Tracy Hawkins approached the elevators with butterflies dying in her stomach. Her heels clashed across the marble floor, echoing through the vast hallway of the Banks Building. As she waited for the elevator, she studied herself in the gilt and mirrored surfaces plating the elevator bank. "Looking good, girl," she thought to herself as she moistened her lips, smoothed her bun, and straightened her jacket.
She had been so nervous before her interview that her roommate, who had prescriptions for everything, had given her a couple of relaxant pills. 'These will make you feel nothing but comfortable, no matter what he throws at you,' Claudia had said.' As Tracy entered the elevator and pressed the button for the 22nd floor, she could feel her nervousness slowly subsiding. Next to the button, "Hobbes & Flush Architecture" gleamed dully on a metal plate. Tracy's stomach took a dip with the elevator's stopping and then she took a deep breath, and stepped off.
"This job is all about appearances, Ms. Hawkins. Because of the high-profile client base, my company is constantly under public scrutiny. My employees must be able to deal with high amounts of stress and visibility. In addition, in the daily workings of the office we all must be able to work well and comfortably together, with the greatest productivity. And very important, particularly as a member of my department, is the ability to field any situation, now matter how outlandish, while maintaining poise and radiating calm."
Mr. Hobbes came out from behind his desk and leaned back against it. so far the interview had gone well but Tracy didn't want to make any assumptions. She listened attentively. "Ms. Hawkins, you are here because your qualifications, references, and experiences have impressed us. Your application materials were screened by a panel of highly discriminating consultants to this firm, together with myself and my partner Ms. Flush, and you're here because we think you'd be an asset to this company. All that's left is to determine whether, within the interpersonal dynamics of this company as a work environment, you make a good fit.
He sighed, shook his head a little. Tracy couldn't help noticing the rise of his chest when he did so, and she liked it. God, how she loved to see attractive black men in suits. Especially when they were saying flattering things to her in job interviews. It was adding to the medicine she'd taken in providing her another reason to be relaxed. She looked calmly into her interviewer's eyes and listened patiently.
Calvin was pacing now. "It's an entirely subjective decision, you understand. And a definite benefit to running a private company is that there is plenty of room for these sorts of subjective judgments. Ms. Hawkins, our work here at H&F is very important to us. Our work environment is very important to us as well. And if you choose to work here - after all, you have to determine whether H&F will be a 'good fit' in your life, as well - then you will become very important to us, too."
With that, Calvin turned around and looked into Tracy's eyes. With a half-smile, she realized he'd caught her staring at his butt, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to feel embarrassed about it. Shit, he had a cute butt. Was that supposed to be her fault? She couldn't believe she was thinking these things, but they were amusing and certainly helped her to stay calm under pressure. She remembered the old public-speaking trick for dealing with anxiety: imagine your audience naked. She returned her interviewer's gaze eye-to-eye, and smiled slowly.
Calvin returned her smile. "I want to enjoy this portion of the review process, Ms. Hawkins, and for you to enjoy it as well. We'll play some games first, a couple of role plays, and then you can meet the rest of the firm. The first game can start right now: really it's more of a test. Remember what I said about maintaining composure?"
He pressed a button on the intercom on his desk and almost instantly, a clown came out of the back room, prancing and guffawing. Tracy fought to keep from laughing, and felt that Calvin wasn't being entirely fair: he kind of sprung that one on her. She hadn't had a chance to prepare herself for something outlandish before the clown came in.
Tracy watched the clown for a minute, amazed at her own control. "Amazing what a little pressure can do," she thought to herself, as she turned to look at Calvin with merely the slightest hint of restrained amusement on her face. She rose from her chair and approached the clown, greeting him graciously, guiding him to a seat, and finding out what he wanted. Then she turned to the desk. "Mr. Hobbes, there's a visitor to see you." She gave the clown's name and business, and mentioned his unusual appearance with great delicacy so that Calvin wouldn't himself be too surprised when he saw this strange visitor.
"Very well done," Calvin approved, giving Tracy a round of applause and the clown a nod of dismissal. "Thank you," purred Tracy as she took her seat. "I do have training in acting, after all. Once I'm fully 'in character' as a member of your team, Mr. Hobbes, you'll be even more impressed at what I come up with. I can handle anything."
The words flowing off Tracy's tongue were surprising her more and more with every word. She half wondered if Claudia's pills could have had anything to do with it. But what kind of pills gave you a smooth tongue on top of taking away the jitters? Anyway, Calvin seemed to like what he heard.
"It certainly seems that way, Ms Hawkins." He relaxed his face into a smile. "Let's go meet the rest of the gang, shall we?"
Tracy was immediately glowing with excitement. It looked like she was close to actually landing a job at Hobbes and Flush! The most successful black architectural and space design firm in the city, and as Program Associate in the Community and Creative Works department, headed by Mr. Calvin Hobbes himself... a brilliant mind, and (she noted as she followed him around the offices, being introduced to other workers) very cute. In fact, the thing that struck Tracy the most during her brief tour around the offices of H&F, was how attractive everyone was. There was no one around the huge loft office who was anything less than stunning. It seemed the 'subjective' characteristics they were so strict about covered appearance as well. Tracy made mental notes of the ones she imagined she'd spend the most time daydreaming about, and felt flattered that she'd been deemed fit to join this attractive company.