Cynthia perked up. “Yes, I applied there.”
“We would like you to come in tomorrow for a series of interviews with the top executives here. You’ll probably be an assistant to more than one. Do you have any availability to come in?”
Cynthia wasn’t sure what the company actually did, but she wasn’t about to turn down an interview. She'd have plenty of time between today and tomorrow to research it. “Yes, I can come in. What time would you like me to be there?”
“The interviews begin at nine a.m. sharp. Be sure to bring several copies of your resume, your availability, and know a bit about the company before you get here, please. Can you please confirm that you will be here?”
“Yes, ma’am!” The click signaling the woman hung up rang through her ear, but Cynthia didn't let the woman’s rudeness get to her. She was going to get at least one more chance at a job before her money ran out, and she wasn’t going to ruin it. She jumped up and hopped over to her computer to start researching Essential Steel.
Chapter 5
Diesel walked into his office, feeling strange to be in a suit. He hadn’t had to wear one in a while, but he would be doing an interview which required professional attire. His own company had no idea, for the most part, that he was their boss and the owner of Essential Steel. To most of them, he was just a higher level exec and nuisance who came and went as he pleased, wearing whatever he wanted. It was perfect for him because he didn’t want his face on the company for many reasons.
For one, he wasn’t comfortable speaking for the company or having relationships with clients and employees. More importantly, though, if either of his lives figured out about the other he’d be done for. Sometimes he had nightmares about the possible headlines that would appear if the world got wind that the owner of a billion dollar company was also the president of a motorcycle gang.
He sat down at his desk, completely ignoring the three resumes that HR had left for him. There were interviews going on all day for his official personal assistant. They were getting so busy that he definitely needed one, one he could trust. But he found himself feeling nervous. A personal assistant would get very close to his double lives, could easily figure out his secret. He had to be sure to choose the right person. And he had been told that all of the people being interviewed were women, which made him even more nervous. He had never had a real relationship with a woman before. He had never been able to figure out how. Quick hookups with MC tag-alongs were his usual M.O.
Still, looking over resumes always bored him and seemed useless. He had built this company from the ground up and never gone to college, or even had a real job before this. A resume wasn't going to tell him what he needed to know about the person. He could only get that by meeting them eye to eye. Talking to them and getting a feel for their character. Especially given the secrets he held. A resume wasn't going to tell him how trustworthy the person was. Resumes were usually filled with lies and half truths anyway.
At any rate, his staff would likely weed out the completely useless ones before they even made it to him. He had chosen his mock CEO well, made him a very picky man. It was a good thing in this case.
He spent his morning going through emails and scheduling meetings, even catching up on paperwork. It was noon before he got any news about any of the interviews. One of the secretaries came in. “Mr. Cross, one of the interviewees has been sent away already. She didn’t have the experience needed for this position. The other two are finishing up their last one now. Do you want to have lunch first or interview them?”
It seemed like a silly question. It was bad enough they had gone through three hours of interviews already; why in the world would he make them wait while he took his lunch. “Of course you can send them in. I’ll do the interviews first. No need to make them stay here any longer.”
The woman gave him a curt nod, and he wondered how she’d behave if she was aware of exactly who he was. But he let it go because he knew she was efficient at her job.
He straightened his tie and checked his hair. He made sure none of his tattoos were peeking out anywhere. Then, the secretary came back in with a young woman following her. He sat down in his seat, motioning for the interviewee to sit down and slid into his chair uncomfortably. He couldn’t believe it, but the girl from the bar was now sitting across from him looking just as shocked as he was.
She still looked very familiar to him, even more today now that she wasn't dressed in such revealing clothes. What did she say her name was? Cynthia? Suddenly he reached into the pile of resumes and yanked hers out. Cynthia Millard. Could it really be her?
"Cynthia?" he said, his mouth hanging open in shock as he studied her face. It was her. He could see it now.
Cynthia's face also showed surprise, but he could tell it was only the surprise of seeing him again after the other night, and in this context. She hadn't yet put the rest of it together.
“Well, what a coincidence this is,” she stammered out, finally. "Hello Diesel. Sir."
He shook his head slowly, his heart pounding in his chest. Besides knowing his secret double life already, she also knew far more about him than she realized. Was that advantageous or was it dangerous? Either way, he couldn't keep her in the dark any longer. She would figure it out eventually.
"My name isn't really Diesel," he said slowly. "That's the name I go by in the MC. Around here I'm known by my real name. A name you might recognize."
Cynthia was looking at him with a raised eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.
"My name is Dante. Dante Cross."
Cynthia looked at him blankly for a minute as her mind worked. Then her mouth fell open, just as his did. "Dante? Really? It can't... " He watched her face as she finally began to accept the fact that she was actually staring at her stepbrother. They hadn't seen each other for around fifteen years.
