The Intern
I finally got a response from the counseling office at the college to my ad for an intern. As it turned out it was a lot harder to get a single response for a student to work for free for me doing data entry and returning routine phone calls. The one response I received was from a Jasmine Villalobos, who unfortunately was without a drivers license, so I was going to have to interview her over coffee at near the college. This was not a good sign. How would she ever get to or from my downtown office without reliable transportation. But unfortunately it was an "intern's market." More businesses were looking for free help than there were students willing to work for free.
We met at the Starbucks across the street from the college and I scanned around looking for my prospective intern. She told me she was Filipino, short and 22. As I looked around I saw a young woman in t-shirt and knee length gym shorts sitting quietly but confidently at one of the tables. She had short page-boy style hair and big glasses. She was cute, but a little chubby, but not so heavy that any reasonably kind person would call her fat. But she looked like a shy geek: a wallflower. What could this girl, who didn't have the good sense to wear business dress to an interview do for my p.r. business?
"Hi, are you Jasmine? I'm Joseph," I said as I approached.
"Uh huh," she answered.
"Can I buy you a coffee?"
"Sure," she answered noncommittally. I got her order, smiled and turned to place our orders at the counter. Hopefully this will go quick.
I returned to the table with your drinks and sat. "So did you bring a resume with you, Jasmine?"
"No, I didn't think that was necessary for this."
"In the future, you'll want to consider that. It will let people know a little bit about your background."
"Uh okay," she mumbled.
"So tell me, why are you interested in an internship in an office?" I probed, wanting to give her a chance and in the back of my mind knowing that I had few options for the unpaid position.
"I don't know," she said, looking through her glasses and bangs. "It's a good way to meet people."
"Oh? How's that? What kind of people are you looking to meet at my office. We mostly work with small business owners. Are you looking for connections for future employment?" My interest was piqued a bit. Perhaps she had some ambition and career plans.
"No. Not really. I like meeting men who have jobs. I don't really want an internship," she said a little more forcefully than anything she'd said before. I blanched at her admission. She continued with a sly smile on her face, "Are you married?"
"Yes, Jasmine, I am." Where was this going? I wondered. "What is this all about? What are we doing here if you don't want a job?"
"I want to see it," she declared.
"See what?"
"Your cock," she whispered so quietly I wasn't sure if I could hear her. I looked at her mouth as she whispered it again, reading her lips. "I want to see your cock."
"I'm sorry, miss, I don't think that's appropriate." And even though I knew my statement was true, I wondered if there was a way I could give her what she wanted. Where could we go?
But I also worried that this was some sort of trap. Some type of sexual harassment sting.
"I haven't seen one in person in two years," she said. "Can we go somewhere and you show it to me?"
I stared into her eyes. Her geeky look became softened and a little bit more sexy. There was sincerity in her eyes, although I wondered why me.
"Please," she mouthed.
"Where do you want to go?" Suddenly, instead of feeling like an influential businessman, I was a terrified college student afraid of saying the wrong thing and screwing it up.
"I don't know. Take me somewhere."
There was a large city park nearby, complete with zoo and golf course. "Do you mind if we drive," I was embarrassed to ask. The truth is that if she was my friend ... or sister ... or daughter ... I'd tell her not to get in the car with a strange man she just met. I secretly hoped she'd be smart and say "no."
"Okay," she smirked. She was a risk taker, or perhaps I was in trouble. Would I be followed and robbed? Was this a terrible mistake on my part?