Chapter One: The Interview
For such a young woman, Haley Saunders quite frankly looked beat down by life. She was of average height but obviously malnourished. Her brown hair appeared badly in need of a wash and cut. Despite the girl continuously tucking it behind her ears, greasy strands frequently ended up drifting into her eyes during the interview. She had an attractive enough face though the dark circles under her eyes and gauntness of her cheek bones made it hard to judge the potential for just how attractive she could be.
She was dressed in a pair of jeans that had seen better days as had the yellow blouse she wore. Both were at least clean though. Her shoes were a different matter. They were scuffed and worn and appeared to be covered in a coating of white dust.
Her nails were clean but appeared to have bitten to the quick. Her fingers were long and graceful looking. The kind of hands you'd expect to see on a concert pianist and not a homeless girl.
Lacey Summers studied the file put together by her investigators. The girl had no criminal background, which was a big plus. Though she never graduated from high school she had at least gone through the effort of getting her GED. She'd been homeless since the age of fifteen, so that at least showed initiative on her part.
She had also picked up enough Spanish living on the street to be considered fluent.
She'd scored well on both the aptitude and general intelligence test she'd taken. The psychological profile she'd underwent said she was remarkably well adjusted considering the traumas she'd undergone in her younger years. It also said she appeared to relate and empathize with others. It did indicate possible issues with trusting men on a personal level but stated she showed no issues with interacting with them.
The medical report from the Internal Medicine practice we'd sent her to said she was in overall good health. It stated she was unable to have children due to the removal of her uterus when she was a young teenager. The issue apparently resulted from a poorly performed abortion in a illegal back alley clinic that ruptured her uterus. She was only thirteen when this happened. The pregnancy was the result of sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather.
Her drug screening showed no history of drug abuse. A big plus as far a Lacey was concerned. She'd had issues in the past with staff members who'd abused drugs. She felt she was no longer capable of trusting anyone who used. Not in her personal life and certainly not in her business one.
She would need a place to live. The shelter she was currently living in would be completely inappropriate. That wasn't an issue as Lacey had the guesthouse out back just sitting there empty. It was a bit much for one person but if she kept the girl close it would give her a chance to keep an eye on her. It also wouldn't hurt to have her close by for business matters.
She would also need clothes for both business and personal use. Lacey had already accounted for that expense when she'd decided to go this route. She'd budgeted for both clothes and initial grooming costs knowing that whichever girl she chose would need them.
Ms. Saunders was by far the best choice she'd encountered. The others were either too old, showed indications of drug abuse, or appeared to lack the basic intelligence to do the job. Her only negative was her age. At nineteen years of age most girls still had a lot of growing up to do. Everything Lacey had discerned so far in the interview indicated that Haley's difficult life had served to force her to an early level of advanced maturity.
"So Ms. Saunders, I won't bother asking why you want the job. That much is obvious. What I would like to know is what makes you think your qualified for it?"
For what seemed like the hundredth time in the interview so far, Haley tucked her hair behind her ears and said in a matter of fact manner, "Well skills wise I'm not. But I do pick things up quick and I'm intelligent enough to understand most concepts I'm presented with. I get along with people, including those that are difficult. You meet a lot of those types in the homeless community."
Lacey noticed for the first time the girl had beautiful green eyes. They really lit up her face when she was engaged in conversation.
"Boyfriend? Girlfriend?" Lacey asked.
The young woman shook her head, "No, no one. My lifestyle really hasn't been conducive to having relationships. They're too risky."
"How so?" Lacey asked more out of personal curiosity than anything else.
The girl shrugged her shoulders and said, "It's just the nature of the streets. People living there have to look out for themselves first and foremost. I've known a few girls that have tried it and in the end, they were all taken advantage of. Some people might have a regular hookup they see but it's just a means to an end type arrangement. Not a relationship in the traditional sense."
"And you?" Lacey
The girl looked down at her fingernails and for the first time answered without making eye contact.
"Sex has never brought me anything but pain and hurt. It's not something I'd ever seek out."
Sensing the change in the girls mood Lacey tried to get the interview back on track.
"Your Mother, she died?"
Haley nodded her head, "Yes, breast cancer when I was eleven."
"And no brothers or sisters?" Lacey asked.
Looking back up and once again making eye contact again Haley answered, "No, I was an only child."
Lacey was impressed with this girl. She was well spoken and more intelligent than several of her previous PA's despite lacking a college education. She appeared energetic and motivated as was made evident by her completing a series of math and English courses at community night school. That showed a level of commitment to improve her lot in life that most her peers lacked.
"Alright Ms. Saunders, one final question," Lacey asked, "I call you at three o'clock in the morning and tell you I need you to personally go by the office right then and pick up a file I need to complete a project. What do you do?"
"In this hypothetical do I know how to drive and own a telephone? Because otherwise you're going to be awfully disappointed"
Lacey smiled, "You have both plus access to a vehicle."
Haley answered without hesitation, "I do it. The job description made it clear this job entailed being at your beck and call twenty-four seven. As long as what you're asking me to do isn't illegal, immoral, or puts me in physical danger, I'd do it."
For the first time during the interview Lacey looked over at her father. He'd sat there the entire time looking at the newspaper and appearing to show not the least bit of interest in what was happening. Lacey knew though that he'd taken in every word spoken. He looked up at her briefly and gave the slightest of nods.
Lacey stood up and held her hand out saying, "Congratulations Ms. Saunders, you've got the job if you want it."
Haley stood up and took the hand offered her way saying, "Thank you Ms. Summers. Thank you very much. You have no idea what this means to me. I'll work hard and I won't let you down."
Having read the extensive background report her investigators had put together, she thought she knew exactly what it meant to her. She kept that to herself though and said, "You are very welcome Ms. Saunders. And for now on outside the office you can call me Lacey. What would you prefer to be called?"
"Haley is fine, or Hales, that's what some of the girls I live with call me. I don't mind it too much. Whichever one you prefer."
Lacey picked up the office phone and mashed a button. A few seconds later, she said, "Janet, can you come in my office a minute?"
Haley turned to see an obviously pregnant blonde enter the office holding her hand on her considerable belly.
Lacey stepped out in front of her desk and said, "Janet, this is Haley. She's the new trainee that will be replacing you. Haley, this is Janet. She's the best PA I've ever had and her shoes will be very difficult to fill. For the next six weeks Haley, I need you to absorb everything Janet tells you down to the minutia. As she'll likely inform you I can be very particular about the way I like things done. Starting Monday you will be shadowing her exclusively so make sure you take lots of notes.
"I will Ms. Summers" Haley answered.
Lacey turned to Janet and said, "Tomorrow morning I want you to use the driver and pick Ms. Saunders up at her shelter. From there use the company card and take her shopping for clothes and shoes. Make sure she has an assortment of things appropriate for the office. That includes undergarments as well. Make sure they know she'll need several of the outfits on a rush job. Then get her whatever she needs in personal wear. Go ahead and schedule her a salon appointment with Phillipe. Hair, nails, and whatever else she needs done.
"You'll need to schedule her for evening driving lessons with David and see to it that she gets her license."
Turning back to Haley she said, "When you leave the shelter in the morning, make sure you bring anything you want to keep. You won't be going back there. You'll be moving into my guesthouse tomorrow afternoon. I'll see to it that the fridge is stocked and everything is in working order before you get there. Do you have any dietary restrictions? Food allergies?"
Haley let out a little laugh and said, "No Ms. Summers."
Curious, Lacey smiled and asked, "Okay, what did I say that was funny?"
