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CHAPTER 3
Merrick
“Mr. Crawford?” My assistant, Andrea, poked her head into my office while I was eating lunch with Will. “Sorry to interrupt, but HR asked me to find out if you might have time to talk with one of the candidates for the in-house therapist position?”
I shook my head. “I don’t need to talk to the applicants. I already gave my input to Joan. HR is holding second-round interviews and will let me know what they think when they’re done.”
“Apparently one of the candidates asked if she could have a minute with you after her appointment with HR. But her meeting is starting now, and I know you don’t like anything on your schedule during trading hours.”
“Which candidate?”
“Evie Vaughn.”
I leaned back in my chair with a chuckle. “Sure. Why not?”
She nodded. “I’ll let her know.”
Will lifted his chin after Andrea shut the door. “What was that little grin about?”
“One of the candidates for the stress therapist job is interesting, to say the least.”
“In what way?”
“Her first-interview appointment wasn’t until five one day last week, so when the market closed, I ran downstairs to Paloma to pick up a suit I’d bought and had tailored. After I left the store, I thought I’d forgotten my cell phone in the fitting room, so I went back to check. When I opened the door, I walked in on a woman.”
“I hate those places that have one fitting room for both men and women.”
“Actually, this place has separate ones. The woman was just in the men’s room. But that’s not the best part. When I walked in, she was half undressed…and smelling her armpit.”
Will’s brows shot up. “Come again?”
“You heard me right. Anyway, a few minutes later, my five o’clock appointment walks in, and it’s her. The woman from the fitting room.”
“The pit sniffer? Get the hell out of here. What did you do?”
“Nothing. I played it off like I didn’t recognize her, though she definitely recognized me. I could see her squirming.”
“Shit like this only happens to you, my friend. So what went down? How did the interview go?”
“She was the least-qualified candidate. I don’t even know how her resumé made it into the group that got called for interviews.”
“Yet she’s back here today for a second interview?”
“She is, indeed.”
Will shook his head. “What am I missing?”
“When I got home that night, I started thinking about how the board is shoving this position down my throat. They mandated that I hire someone, not that the person be competent.”
Will smiled. “Genius.”
I shook my head. “It wasn’t enough that I offered to pay for counseling for anyone who wants to go. They had to push me into getting a full-time person onsite and requiring every employee to attend during their workday at least once a month. I need my people to be focused and ruthless while they’re here—not getting in touch with their emotions.”
“I hear you.”
As we finished lunch, Andrea returned and knocked. Evie Vaughn stood right behind her. Her wavy blond hair was up today, and she wore a simple black skirt and jacket with a red blouse underneath, giving her the sexy-librarian look every male fantasizes about at least once in his life. I tried to ignore the stir seeing her caused in me and forced my gaze down.
Andrea peeked her head in the door. “Do you need more time?”