"I... I thought you looked familiar the other night, but..."
He just nodded. "Same here. More so when you told me your name was Cynthia, but I still didn't put it together. Maybe I just figured it was impossible. I thought you moved to Boston with my father."
"I did," she said, still staring at his face. "I moved back."
Dante just nodded again, unsure what to say. Cynthia looked so much different than the scrawny young teenager he remembered. She'd filled out, in all the right places. Of course, he shouldn't be noticing things like that. "You look great. It's been a long time."
“I would say so,” she agreed, studying him just as intently, but also seeming unsure how to continue now.
Dante was sure she had been grilled in all the other interviews, and was probably anxious to get things moving. This development changed things, of course. The questions he'd had before, some of the doubts, all of them needed to be thrown out and considered anew. He'd have to wing it, now.
"Uh, so are you still interested in the job?"
Cynthia nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! I looked the company up last night as I wasn't familiar with it."
“Don’t worry about that. I’m sure you're aware now that we make quality engine parts. It’s not that hard to learn. Your job has more to do with scheduling meetings and keeping a calendar, that sort of thing. Maybe some paperwork. You've done all that before, right?" He felt lame now, totally off guard but Cynthia seemed not to notice.
“Yes, I was a personal assistant for three different companies."
"Why did you change so often?"
“Well, I left the first one because the second one made me a better offer; it’s that simple. And the third company was because the second company was laying off. My boss at the second company actually helped me find the new job and everything so that I didn’t have a gap in employment. He was very kind.”
“Seems pretty straight forward." He picked up her resume for the first time and glanced at it as she spoke. "You were at your last position for about three years if I’m reading this correctly. What duties did you have to perform there?”
“I was kind of a catch all to be
honest. In the beginning I was just a glorified secretary, making appointments and getting my boss coffee, but I worked up to actually meeting with clients myself. I filtered much of his call volume and meetings. I did most of the company’s paperwork and did minutes at the meetings. I interviewed a few new employees like the receptionists.”
“Pretty impressive. How many hours on average did you work?”
“Probably around fifty or fifty five if you count after hours events. I was required to attend most of those and helped with event planning, hired caterers, that sort of thing.”
He had to admit he was pretty impressed at her level of dedication, but honestly he wasn't sure what to do. This was his stepsister. Sure, he barely knew her, but still. What was he supposed to do? Was he allowed to hire her? Fuck, it was his company, he could do what he wanted. But he had to make sure that she was truly the right person for the job. He couldn't let their past relationship cloud his judgment. The position and its ramifications to his personal life were too important.
They continued the interview and although Cynthia seemed as distracted by their past as he was, she powered through it and gave him all the right answers. By the end, he was fairly sure she could handle the job, but he still felt unsure what to do. He needed time to think.
The other issue, of course, was whether he could trust her. Of course, the assumption would be that he could trust her more than any other random person, given that she was his step sister. But that fact was almost just a technicality. They had barely known each other growing up, and hadn't even seen each other since they were teenagers. A lot could change a person in that time. He needed to know something more about her. What she'd done in the last fifteen years.
He leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh as he looked at her. He smiled broadly at her bright green eyes that he remembered so well, and she smiled back. Her smile was a bit shy, her cheeks almost seeming to redden at his attention. "Tell me a bit more about what's happened to you in the last decade," he finally said.
“Well, after our family moved to Boston I was determined to find my way back, I never felt like I fit in there. I went to community college and worked my way through it to pay back my mom and... your dad.
"When I graduated I came back and got my first job as a personal assistant to a female lawyer. She had a very small practice and had only been a lawyer for a few years, so she needed a lot of help. Then, I moved on to a man who owned a plumbing and electrical business in the area. He was a very busy man since he was also a husband and father, so I worked a lot of hours with him. When he couldn’t afford me anymore he helped me find my next job as I said, which was working for a CEO at a large corporation called Vosh Industries. They manufacture airplanes and military vehicles. I haven’t had a ton of spare time, to be honest, but when I do I still like to go out and have a good time.” She definitely blushed at this, likely thinking back to their encounter the night before.
"You've stayed single all these years?" he suddenly asked. As an employer it was a completely inappropriate question, but as a stepbrother it was probably acceptable. He didn't think he asked it in either role, though. She was incredibly attractive. He hoped she thought he was just asking as a brother, though. Who knows what she would think of him if she knew what he was thinking about her.
She shrugged her shoulders. "For the most part." There was a pause that indicated something more, something she wasn't willing to get into. "Nothing serious."
He just nodded.
