The ad read, "Influential man requires personal assistant. Position is highly confidential. Requires significant commitment. Excellent pay. Applicants should be female, 18-24, attractive."
For the last year, Amber had worked as a high level aide to a corporate executive. The work was stressful, but fulfilling. The end of it disappointed her, but she left on amicable terms. She'd hoped the separation would lead her to a new position quickly, but that hadn't panned out. Most of the openings were filled either internally or by a headhunter. It left her to turn to an insider job listing website which catered to a small circle of eccentric employers. Her former boss got her the invitation, but cautioned her that many of the people who used it demanded even more than he had.
A little counter that looked like the torn stub of a ticket indicated twenty three other people had taken the listing. If it was something truly odd, at least she wouldn't be alone in seeking it out. She clicked the link and landed on a small questionnaire hosted by a private domain. While it did ask for education, it also asked for height, weight, age, all things generally prohibited by law to be included in a job inquiry. Amber knew enough about the corporate world to understand how little regard they gave to such laws. A significant portion of the position would be appearance. They asked a photo as well, but that was more common.
She worked on the questionnaire for about thirty minutes before anxiously submitting it. With that done, she went about cleaning her small apartment to keep her mind away from the live wire of anxiety. After about fifteen minutes, her phone buzzed with a new email.
"We have received your application and invite you to interview tomorrow at 209 East Park Central, 45th Floor. Upon arrival, give your name to the receptionist. Please wear a fitted black dress. Thank you."
Amber panicked as she thought through her closet. She had a few things that might pass for the dress, but hadn't worn any of them for a while. She certainly didn't have time to go out and find something new. More than that, she doubted she could afford it. Even her tiny, cramped apartment had astronomical rent which burned through her savings over the past months. Without a new job soon, she would be forced to leave the city, or at least move to an even smaller apartment in an even more dangerous neighborhood. The prospect of the interview excited her, though, and she went to her closet to start trying on the dresses.
She found one she liked best, but it was too lose in the chest. Since moving to the city, she'd lost considerable weight, both from the stress of her first job and her inability to afford much food. The second dress she tried fit better. She stood in front of her mirror, looking at herself and hoping to see something more than she'd ever seen before. From puberty, she had always lacked the level of femininity of other girls. For her formative years, she'd been gangly and awkward, but during college she became comfortable enough to highlight her better qualities. What she lacked in hips and breasts, she made up for in smooth, delicate curves and a flat tummy. She loved her smile and was, for the moment, fond of her hairstyle. The dress hugged her form from the top of her chest down to her knees. It was loose enough to pass for work attire, but tight enough to be acceptable as an evening dress. Satisfied with her choice, she moved on to picking out shoes and worrying about what jewelry to wear, if any.
***
She arrived ten minutes early the next day. The receptionist directed her into a small room where four other women waited. Amber smiled at them politely as she took a seat on the bench. She crossed her legs and tried not to stare at anyone. The other women were all roughly Amber's age. In fact, Amber was struck by how similar they all looked. Their only major differences came in their hair color. Three of the women were brunette while Amber had black hair and the final woman had blonde. Two clicked at their phones in an effort to seem occupied rather than idle, while the others simply stared off into space, their faces blank of expression. Occasionally, they would cast a nervous look to the door on the opposite side of the room, or check their watch.
After a few minutes, the door opened and another woman, much the same as the others, walked out. She kept her head down as she quickly crossed the room and exited. Another few minutes passed, and the door opened again. An older woman with silver hair and svelte body stepped into the room and asked in a sweetly stern voice, "Marie?" One of the brunettes rose from her seat and followed the grey haired woman into the back.
Amber tapped her fingers across the back of her other hand.
They must be running behind
, she thought. She calculated how long it would be before they reached her. About seven minutes had passed between her arrival and the first girl's appearance from the back. If that held true it would be another thirty minutes before they called her. She figured she might as well read the news while waiting. As she pulled out her phone, the door opened again, and the brunette returned. Her face was red and flushed. She left quickly, her pace frantic. The silver haired woman followed her out, watching her leave with a patient smile. Her eyes flicked to the red head, "Belle?" The red head nodded and rose to follow.
Amber stole a glance down the hallway behind the door. It was longer than she expected and seemed to go from a neutral color paint, to solid white at the far end. As she looked, she realized the older woman was watching her, a playful smirk teasing at the edge of her lips. The door closed. Amber returned to waiting. The other two girls spoke in soft whispers between themselves. Amber was glad only she remained on her side of the room. She hated talking with the other women at interviews. It was impossible for her to push past the idea that they were sowing discord or doubt. The worst thing she'd ever been told before going into an interview was a simple, "You picked that dress? Good luck."
The door opened again after only a few minutes, but Belle didn't emerge. Instead, the silver haired woman stepped into the room, "Amber?" The two other girls looked visibly insulted as Amber stood up. She knew how they felt. It was particularly insulting to be summoned to an interview only to wait in the lobby while someone else got the job. Amber didn't waste a moment feeling pity for them. She stepped gracefully past the silver haired woman and into the hallway. "Just a moment dear," the lady said and stepped into the lobby, closing the door behind her. She returned almost instantly with a cheerful smile, "My name is Jane. We're happy you're here. Right this way please."
Jane strode confidently ahead, leading down the long corridor while Amber nervously looked ahead. At the end of the corridor were two doors, one at the far end of the hall and the other just to the left. Jane stopped when they reached the end, opened the door in front of them and gestured for Amber to enter. A growing sense of dread filled Amber as she stepped into a long rectangular room. The walls, the ceiling, the floor, and even the table were all a stark white color. At the far end, an enormous mirror was set into the wall starting above waist height, reminding Amber of things she'd seen in television police dramas. Jane closed the door behind them and lightly touched Amber's shoulder as she pointed to a table in the center of the room. "I'm sorry, I know it can be a bit unnerving, especially since you're already nervous about the interview, but please let's sit down. You won't notice as much."
Jane sat with her back to the mirror and Amber sat down opposite her, peering at their reflection and wondering who watched from behind it. On the table in between them, a small folder waited while Jane settled in. She flashed Amber a quick smile as her fingers opened the folder. She removed a single sheet of paper. Amber stole a glance to see a list of single line sentences. Jane made a few notes before saying, "Ok, Amber, I'm going to ask you a few questions. You do not have to answer any you feel uncomfortable with, but I would remind you that this is an interview to be a personal aide to a highly influential man. He is extremely precise in his hires. If you choose not to answer any of the questions, you will be dismissed without further discussion and no ill will. Additionally, this is a salaried, but temporary position. The term of the contract is five years. The compensation is fifteen million, two hundred and seven thousand, six hundred and twenty-three dollars. This sum is arrived at through a formula which accounts for multiple factors over the term of engagement including cost of living, inflation, and so on. I have written this figure down so that you can see it and be certain as to what I said."
From the folder, Jane slipped a small card over to Amber. Her hands shook as she picked it up. $15,207,623.00. Amber's mind raced to comprehend the amount of money listed on the card. She blurted out, "Is this a joke?" with a half giggle.
Jane smiled. "No, it is a significant salary, but Mr. Black likes to compensate his employees well for their time. And I assure you the salary is commensurate with the expectations of the role. You also do not receive the sum until the end of your employment. You are provided a stipend and an expense account during your employment as well as room and board being covered. The pay is dispensed to you but held in a trust account until your term ends. All of this is handled by legal. You may bring in your own counsel to oversee the contract if you like, but you need to get the job first. Shall we begin?"
"Yes, please," Amber said, her stomach twisting in knots.
