2. Xavier
Chapter 2
Xavier
Wednesdays usually don’t go like this. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the merger that brought three companies together into one, it’s that I have to expect the unexpected, but there’s also a surprising amount of dull downtime in there as well. Lots of board meetings and strategy planning and sitting around waiting for something to happen.
Maybe that’s why I stepped in when Sienna was interviewing this woman earlier. Maybe I just wanted to make something happen. It was pretty obvious that she wasn’t going to hire her. Sienna had that look on her face, the one that said ‘we’re done here’, and that would have been the end of it.
But something made me speak up and take over. Something I can’t really explain. Maybe something in her demeanor that sparked a protective instinct in me, like she was familiar and I wanted to keep her safe.
Penelope Dalton doesn’t look like the type to be able to hold her own with someone like Sienna. I’ve seen my assistant make more than one delivery person cry for bringing packages to the wrong spot, and I don’t think she would have gone easy on Penelope just because she’s cute.
And she is cute. With her soft, heart shaped face and bright, mismatched eyes. I’m enough of a professional not to stare, but the combination of her one warm blue eye and one deep green in that sweet face is fascinating to me. She looks soft, and not just because she’s a curvy, full figured woman. Even in her best business clothes with her auburn hair pulled back into a neat ponytail, she looks like there’s not a mean or harsh bone in her body. Like she would bake bread and have a cute laugh. The kind of person who usually quakes under Sienna’s bark.
It’s obvious she’s nervous, both from the way she’s trying not to fidget in her chair and from the way the nerves flood her scent while she sits in front of me, adding something sharp to the sweet smell of vanilla, lemon, and lavender that comes from her. I wonder if she can tell that she’s giving herself away to anyone with a good enough nose. Even with that though, there’s a spark of determination in her eyes, and she’s holding herself upright, meeting my gaze head on.
She might be nervous, but she’s not weak. There’s a strong spirit there, and I like that.
“I’m sorry,” she says, pulling herself together as she lifts her chin a little. “I didn’t realize I was meeting with one of the owners of the company.”
I offer her a smile, shaking my head. “Don’t worry about it. We don’t usually do this sort of thing, so there’s no reason for you to expect it. I’m not offended.”
Something cool and refreshing breezes through her scent, and I think it might be relief. My smile widens.
“So,” I say, going back to her resume. “Sienna didn’t seem too impressed with you when you were in there with her.”
Her face darkens a bit, a little frown pulling down at her eyebrows and twisting up her nose. “She seems hard to impress,” she replies.
“You’re not wrong there. Sometimes I think her standards are higher than the rest of ours when it comes to the company. The thing is, she’s not wrong about your resume being weak. Most of the people we hire have a lot more experience.”
Penelope arches a brow. “Did you bring me here just to say that?”
I laugh, surprised and a little pleased by her boldness. “No, that’s not it. I like to believe that there’s more to everyone than just what’s on their resume. Just because you don’t have a lot of relevant experience, doesn’t mean you don’t have anything to offer us. I want to see what else you bring to the table.” I fold my arms on the desk and lean a bit closer, waiting.
She blinks, surprised, but takes a deep breath and nods. “I think I could do good work here,” she says. “I might not know a lot about the nitty gritty of what your company does, but I’m organized and thorough. I’m a fast learner, and I don’t mind getting my hands dirty.”
“Metaphorically?” I ask, smirking.
“Or literally. I once had to unclog a drain at one of my old jobs, and it was nasty work. But it had to get done, so I did it.”
“A willingness to roll your sleeves up and handle what needs to be handled is important,” I agree. “Although we do have people to do stuff like unclog sinks, so it won’t be an issue you have to worry about.”
“Thank goodness for that,” she says, smiling. “My hands smelled like drain cleaner for a week after that.”
Her frankness makes me laugh again. “You’re a Beta, I see here.”
“That’s right. I’ve done office work before, too. I know how to file and make copies and get coffee. I’ve done data entry and I can send emails. Whatever you need, Mr. Sterling.”
“I see from Sienna’s notes that you owned your own business for a time, but it had to close.”
She nods. “Yes, I opened a bakery, but it was… not the right time for it.”
I give her a look. “That’s what you say when you’re trying to cover something up.”
“I’m surprised Sienna didn’t list the reason.”
“She did. I just wanted to hear it in your own words, since it happened to you and not to Sienna.”
For the first time she looks away from me, and I can tell there’s pain there. It’s understandable. Having to close a business, for whatever reason, can’t feel good. It’s one of the things I thought about a lot when I started my own business, and the fact of the matter is, most businesses fail before they can even get off the ground well enough to see if they’re viable.
