Lisa stared down at her open toed heels and wiggled her toes. She liked the bright red toe nail polish she had used as it contrasted well with her pearly white skin. She tapped on her little notebook and looked back up at the door.
She was anxious and began tapping her foot on the floor. This was her first job interview for a large corporation and she was a bit worried. This was one job opportunity she didn't want to miss out on.
The sun beamed down through the floor to ceiling windows of the tall building. The soft sounds of clicking echoed in the distance, from the cubicles a few feet away. Lisa looked up as she heard footsteps approaching.
"Ms. Gardner?" A voice greeted.
Lisa looked to her left, smiled and stood up. "Yes?"
"I apologize for the long wait. Guess you can see why we need a new executive assistance," the woman said with a smile.
Lisa smiled and shook the lady's hand. "I guess I can."
"My name's Allison, you can just call me Ally if you want. Mr. Brown's meeting ran a little late, but thanks again for your patience. You look a little nervous," Ally said.
"Yes, just a little. This is my first interview at a big company," Lisa replied.
"Big company, small company, it's all the same. Don't let the size get to you. At the end of the day, size doesn't matter. Just keep it calm. Just think as if you were already working here, as if Mr. Brown is already your boss," Ally advised with a smile.
Lisa took a deep breath and smiled back. "Thank you."
"We just need to turn this corner. Would you like anything to drink?" Ally offered.
"No thank you. I'm fine," Lisa replied.
The two turned a corner and headed down a long hall. Cubicles lined the office, left and right, with offices lining the windows. At the end was a large room, with floor to ceiling windows as walls facing the office and out to the outdoors, and blinds that were slightly swaying to block the inside.
Ally led the way and opened the door. A tall, large and bald black man stood up from behind his desk and strolled over to them. He was extremely fit. His buttoned up shirt was tight around his body, hugging his most likely chiseled body.
"Mr. Brown, this is Lisa Gardner, Lisa, this is Mr. Brown," Ally introduced the two.
"You can just call me Rick," he said, sticking out his large ebony hand.
Ally reached out and returned the shake. His hand was large and powerful, enveloping her small white fingers and squeezing them tightly. The color of his ebony skin contrasted greatly with her own pale white skin.
"Then I'll leave you two to it," Ally said as she closed the blinds, closed the door and left.
Rick turned and walked back to his desk, taking a pen out of his shirt pocket. He waved one of his large arms at the chair across the desk from him.
"Come, sit," he offered.
Lisa sat down, straightened her short black skirt, and crossed her legs. She sat back, placed her notebook on her lap and smiled. Rick leaned back on his office chair and pulled up a piece of paper, her resume.
"So... Lisa, what brings you over to our company?" Rick asked.
"Well... to be honest," Lisa paused, hesitating as she tried to calm herself.
Rick smiled. "Honesty is the best policy."
"Well, I saw the job description and felt that it was something I could do, and do well. Though, I will admit, I have never worked at a company as large as here before," Lisa answered.
Rick smiled, his thick black lips curling up. His pearly white teeth shined past his slightly open lips.
"I actually didn't read the job description. Was it that good?" Rick asked.
"It was pretty generic, it mentioned scheduling meetings, running errands and possibly traveling to support executives. I do that all the time at my current company... well, except the travel. But I've gotten high marks and I've even gotten a lot of recommendations through LinkedIn," Lisa replied.
"And why are you leaving your current company?"
"There's no compelling reason or anything, I just... I like the idea of working in the city, traveling for work, doing what I do but adding a little bit of extra," Lisa answered.
"There's that honesty," Rick said with a smile.
Lisa smiled at his response.
"This job... it's a bit more tougher than you think. I'm not an easy man to please," Rick said, his smile slightly fading.
"I'm up for anything."
Rick leaned back and crossed his legs, placing her resume on the desk. He cupped his hands together, and eyed her up and down. Lisa felt a strange tingle up her spine as their eyes met.
"You've been honest with me, so I'm going to be honest with you. I'm looking for someone who really is up for anything. Not just words but in action," Rick commented.
There was a dark demeanor to his words. Lisa felt her heart skip a beat as he continued to lock eyes with her. She felt slightly uncomfortable, part of her feeling as if she had already failed the interview.
"Mr. Brown, I'm not all words. My actions always speak for themselves," Lisa blurted out.
"And how much do you want this job? I mean, it seems like you already have a pretty good job, what makes you really want this one?" Rick inquired.
Lisa sighed, her initial response about the travel and city experience weren't what he was looking for.
"The executive I work for, he's on his way out. I've been reassigned to work with a different executive and well... to put it frankly, she's a bitch," Lisa admitted.
Rick's smile returned. He uncrossed his legs and leaned in, his gaze never escaping hers. Another shiver crept through Lisa's spine and she uncrossed her legs, and then crossed them again, in the other direction. She felt uneasy and looked out the window.
