It was the third and final interview for Vanessa Flores. If everything went well, and she had a great feeling it would, she would land a high-paying job as the personal secretary for the boss of Satisfaction. Sure, it was an adult club located on the top floor of a downtown commercial building, but with the sexual appetites that corporate men had, long-term employment seemed assured.
So far, she had met with a few employees of the club, but never the actual boss himself. She found it strange, that the man who’d she’d potentially be working for hadn’t taken the time to meet her until the very last interview, but she figured this line of business was strange enough already.
On that morning, she had almost become used to showing up at the swanky club. It was like a sassy office floor, except instead of traditional office work, it was built for sex. Corporate sex, to be more precise. Even the employees of the club dressed the part, with the men wearing suits and the women wearing office skirts and blazers.
This was a newly opened branch of the Satisfaction franchise. Things were still getting settled in and hires were still being made. There were butterflies in Vanessa’s stomach as she proceeded down the hall to the main office to meet her potential boss for the first time.
Caleb wore a nice suit and was on the phone with his lawyer when she entered. They shook hands, even as he finished his conversation, which was purely professional. They both sat down; Caleb behind his desk and Vanessa in front.
When the call ended, introductions were skipped and it was straight to business.
“Firstly, I have to apologize,” he said, finally giving her the proper attention she deserved for a job interview. “I promise we’re a tightly run organization. It’s my fault for dropping the ball with your interviews. Since we’re such a unique business, I should have been here to properly explain everything to you.”
She flashed a polite smile. “It’s not a problem. I know what I’m getting into.”
“Is that really the case?”
Caleb sifted through a stack of papers on his desk until he found what he was looking for. He leaned back and his eyes scanning the page.
“32 years old,” he said, reading off the resume. “Nice employment history. You were previously an executive assistant at a big bank. Very nice. However, that’s nothing related to this industry, so to speak. Are you sure you’re up for it?”
Vanessa fiercely nodded her acceptance. “Definitely. To be honest, sex has never bothered me. I applied here because I had heard about the stellar reputation of Satisfaction through an old colleague. If it’s elegant enough for wealthy men to come visit, then it should be a safe environment for me.”
“Has it ever occurred to you that maybe people come here because it’s sleazy?”
Caleb raised an eyebrow in a questioning way, and Vanessa remained undeterred by this form of interrogation.
“There’s nothing sleazy about this place,” Vanessa firmly stated. “And I know for a fact that successful women come to these sorts of places as well.”
“You know you’re stuff, Ms. Flores. I like a woman who’s well researched.”
“As you can see from my resume, I’ve worked for men who are non-stop in their careers. Being prepared is essential for my duties.”
Caleb purposely showed an unimpressed look. “You’re smart, talented, and hard working.”
“But?”
Vanessa had read his clear signs of wanting to reject her. Or maybe it was all a ploy of some kind. Whatever it was, she knew this man was tricky and was purposefully playing games with her.