Chapter 9
ALEX
Ipull up the email from Sue, the head of HR.
What the fuck!
“Callie, get in here,” I shout.
She enters, her face the picture of innocence.
“What the hell is this?” I ask, pointing to my screen.
“I have many skills, Alex, but reading something via the back of a monitor is not one of them.”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” I say, my pulse pounding in my ears.
“Oh, that,” she says after a moment. “Well, Brooke seems nice.”
I shake my head. “No way. No way am I having one of my mother’s spies working for me.”
Callie chuckles. “I really don’t think she is. Or if she is, she’s a bloody good actress.”
I stare at my PA and wonder what on earth is going on.
“Did she put you up to this?”
“Who is she?”
I growl. “My mother.”
Callie crosses her arms, her expression hardening.
“You really think I’d do that to you?”
Some of the shock and tension drains away, and I run a hand over my face, stopping at my mouth.
“Then what the hell?”
Callie moves into the room and takes a seat. “All I did was ask Sue to run one of the company’s psychometric tests on Brooke. Alex, she aced it in terms of detail orientation, rules adherence, and supportiveness. Reliability, adaptability, everything you’re looking for in a PA.”
“But she knows Sophia,” I say with a grimace.
Callie shrugs. “She looked like she’d rather be anywhere but here when they walked in. Almost admitted as much to me in the kitchen, but then realised it probably wasn’t something she should be saying.”
“You want to risk training someone that green?” I ask, knowing this is almost as much Callie’s decision as mine.
Callie shrugs. “I don’t know, there’s something about her. My gut tells me she’s ideal. Maybe she reminds me of a younger me, just someone who needs to be given a chance.”
“And you think she could be that?”
I’m fascinated, as I’ve always valued Callie’s opinion. She also knows my mother inside and out.
“She’s got a fire in her, one she was trying to smother.”
“And that doesn’t bother you?” I ask again.
Is it her fire that calls to me?
I’ve always valued people with an inner drive.
Interesting.
Callie is very perceptive when it comes to people. It’s why I’ve loved having her as my PA. She reads people almost as accurately as I do.
“She’s twenty-four and had just been introduced to the CEO of one of the world’s leading fashion houses. I think she handled herself surprisingly well.”
“You think we should give her a go?”
She chuckles. “I’m not telling you what to do. I would not presume.”
I raise an eyebrow, and she laughs, her eyes crinkling, her hand going to her stomach to support it.
“Presume away—please,” I say eventually, knowing I need to support Callie the way she’s supported me over the years.
“All I’m saying is, the other candidates fell short in one or more areas. How much harder can it be to train someone from scratch? Someone who clearly has an aptitude for this kind of work, even if she doesn’t know it yet.”
I’m still reeling. Five candidates were interviewed, and not one was suitable.
I pinch the skin beneath my chin.
“Brooke wasn’t here for an interview, but I got better vibes off her than any of the other candidates we met this morning.
And she wasn’t prepped, at least not by your mother.
Sophia was shocked when I told her I was leaving so soon.
I get the impression that what you saw from Brooke today was all her.
” She pauses. “Alex, I know Sophia, I was trained by her, remember. Brooke was not a persona your mother cooked up.”
“So, what do you suggest?”
I already know what she’s going to suggest, and my back is up against the wall. I either accept one of the women I interviewed or give this Brooke woman a trial. But for Callie’s sake, I need to decide, and fast.
My thoughts wander back to Brooke. The defensive tension in her shoulders, that strong, confident stare, the tilt of her chin.
Callie’s role requires someone with a backbone, someone who can politely stand up and run interference.
With Brooke, I know I’m playing with fire. There’s something about her, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. Is it because she was with my mother? Or because she’s green and will be Callie’s responsibility? If it doesn’t work out, I’ll be back to square one, only this time Callie will be gone.
“Fine,” I say. “If Sue agrees, and you think she’s up to it, she’s all yours. But Callie, if it’s not working out, don’t hesitate to tell me.”
Callie smiles, her eyes sparkling. I hope I haven’t just walked into a well-constructed conspiracy.
“My gut tells me you’re not going to regret it,” she says.
Truth be told, I already am, but I have more pressing matters on my mind. Finding a replacement PA is not something I have the inclination or patience for right now.
Callie turns to leave and pauses, her hand resting on the handle, smiling over her shoulder. “I really don’t think you’ll have a problem. I think this is going to work out perfectly. But if it makes you feel any better, then of course I’ll let you know.”
“Just make sure you do. I don’t need David on my back,” I say before adding, “Call Sue.”
“Already done,” she says with a smirk.
She closes the door behind her, leaving me alone with my thoughts, wondering what the hell I’ve just agreed to.