Which Way the Wind Blows

Chapter 15

Chris checked his tie in the window of the storefront below the building where his interview was about to take place. This would mark the third interview that week. Unlike Victoria, his job prospects were more focused on one industry. Where she’d had a bunch of interviews nearly from the start of sending resumes out, Chris had to rely on his mid-level advertising experience to catch someone’s eye in order to get a call back.

The other two interviews had gone well, or so he’d thought. When he called to thank the last one for seeing him, the man politely told him that the position had been filled. Nit able to shake the suspicious feeling he got, Chris called one of his friends back at his old job and learned that his former employer had been called for a reference. He’d informed the caller from New York that Chris had been asked to resign and that no, the employer would not rehire him should the chance come up. Legally, the employer couldn’t elaborate on the circumstances surrounding the incident – but Chris thought that in this case he should be. Nevertheless, he’d asked his friend if he could take over the reference requests and to just tell the callers the truth about his work. Chris may have been a spoiled rich boy back in Seattle, but he was proud of the work he’d done and he knew that he’d contributed his skills to many major accounts while he was there.

Now he sighed as he smoothed down a lock of golden blonde hair. His tie was straight, his suit was impeccably clean and his resumes and samples were ready to be shown to the third prospective employer. He was also early, but he knew that would be a good thing. He gave himself one last critical once-over, not remembering a time when he was so unsure of himself, and then he walked into the building.

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Victoria was excited to start her first day in the public relations firm she was hired to work in. She greeted the receptionist with a bright smile and firm handshake. The girl, who looked like she’d just graduated from high school and not college, gave her a grin as she buzzed Mrs. Parsons who came out a couple of minutes later to greet her.

“Your desk will be right outside of my office,” she smiled at Victoria. “Now, though you’re technically my assistant, I’m going to be ‘sharing’ you with two of my reps until we can get them their own assistant to share. I’m afraid that’ll make your day much busier, but it can’t be helped right now.”

“That’s all right,” Victoria smiled as she set her purse down on her new desk.

“Good,” her boss smiled. “Now, all of my calls will be routed through you. I’d like to know who is calling me before I decide if I can take it. You just hit this button to put them on hold and then buzz my phone with this one to let me know.”

Victoria watched her carefully and noted the buttons were labeled for easy reference. She nodded that she understood and then looked at her computer screen, which was already up and running.

“I had tech set it up for you,” Mrs. Parsons explained. “Your password can easily be changed later when you get a chance. Your email will be my main contact with you through most of the day this week and probably next. One of my clients is set to make a huge announcement and I’ll be behind closed doors for most of the day brainstorming and teleconferencing.”

“Okay, so you’ll email things you’ll need me to do throughout the day.”

“Except between 12:30 and 1:30,” the woman smiled. “You’ll need to take a break. Trust me.”

“Right now, I just want to work … and learn all I can,” she smiled.

“You’re going to do fine. I can tell.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Parsons.”

“Call me Rita.”

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“Here’s your BlackBerry!” Mindy announced as she bounded into Warren’s office. “I can’t believe you forgot it this morning. You’re usually soldered onto the thing.”

“Hey, anyone can forget once in a while,” he laughed.

“Yo, Warren!” Pete greeted him as he strode into the office. “You catch that game last … hell-lo, cutie!”

Mindy gave him an odd look then glanced at her brother.

“Mindy, this is Pete, resident self-proclaimed ladies’ man.”

“Self-proclaimed!” the dark haired man cried. “Oh, you wound me, my friend!”

Warren shrugged and looked back at his personal computer to see if his pager had gone off when he didn’t have it on him. It had but it was just Jake sending a joke as always.

“So, your Warren’s sister then?” Pete asked with a flirting tone.

“That’s me!”

“I get the feeling he’s been trying to keep us from meeting,” Pete added conspiratorially. “Maybe you know why?”

“He hasn’t,” Mindy grinned. “I have.” She turned back to Warren and smiled sweetly at him. “Well, if that’s all, big bro, I’ll see you at home later.”

“Thanks again, Mindy!”

With smirk at Pete she left the office.

“Ooh! Burn!” Warren laughed.

“I know!” Pete said in shock. “What did I even do to deserve it?”

Warren shrugged.

“You told her about me, didn’t you?” his friend asked with narrowed eyes.

“I did!” Jake announced on his way into the office.

“What? When?” Warren asked.

“When I met her the first time and I was waiting for you to come out of the bathroom.”

“Why?” Pete demanded.

“Because you’re not boyfriend material,” the blonde replied. “You even said so yourself.”

“Yeah, so?”

“So she’d your friend’s sister,” Jake said wisely. “That makes her off-limits for casual flings. You know the rules.”

“But she was cute,” Pete whined.

“She looks a lot like Warren,” Jake pointed out. “Are you sure you’re not into guys?”

“No, I’m not into guys!”

“Dude!” Warren objected. “My sister so does not look like a guy!”

“I didn’t say she did,” Jake laughed. “But you have to admit, she does look like you.”

“She’s my sister! Who is she supposed to look like?”

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Chris sat up straight in his seat and gave the woman his undivided attention. She was maybe three or four years older than he was, and she was very beautiful. With long, straight auburn hair and bright blue eyes, she gave him several assessing looks out of the corner of her eye while she surveyed his material. She also wore a very low-cut blouse and leaned down every now and then, revealing a very generous and heaving chest. Chris just sighed and looked at the wall behind her, waiting for a question to actually be asked.

“These are very nice,” she purred as she poured over the samples. “You came up with some interesting ideas.”

“I tried to make each pitch relevant only to the client it pertained to,” he replied.

She looked up at him with her large innocent-looking blue pools. “I see.”

He nodded. She stared at him for a few more seconds then sat up straight and back against the chair. Suddenly, her eyes lost their flirtatious light and a shrewd gleam replaced it.

“I believe in frank talk, do you, Mr. Wainsworth?”

Chris nodded again but kept silent, now wary of her.

“Good, she sighed, dropping her pen. “Off the record now. I’ve done everything but strip down to my camisole. What gives?”

“Excuse me?” he asked.

“I said this was off the record,” she reminded him.

“Okay then,” he replied. “I’ll tell you, if you tell me.”

“Tell you what?” she blinked.

“Why are you throwing yourself at me? I thought this was an interview, not speed dating.”

“Oh, that,” she chuckled. “Yeah, well. The last partner I had to hire turned out to be a lecherous bastard who came onto me all day. One night, while we were working late, he got tired of rejection and tried to make me change my mind.”

“You seem awfully casual about it.”

“He got what he deserved, which was a face full of pepper spray and a pink slip. Not to mention my pending sexual harassment lawsuit.”

“Okay,” Chris nodded. “I can see why you’d be cynical of interviewing guys. But I’m not someone you need to worry about.”

“You’re not?” she looked blandly skeptical. Pray tell, why should I believe that?”

“Because I’m still getting over being dumped by my boyfriend of six years.”

Her eyes widened and she faltered for a moment. “Oh, I’m, um, so sorry.”

“It’s a lot more involved than that,” he shrugged. “And I moved out here with my ex-girlfriend to get him back.”

“Ex-girlfriend?” she deadpanned.

“Like I said, there are extenuating circumstances. But suffice it to say, I would be the last man in the office you’d need to worry about fielding advances from.”

They studied each other for a few minutes before she nodded thoughtfully. “Okay then. Just give me a day or so to check your references.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Your work is good and your honesty is refreshing. If your references check, you’ve got the gig!”

Chris sighed in relief. Now all he had to hope for was that the call got through to the right guy back in Seattle.