Swerve Chapter 2 #3
“I just got settled, but I’ll go through these and get them to you as soon as I can. I have to work on something for the other job this afternoon, but I can do it from here. I’ll be behind closed doors from two until five, except for an emergency,” I added due to Diablo’s studying me.
One of the things that had been worked out was that on the days I was here, if I had work to do with my employer—and it was almost always remote—I could now do it from the Recovery office. It made it very convenient for me when I divided my day, which was most of the time.
“No problem, and as long as I have those back with any notes by Wednesday, I’ll be good. Wolverine will be in for the interview. Jauhnna can’t be here today, so it’s the three of us.”
I became alarmed when he said Jauhnna wouldn’t be here. She’d been missing a lot of time these last few weeks. There was always an excuse, but it wasn’t normal. I was gonna ask, even if it did get my ass handed to me.
“Diablo, I…” I let my voice die away because I saw Annette at the doorway with Diablo’s coffee. I waved her inside. She handed it over to him. He thanked her. I asked her to close my door when she left, which she did. This left us with privacy.
“Diablo, I don’t mean to pry, but I’ve got to say that I’m worried. Jauhnna has backed out a lot these past few weeks. Is there something wrong? Does she need help? Can I do something? Was she the holdup this morning?”
I held my breath. I had no idea what he’d say or do. Probably tell me to mind my own fucking business and let him take care of his old lady. Diablo shook his head and finished the drink he had taken before he answered me.
“Swerve, thank you so much for asking and worrying, but there’s no need, even though Jauhnna was the cause of my delay.”
“Is she sick? Do you need someone to take Jaycee off your hands so she gets the attention she needs, and you and her mom can get a break? The same goes for Chasin. I’ll make Dozer corral him.
” I grinned. His son would turn two in three and a half months.
He was full of energy and loved to run as fast as his tiny legs would let him.
“Brother, thank you so much for the offer. I might end up cashing that in one day. Jauhnna is having some struggles right now, but it’s nothing to worry about, I promise you.
I’ll be able to tell everyone what’s up very soon.
Now, let’s run through what I want you to look for in that stack of papers, and then we’ll have time to do a couple of things before the interviewee arrives.
That appointment is set for ten thirty.”
I wisely let it go, and we got down to business.
He intrigued me with what he asked me to do.
I loved ferreting out problems and finding solutions.
It’s what made me a great networking engineer.
And while it might sound conceited to think that, it wasn’t my words.
More than one person I’d worked for or with said it.
To me, the way computers, their layouts, and programs worked made sense.
They were logical, and I often could picture the problem and solution.
Case in point, the three hours I had set aside to work on engineering tasks this afternoon were one of those problems I needed to see the solution to.
By the time we finished with the paperwork and reviewed his schedule, we didn’t say more than we’d see each other shortly for the interview.
Diablo reminded me that the résumé was on the computer, in case I wanted to review it.
I vaguely nodded, but I wasn’t bothering to get hyped up for it.
He left after giving Dozer a thorough head scratch.
I got to work on the paperwork that Diablo wanted me to focus on.
I was soon engrossed in it. I was so focused that I didn’t hear the sound of Diablo at first. Since it was easier for him to come to me, we’d agreed to meet in my office, just as we’d been doing.
Glancing at the clock, I noted it was interview time.
I heard Diablo’s hearty, deep laugh coming closer.
Whoever the person was, they made Pres laugh.
One point in their favor. It was hard to do for those outside the club, though not as hard as it was before he found his old lady.
I hadn’t gotten into my wheelchair, so I’d remain as I was. Usually, I’d have done it and been at the door to greet them, but not today. I wanted to get this waste of time over with. Yeah, negativity was running rampant with me today, but I didn’t try to stop it.
I had to blink when Diablo and our interviewee came to the door.
I thought I was hallucinating. Standing in front of Pres was the same exquisite woman I had met outside earlier this morning.
She was smiling at something Diablo said.
Her eyes sparkled, and there was pink in her cheeks that wasn’t there when I saw her. Diablo was broadly grinning.
“Here he is, working away. I keep him chained to his desk so he can’t get away. I suck the most work out of him as I can get,” Diablo told her as he gave a brief rap on my door, then entered.
When they were clear of it, he closed the door and then led her to the chairs in front of my desk—seeing her made my legs itch to stand up and greet her properly. Instead, I sat there like a useless lump.
“Swerve, it’s time to take your nose out of that report.
I would like to introduce you to our applicant, Electra Winters, who is interviewing to be your right hand.
Electra, this is Swerve. He, along with a few of us, chips in to run Wrath’s Recovery.
He’s agreed to take on more of the day-to-day operations, but he’s not available to do it full-time.
That’s where someone like you would come in,” Diablo explained.
“So we meet again, Ms. Winters. Please forgive me for not standing, but as you know from earlier, I can’t. I would like to shake hands, if that’s acceptable?” I asked as I held out my hand over the desk.
Electra readily took it and shook. It was a firm, confident handshake, not a dead fish one. She smiled at me.
“It’s good to see you again, as well, Swerve. I had no idea you were headed into Recovery. It’s nice to meet you both. I hope that you’ll be willing to consider me for the position. Where would you like to start?”
Electra sat in the chair Diablo indicated, then he took his seat next to her. I got the process going, but mostly so I could clear my befuddled brain.
“Tell us what drew you to apply for this position? Have you done anything like this before?” I asked, getting to the point.
Even if I’d love to sit here and ogle her all day, I wasn’t able to waste time. God, if she turned out to be one of those who thought a job here got them access to the clubhouse and our parties, I’d scream. Disappointment flooded me at the thought.
“My resume shows that I have not worked in this exact environment, but I have worked more than once as an executive assistant to CEOs and CFOs. I learned a lot from those relationships. As a result, I have no formal training, but I have extensive informal training. I know that’s easy to say, so you’d probably like to know specifics.
How about you give me a scenario and I’ll tell you how I’d handle it? ”
Electra wasn’t flustered when she suggested it. She was calm and matter-of-fact.
“Okay, I think that’s fair. We don’t want to waste your time or ours if this isn’t good for both sides. Let me start by telling you what this job isn’t.” I paused before launching into it. Diablo raised an eyebrow at me, but he didn’t bother to object or take over.
“I’m ready, please continue,” Electra said.
“This job isn’t a way for you to get an open invitation to the Horsemen’s clubhouse.
You won’t be asked to party on the weekends or to hook up with the club members, no matter that almost all of us are single.
This isn’t a job where you sit and file your nails, only answer phones, and do light typing.
We work with a variety of agencies, companies, and individuals to ensure that those who come to us for help receive what they need, which prepares us for anything.
“While we’ve not had issues to date, it is possible that an angry, vengeful person connected to a guest will show up at the front, demanding to see that individual or individuals and threatening harm if they don’t.
In some cases, they may punctuate their point by causing a disturbance or by physically attacking the staff.
You and Annette at the desk can be targets of their anger.
How would you handle it if Diablo, I, and Jauhnna weren’t here and a big, strong, pissed-off man came looking for his wife?
Or an abuser comes, trying to find out if one of his victims ended up here?
We help people in all kinds of situations. Many are uglier than you can imagine.”
Was I being unfair by throwing this at her almost as soon as she sat?
Maybe. But again, I refused to chit-chat for an hour and have her be another rejection.
I hadn’t read her résumé, but we needed someone for more than being good at office work and greeting people, and I didn’t know how to get it.
I was about convinced that what we desired didn’t exist.