Mel Ryle
ZOEY
“...I handled contracts, edited, proofread them, and that was for almost 500 clients at Vlashion.”
“I can handle admin tasks, manage accounts receivable, type seventy-five words per minute, and I run a seven-minute mile,” I shared.
Rufus and Julian nodded, seemingly impressed.
Julian crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair, getting comfortable. “I hate running. I prefer whatever I’m chasing to come to me.”
It was a bit unsettling to see him on the other side of the table, especially after our conversations... and the flirty vibes that I thought I had picked up on both times.
Rufus seemed to pick up on my unease and jumped in.
He shared, “I’m a runner. In fact, a few of us from the team have an after-hours group.”
“Oh, fun!” I exclaimed. The idea of joining a group like that, a group that looked out for its own, where everyone felt safe?
Yeah, that was a mile better than Vlashion.
Rufus scanned his copy of my resume.
“So your resume’s pretty solid. BA in Business from the University of Illinois…” He flipped the page.
“Some good experience on here. I’m familiar with Stronach Glass Company and Midwest Currency Advisors—”
“I learned a lot at both of those places,” I shared.
A lot I wished I hadn’t…
As if he could read my thoughts, Julian’s eyes sparkled. “I hear it’s a bit of a boys’ club at both of them. Any stories worth sharing?”
I wasn’t sure I wanted to answer.
JULIAN
There was something about Zoey Curtis.
Our office was fast-paced, no two days were the same. It took a special kind of person to adapt and flow with this kind of environment.
I hoped she was that person.
I shared, “I get the feeling you’re a ‘take no crap’ type, and that type always seems to have some wild stories.”
Rufus cleared his throat again. “Well,” he shared, “that’s not a problem she’d have to face here, so maybe we’ll just move on?”
I shrugged, willing to sit back.
For a moment.
“If you insist…” I shared. Rufus shot me a look, looking up from her resume. “Fine, fine… Yes. Please, continue.”
“Tell me about Vlashion. Looking to climb, looking to hover, what’s your plan?” Rufus continued.
I noticed her tense slightly. Rufus had touched a nerve.
Ms. Curtis answered. “Well, uh, a couple of years ago my mom had some health problems that made it easier for me to find work closer to her…”
“And I support her financially, so the money at Vlashion has been helpful.
“But I’ve learned to adapt, handle…difficult personalities. Excuse the expression, but when there’s a shit sandwich that has to get eaten, I clean my plate.”
Mmm. “Tip Number Six—tell a personal story.” She was good.
“Switching gears, any dietary restrictions?” I teased with a straight face. “Vegetarian? Vegan? Gluten-free? Extreme carnivore, interested in exotic meats?” I kept a straight face.
“Me?” she asked, a bit taken aback by my question.
“Actually, your mother—yes! Of course, you. But I do hope your mother has great intestinal health.”
Her face turned serious, and she looked down. Rufus shot me a look.
Why did I always have to say the wrong thing?
I felt my face turning red. “Oh God,” I stammered, “I’m—how is she?—shit, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t joke about…”
She smiled and waved her hand, seeing me squirm.
“Actually,” she shared, “she’s got high blood pressure, so she went vegetarian. But no dietary restrictions for me. Thanks for asking.”
She winked at me subtly, letting me off the hook. My jaw dropped, and my lips curled into a smile.
Oooh, I like that. Someone who can give as good as she gets.
I needed someone like that in my life.
In my office, I mean.
“Rufus, I think I’m falling in love over here,” I shared.
ZOEY
What did he just say?!
Rufus struggled to keep his composure. “Sorry, what, Julian? I didn’t hear you. I’m sure you didn’t say anything foolish or inappropriate, we wouldn’t want to offend Ms. Curtis, would we?”
Rufus seemed to play the role of an uncle or older brother to Julian, and in this moment, I was grateful.
“Just an expression, Rufus, it’s an Americanism,” Julian turned to me, gesturing at Rufus. “He’s a bit serious. Anyway. Zoey Curtis. Where do you see yourself in five years?”
I had to give it to Julian: he was a flirt. And he was good at it.
I didn’t know what came over me, but before I could second-guess myself, I felt a rush of inspiration and shared, “In your chair.”
I raised an eyebrow.
Julian definitely took the bait. He and Rufus shared a look, clearly interested in my answer.
“And in your plan…since we’re talking about the chair I’m in…am I in your lap or are you in mine?”
Red flag.
Rufus shot Julian another look, this one asking Are you done? Is it out of your system?
