A Desk Job - Chapter 1, Part 2
Terrified of being late, Fenton arrived 10 minutes early. His buffer had been spent timidly checking his tie and his hair over and over again through the camera of his phone. Mom was right, he should have pulled his hair back. Or had it cut. Or something.
The turning of the door knob made him jump from his reverie. Fenton expected to see the secretary who’d brought him into this small waiting room. Instead his eyes were greeted by a tall man in a very expensive suit.
Greeted was not the word Fenton would use personally. The man eyed him over dispassionately, like a butcher or a diamond vendor. When he spoke it was with the authority of a man accustomed to having his way.
“Stand up.”
Fenton practically jumped from the cushioned chair. Standing upright and fighting to keep his knees from knocking. This was not off to a good start. He knew he was going to blow it. The first question and he’d respond by fainting.
“Are you flexible?”
“I did gymnastics for two years in junior high.” Came the response.
Yea. He blew it. What the hell kind of response was that? Obviously the man was asking about hours and pay. Would he work around their scheduling? Would he accept less pay.
Fenton’s face flushed red and he looked down at his shoes, wishing he could creep down inside them like a turtle and hide from the burning on his cheeks.
“Really?” Came the surprised response. “That’s a good start.”