Making It Personal, Wells, C. [best books under 200 pages .TXT] 📗

over with. He approached Blake, hand extended. “Mr Davis, thank you for the opportunity but I now find I have to withdraw my application for this position.” His hand hung there, waiting for Blake, who stared at it unseeing. Come on, Blake, get with it. He watched Blake visibly pull himself together. But still he didn’t take Will’s hand. This was getting embarrassing. Will pulled it back hastily. He tightened his hold on his briefcase.

“Mr. Parkinson, would you care to step into my office?” The look in Blake’s eyes told Will the man wasn’t about to take no for an answer. Add to that his set jaw. Will swallowed. “Karen, hold my calls, please.” Blake gestured with his arm in the direction he’d come from. “This way, please.” Blake stared at him fixedly and Will had no choice. He wasn’t about to embarrass the man. Nodding, he followed Blake along the corridor and into an office. Blake pushed the door shut and then stood there, eyes blazing.

“Did you know last night?” Blake blurted out. Will’s eyes widened. He thinks….Will noted Blake’s hands which were clenched tightly by his sides. Oh hell, Blake was angry. “Well, did you?”

“Of course not!” Will burst out, cheeks heating up.

“But you knew you were coming here to be interviewed today.”

Will thought furiously. “Hang on a minute, I assumed I was being interviewed for the position of PA to Justin Davis. He does run the company, doesn’t he?” Blake frowned. Will hadn’t got a clue what was going on. “All I knew of last night was that I was hired by a guy called Blake. No last name, certainly nothing to connect you to Trinity Publishing. And the pack that came with the application form had lots of information about Justin Davis—bio, company history, press releases…” He racked his brains. Had there been any mention of a Blake Davis? One look at Blake’s face, however, told him the man was calming down.

“Okay, none of this matters, all right?” Will kept his voice even. Inside he was cursing. Damn it, he’d wanted this job. “You’re obviously not going to interview me for the position, because we both know there’s no way in hell you’re gonna give it to me, not after last night.” He drew in a deep breath. “So I’ll just go now, thanks.” He turned to leave.

“Wait.”

Will halted in surprise at the urgent quality of Blake’s voice. He turned back to face him.

“You came here for an interview. Is this how you usually conduct yourself in an interview?”

This time it was Will’s jaw that dropped. Blake was kidding, right? Blake’s eyes never left his.

“You still want to interview me?” Will asked incredulously. Blake nodded. Despite his initial reaction, the logical part of Will’s brain was already considering the situation. Okay, so Blake wasn’t going to hire him. But Blake had to have contacts in the industry. It might pay to keep on his good side. When one door closes….C’mon, you can do this. He drew in a deep breath. “Okay.” This still felt like a crazy thing to do, but what the hell, it was turning out to be a crazy day.

Blake gestured toward the chair facing the desk and Will took it, thankful for the chance to sit. His legs shook and his stomach felt as though there was a bowling ball in it. Blake didn’t waste time. He sat and launched immediately into his questions, making notes and clearly listening intently to Will’s replies. After a couple of questions, Will started to feel calmer and he grew in confidence, despite the fact that Blake didn’t pull any punches with his questions. Will had to admire the guy. He obviously knew his stuff, which helped Will to relax and really give his best. When Blake finally put down his pen, Will was shocked to glance at his watch and see that forty minutes had elapsed. It was a pity about the position: from everything Will had learned, it would have been perfect for him, and Blake would have made a great boss.

“Thank you for coming, Will.” Blake stood and came around the desk to shake his hand.

“Just so you know?” Will said with a half-smile. “This has to rank as one of the most surreal interviews I’ve ever had.” He chuckled. “I appreciate you carrying on with it, but I think we both know what the outcome is going to be. I’d like to ask you to keep my details on file, in case you hear of anything that might be worth me applying for.” He picked up his briefcase from the floor next to his chair and walked to the door. He paused at the threshold and turned back to face Blake. The man stood there looking downright edible in his elegant suit, that creamy complexion and those fantastic blue eyes still making Will stiffen in his pants, in spite of the situation. “And I would quite understand if you felt awkward about hiring me again from J’s. Though as far as I’m concerned, that would be a great pity.” Blake’s lips parted as if he were about to speak, but Will had had enough. “Goodbye, Mr. Davis.” And with that he exited the office. He gave the receptionist a brisk nod as he passed her desk and then hurried out of the building. Oh well, back to the drawing board…..

Blake expelled his breath shakily as Will left the office. Now what the hell do I do? Despite Will being clearly nervous initially, it became evident that the man was perfect for the job. He sank into his chair and leaned on the desk, head in hands. He’d never felt so torn, so utterly compromised. Then it came to him. He needed some impartial advice.

Blake scrolled through his contacts and called Dave Thurston. When the call connected, Dave’s jovial voice rang out.

“Blake, nice timing. I’ve just set things up for the first client, but she’s not due for another fifteen minutes. How you