If Only You Knew

Romi · Aug 9, 2018

In a strange way, Jude felt like his old self again. Doing teenage things didn't feel normal for him. He'd never really done them. He'd gone to school, but he'd kept a comfortable distance from his fellow students. He didn't have people over. He wasn't normal. Not like that.

But walking into Woodland Imports? That felt normal. Working as a personal assistant is the exact sort of job he imagined his father would have pushed him towards. Not because he'd want Jude to be a personal assistant in the long term, but so that he could learn to do for others what he would one day need to do for himself. The Genovese family could not have personal assistants. There was too much at stake. Too many risks, too many secrets. If someone was going to make travel plans, it was going to have to be them, not someone getting paid to do so.

It didn't hurt that it paid well and helped build up connections.

The office was not what Jude expected--he'd expected more steel and less wood, despite the name. He wondered for a moment if he was actually overdressed, considering he'd gone up to informal attire, as his father would have described it. Jacket, trousers, tie--the whole deal. He'd gone out of his way to look nice, but he couldn't help but worry he was going too far, considering he was still a student.

He checked in at the desk just the same, and went to sit where directed.

Zora · Aug 9, 2018

Sterling looked at his watch before entering reception - it was almost one o'clock, her interview for the afternoon must be arriving soon - or was here already even - which would be a good sign in his mind. Ms. Del Bosque liked punctuality, so that would certainly be a bonus point if he was.

Zoraida Del Bosque, his boss, had entrusted Sterling to find her a new personal assistant now that she had moved Marie to reception. He wasn't human resources - not exactly - but being an angel allowed him to read people fairly well. That's why she had asked him to greet the candidates first - just to get a general idea of their trustworthiness.

Upon entering reception, Sterling saw a young man waiting, and he was in a suit. As he got closer, Sterling got a feeling about him, the young man seemed - nice, decent. There was a general feeling about him that was pleasant, and Sterling had the feeling that he just might do. First impressions were good.

"Jude Genovese?" he stated warmly as he held out a hand to greet him, "I'm Mr. Silver, I contacted you about the interview today. I'm glad to see you made it here without any problems." he said.

@Romi

Romi · Aug 9, 2018

The man who greeted Jude was... pretty much his age, as far as he could tell. Nineteen? Eighteen, maybe? But ages were deceiving on the island. Someone who looked twenty five might be eighty. People who looked forty might be forty thousand. The fact that he looked to be barely twenty (if that) didn't mean anything, so Jude opted to treat him the same way he would have a thirty year old man back at home. Like he was a seasoned professional, someone who was important enough to be greeting potential new hires.

"That's me," Jude said, taking his hand and giving his very best dad-taught-me-to-do-this handshake. This was something he'd practiced.

"No problems. Finding the building was fairly easily, but I hope I'm not too early."

Five minutes early, more or less on the dot. He was all casual smiles, feeling strangely at home. It was just... normal. Like nothing had changed.

Zora · Aug 9, 2018

Nice firm, but not gripping, handshake, Sterling approved of this. A good handshake was generally a sign of a person's character - it showed confidence in one's self and abilities, and to Sterling, it was a sign of respect.

"You're just in time actually," he said approvingly, "Ms Del Bosque will be here shortly. She's just finishing a meeting with her personal security advisor and will be with you very shortly. If you'll come with me, I'll show you to her office, and you can wait there for her. " Sterling explained as he showed Jude into his boss's office, and gestured for him to have a seat.

"She won't be long," Sterling said as he laid Jude's file on the desk for his employer along with a scribbled - and very complimentary - note about the candidate in question. "Five minutes at the most..." Sterling said as he walked out of the office and closed the door part way.

@Romi

Romi · Aug 9, 2018

Jude's father didn't have personal assistants, but he had a lot of heads of security. He seemed to go through them for a variety of reasons, and Jude had never really gotten attached to any. His mental image was of an older man in his forties or fifties, and he couldn't have been farther from the truth.

Jude's eyes scanned the office as he settled in, giving Sterling a polite nod as they saw themselves out.

He'd looked into DB Holdings and Woodland Imports, but he didn't have the sort of resources he had at home. The companies were all foreign, he had no real sense for the interconnections of companies. He knew the owner was Zora del Bosque, and that she was filthy, ridiculously rich.

But beyond that? Not a lot.

It was the sort of thing that he couldn't help but feel like his father would have stories to tell, only Jude didn't have his father on hand.

