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“Whatisthis place?” I ask the woman in awe.
“Well, I’m hoping that you at least read our company bio before you accepted the position here,” she teases. “Am I correct in assuming that you’re Seraphine? I’m Tori. We don’t get too many walk-ins.”
I nod my head and feel embarrassed. I actuallydidn’tread the company bio because I was just happy that I got the job without needing an interview.
“Yes, I’m Seraphine,” I nod, trying to quickly divert attention away from my obvious unfamiliarity with this place. “Sorry, it’s just that this place rivals the kind of thing I’ve seen in movies.”
The woman stands up and walks over to greet me, and I can tell that she is trying to make me feel welcome. She’s nice, and she’s alsofullof information.
She pours me coffee as we sit at a table to go over the hiring paperwork, and she explains a bit about the company. I did know that the company owner was some sort of billionaire CEO, but I didn’t know that the company manufactured high-tech software components. I guess I probably should have looked at the company webpage like she had said. I was just too excited to move out here and the job seemed less important than the move. After all, it’s anassistantposition, so how hard could it be?
“It’s actually anexecutiveassistant position,” Tori explained, knocking my ease right out of the water. “You’ll be the personal assistant to Chad Bowers, the company CEO, and you’ll be responsible for a wide range of tasks—pretty much anything Chad asks you to do.”
I start to feel my nerves flare because if he asks me to do anything “techie” I won’t have the first clue. I’m great with anything hands-on—anything artsy or crafting or even handy like renovations and repairs. But tech? That side of my brain isn’t quite as stellar as the creative side. And I’m starting to wonder why I was hired for a position like this without any experience in the field.
“Tori,” I say trying not to set things off on the wrong foot. “I’m feeling just a little underprepared for this. I thought I was getting hired to do things like making copies and running secretarial errands—you know,assistanttype stuff. I didn’t realize that this was a tech company.”
She looks at me over the top of her glasses as if she can tell that I’m a fish out of water. She’s pretty, in a librarian sort of way.
“Look, I’m going to be upfront with you, Seraphine,” she says. “We needed someone that could start immediately, and you fit the bill. It’s not easy to get people out here for the position, most everyone here is some sort of shopkeeper or small café owner. There aren’t many people willing to work in the business end of things in this little town. You were the first bite and I hired you instantly at Chad’s direction. He needs help and we were desperate to find someone fast. And besides, I don’t think the position will have you dealing with any software-related tasks.”
I just don’t know. I havenoqualifications in the tech industry, and this already feels overwhelming and I haven’t even started yet. Maybe I would be better off walking around the village and finding a job in one of the little shops.
I sit there wavering for a minute while Tori stares at me anxiously.
“Anyone can do this job, don’t worry,” she says as she tries to convince me not to back out of it. “As long as you can put up with the boss’s tough exterior, you’ll do great!”
“Tough exterior?”
She sips her coffee as if she wishes that she hadn’t mentioned that part. And now I definitely feel like I am out of my element here.
“I think that I need to politely decline,” I say as I stand up to leave.
I feel pretty terrible about walking out on the spot, but I really want to leave the building before the CEO comes out of his office and sees that I’m here. That will make things even more awkward.
“I’m really sorry, I just don’t think that this is going to be the right fit for any of us.”
Tori stands up too and follows me as I try to head for the front door. She opens her mouth as if she is about to try to talk me into staying, but before she can say anything, the CEO’s office door opens.
I shouldn’t turn around. I should just keep walking right on out the door, but curiosity gets the better of me and I want to see what a billionaire recluse looks like.
I find myself even more shocked now than when I first came inside the building.
For a second, the three of us all stand there staring at each other. I have one hand on the front door, the CEO is standing in his office doorway, and Tori is looking back and forth between us as if she is watching a tennis match. She turns to him and scurries to make an introduction.
“This is Seraphine,” she says as she motions her hand in my direction. “Seraphine, this is Chad.”
“Chad?” I ask when I see my neighbor standing there. I can’t hide the surprise in my voice.
Now Tori looks almost as disarmed as I feel.
“You two have already met?” she asks in surprise.
“Are you leaving already?” Chad asks me without answering her.
I feel like a deer standing in the headlights the way he’s looking at me and I ammuchtoo embarrassed now to bail. My mother taught me better manners than that. At least, that’s what I tell myself.
I take my hand off the handle and turn around.
