Chapter 19 #2
I walked back to my office and plopped down heavily in the chair.
This week was such a wash. My email was overflowing, and my task list was never ending.
We needed another employee, but the time lost up front for interviews and training almost wasn’t worth it.
I could only hope we hired a quick study.
I glanced at the clock, seeing there wasn’t enough time to start anything before lunch so I went over all the candidates I had interviewed thus far.
The first was an older lady who was probably the sweetest person I had ever met that I had interviewed on Monday.
Her hair was a cotton ball on her head and her clothes were right out of the seventies.
I would’ve hired her on the spot, but there was the small dilemma that she didn’t know how to use a computer, even though her resume said otherwise.
Her last job had been working for an elderly lawyer who didn’t believe in computers.
How he was able to continue his practice was beyond me.
I met with a young woman on Tuesday who had a degree in accounting and was interested in learning financial planning.
She had one of the strongest resumes we got, but when I interviewed her she didn’t speak.
Her answers were the shortest possible, and it seemed to go beyond nerves.
Unfortunately, a receptionist position probably wasn’t the best fit, but I spent the last half of the interview going over how to answer questions.
I sent her on her way with the advice to keep trying and maybe apply for an assistant position instead, maybe one without a greeting aspect to the job.
The rest of the candidates had been decent, but none of them stood out to me though I could probably get away with hiring one of them. Maybe one of the last people would shape up to be a great fit.
Speeding through lunch, I squeezed in a good hour and a half of work before my two o’clock.
I strode into the lobby after Joanne emailed that the next candidate had arrived.
I greeted a small woman who looked like she might be mid-twenties, a little younger than Mia, but she was well put together.
Dressed in a pencil skirt and silk blouse, I shook her hand and was impressed by her firm grip and eye contact right out of the gate.
Leading us into the conference room, I offered water or coffee which she politely declined. I settled at the head of the table while she perched on the chair nearest the door after we exchanged pleasantries.
“So, Ms. Anderson, what compelled you to apply for the position?”
She had a million-dollar smile. “I hope to work as an advisor or something similar someday and want to get myself into the field. I thought a receptionist position would be a good starting point.” Her response was quick, but not artificial like she had over-rehearsed.
I opened the folder with her resume and cut straight to the point. “What do you think you can bring to the table for my company if I hire you?”
That got a pause. Good. I didn’t want a robot for a receptionist.
She tucked her hair behind her ear before taking a barely visible deeper breath.
“I think I would be a great asset because I also want to learn. This wouldn’t just be a job for me.
I could go be a receptionist at any business with a front desk, but I want to work here.
I researched your firm, and it seems to be one of the best rated in the state. ”
Damn. This one was legit.
The interview went seamlessly, and before I knew it, thirty minutes had passed. I saw Cassie out after letting her know I would be in touch and turned to Joanne. “She was a good one. I’m excited about her. You said we have three more?”
Joanne shook her head. “Yep.”
I nodded. “I don’t think we will do any other interviews. Unless I’m blown away by one of the last three, she’s it.”
Clapping filled the room from behind the desk. Joanne lit up like a Christmas tree. Being a receptionist slash office manager was hard, and I was ecstatic the firm was doing well enough I could finally get her off the front desk.
I smiled down at her. “I’m going to go try to answer some emails while I wait for the next one. I have half a mind to cancel the rest, but that would be shitty of me.”
“Are you absolutely sure you’re okay with being alone with the next one?” she called after me.
“Yes, mama bear,” I said over my shoulder before disappearing into my office.
No sooner than I had clicked into an email my phone rang. Picking it up without glancing at the caller ID, I grabbed my note pad and pen.
“Raven Lovelace.”
“Raven, hello! This is Teresa with the CFP board. How are you doing?”
The pen I was clenching clattered to the desk.
Teresa. From the Certified Financial Planners Board.
My mind flew in a million different directions searching for a reason someone from the CFP board would be calling me.
Aside from the fact that my client dressed as a hooded intruder had talked me through the most intense orgasms I’d had the week before.
A throat cleared on the other end of the line.
“Oh, hi Teresa. I’m well, and you?” I rushed, trying to cover the awkward silence I’d created. The board wouldn’t call me unless it was something to do with a violation or a complaint. Fuck.
“I’m well, thank you. I was just calling to discuss your last CE submission. In our review of your certificates, it seems there is a duplicate.”
A wave of relief crashed over me, and I sank down in my chair. Of course she was calling about my CE reporting.
“I’m assuming this was a clerical error and you have an additional continuing education credit to submit?” she continued.
“Yes, absolutely. That was likely my oversight. I’ll remedy that immediately, and you’ll have the additional submission in an email shortly.”
As soon as the call ended I searched my certificates, found the error and fired off an email to the board.
Once I clicked send I fell back in my chair wiping my forehead.
Dammit, I couldn’t live on pins and needles being afraid of repercussions.
I either needed to commit to this thing with Ryan and stop worrying or I needed to end it.
The rest of the afternoon flew by, and before I knew it, Mia popped her head into my office. “Hey, Raven. I’m headed out a bit early. I need to take the puppy for its next round of shots. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I waved my hand at her. “See you tomorrow.”
Thirty seconds later, Mia was bounding back down the hall and came to a stop in my doorway, breathing heavily. I looked at her quizzically, raising my eyebrows at her haggard look.
“Raven, holy fucking fuck.”
“What’s going on?” I asked, starting to wonder if the building was on fire or something.
“The hottest fucking guy is sitting in the lobby right now. Is he a new client? If so, I’m going to need to be the one that calls him every single day from here on out.”
I scrunched my face, confusion spreading through my mind. “I don’t have any client appointments today. I’m only doing—” Realization dawned. “Oh! That's probably the next candidate.” I looked down to see that it was almost time to meet with him.
Mia’s eyes bulged. “You’re interviewing him to work here?” she squeaked. “Oh my god, if you hire him I’m going to be so distracted.”
I chuckled at her freaking out in my doorway. “Well, I guess that means I can’t hire him then, doesn’t it? Your efficiency is in luck, because I think I’m going to hire the girl I interviewed this afternoon.”
Mia sighed. “Damn. Well fine. I’m jealous you get to sit in the same room as all that hotness for half an hour. Lucky. I’m leaving now. Bye!”
She was a whirlwind, but at least she was fantastic at her job.
As she walked back out the door a second time, Joanne’s email notification popped up in the bottom corner of my screen.
I wondered if the guy was what I would consider attractive.
Probably not. I’d seen Mia’s boyfriend once when he dropped something off for her, and he was not who I pictured her with.
Mia was gorgeous and kind, but he just looked mean.
I rolled back my chair and smoothed my hair, positioning the dark locks perfectly over my shoulders to frame my face.
Halfway up the hall I heard Joanne’s laughter.
Puzzled, I walked into the lobby and stopped dead in my tracks.
My stomach fell out of my ass, and my heart pole vaulted from my chest onto the floor.
This wasn’t a random “hot” guy. Standing at the desk talking up Joanne was the bench guy from the park.
I was not getting through this interview unscathed.