“Pleasure, Ms. Wright,” he says.
“Please, sit,” Cato says, pointing to the chair behind me.
I feel my skirt rise up my thighs a bit as I do, but I decide not to fix it. And like a fly to honey, I feel Larry’s eyes on my legs in an instant.
Right where I want him.
“So, Wren,” Cato says, sitting back in his huge leather office chair, “tell us about yourself. It looks like you’re fairly green, huh?”
I clear my throat.
“Oh, yes, sir,” I say, keeping the pep in my voice. “I’ve had a few internships and some freelance jobs, but the job market is a little tough.”
“That’s for sure,” Cato says, scanning my resume in front of him. “And what made you interested in this particular position?”
“Well,” I say, thinking back to my training with the boys, “I am really looking for my next step, and I’d love to take that somewhere where there is experience. Mr. Everett, you obviously know how to run a business and run it well, and I trust your leadership. I know that the people I would meet here will also be knowledgeable. The possibilities just seem endless here for someone like me.”
Balance cluelessness and naivete with flattery.
“And who is ‘someone like you’?” he asks.
“Well,” I say, feeling Larry’s eyes still on me. I tug my hair over my shoulder, exposing more of my neck to him, “I’m a hard worker and a fast learner. I love helping people, but I’m just not sure what direction I want to go professionally yet. This position feels like it checks all my boxes. I’d get to learn and grow from the best in the world.”
Cato narrows his eyes on me, and I feel my heart rate pick up.
Fuck.Maybe he’s not buying it.
“I see,” is all he says, and I swallow.
“Tell us a little about yourself, personally,” Larry finally adds in. “Where are you from? Married? Kids?”
I turn to him, forcing another smile.
“I’m from New York originally,” I say, “but I recently moved back, so to be honest, I’m still getting settled in. I’m not married,and I don’t have any kids. I don’t even have a boyfriend,” I laugh nervously.
Make sure they know you are fully available to them.
I see another glance exchanged between the two of them, and then Cato looks at me.
“Well,” he says, clapping his hands together then pressing himself up from his chair and walking around his desk, sitting on it directly in front of me. “I think we’ve heard all we need to hear.”
Fuck.
“We’d like to offer you the position, Ms. Wright,” he says. “With the caveat that we’d need you to start fairly quickly. We have a couple of big projects we are working on and need someone onboarded as quickly as possible.”
My mouth drops open. I am genuinely shocked.
It was so fast. So easy. There is literally a formula to it. I put a hand to my chest and stand up to shake his hand.
“Oh, my goodness,” I say, “I am so honored. I’d love to take it.”
Cato smiles as he holds onto my hand a little too long.
“Great,” he says, pulling me into him slightly. “I think we’re going to have a lot of fun together.”
“Rose will send your contract over to you, along with your itinerary and reporting instructions, within the next day,” Larry adds, sticking out a hand to shake. “Just a reminder, Ms. Wright, a lot of the projects we work on are with confidential clients, so we will also be sending along an NDA. Standard business procedures.”
I nod slowly, feeling my chest tighten slightly.
