Natasha sat in the waiting area of Winter & Winter, legs crossed with perfect posture, taking care not to slouch (both in an effort to present herself as professional, and in an effort not to crease the sheer black blouse she was wearing). She all of a sudden felt self-conscious about her outfit. The advertisement had said that applicants must be 'well-presented' and able to 'present an image in keeping with the expectations clients have of our company and brand'.
Natasha had chosen a basic black boddess underneath a sheer black blouse, and a blush, faux-leather pencil skirt. Her shoes were high, but basic black heels. She worried that she'd gone too far with the sheer blouse, especially with the way the bodice accentuated her chest, but she also knew Winter & Winter's clientele. W&W mostly did marketing and public relations work for entertainment companies. Companies with images that relied heavily on excitement and (mostly) subtle sex appeal. Some of the most exclusive nightclubs, desirable actors, and expensive products used this firm to develop the face of their brand. Natasha assumed that 'well-presented' meant 'sexy and fuckable', so she dressed accordingly.
Before she had a chance to work herself up into too much of a panic, she heard her name called.
"Miss... Morgan?" The voice was warm but gruff. Natasha's heart skipped a beat and she jumped up out of her chair. She stood and extended her hand towards the man holding what presumably was a copy of her resume. He was relatively young, early thirties maybe? He was wearing a black suit, black shirt, and black tie. On someone else it might of been too much, but on him it worked. He was obviously very self-confident. He had fair skin, but looked like he'd caught some sun recently. Probably an exotic holiday, God knows he looked like he could afford it. His hair was dark and short, tousled but styled perfectly.
"Hello, I'm Natasha Morgan." Natasha flashed her teeth, hoping that her lipgloss still looked perfect.
"I'm Damien West- it's nice to meet you. Follow me."
Natasha followed Damien into a large room. A board table sat in front of floor to ceiling windows. On one either side of the board table were 5 leather chairs. Damien walked around the table and sat with his back to the floor to ceiling windows. Natasha sat opposite him, sitting gently to accommodate the tight fit of her skirt.
There was another man sitting behind the board table in the chair next to Damien. Slightly younger, maybe thirty. Sandy blonde hair slicked back and styled immaculately and purposefully.
"Miss Morgan this is Lucas Trenton." Lucas nodded towards Natasha in acknowledgement but made no move to get up or introduce himself.
"It's nice to meet you Mr. Trenton." Natasha sat down as Damien continued to speak.
"So, Natasha. Would you mind telling me what you understand this role to entail?"
Natasha only had a vague idea, the ad hadn't been particularly detailed. A friend of hers from college was working as a PA, and had encouraged Natasha to look for similar work when she'd had trouble finding work after graduating with an art history degree. Her friend had described it as being a 'beck-and-call bitch at the whim of a power-hungry, middle-aged sociopath', but had also said it was easy enough.
"I suppose I see this role as... being someone who can make your job as easy as possible in any way that I can so you can use your time as effectively as possible. To be honest Mr. West I'm not completely sure, the job description was a little vague, but I appreciate the opportunity to discuss it with you."
"I don't see the point in being obtuse so I'll be as blunt as possible. The job description was vague for a reason. This role is... everything you described. But there's also certain... requirements."
He said this firmly but tactfully, as if he was preparing Natasha for what was about to follow.
"Requirements?"
"I'll be completely upfront and if you decide that this position isn't for you I'll completely understand. If you don't feel comfortable or capable then it's better that you tell me now. I need to be sure that whoever I hire into this role is confident and capable, and not likely to decide in a month they're not prepared for what's sometimes expected."
"Of course." Natasha felt her stomach twist into a knot.
"Natasha, I'm one of the foremost faces of this company. I deal with a large number of our wealthiest clients. My PA is an important part of that equation, they represent me when I'm not available. The satisfaction of our clients is our priority at all times. They spend a huge amount money to obtain our representation and it's my job to make them happy, and I mean fucking thrilled, to be spending that money."
"Absolutely, I totally understand."
"Sometimes, in this business, our clients become unhappy, dissatisfied, sometimes just bored. When that happens I sometimes need help to smooth those situations over. Smoothing those situations over, and keeping clients happy in general often means... entertaining them. That can mean hosting them for dinner - usually with me, arranging a very attentive experience at one of the clubs we work with, or it can mean connecting clients with... company, and sometimes providing that company yourself."
Natasha was holding her breath. Damien was holding eye contact, completely focused and intensely serious.
"And above everything else, I need you, or... whoever becomes my PA, to be professional and discrete. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"I think so."
Damien continued to hold her stare, clearly waiting for her to elaborate.
"You're saying that it would be my job to ensure that... that your clients are as happy as possible, at all times. That as your assistant, I should be able to provide a... satisfying experience for every one of your clients. And that I should be prepared to go much further than many other roles may expect to provide that experience."
Damien nodded. Natasha became aware again that Lucas was there. While Damien was talking she felt as though it was just the two of them in the board room.
Natasha couldn't of spoken at this point if she'd wanted to. She was terrified, but also completely exhilarated by what Damien was saying. She felt excited in a way that she hadn't in a long time. She heard what he was describing - being able to go as far as necessary to please clients. It sounded exactly like what it what it was, but it also sounded like a challenge, and that was something Natasha didn't even realize she'd been craving.
"Natasha, there is... another element to this interview. We have had applicants who have thought that they would be comfortable dealing with clients confidently, and it hasn't worked out. I'm sure that this is unlike any other interview you've attended, and that's because we're not like many of the other companies you will have interviewed for. We don't play, Natasha. We're serious about what we do."