Zora · Aug 10, 2018

"He's waiting for you in your office... His name is Jude, I put his file is on your desk," Sterling said as he stopped his boss when she walked out of the far office with her security detail behind her, a young man who had a very cocksure air about him. Sterling just nodded as he watched both of them enter her office one after the other - Zoraida first, and behind her, Broen, who usually just quietly slipped off to one side and out of the way. when nobody was watching.

"Jude?" Zoraida enquired with a friendly smile as she walked over to the young man and held out her hand in greeting, "I'm Zoraida Del Bosque, CEO of Woodland, pleased to meet you, and thank you for coming in on such short notice." she said before walking around to her desk and taking a seat, there she took a second to look over his file quickly, satisfied, she put it to one side.

"Oh, before we start, the gentlemen, in the corner over there, is my personal security advisor. He sits in on all my meetings, I hope you don't mind too much." Zoraida explained politely as she gestured to Broen, who was standing several feet from Jude and off to one side of the room fairly close to her.

"I know that sometimes it can be uncomfortable having an unknown in the room listening, but try to pay him no mind. He's here for my benefit only, and has no relevant part in this interview today," she kindly informed Jude, not wanting him to find Broen's presence odd or unnerving.

"In fact, if it makes you feel more comfortable, just consider him part of the office decor," she added jokingly.

@Romi

Romi · Aug 10, 2018

Everyone was young, weren't they? Jude would consider even Zoraida young, even though she looked almost a decade older than Sterling himself. Jude gave her very much the same handshake he'd given Sterling, flashing his very best practiced smile.

It felt normal. It felt like what he was supposed to be doing. Job interviews and friendly smiles and firm (but not too firm) handshakes. Like he'd slipped somewhere and ended back in a timeline where he'd never run off to be a hero at all. Like this was something his dad wanted him to do.

Jude's eyes swung over to the gentleman in the corner, ready for someone in his thirties who could bench press a car, and instead found... Broen.

The surprise probably recognized on his face as Jude's brain slammed to a halt.

Broen? What the hell was Broen doing there? Her security chief?

Only no. Not happening. Jude mentally wrenched his brain back onto the proper track, head turning to Zoraida with a smile. He was not going to spend his entire job interview wondering how the hell Broen had wormed his way into the title of security chief. No way, no how.

"That won't be an issue," Jude said, settling into his seat proper and ignoring Broen as hard as humanly possible. "We've met."

In fact, Jude was entirely sure he'd seen parts of Broen that Zora would never, ever see.

Zora · Aug 10, 2018

"You've already met?" Zoraida said and raised an eyebrow slightly surprised at this as her gaze moved to a rather stoic Broen and then back to Jude.

"Well, that is good news, I hope? Since the two of you may be working rather closely sometimes if I have late nights or deadlines," she stated somewhat questioningly as she looked between Jude and Broen, hiding her surprise, and wondering just how they knew each other since the young, seemingly pleasant and very polite, man before her now and Broen were on very different sides of the niceness spectrum. It was something she wanted to know more about.

"That wouldn't be a problem, would it? Zora asked Jude, somewhat concerned since she knew what Broen was like, and how he could often rub people the wrong way.

@Romi

Romi · Aug 10, 2018

Broen's not yours to tell echoed a bit in Jude's ears, before he decided that keeping it simple would probably be better.

"It won't be a problem," Jude said, pointedly not turning around to check with Broen. He could be professional, and he was pretty sure that Broen could be professional. He always had before, after all. People tended to assume that because Broen was an asshole he was going to screw things like that up, but if Basilio trusted Broen to be professional, there was no reason for Jude not to.

Zora · Aug 10, 2018

"Good," Zoraida said simply when Jude assured her it'd not be a problem. Not bothering to look at Broen, because frankly, she needed a new PA and she knew, he may not like it, but he'd deal with it somehow.

"So... to continue, Woodland Imports deals with the acquisition, and often, the sale of commodities, luxury goods and a wide assortment of materials, both raw and manufactured, as well as the investment in foreign markets," Zora explained as she sat back in her chair.

"What I am looking for and need is somebody who can keep client files in order, log any changes, schedule meetings, set up my weekly timetable, liaison between myself and clients, if and when necessary, and a host of smaller, but no less important, tasks," Zoraida said with a smile, then added.

"I am also looking for somebody detail oriented, organized, proactive and very discreet. Oh, I often travel and would require whomever I hire to be flexible and have the ability to accompany me when needed. Would any of this be a problem or concern for you?" she asked with keen interest, her attention fully on Jude now.

@Romi

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