I Do

Chapter 3

Ethan was not completely sold on the idea of getting an assistant. Heck, given a chance, he would have preferred to handle things himself like he always had. He was a very hands-on person and somehow, things had always worked out with him being in the driver’s seat. However, his brother had made some valid points. He did need some help, just as much as his brother needed help at home. However, after sitting through six interviews, he was convinced that he was not going to get anyone. It was almost midday and he was exhausted from sitting through the interviews for the better part of the morning. He still had one more interview to do but he was not particularly excited about doing it. It might have been the fact that he was just exhausted or that he had just met some of the dumbest people he had ever known. One of the applicants actually had one job reference and it was from a medical marijuana gig he had worked at a festival.

“This was a bad idea,” Ethan said to Noah who had sat in on the interviews. “None of those people are even remotely qualified.”

“You still have one more interview. You never know, things might turn around,” Noah said.

“No, this is a hopeless process. I should have just contacted a temp agency like a normal person.”

Noah shook his head.

“No, it is important for a man in your position to get the right kind of vibe with his assistant. I mean, how do you think I got Amanda?” he asked.

“If you ask me, sheer luck on your side,” Ethan scoffed.

Amanda was one of the best assistants he had ever seen. He was almost jealous of how in sync she was with his brother. He was sure that if Noah was not his brother, he would have most definitely taken her from him. He needed that kind of assistant. That kind of person who knew what he needed before he even knew it.

“If this last interview doesn’t work, then fine. We’ll get a temp agency which means paying more of course.”

Ethan shrugged.

“It is not like we don’t have it in the budget. I mean, you are my CFO and you cleared me to go as high as forty thousand dollars. As you said, being a CEO’s assistant is a very demanding position.”

Noah nodded.

“I know that but you can only offer that high of a salary if you really think he or she is worth it,” he pointed out just as the next candidate walked in.

The first thing Ethan noticed about the new candidate was that she was a striking beauty. She looked beautiful and simple in a black and white outfit. She had beautiful curly hair that she had pulled up in a curly bun. He was trying hard not to concentrate on the woman’s curves.

“Hi,” Noah looked at the file in his hand. “Josephine Johnson.”

“Hello and good morning,” the woman said.

“I’m Noah Beckett and this is my brother Ethan,” Noah said, smiling.

“I’m Josephine, but everyone calls me Josie.”

‘Please, have a seat,” Ethan said as he looked at her.

“Thank you.”

She sat down and looked at them.

“So, your resume was impressive, I must say,” Ethan started. “The most impressive one I have seen today, really.”

The woman smiled.

“Thank you. That means a lot coming from a man such as yourself.”

Ethan looked at her and sighed under his breath. He could not help but feel like the ass-kissing had begun a little early.

“I see here that your entire career has been at Rank Media,” he said and the woman nodded.

“Yes. I have been there since I graduated from college.”

“So, why would you leave such a reputable agency?” he asked as he looked at the woman.

“Creative differences,” she said and he shook his head.

“What does that mean? Creative differences?”

Josie took a long, deep breath.

“Can I just be honest with you here?” she asked and Noah leaned forward.

“Please,” he said and she began explaining.

“Well, Rank Media is an advertising agency and I often felt like my input was overlooked because of my ethnicity.”

Ethan wanted to dig deeper into her and at least get a clear explanation but he did not know how to do that without being insensitive. As it was, he felt like he was just looking at another entitled woman who felt like the world owed her because she was a minority. That was the message he got. That was the impression he got and he just couldn’t get past that first impression. Not in a million years.

“I think we are done here,” he said, cutting Noah short.

The woman looked at him and nodded reluctantly.

“Okay, thank you for this opportunity.”

“You will hear from our human resources department soon,” Ethan said as the woman walked out.

“What did you do that for?” Noah asked when Josie walked out. “She was a perfect candidate and her resume was impressive, to say the least. You said so yourself.”

“Well, the only impressive thing about it was how long she had worked at Rank Media. What I don’t understand is why anyone would invest that much time into a company only to walk out.”

Noah shrugged.

“She said it. Creative differences.”

“Yes, but what kind of creative differences? Does she have problems with authority? Does she have a hard time following instructions? I mean, you know the kind of corporate jargon we use to cover up ugly realities. That is just how the corporate world works… I mean, we can call someone a di*k to their face without really using those words. All we need to say is some sh*t like ‘I have had better experiences’ and we are scot-free.” Ethan shook his head. “I think the best thing for us to do is just contact a temp agency. That way I don’t have to deal with the bullsh*t of corporate jargon like creative differences.”

“I just think that was a shitty thing to do, FYI,” Noah pointed out. “You need to learn to be more patient with people.”

“Oh please. Being your brother is a testament to my patience,” Ethan said as he leaned back in his chair.

“Oh really?” Noah grinned. “How do you figure?”

“Well, for starters you do not have a bloody nose right now.”