Page 7 of Finessed By A Hood White Boy

“Hi, I’m Ava Gray. I’m here for an interview with Julia.” I spoke, trying not to make it noticeable that I was damn near out of breath.

“Julia will be out of the office until further notice. If you take the elevator to the third floor, go down the hall and enter the first office on the left, Stephanie will be waiting for you.” The blond haired woman directed me before focusing back on her work.

On the elevator, I made sure my clothes were fixed properly and my hair was still smooth in place. I said a silent prayer right before I got to the door and knocked.

“Come in!”

Slowly, I entered the office. The warm smell of vanilla bean filled the space, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten anything prior to showing up.

“Ms. Gray, you’re late.”

“I know, and I do apologize. I had an unexpected delay.” I told her.

“It’s okay.” She smiled. “Have a seat. My name is Stephanie, and I’ll be conducting your interview today in place of Julia. If you haven’t heard, her father passed away two days ago. He’s the owner of this company, so this was a terrible loss for all of us here at Whitmore Financial Banking.”

“Wow, that’s unfortunate. My condolences.”

“Oh please, no need. Blake Whitmore was a complete asshole, but what’s unfortunate is the fact that his son, Trenton, will be taking over, and he’s even worse of a dick.” She rolled her eyes. “That stays between the two of us. Julia is like my best friend, so I’ve been around this family since grade school. Do you have a resume?” she asked.

“Uh, yes, I do.” I passed her my folder.

Quietly, she skimmed over my work history before closing it then passing it back to me.

“Honestly, you don’t qualify for this job. But there’s something about you, and I like it. I think it’s your hair. I love the natural look. Plus, we need more color in here to spice up the place.” She beamed. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a racist or prejudiced. However, you should know that there are people in here that are quick to turn their noses up at people of color. But we need more diversity within this company, and I know for a fact Julia would agree with me. So, when can you start?”

“Um, as soon as you’re ready.” I gave a nervous smile.

“Okay, how about this? Since Julia will be out probably for the next three to four days, you can come in, so I can show you around and train you on the position. The Whitmores are fairly easy to get along with, except Trenton, but don’t let him get under your skin, or he’ll feed off of that. He’s like a freaking vampire. Anyways, your job as an assistant is simple.”

“Assistant? I thought I was being interviewed for a secretary position. You know, like working at the front desk.”

“It’s all the same, kind of. This position has more benefits. I’m the head assistant, so you’ll be working under me and helping me with the workload. The last girl we had only lasted a month because she couldn’t hang. She complained too damn much, and honestly, there’s not much to complain about. All you’re doing is running errands and making sure whichever Whitmore you’re assigned to for the week has everything they need. Make sure they make it to all their meetings or reschedule them if need be. Simple. Don’t worry, the first day of training will be a breeze. You do have your own transportation, right?”

“Yes,” I answered.

“Great. Since everyone is out of the office, we will be back and forth between here and their estates. So, our dress code is business attire. You can wear cute pants suits, skirts, dresses, whatever you feel comfortable in, but you have to appear professional.”

“Okay.” I smiled.

“Great organization is key for this position. We will be splitting the workload in half. I’ll provide you with your own personal planner, so you can keep track of everything. I’ll also provide you with a personal work phone, so the Whitmores can reach you at any time. So…I’ll see you back here tomorrow at nine o'clock in the morning. Be sure to bring me your banking information, so I can set up your direct deposit. Also, I’m not sure if Julia mentioned how much you’ll be paid. I briefly spoke to her, and she said if you’re hired, your pay will start at twenty-five hundred a week.

“Twenty-five hundred a week?” I repeated in surprise.

I felt like Mickey and Neicy on BAPS when they yelled out “A mansion? Ten thousand dollars? Where he at!?”

“Wow! That’s great!” I shrieked.

My voice was a little too high pitched but hearing those numbers had me excited. Automatically, my mind started doing calculations, and a plan to leave my marriage to make a happier life for me and my baby came into play.

“If you can last more than ninety days, and your performance is up to par, I’m sure Julia will be more than glad to give you a raise. You can choose one day out of the week for your day off. Weekends are mandatory unless you’re told otherwise. No excuses. Some days, as long as everything on your to-do list is handled, or if the Whitmores decide they don’t need you, you’ll be able to go home early.”

“Sounds good.” I smiled.

“Do you have kids?”

“Yes, I have a seven year old daughter.”

“Do you have reliable childcare?”