“Well, Cynthia, I think that’s everything I need to know. I actually have one more interview, but honestly I think it would be great if you came to work here. I would love to get to know you again, and this might be a great way to do it. Or maybe not. Honestly, I don't know.” He laughed nervously and so did she.
"I know what you mean," she agreed.
"Do you even still want to work here? What do you think?"
There was a pause, and for a moment he thought she was going to say that she didn't think it was a good idea. His heart stopped for a moment, and it felt like it took forever for her to answer. She finally nodded, though. "Yes, I would like that very much. Getting to know you again." Then she quickly added. "And working here, of course."
He stood up, tugging at his suit. He felt so out of place. "Great. Well, we still have to do the reference check, it's mainly for legal reasons, I don't expect any issues there, but you'll definitely be hearing from us soon."
She stood up too and they looked at each other awkwardly, unsure how to continue. He finally reached out his hand and she shook it. “It was really nice to see you again, Dante.”
Chapter 6
“Hello, my name is John Saltzman, and I am the CEO of Essential Steel. I just interviewed one of your previous employees and would like to check on their reference.” Dante always used his CEOs name as a cover, and it was more important now since this guy he was about to talk to had a reputation. As soon as he looked up the company he recognized who Cynthia’s boss had been. No wonder she’d left. The man had a reputation for harassing young women and cheating people on business deals.
“Who was the employee, sir?” The woman on the phone sounded young and perky, probably just how he liked them.
“It’s Cynthia Millard. She was actually Mr. Carter’s personal assistant.”
“Mr. Carter?” It came out of her mouth like a question. He was the CEO and President of the company, and she didn’t know who in the world he was talking about. Really? “Oh, you mean Mr. Winslow, that’s right. Hold please, while I make sure he’s not in a meeting.” He heard the click and then some elevator music. It seemed his rep was spot on. The woman knew him only by his first name.
It only took a few minutes for the music to end and someone to come on the line. This time it was a male voice. “Hello, this is Winslow Carter speaking, to whom do I owe the pleasure?”
Dante tried not to scoff at his cocky response. “This is John Saltzman, and I am the CEO of Essential Steel.”
“Yes, of course, I'm familiar with your company. How can I help you?”
“Your personal assistant, Ms. Millard, interviewed with us yesterday, and I would like to check up on her reference. Did she work for you for three years up until about a month ago?”
“Pssh, yeah she did, and she was the worst personal assistant I ever had. She was late all the time, often had personal issues. She refused to work late even once, so I don’t even think she was dedicated to the job. The clients had constant complaints about her saying she was rude and didn’t know anything about the company or the product even though we spent so much money on training for her. I only kept her for so long because she accepted less pay than others we found with more experience. She thought she could get by on her looks. I’m very glad she left, and I wouldn’t ever hire her back. If I were you I would dodge that bullet. I can’t believe she thinks she’s going to get another job in Detroit again using me as a reference.”
“Well, thank you for your time, sir. I appreciate the heads up.” Dante didn’t wait for any kind of cordial goodbye. He’d heard enough. He had already called the lawyer she worked for and the woman sang Cynthia’s praises. He was pretty sure this Winslow guy was full of bullshit. No way would the CEO of Vosh keep an employee around for that long who was that bad because she worked cheap. He had money coming out of his ears. He couldn’t believe a professional just said all those things.
He was still waiting for a call back from her second boss, the plumber, but he already knew he was ready to hire her. He was certain she was the right choice, despite the fact that they were related.
A knock came at his office door, and he motioned through the window for whoever it was to come in. It was a man wearing a hoodie and jeans; strange attire to be visiting Essential Steel, but Dante had a feeling who it was. “Please, have a seat. Are you Mr. Wallace?”
“Yep, that’s me. Pretty nice place you’ve got here. With all the anonymity I was thinking I’d be meeting you in a back alley or
something. So, how can I help you?”
“There’s a woman that I’d like you to investigate, follow around a bit. I am trusting her with some sensitive information, and I need to know if that’s okay. So just give me any information you can about her. Price is not a concern, I just want you to be discrete. I have no reason not to trust her, but I just have to make absolutely sure. Can you do that?”
“For the right price, there isn't much I can't do. You got a picture?” Dante turned his computer screen around to show the guy Cynthia’s Facebook page. Her profile picture was of her leaning back with her legs out in front of her. She was smiling, and her hair was up in a ponytail.
“She’s hot,” Mr. Wallace commented with a wink. Dante tried not to throw up in his mouth. Private investigators were always a little sleazy, but he had to do this to be sure he could trust Cynthia with his secrets. He could not afford to take any chances with his business, even if she was his stepsister.
Billionaire Stepbrother - Secret Lives Page 3
