“Thank you. You can call me Amy,” she finally replied, deciding to just not call him by any name.
“Now that we have the formalities out of the way, let’s sit down and chat. Have you been offered something to drink?”
“Yes, but I don’t need anything.” She didn’t think she’d be able to swallow past the nervous lump in her throat.
Joseph indicated for her to sit back down on the sofa, which she quickly did, grateful to get off her shaky legs. He took the chair opposite her, then trained his light blue eyes on her face. The man was quite intimidating, standing well over six feet tall, with the broadest shoulders she could ever remember seeing.
He had snow white hair, just starting to thin a bit, and a neatly trimmed white mustache and beard. He was actually quite handsome for a man who must be in his early fifties at least.
“I was impressed with your résumé during the job fair at your school. If I remember correctly, you’ve held regular jobs since you were fourteen, then full-time work all throughout your schooling, correct? How did you manage to regulate your time to keep such impressive grades?”
“I’ve always believed in a strong work ethic. I made sure not to overschedule myself, and I took my classes a little later in the morning so I could work the swing shifts at my jobs. I didn’t want to graduate with a lot of debt,” Amy replied, happy in knowing she’d done exactly that and was pretty much debt free.
“Very impressive, Amy. Your résumé here, says you graduated with a degree in business finance with a minor in public relations. What are your future plans?”
“I haven’t had a lot of time to think about where I want to go in ten years, but my goal has always been to get my foot in the door of a great corporation, such as yours, and work my way up. I know it’s not an easy task, but I learn very quickly, and I’m not afraid of hard work or long hours. I’ll do whatever it takes to learn all I need to in order to be a real asset to your company.”
“What about marriage and babies?” he asked, never taking his gaze from her eyes.
Amy felt her cheeks heat at his question. She knew a lot of higher-up companies were afraid to hire young women due to the fact they’d sometimes get married, then need time off for having children and such. She didn’t want to lie, but she knew her answer could lose her the job.
“I’m not involved with anyone right now, but I’d be lying to you if I said I don’t want that to happen. I eventually want children, whether I do so in the traditional way or I adopt. I’ve always wanted to be a mother, but I can guarantee you I wouldn’t let anything affect my job performance. I know the value of secure employment, and I can’t be a great mother without first having a solid home for my child,” she answered. She knew he didn’t know her, but she could obtain letters of recommendation. She’d never once taken a sick day from work, and her school assignments had always been on time, if not early.
Joseph continued watching her for so long, it made her want to fidget in her seat. With sheer will, she remained still as she waited for his response.
“Do you have family or friends close by who’d be willing to help you?”
Amy was surprised by his questions. She’d never before had an interview with so many personal questions. It was throwing her off balance. She had all the answers to typical interview questions, but not the stuff he was asking her. She didn’t want anyone to know the true circumstances of her personal life.
“I have a few friends, but no family here,” she finally answered, feeling safe in her choice of wording. The reality was that she didn’t have any family, period.
Joseph then switched back to asking a few more work-related questions and she relaxed, secure in her knowledge of the business world. She’d studied hard and spent the very little free time she had researching large corporations, knowing she wanted a high salary job when she graduated.
Her real goals included her working nonstop for several years while saving every extra dime she could so she’d be able to have a family. She’d been alone since she was a child, and she didn’t want to die that way.
What Amy didn’t know was that Joseph had already run a full background check on her, knew she was an orphan, and he had much bigger ideas in mind than just an executive assistant position. He was looking for a potential daughter-in-law.
“Amy, it’s been a true pleasure talking with you today. As you were my last interview, I can safely tell you that the position is yours if you’d like it.”
Amy stared back at Joseph in shock. She hadn’t expected to hear anything about the job for at least a week and found herself speechless as his words sunk in. He smiled as he waited for her to compose herself.