't know what else could. I hadn't been inside his office for more than five minutes, and I already didn't like where this was going. This guy was a different version of Eric, and I didn't want him to feel entitled to my body because he was helping me out. Still, I was in a very desperate situation.
“It doesn't seem that difficult,” I said, swallowing my pride. If all else failed, I could quit and call my parents. There were always choices, but I needed to test my opportunities first.
“Well, it's not always a cake walk, but I wouldn't call it a very hard job. Plus, it comes with lots of perks. You'll get to drive in fancy cars, stay at nice hotels, and experience things you probably wouldn't be able to anywhere else.”
“And the pay?” I cut straight to the point.
“Considering your unstable job history, I'll start you out at nine dollars per hour. If you can make it past three months, I'll raise you to eleven. I know it might not sound like much, but you'll get bonuses along the way. If the company is doing well, I give out a Christmas bonus of between five hundred and two thousand dollars, depending on the prosperity of the company for the year. I also give three weeks of paid vacation once you've been on with Syngex for a year, as well as one week of paid sick leave. And of course, all of your benefits will be paid for.”
“Sounds good to me. So, are you offering me the job?” I asked, hopeful.
Jack leaned back in his seat, a sly grin playing across that perfect face of his, as if he knew he had me right where he wanted me. “It's yours if you want it, Miss Strayer.”
“When can I start, Mister Kemble?”
“How about on Monday at eight o'clock?”
“Sounds good.”
“Well then, if you don't have any questions for me, I believe this concludes our business.”
“I can't think of anything right now.”
Jack stood, rounding his desk to walk me to the door. My body tensed as he placed a hand on the small of my back. His touch sent an electric current through me, though I couldn't tell if it was from discomfort or excitement.
I bit my tongue all the way to the elevator, a nervous habit I had picked up as a child. The blonde women followed me with their eyes, probably assuming I hadn't gotten the job. Little did they know that I was now the black sheep of the group. Or the brown sheep, depending on how you looked at it.
When I got home, I waited anxiously to tell Mandy about my exciting day. She looked drained when she walked through the door after another long day of school and work.
“Guess what,” I said, bouncing lightly on our sofa as I watched Mandy cross the room to put her tote bag down.
“You got a job,” she replied, taking the fun out of it.
“Yup.”
“Dog groomers?” she asked with a disappointing lack of enthusiasm. I wrote it off to her being tired.
“Nope.”
Mandy paused. “Syngex?”
“Yup.”
“Really?” Now there was excitement in her voice. She turned to me, leaning against the table.
“I was interviewed by Mister Jack Kemble himself.” I beamed.
“You're kidding.”
“Nope. And guess what else.”
“What?”
“That guy Jim I told you about who came to my rescue when I had a flat was actually Jack Kemble in disguise.”
“Ha! I told you he was attractive.”
“I know, right. I feel like an idiot now. If I looked up his picture like you told me to, I would have known.”
“You still might not have recognized him. What are the odds of running into Jack Kemble on the street?”
“Well, I didn't actually run into him, per se.”
“True. Who'd have thought he'd come all the way downstairs just to help you change a tire? I know the man does a lot of charity work, but still.”
That was something I hadn't known about him. Maybe I should do my homework. Perhaps Jack Kembe wasn't as bad as Mandy had initially made him out to be.
“Were there a lot of blondes on his floor?” she asked.
“Yeah. It was weird. They were all blonde, and all gorgeous.”
“He'll probably want you to dye your hair blonde.”
“Ew. Why?”
“Because he likes blondes.”
“Pfft. He hired me like this; he can deal with me being a brunette.”
“He's your boss now. You can't have that attitude,” she chastised me.
“Isn't there some law against making employees change their physical appearance?”
“Not that I know of. If it's legal to enforce a dress code, then I imagine it would be legal to ask an employee to change their hair color.”
“That's just stupid,” I muttered.
“Stupid or not, you're going to have to do what he wants.”
“What if he wants to have sex?” I smirked.
Mandy shrugged. “There is a law against that. But come on, it's Jack Kemble. Who wouldn't want to sleep with him?”
