This is a closed thread for Angeleyz and cgraven read along and enjoy.
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All successful business endeavors are more than just a vision or the drive of a single entrepreneur. If that was so then much less start up would fail. It took much more, it took finding your nitch in your chosen market, then capitalize on it, know when to expand, and just as important know when to be satisfied with your share of the market. No one person could have all the attributes or knowledge for growing that one single bright entrepreneurial into a successful international corporation, it took people, partnerships, and the recognition of raw talent. Yet most importantly it took bolt and dynamic actions when one reached a cross road, it took and executive decision.
That was the premise of Alexander Merchant's guide for the young entrepreneur in his best spelling how to guide Executive Decision. Right from the beginning, Alex had recognized that people could be your most valuable asset and in his case it was his first assistant Julia Mycroft. Miss Mycroft was so valuable to Alex that she became Mrs. Merchant. Despite the thirty plus years difference in their ages Julia was anything but a trophy wife, despite the media coverage, or the jealous whispers of the less capable. Oh yes the Media did love the Merchant's, Alex tall stern the powerful physic, the fringe of ginger hair and the touch of sliver at his temples. Julia trim eloquent in the mode of Jacqueline Kennedy. They complemented each other in other ways, ways that were not the privy of the media, ways that whoever was selected to be Alex's new Executive Assistant would soon learn.
The position of Alexander Merchant's Executive Assistant was a paid internship. Publicly Alex proclaimed it was his way of paying it forward for the next generation of entrepreneurs. However the reality of it was that young college graduates with crushing debt were much easier to manipulate and bend to his will and Julia was, as in all things an active participant in his choice of his Executive Assistant. Each candidate had to meet some very specific requirements. First all the candidates were female, they had to have a keen active imagination, be burdened with crushing student loans, and possessed of sweet naïve innocence. An innocence that would be short lived in the young lady's new position.
"Miss Carson send in the next candidate."
Each girl was made to wait a minimum of two hours in the outer offices of Merchant Technical Industries International. The wait separated the proud and haughty from the meek and needy.
Alexander Merchant watched over the CCT feed the pacing, texting, and the fuming posturing of the latest covey of potential Assistants. As always the very competent Miss Carson ruled supreme over his outer office. It was Miss Carson who made the initial cull of the prospective applicants. Bleached blondes, dyed debutants, or fortune hunters would never get passed her desk or the door to the inner sanctum that she controlled. Miriam Carson had already narrowed the field to three possibilities. A stunning little redheaded beauty, A Nordic beauty with shimmering ash blond hair, and a shy little chestnut brown hair girl that seemed to so desperately tried to hide her obvious beauty. It was five hours had passed before Mr. Merchant gate keeper allowed Angela into the inner sanctum.
"Miss Johnson, Mr. Merchant will see you now." With those simple words Miriam Carson ushered Angela before the great man himself.
"Mr. Merchant Miss Johnson." No chair had been provided for the candidates and Miriam Carson had guided Angela to stand before the large mahogany desk as if she were an errant schoolgirl brought before the Head Master to answer for some offense. "Miss Johnson tell me about yourself and why I should employ you as my Executive Assistant."
Alex sat on the other side of that massive desk his fingers tented before his face his piercing gray eyes slowly taking in every detail of her lithe young body from her shimmering silken tress, the soft curves of her face, the sensual curve of her breasts, the way her prim and proper white blouse draped across them. The seductive tuck of her waist and the swell of her hips, his eyes continuing their appraisal as he noticed the pleasing curve of Angela's calves. The girl physically had potential but what he was looking for went beyond the purely physical.
Julia Merchant was shielded from sight by the massive oak door of Alex's inner sanctum when Miriam Carson had ushered the newest candidate for her husband Executive Assistant in. The girl moved with a naturally fluid sensual grace that she apparently was not even aware of. There also was a certain nervous energy to her movements as well that Julia found so seductively delicious. Julia folded her arms just under her breast as she silently leaned against the rich oak paneling and cast an appraising eye on this young innocent, for everything about the girl's demeanor spoke of the most scintillating innocence. Her conservative prim and proper white blouse was tucked neatly into simple black knee-length skirt. Julia found Miss Johnson's practical little pumps only enhanced that overall picture of naïve innocence. She was brought back to the present when Alex asked; "Miss Johnson tell me about yourself and why I should employ you as my Executive Assistant."
A wry knowing smile bowed Julia Merchant's full ripe lips. So Alex had seen it to, well of course her would, Julia chided herself. She watched her husband's eyes as they evaluated the supple young body of the girl in front of him. Neither, Alex or Julia paid much attention to what Angela said but rather looked for little ticks that would tell them so much more. Julia saw how the young woman's sweet little heart shaped derrière would flex, grow taunt as she fought to keep from fidgeting. Alex noted that Angela made a conscious effort to avoid truly making eye contact with him but rather looked slightly to the left and fought to keep from demurely lowering her eyes.
"... and graduated at the top of my class, Mr. Merchant. I can assure you that with all that, you will not be disappointed in my performance. My number one mission is to be the lifeblood of your organization," Again aware that in all things timing was everything Alexander Merchant let a deafening silence linger between them. It took little more than a minute for Angela Johnson to demurely lower her eyes, Alex could almost see the sigh of relief, then the way the girl's breath caught and she corrected her error.
"What do you think Julia?" For the first time Julia Merchant's presence was made known." Miss Johnson apparently has the academic qualifications Alex." There was a cool almost indifferent quality to Julia Merchant's voice. "But the position requires more than just academic qualifications Miss Johnson. It requires a certain style."
