Heller by J.D. Nixon Read Free Book Online

veins and organs, deep
into my individual cells themselves. My toes curled involuntarily
in my tight shoes as I tried not to look away or blink obsessively. Good eye contact is important in interviews , I told myself
desperately as my eyes watered with concentration. He was giving me
a thorough once-over.
    I clasped my
hands together to prevent myself from fidgeting nervously. I
clamped my knees together too, but only to stop myself from jumping
up from the lounge and flinging myself on him in shameless abandon.
He really was an extraordinarily stunning man. I offered up a quick
prayer of thanks for his existence. I couldn’t wait to tell Dixie
about him. Even if I didn’t get the job, I’d have enough material
from this meeting alone to entertain myself on those many, many
lonely nights between boyfriends.
    He glanced
down at my CV, giving me a brief respite from the arctic blast of
his eyes. I didn’t relax an iota though.
    “Let me tell
you about my business,” he began in his attractively accented
voice. “I offer a range of security and surveillance services. I’ve
been in business for myself here about five years now. It wasn’t
easy breaking into the market in this city. There are some big,
well-established players who aren’t very keen on more competition,
no matter how small. Things can be quite . . . challenging with
them sometimes. But I’ve managed to build up a solid clientele,
targeting mainly top-end business. I’m ready to expand now and I’d
particularly like to attract more business from female clients. But
I’ve had some, er, difficulties in the past with female
clients.”
    I bet you
have! I thought with a silent chuckle.
    “Let me
explain the position I advertised,” he continued. “I need somebody
who is skilled in managing relationships with very exclusive
clients, particularly demanding ones. They must be exceptionally
discreet. I’m looking for somebody who is calm, organised and
efficient. Someone who can think on their feet, but who also has
excellent interpersonal skills.” He paused. “I’m looking for
someone who can handle all the, shall we say, ‘soft’ side of my
business. Because I don’t do ‘soft’, Ms Chalmers.” Staring at me
intently again.
    Oh God! My pulse quickened. Don’t think of him being hard! Not now! Not
now! I thought frantically. God! He was giving me enough
material here to last a year at least. I nodded repeatedly to
indicate that I was listening, my eyes fixed on him, while those
lewd thoughts swam around in my head. I hoped he wasn’t a mind
reader.
    He sat back in
his chair and rested one ankle on a knee, arms crossed. “Tell me
about your experience.”
    I appreciated
that, for whatever reason, he at least gave me the courtesy of
taking my application seriously. He could have easily dismissed me
as the lightweight that he surely had summed me up as by now. I
took a deep breath and began to talk myself up, eking out my meagre
experience in retail and office work.
    I described to
him one of my previous positions. “I was responsible for managing
all client relations directly at the point of sale, and –”
    He regarded
me, unimpressed, and interrupted bluntly. “You were a cashier at a
checkout.”
    “Um . . . yes
. . . I guess that’s what you’d call it.”
    “No client
management at all, then?”
    “Um . . . gee
. . . well . . . not as such. But I did fulfil the customers’
preferences for how their groceries were packed into the plastic
bags, and . . .” I petered out, unsettled by his icy blue eyes that
were staring at me with unmoved stoniness.
    I hurried on
to the next position. “I worked for a top-end store providing
ambulation assistance and support to valued clients in moving
costly possessions from one receptacle to another.”
    “You carried
rich women’s packages from the store to their car,” he
translated.
    This was
proving harder than I had expected. I swallowed noisily, eyeing the
glass of water again, before