At the moment this is a standalone, though I have some ideas for other entries if there's interest. It has no connection to any of my other stories/series at present either. Ratings and comments appreciated.
The interview had been going for a little over an hour before it got weird. Granted at 22 and relatively fresh out of college Lauren didn't have a lifetime of experience but job hunting with a marketing degree meant you went to a lot of different companies with very different philosophies about how you vet new candidates. She'd been through traditional one-on-one and pair interviews in conference rooms, remote interviews over webcam, interviews in rented hotel conference rooms, and unscripted interviews that were basically just lunch with the company's marketing department, with everyone chatting about whatever came to mind.
Meeting at a bar at 8pm for an interview was definitely unusual but Lauren figured it was a test of sorts. Marketing staff dealt with companies all over the world in different time zones, and in the world of corporate sales more deals were made over drinks and dinner than sitting at anyone's desk, mahogany or not. You didn't get into the field if you were hoping for banker's hours.
Crystal Zapata was both exactly what Lauren expected of a marketing executive and yet she defied convention. She was immaculately made up and looked good enough that she could pass for anywhere from thirty to early fifties, and her figure would turn heads of any age, with a trim hourglass shape that suggested fitness over voluptuousness. Lauren had more curves on her paler body but this woman could probably outperform her at any gym. Her hair was jet black and laser straight, but she wore it up and Lauren could easily see streaks of bright fuscia and red in it. She also came to the interview in a very sexy dress, bordering on club wear; it was emerald green and jewel toned, with slits on each side that came up to mid thigh. It was strapless and figure-hugging as well, to the point that Lauren knew without even staring that her prospective boss was either sporting a thong or had gone without, though the cleavage poking above the dress line suggested at least a brassiere was involved.
Lauren herself had stuffed her 34D breasts into a push-up bra but packed it all underneath a skirt suit. Her bust and 36-inch hips meant she had a noticeable figure even under the store-bought suit. Black nylons helped offset the paleness of her skin and 2-inch pumps boosted her height up to 5'9", putting her just slightly below eye level for most men, taller than some women, and let her legs and ass tell a lot of stories while not risking snapping an ankle moving quickly around whatever office she might be touring.
The atmosphere was unusual, but Crystal had snagged a booth in the back of the bar and it wasn't one of those that believed ear-ringing music was necessary. Despite that, the bar was clearly a college bar based on the clientele and aesthetics. That made sense as they were only a block or so from the state university campus, but they seemed to have hit a lull between after-class catchups and the partiers of the late night.
Interview oddity number two appeared before they started, when Crystal had asked her to sign an NDA. Lauren had to pull out her phone's light to read it, which she did in detail. She'd signed a few NDAs for her internships and most of the language looked boilerplate, but there was an extra section focused specifically on customer relationships discussed during the interview process. It was unusual and risky for any company to discuss confidential information in an interview unless they were some kind of specialty government contractor, but BKP Devices was one of the top firms in their field and them giving interviews was nearly unheard of, so Lauren had signed it.
The third, and possibly weirdest part came after 45 minutes of standard interview conversation about Lauren's schooling and internships and "fun, relatable personal stories that make you seem interesting."
"Lauren, I really like you and I've liked talking to you," Crystal said with a wide smile, teeth showing between deep purple lips.
Lauren was a little nervous because the compliment had come out of the blue, and she worried it was a precursor to a sentence like, "Even though I like you, I'm afraid you're not a good fit," but Crystal just waited expectantly.
"Thanks," Lauren replied, "I've enjoyed myself too. I hope that's a good sign for the future."
Crystal nodded. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. As you know BKP Devices is really a small company in the grand scheme of things, despite how well known we are. Our more therapeutic machines and devices are sold to hospitals and rehab facilities, as well as some of the higher-end nursing homes. Obviously balance and posture assistance is key there. Our next smallest market is fitness centers, yoga studios, and home gym setups that want to go beyond the standard universal and cardio machines to give them an exclusive or an upscale edge. I mean, you aren't going to find a massaging posture maintenance rack at your average Planet Fitness, right?"
"No, no I guess not," Lauren agreed, cringing a bit because she belonged to the gym chain and suddenly worried if that would be a black mark.
"So we have a third line of business which is very lucrative, but a bit sensitive. In a larger company we could simply section it off and not have anyone involved we don't want, and we largely do that on the production side, but our marketing team is so small that you're going to have to be in on it, so to speak, if you want to work here."
"Um...It's not anything illegal is it? I...I really couldn't be part of something like that," Lauren said, though if she were honest with herself she admitted a certain number of zeroes might convince her to examine the details of
how
something was illegal before dismissing it.
Weed is still illegal in a lot of places and that really wouldn't bother me, so maybe...
she thought.
"No, no, it's perfectly legal," Crystal replied, "Just sensitive, like I said. Would you be willing to take a short drive with me?"