Sydney tilted the rearview mirror and stared down her reflection. “You are
Sydney Gwyneth Campbell. You have a masters in marketing with a focus in
decision science and online marketing. You are young, strong, and hungry. You
will get this job.”
Her reflection smirked back at her. This was her fifth job interview in two
months, but she had a good feeling about this one. The Carter Group was the
biggest advertising company on this side of the East Coast. They were sure to
recognize her talents.
Sydney did one last check. She looked over the mascara on her large,
heavylidded
eyes. They were by far her best feature, and she wouldn’t stand for a
smudge to distract from her sienna brown orbs. Next, she checked the shine on
her round nose. So far, so good, but she packed oil-absorbing sheets just in
case.
Last, she studied her mouth. She still wasn’t sure about the color, but all the
articles she read said most people were drawn to red, and it couldn’t hurt to
accentuate the fullness of her lips.
Okay. She was ready.
Sydney grabbed her briefcase and climbed out of the car. She smoothed out
her pencil skirt and did up the buttons of her blazer. She locked her car and
then
set off.
The Carter building loomed in front of her. The building was all glass that
glinted harshly in the Port City sun. People in suits that cost more than her
house
talked into phones worth two of her light bills while sporting watches that could
feed a family of five for a year.
It was amazing.
Sydney squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. This was where she
belonged. The click-clack of Sydney’s heels echoed in the cavernous lobby.
She
marched right up to the reception’s desk.
“Good morning,” she said to the woman behind the counter. “I have a
meeting with the head of the company, Mr. Carter. He’s expecting me.”
The woman, Perla Smith according to her nameplate, didn’t lift her eyes
from the monitor. “Take a seat,” she said blandly. “I’ll call you when he’s ready
for you.”
Sydney didn’t move. “I’m his eleven o’clock.”
“Wonderful,” she said, still not looking at her. “Sit.”
“Mr. Carter reached out to me himself and claimed he was eager to speak
with me about joining the company. I’m sure a man as successful as him knows
the importance of punctuality and not wasting people’s time. It’s already ten fifty
and I need time to get through security, ride the elevator, actually find his office,
and check in with his secretary. Seeing as I only have ten minutes to do all of
that, I don’t plan on wasting my minutes sitting in the lobby while you finish an
online game.”
The receptionist gaped at her while she gave her speech, but her last couple
words made her jump and quickly exit out of her screen.
She sputtered. “How did you—”
“The computer screen is reflected on your glasses.” Her hand flew to her
face, and Sydney snapped her fingers. “Now, I would like a security pass,
please.”
Perla glared at her, but after a second it softened. Her eyes lit up with
recognition. “Wait a minute…” She put her head down and rifled through some
papers on her desk. She looked to her when she hit on the right one. “You’re
Sydney Campbell, correct?”
Sydney smirked. “Yes, I am.”
Perla’s entire demeanor changed. She gave her a wide smile. “I’m so sorry,
Miss Campbell,” she said in a sickly-sweet voice. “Mr. Carter did leave
instructions for you to be sent up right away.” She plucked a guest pass off her
desk. “You go right on through. His office is on the twentieth floor.”
“Thank you.” Sydney spun on her heels. She took a few steps toward the
elevator but paused when she thought she heard snickering. She looked over
her
shoulder at Perla, but the smile was frozen on her face. Perla gave her a wave,
and Sydney kept going.
She handed her bag over to security, stepped through the metal detectors, and
continued on to the elevators. She spent her solo ride taking deep breaths and
repeating her mantra. This job was hers.
The doors opened on the twentieth floor, and Sydney tried not to let the awe
show on her face. This floor was clearly the gem of the Carter Group.
Sydney stepped onto floors of polished marble. She passed by gold-framed
portraits and potted dragon trees to reach the desk on the other side of the
room.
The receptionist manning this desk was sitting at attention with a warm smile
on
his face.
“Good morning,” he said. His voice was soft but still seemed to echo in the
space. “How can I help you?”
“Hello, I’m here for my interview with Mr. Carter,” she whispered. She
didn’t know why she was whispering, but she kept doing it anyway. “My name
is—”
“Miss Campbell,” he said brightly. “Mr. Carter is expecting you. Please go
through.”
Sydney stepped away and made for the set of doors he pointed at. She
pushed through and found herself in Mr. Carter’s office, although penthouse
might have been more appropriate. This place was huge. There was a sitting
area, a wet bar, and a massive fish tank smack in the middle of the room.
Looking through the water of the tank, she saw a stocky, well-dressed man rise
out of his seat.
She walked around the tank and held out her hand to greet him.
“Hello, Mr. Carter. Wonderful to meet you.”
“Likewise.” His voice was a deep baritone that rolled out of his barrel-chest.
“Please sit, Miss Campbell, and tell me more about yourself.”
Sydney sat in one of the seats before his desk and launched into her spiel.
Carter’s face was a mask of polite interest the entire time she shared her
background. He nodded in all the right places and didn’t interrupt her once. She
liked him already.
When she finished speaking, he clapped. “Excellent, truly excellent. Your
credentials are impressive, and your recommendations are glowing. Honestly,
this interview is just a formality. We would love for you to join the Carter
Group.”
Sydney was practically vibrating with happiness, and she was doing
everything she could to keep it off her face. She couldn’t let him know how
much she wanted this. Her eagerness wouldn’t serve her when it came time to
discuss salary.
She carefully schooled her face. “Thank you, Mr. Carter,” she said, she
inclined her head. “It would be an honor to work here at CG.”
“Excellent,” he repeated. “Now, how about we keep the song and dance
going, and I tell you more about the Carter Group and my goals for the
company.”
She nodded. While he talked, Sydney studied him. She knew from his bio he
was in his late fifties, but he didn’t look it. He was broad-shouldered and sturdy.
There was a slight paunch to his midsection, but when he moved, his suit
stretched across toned limbs. His face was clean-shaven, and the lines around
the
corners of his mouth and eyes wrinkled as he spoke. Every now and then he
would pass a hand over his full head of coarse salt-and-pepper hair. Somehow,
he made going gray look distinguished.
“—and that’s why we would love to have someone with your talents and
experience here. Our executive administrators are highly valued.”
Sydney came screeching back to reality. “Excuse me.” She blinked. “Did you
just say executive administrator?”
He smiled. “Yes. That will be your position.”
“But I-I thought I was here for the marketing director job,” she tried to keep
the rising alarm from her voice. “That’s the job I applied for. Has it been filled
already?”
He shook his head. “No, that position is still open, but I have a greater need
for an executive administrator.”
“Isn’t executive administrator just code for assistant?” she said through
gritted teeth.
The bland smile he was sporting didn’t waver. “I don’t know,” he said
casually. “Do assistants get paid eighty thousand dollars a year because our
executive administrators do.”
Her eyes widened imperceptibly, and her mouth went dry. “Eighty
thousand?” she croaked.
He nodded. “With full benefits and bonuses.”
She cleared her throat. “No…assistants don’t make that.” She shook the
dancing dollars out of her head. “But I think I would be more suited to marketing
director.”
Despite her words, his smile grew. “For a position like that we prefer to hire
in-house. To be frank, you will not be walking out of here with that title, but if
you wow me as an executive administrator and your work is as impressive as
your resume then I see you rising through the ranks very quickly. So what say
you? Will you take the job?”
Disappointment settled heavily in her stomach like a boulder swallowed
whole. She woke this morning thinking she was finally going to achieve her
dream of being history’s youngest marketing director of a billion-dollar
company. From that to assistant in one minute was crushing but…
She sighed and looked Mr. Carter in the eyes. “I’ll take it.”