I wouldn't. Not because I didn't find him attractive, but because I didn't want to be a notch on his bedpost. For all that I knew, the girls in his office were named Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and so on. Being a sex vending machine for my boss didn't sound appealing at all. I would have to find some way to avoid it, if it ever came to that.
“I'll worry about that when it happens,” I said.
“I want details when it does.”
My eyes rolled involuntarily. It wasn't something I felt like discussing any further. “There are more important things to talk about.”
“Like what?”
“Like if you're going to let me stay now. The job pays nine dollars per hour, and I'll get a raise to eleven dollars in three months. That's more than enough to cover my share of rent.”
Her face sulked back into a serious expression. “When's your first paycheck?”
“I don't know. I forgot to ask.”
She thought for a moment. “Well, I could pay your half this time around, but you'd have to promise to pay me back. I'd be pulling out of my savings to do it.” Mandy seemed apprehensive, and I could tell she didn't believe she'd ever see the money again.
“I'd really appreciate it. I promise I won't screw this up.”
“Please, don't make me regret this.”
The weekend went by rather quickly. With each passing day, my excitement for starting the new job waned, turning to dread. On Sunday night, my mind swam with everything that could possibly go wrong. What if I hated the job? What if Jack Kemble tried to force himself on me? What if I refused? What if I didn't get along with the blonde girls? What if they were all bitches? So many what ifs filling me with a negative perspective of the day to come. I just knew I would screw this up as I had every other job before—just knew it.
The next morning, I showed up at Syngex promptly at eight o'clock ready to start my day. It was strange working in an office instead of a restaurant. Everyone looked so stuffy and professional that I felt out of place. One thing was certain. With my first paycheck, I'd definitely need to expand my wardrobe. Currently, I only had two business outfits. The rest were all casual attire. Hopefully, Jack wouldn't notice if I wore the same thing every other day for a while. It was an embarrassing thing to have to do, but it couldn't be helped.
When I arrived on the seventy-ninth floor, I was greeted by the blonde who had directed me into Jack's office for my interview. She gave me a fake smile as she looked me up and down, assessing me while she spoke. “Good morning. My name is Ulga, and I'll be showing you your more basic job duties. You can start by getting Mister Kemble his coffee. His tastes change from time to time, but l
ately he's been stuck on the large caramel macchiato from Third Rail Coffee down the street. I'm sure you're familiar with the location.”
The way she suggested I was familiar with the location of the coffee shop put a bad taste in my mouth. There was something condescending about the way she spoke to me, and I could tell we would not be best friends. Hopefully, the other blondes were more pleasant.
Ulga gave me a ten-dollar bill and sent me on my way. Of course, Jack Kemble couldn't be simple enough to take a coffee from the coffee maker upstairs. He had me hiking down the street in high heels, ensuring I would come back perspiring and unkempt. If this was what I had to look forward to, then I wouldn't last a week.
When I returned with the coffee, I bypassed Ulga and went straight into Mister Kemble's office. It wasn't even eight-thirty in the morning, and I was already sweaty and tired. He gave me a warm smile, smoothing down the front of his vest before reaching out to take the coffee.
“Good morning, Miss Strayer,” Jack greeted me.
“Good morning, Mister Kemble.” I gave him my best phoney smile.
After handing Jack his cup of coffee, I turned to take my leave. I had barely reached the door when he tried to get my attention. “Miss Strayer.”
“Hm.” I looked at him, awaiting my next menial assignment.
“You forgot the espresso.”
My jaw clenched. That bitch Ulga hadn't mentioned anything about a shot of espresso. Then again, I suppose I should have remembered from the time we went for coffee together.
“Would you like me to go back downstairs and get you one?” I asked, knowing that I'd realistically be going to get in my car and leave. If Jack was willing to send me out again just for a shot of espresso, then he was every bit of a jerk as I had suspected.
“No. Just try to remember tomorrow,” he replied before returning his attention to some papers on his desk, a good indication I had been dismissed.
As soon as I left Jack's office, I walked over to Ulga's desk and waited for her to get off the phone before saying, “You forgot to tell me he took a shot of espresso in his coffee.”
