“Good afternoon.” He rose with a smile to shake her hand. Her fingers, with pink-painted nails, appeared dainty, but they wrapped around his hand in a firm grip. He liked the feel of her soft hand in his. “You must be Eva. I’m Greyson Stone, the CEO of Creative Enterprises.”
Those pouty lips curved into a polite smile that warmed her eyes and eased a bit of the nerves. The determination still burned brightly. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Stone. Thank you so much for your consideration.”
“My pleasure.” He sat and indicated with his hand for her to do the same, and it truly was. The dress she wore wasn’t inappropriate in any way, but the ribbed bodice accentuated and lifted her bust line so that he couldn’t help but notice. A bare millimeter of cleavage poked out—not enough to offend anyone’s sensibilities in this day and age, but enough to pique his interest, to make him wonder what they would look like without the black cloth shielding them from his view.
He took out her resume, reviewed it. “You certainly appear to be very qualified for this position, Ms. Moore. Your credentials and experience are actually quite impressive.”
She smiled, but there was a flash of nerves in her eyes that made him pause.
“Thank you. I would be more than happy to assist you in maintaining and expanding your company.”
“Indeed.” Leaning forward, he began to ask the usual questions they asked all interview applicants while mixing in some of his own. She remained poised and confident, the hint of nerves still in her eyes but nearly outshone by that determination. He decided to dismiss the nerves as a natural part of the interview—in these trying times it only seemed natural someone would be nervous in an interview, that they would misstep and lose the chance for the job. The determination was what overrode her fear so that it didn’t show in her posture, tone, or the way she answered his questions.
“Thank you very much,” he said when it was over. “Do you have any questions for me?”
She asked a few things about benefits, company protocol, etc., and then charged right in. “How long should I expect to wait to hear back on this position?”
He smiled. “You’re hired.”
Her jaw dropped. “I am?” She seemed to realize her reaction and modulated her voice and expression. “Not that I am not grateful… but don’t you have other applicants to consider first? I would want to ensure you are making the best choice for the company, after all.”
“I assure you that I am. I’d already made up my mind the moment you fixed eyes on me. I’d already looked at your resume before you arrived and knew you met the qualifications. Your determination is what impresses me. I’ve no doubt you will do whatever it takes to have and keep this job, and to assist me in any way required.”
“Absolutely.” The nerves were gone from her eyes, replaced with a joy bordering on glee. Her lips stretched into a grin that told him she would be breaking into song and dance were he not in the room. “Thank you so much, Mr. Stone. When do I begin?”
“Tomorrow. I want you here at 8:30 A.M. My retiring assistant, Jada, will show you the ropes.” He rose, inviting her wordlessly to do the same, and shook her hand again. “Welcome to Creative Enterprises, Ms. Moore.”
“Thank you Mr. Stone,” she said sincerely as she gripped his hand. “I won’t let you down.”
He watched her walk out the door, her ample hips swaying gently in that black dress. “Hmm, I’m sure you won’t,” he murmured.
****
Eva parked her Honda outside the skyscraper Creative Enterprises was housed in. There was a bounce in her step as she traversed the pavement and entered the revolving doors, then crossed the lobby with a click of her new platform pumps against the black tile. Not even the elevator music could dim her smile as she rode up to the top floor to begin her workday.
She’d been at the company for a week now, and was having the time of her life. Jada had been there for the first three days, showing her where everything was, setting her up with computer passwords and explaining her duties. By the beginning of the fourth day Jada had proclaimed to Greyson that Eva was a quick student and had taken the ropes quite well. She assured them both that she wasn’t needed anymore, and gave Eva her number and told her she could call anytime if she had questions.#p#分页标题#e#
Today was Monday, and marked the second day where she would be doing everything by herself. She managed his schedule, brought him coffee, wrote his letters, screened his emails, took phone calls, kept his files in order, and a host of other activities. It was similar to what she’d done for the printing company—just on a larger scale. She loved the feeling of being useful, of being efficient once more. And she especially loved it when Greyson would stop by to offer her a few words of praise, to tell her what a good job she was doing.