The next morning, they had another fun session in the shower before Colby went to work. Avery had a long day of typing up doctor's notes. Armed with plenty of root beer and salty snacks, she was happy. Colby promised to come home for lunch.
Jonas was just opening up when Colby arrived. They got the coffee pot going and Jonas set out a special box of donuts. These were the holiday ones from Dunkin' Donuts, his favorite spot. The staff arrived and enjoyed the coffee and donuts before starting their day. Colby went to his former office, which he'd shared with one of the other guys, and packed up his things. When he walked into the main lobby to go to Twila's office, he saw a lot of people sitting around in interview clothing. All of them looked up at him hopefully as he walked through.
"Who're the noobs?" he asked Trevor, the guy he used to share an office with.
"They're here hoping for your old job. Didn't Jonas tell you he was interviewing today?"
"No. Then again, he might have meant to tell me after lunch yesterday."
"How is your mom?"
"She's good. My brother is visiting, so he was with her last night."
"Did she really glue some guy's nuts to his leg?" Trevor asked quietly.
Colby laughed loudly. "Did they actually say that on the news?"
"Yeah! They showed him, little pixels over his dick. Funny as hell. Of course, not if it was me!" He and Colby both shielded their balls.
"Oh, hell no! But he deserved it. He's lucky she didn't have a knife."
"Not even funny."
"My mom works with victims of rape and spouse abuse. She takes that shit seriously."
"Dude, she should!" His office phone rang and he trotted off.
Jonas came to get Colby a few minutes later. "I need your help with interviews."
"I've never done that before."
"No time like the present. When we expand, you'll be in charge of hiring."
"Expand?"
"Yeah. Oh, forgot to tell you." He winked, leading Colby to the conference room. "This is Mr. Thatcher," he introduced Colby to the first applicant. "He's our new head of IT, and will be interviewing with me today. You'd be taking his former position, if hired."
Colby smiled, shaking hands with the young man. He could tell right away it wouldn't be a good fit. The guy was a few years older and too cocky. He didn't appreciate Colby asking him questions. Though he said nothing out of line, Colby made a mental note that this guy wasn't going to make the grade. After he left, looking all proud of himself, Jonas paused before asking for the next person.
"I have a system that's pretty simple. Yes, Maybe and Hell No. Where did that guy rate?"
Colby took a post-it note from the stack that lay between them. He wrote Hell No on it and stuck it to the application. Jonas laughed, nodding.
"Exactly what I thought. Cocky bastard."
They interviewed several more, but none of them had the spark that Colby was looking for. He hoped he would know the right person when he or she walked in the door. Right before lunch, an attractive Asian girl with long black hair and green eyes, walked in. She smiled as she took her seat.
"Hello, Miss Kwan. I'm Mr. Barber. This is Mr. Thatcher. You'll be training with him, if you are chosen today."
"Pleased to meet you." She had a strong voice, not shy or self-conscious.
She reminded Colby of a young Maggie Q, but he kept that comment to himself.
"Educated at Cal Berkley?" Jonas was stunned. "What brings you here to this neck of the woods?"
"My family is from here. I moved back when I graduated. Believe it or not, the job market here is more competitive than it is in California. I didn't enjoy the California lifestyle. My tastes are more subdued. I'd rather read a good book, than go to a club."
Colby grinned, leaning forward. "What kind of books?"
She didn't find it an odd question. Instead, she smiled. "I have to admit a penchant for steamy romances, though I tell most people that I like the Brontë sisters. They seem to find that less sordid."
"I don't think it's sordid. I think people should read what they enjoy. I'm a fan of westerns, myself. Zane Gray is a favorite."
"Western romance?" she winked.
"Didn't know they existed." He grinned, clasping his hands on the table top. "Much of the job is contacting clients about new products, upgrades and such. You would be the face of the company, going in to see what they need, and getting them trained on their new equipment. How are your people skills?"
"I used to be absolutely terrified, so I joined the speech and debate team while in college. I became quite good at extemporaneous speaking. For fun, I got into an improve group here in the city, so I believe that my people skills are strong. I don't mind speaking to groups anymore."
Colby nodded, listening carefully. He liked this girl a lot. Giving the floor to Jonas, he watched and listened while the boss asked questions. From time to time, Miss Kwan glanced at Colby with a curious expression. He opened his mouth to ask her a question, but she spoke first.
"I apologize, Mr. Thatcher. You look terribly familiar. Like I've seen you on TV."
Colby blushed. "You might have." He explained about the ordeal the day before.
"Is your mother all right? If someone had done that to my mom, I'd have punched the guy in the nuts!" Blushing, she hid her face. "I'm so sorry. That was completely inappropriate."
Jonas and Colby burst out laughing.
©2021 Dellani Oakes
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