A glistening bead of sweat formed just below Jane's dimpled chin. It traced its way down her neck and around the top of her breasts until it came to rest at the bottom of her toned stomach, just above the hem of her skirt. She tugged at the collar of her blouse and undid the top button. The portable office where she was waiting for her next job interview was the hottest place she'd been all day.
After hours spent walking from interview to interview in the middle of a heat wave, her body was starting to give up, and her clothes weren't far behind. Jane wondered if her thin blouse was fully transparent. She hoped not, but then again, it could come to her advantage.
She'd had no luck at her previous interviews. Now, this last chance at landing a job might rest on the meagre integrity of a tight-fitting blouse she'd chosen because she thought the thin fabric would breathe better on a hot day.
"Ms. Mackinlay?" a pert young receptionist asked from behind her desk.
"Yes, that's me," said Jane.
"Mr. Robertson will see you now."
"Thank you."
The receptionist blushed subtly when Jane rose into view in front of the desk. She handed back a packet of forms that Jane had filled out for the interview and instructed Jane to bring them in with her. Then she pointed her toward a door at the back of the portable. Jane took one last moment to adjust her outfit before pushing the door open.
On the other side, a portly man sat behind a gray metal desk, tapping away at a keyboard. He smiled as Jane walked in and stood to shake her hand. Then he gestured for her to sit in the metal folding chair on the other side of his desk.
The metal chair radiated heat against Jane's already sweating thighs. The large, stocky man sitting across from her, Mr. Robertson, seemed to be handling the heat only slightly better. He brushed his thick hair back and pulled at the front of his shirt as he leaned back in his office chair and began leafing through Jane's interview packet.
"So, Ms. Mackinlay, what interests you about this position?"
"Well, to be honest, it's a significant pay bump from what I'm currently making, and the benefits don't hurt either."
"Well, I appreciate your candour. Why are you leaving your current position?"
"I feel I've got everything I can from my current job. There isn't much room for advancement at my company, so I'm looking for somewhere that I can continue to grow."
"Well, if your resume is accurate, I'm sure we can find some use for you here," said Mr. Robertson, looking Jane up and down.
Jane smiled at him as she caught his eyes flicking between her face and breasts. More beads of sweat began to pool on her forehead, and she did her best to wipe them away as gracefully as possible. Mr. Robertson watched the curve of her slender arm and the way her motions pulled her blouse tight against her chest.
"I apologize for the heat, Ms. Mackinlay. You see, our air conditioning unit broke last week. The incident was perfectly timed for just before the heat wave. These are the sorts of problems we need an office manager to help sort out. Do you think your current experience would come in handy there?"
"Please, Mr. Robertson, call me Jane. I think if you wanted me to, I could fix all kinds of problems here, including the heat. At the very least, I could think of a way to help us manage to be comfortable with it. If that's something you want, of course."
"Hmm," Mr. Robertson smiled. "I could certainly see that being a request I might have. I'm just a little concerned with your level of experience. It seems that you're lacking leadership expertise. You'd be leading a team here, about three other admins to start. I'm concerned there may be some responsibilities you may not be accustomed to, what with your more private experience as a personal assistant."
"Ah, well, I learn quick," Jane smiled. "So, I don't think I would have any trouble adjusting to the difficulties of a new position, and I'm eager to take on new challenges, especially in terms of working with others."
