She leaned over her desk. She stood over a pile of forms, letters, requests, and mail. A young man carrying a briefcase was coming down the hall. She looked up at him, then she looked down at her desk. He looked too young to be carrying the leather briefcase, which only served to draw more attention to his youth and inexperience. He was just out of college. He had a vulnerable look on his innocent face that told her this was his first job. Shoot, she knew he would go for her instantly.
"Can I help you with something?" she leaned forward.
"I'm Mike, this is my sister Cindy, and I'm supposed to have an interview this afternoon," he spoke very fast and repeatedly pointed at something on her desk as he spoke.
"Actually, I'm new myself and I do not know what is going on," Debbie consoled him.
"That's OK. I'll come back later. No, don't worry about it." And he and his sister were gone.
"Debbie, I need you to do a reference check on the new salesperson. And I also need you to straighten his office, make sure his desk has a new blotter. See to it that there is a fresh supply of pens, a desk calendar, pencil holder. If you would." Crystal added politely.
"OK, I'll make sure," Debbie nodded. She stood up immediately and went into the empty new office.
"Debbie?" Crystal called.
"Yes?"
"I'll need the reference report completed as soon as possible. I'll need it typed by this afternoon."
"OK, I'll do it."
"Oh, he is the best kid," the new salesperson's mother said over the phone. "He has the right approach for each person. Especially in a difficult situation, he knows how to react, what to do or say to win the person over. Will YOU be working with him?"
"Well, yes, but I don't know if I'll be working with him directly," Debbie answered Mike's mother cheerfully. She tried to sound as professional and objective as possible. She did not have much time and so much else was due right now...There was a contradiction in the information on his resume and in the telephone conversation. His mother claimed he worked in the family business for only three months and he claimed five. Might as well help him out, Debbie thought. He's young and just starting out, and it's only a couple of months difference. She verified his answers.
"His Dad's company!" The VP laughed from his corner office as he read the reference check Debbie had researched, written and typed.
This kid is smart! She smiled as she read his confident cover letter and illustration. Two tennis rackets were pictured. "The ***** Advantage," the title stated. An innovative, persuasive summary followed below. She was amused and impressed.
Mike sat at his new desk. Debbie stood in the doorway.
"Debbie, Mike," Rob said.
Mike eagerly stood to shake her hand. He had the look of a small boy who is eyeing ice cream.
"It's nice to meet you! I didn't get the chance to introduce myself, I've been so busy!" Debbie said.
He smiled.
"Yeah, well, I was upstairs. They took me to breakfast," he said.
"What? I've never had breakfast on the fiftieth floor!" she said.
"Don't you hate that? A new kid comes in.."
"Corporate jealousy," she smiled.
He burst into loud laughter.
"Isn't this your official start date, too?" Rob asked.
"Yes, it is. I feel like I've been here all my life," Debbie said with familiarity.
Mike opened a milk carton. "I'm a Milk Man myself," he said.
"I am, too," Debbie smiled. He had such a good personality.
He smiled at her all day long. He buzzed by her desk, he grabbed the copy key, and made it zoom through the air to her directly.
"Can I grab your copy key?" he asked.
He smiled, he flirted, he teased. She could not help but smile back.
This guy is out to break my heart, she thought.
But she could not help but smile back.