“There were a few issues,” Penelope says. “Most of them financial.”
I nod. “It’s unfortunate when that happens.”
“Yes. But just because I’m not the best at running a business doesn’t mean I can’t do this job. I know how to follow instructions, and I can get things done.”
“You sound like you really want this job, Ms. Dalton.”
“I do,” she says firmly. “If you just give me a chance, I can prove to you that I can do it.”
I listen to her, charmed by her determination and grit. It’s obvious that she hasn’t had the easiest run of things in life, but she’s still got that spark. Impulsively, I close the files on the tablet and put it down on the desk. I don’t need them anymore. I meant it when I told her that there’s more to a person than their resume, and while she might not have the most impressive job history and experience, I still think she’s worth hiring. So that’s what I’m going to do.
“If we were to hire you, when would you be available to start?”
“Right away,” she says. “Today, if you want.”
“And you’re fine with the salary?”
“The salary is perfect.”
“And the vacation days and benefits?”
She nods quickly. “All totally fine. Better than I would have expected for an entry level position.”
“We like to make sure our people are taken care of,” I say. “I know it’s a trap whenever a company says ‘we’re like a family here’, but we appreciate the work people do for us, and we want to show them it’s valued.”
Penelope nods, looking like she’s hanging on to every word I’m saying. I can tell she’s trying not to get her hopes up, and that makes me even more sure of my decision.
“Well, if you’re on board with everything, then you’ve got the job,” I tell her.
Her mouth drops open for a split second before she closes it with an almost audible snap. Then she opens it again, like she’s going to say something, but no words come out. It’s like she doesn’t know what to say or how to react.
It’s such a genuine reaction, and I like that. I like seeing her unguarded and not hiding who she is, even in this environment. Plus, she’s easy to talk to, and I already feel a connection with her. It makes me think she’s going to be a good fit to work here.
“Assuming you still want it,” I add, nudging her to say something.
Penelope shakes herself and nods enthusiastically. “Yes! I mean… yes. Yes, I still want it. Thank you so much, Mr. Sterling. You have no idea what this means to me. That you’re willing to take a chance on me. Thank you.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I smile back at her. “I think you’re going to do good work for us, Ms. Dalton. Let me just send Sienna a message that she can take down the job listing, and she’ll get you all your paperwork to fill out and everything.”
“Of course. And I really can start today, if you need me.”
“No, no, I was kidding about that. You’ll start on Monday, if that works for you.”
“Monday would be perfect.”
“Perfect. Then there’s only one thing left to do. Well, two things.” I stand up and come around the desk, watching Penelope scramble to get up as well. She watches me as I approach her, her pale throat bobbing as she swallows.
I hold out my hand for her shake, offering her a warm grin. “Welcome to the team, Ms. Dalton.”
She blinks at me for a split second and then takes my hand in hers in a strong grip. “Thank you so much.”
“Thank me by living up to how well you sold yourself in this interview.”
“I will,” she promises. “You said there were two things left to do?”
“I did. The second thing is that I need to introduce you to the others.”
“The… others?”
“Dominic and Tristan, the other two Alphas who run the company.”
“Oh.” Her eyes go wide for a bit, but then she squares her shoulders and nods at me, making me like her even more.
We take the elevator down to the third floor, where I already know we’ll find Dominic and Tristan in one of the conference rooms. The two of them are supposed to be having a meeting about a client, but it’s not surprising when we approach the door and hear raised voices spilling out into the hall.
Penelope glances at me, like she’s unsure, and I shrug and push the door open. If she’s going to work here, she’s going to have to get used to Dominic and Tristan going at it this way.
“You put two Alphas in a room together,” I murmur to her, startling a smile out of her.
“That’s idiotic,” Dominic is saying. Yelling, more like it. “That’s not how this works at all, and you know it.”
“And I’m telling you that for this it’s going to have to become how it works,” Tristan fires back. “Or do you want to explain to the client that we have to give them their money back?”
“So we just let them walk all over us now? Is that how we’re doing this?”
Tristan just gives Dominic a look that says everything it needs to say about that.
Before Dominic can get himself worked up to yelling more, I break into their argument. “Wednesdays, am I right?” I ask, glancing between the two of them.
Tristan sighs, rubbing a hand over his scarred face, but Dominic turns to look at me, glaring. “What do you want, Xavier? We’re in the middle of a meeting.”
“I just wanted to introduce you both to Penelope Dalton,” I tell them, stepping aside so they can see the woman behind me. “I’ve found us a new assistant.”
That stops Dominic and Tristan up short, and they both turn to look at Penelope.