“Rufus is very serious, isn’t he?” Julian asked.
“Professional, yes,” I replied, doing my best to brush off his flirty remark. “I’ve been enjoying our chat.”
“Hold on—hold on,” Julian interjected. “When you say ‘our chat,’ does that include my part? Because it didn’t sound like it.”
“Julian,” Rufus warned.
“Rufus?” Julian shot back.
Rufus tried to steer the conversation back on track. “Tell me about a time when you had to deal with—”
“Someone like me,” Julian interrupted. “A fun-loving, easy-going guy who plays by his own rules.”
The playful banter was starting to wear thin. I said, “I’ve dealt with my fair share of…difficult male colleagues—”
Julian held up a finger. “Watch out: remember Rule Number Five…”
“I’m not badmouthing a former boss, Mr. Hawksley—”
“Julian,” he corrected. “You’ll need to get used to a bit of casualness around here.”
“I can handle casual…Julian. But if you can’t be more professional…”
Rufus spread his arms, trying to mediate between me and Julian. “We can, I promise. We do.”
Julian raised his hands in surrender. “I’m getting on your nerves, sorry. Go ahead, Ruf.”
Rufus forced a smile, trying to regain control. “Do you speak any other languages?”
“In my last job, we had to make sales calls worldwide, so I picked up a bit of basic conversation in…”
I mentally counted. “Five languages? I mean, I can order food, I can find an embassy…that sort of thing.”
“You speak five languages?” Julian grinned. “That’s amazing! Let me hear something.”
Caught off guard, I blurted out the first phrase that came to mind. “This is Arabic, it kind of means, ‘I’m having a good time.’” I cleared my throat.
“Awadu mink ’an tati maei ’iilaa almanzil.”
Julian shivered. “Oh, damn, only talk to me like that!”
Rufus slammed his hand on the conference table. “Julian, for God’s sake!”
“I’m sorry, okay?” He turned to me. “It was beautiful.”
Rufus rolled his eyes. “Okay, Julian…”
“What? I’m really liking everything I’m learning about her. She’s captivating—I don’t want her to leave.”
His sense of entitlement was palpable.
Was he as bad as Daniels? No—but he didn’t need to be for me to want him to stop. I wasn’t about to jump from one bad situation into another.
“I mean, if there was some inappropriate touching, that’d be one thing…”
There it is.
I stood up. “I don’t think this is the right fit for me,” I said.
“Really? You don’t?” Julian asked, sounding skeptical.
Rufus stood up. “Ms. Curtis, I apologize for him—Julian, for the love of God, shut up for a second, will you?!”
“Thank you, Mr. Fletcher, but it’s not necessary. I appreciate getting a feel for what working here would be like. I’m grateful.”
Julian rolled his eyes. “I seriously doubt I’m the worst person you’ve ever had to deal with…”
Rufus pointed at Julian. “I promise you, he’s not always like this. I wouldn’t have brought you in if he was. I wouldn’t waste your time.”
“Then why am I here? Why are you interviewing me?” I asked.
Rufus turned to Julian. “Care to answer that, Mr. Hawksley?”
Julian puffed out his chest, ready to defend himself. But when he spoke, he nailed it.
“You didn’t freak out when you realized who I was, which is rare—I’m not saying I’m a big deal, but people tend to lose it around me and you didn’t.
“You were in this building waiting for someone, which shows you value people and you’re efficient.
“And based on the article you were reading when we met, you were possibly looking for a change.
“You were dressed for business and looking sharp—or whatever you were aiming for in that outfit. In ten seconds, I knew you’d be an asset.”
I’d never been spoken to like that before. I felt both flattered and attacked.
“Need to hear anything else? Or are you going to stay in a bad mood?
“Because if you can’t handle a little heat, little lady, then maybe this isn’t for you.”
He had me. Until ‘little lady,’ he had me.
For a moment, he sounded like someone I could potentially trust, someone who saw something in me and was willing to take a chance on me.
And walking away from a job like this at a company like this was no small thing.
A job here could be a stepping stone.
But I had learned to trust my instincts, and I wasn’t about to risk another jerk boss ruining my life.
“I need to find the right fit for me, and... as charming as you can be, Mr. Hawksley, I worry we’d butt heads. So thank you for the opportunity, but I’ll see myself out.”
I spun on my heel and pushed the door open, making a dramatic exit.
I felt like a total badass.
I wouldn’t be working here. So be it.
But I felt ready to take on the world.
Later that day, I was set to face my boss, Mr. Donald Daniels.