The Women's Job - I Don't Have a Choice - Chapter 3

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I'll be offered a job looking like this.  What kind of a job could it possibly be? Secretary? Some kind of office work like typing, and filing?  

Would they offer me some kind of wage or salary that I could live on?  

What if they did? Should I accept Her cell phone buzzed at that moment, and it was a text, from this Brad it? Nothing else has come up.  I do need the money.  

No, they won't offer me a job, they'll just laugh me out of the building.  What am I to do?'  Austin, saying, 'Jen says you're on your way looking great. Good. Can't wait to see you.'  OMG, what do I do now? He's waiting for me.  

He wants to 'see' me! Maybe Jen told him what they had done to me.  Maybe he won't be shocked, or displeased.  

What else can I do?"  Noticing that she was breathing a little fast, she now just sat back and tried to relax again taking several deep breaths.  

It's just an interview, she thought, I've gone on them before, a number of times. This is no different.  Just keep telling myself this. No different.  The driver looked in the rearview mirror at Ashley and smiling, said, "Beautiful day, Miss."  

Ashley looked up and smiled back, replying, "Yes, it is."  And she thought, 'That didn't sound too bad. And he called me 'Miss'. Do I actually pass? Oh, I just don't know if.

All too soon, for Ashley's concerns and continuing worries, the limo pulled up at an office building that Ashley assumed was one of Johnston Industries' branches.  

It looked rather new, glass and steel, three stories high, and was in an office park, with other similar-looking buildings. As she started to reach for the door, the limo driver, who was already getting out, said, "I'll get that, Miss." 

Ashley sighed and sat back.  In a moment, the driver had opened the door and offered his hand to her, which after a brief moment's hesitation, Ashley took she got out of the car, smoothed her skirt, and made sure her shoulder bag was securely on her shoulder and said, "Thank you," with a smile.  

He smiled back saying, "You're welcome. 

I'll walk you to the door." 

Ashley now accepted that this last possible avenue of escape, fleeing down the sidewalk away from this building, was fully closed to her. She would go into the building, meet this Brad Austin, and take whatever happened, still fully expecting to run (or be run) out of the building in shame, maybe tears, and somehow find her way back to Ash's place and try to put this behind her.  

Or maybe not until it was bedtime, would she change back....no, it had to be...  "I understand you're on a job interview, Miss.  

Well, good luck, hope it works out, and goodbye," he said as he held the entrance door open for her.  

Ashley looked up at him, again with a small smile, thinking, 'He does look a little handsome, maybe in a certain way, no, wait, I can't think...well...maybe...' as she said giving him a smile.  

"Thank you, you've been so nice, goodbye."  

The look on his face suggested to her that he appreciated her response.  Her now mind racing again, she considered, 'Now why did I say that? Think that? And it sounded like before. What is happening to me?  

I shouldn't even be here, I should never have let that Jen dress me like this.  This just isn't going to work out, it can't possibly...can it?'  

But in a moment she was inside the building and walking up to the reception desk. She then thought, 'Well, walking in these heels doesn't seem too bad, just put one foot in front of the other, don't go fast, place each step firmly on the floor, keep a nice balance, focus on where my voice should come from, yes, I can do it.'  

"May I help you?" asked the young woman behind the desk as she smiled up at Ashley.  

Ashley took a breath, still sure that this was going to go all wrong, and said, "Yes, I'm, um, Ashley Miller. I'm here for a 1PM interview with, uh, Mr. Austin?"  

The young woman looked at her computer screen and then said, "Oh, yes, I have you right here, Ms. Miller.  

One o'clock, that's right.  Please wait just a moment, I'll have someone come right down to take you there."  

"Thank you," Ashley replied as her nerves were not quite getting the better of her, yet anyway.  

The receptionist mentioned, "You can sit over there if you'd like."  

She pointed to two chairs and a sofa, all corporate office-styled, a few feet away.  

They were around a table with a few magazines, mostly business-oriented, and some potted (possibly artificial) plants.  "There's also a coffee station over by that wall, too, if you'd like a cup, regular or decaf." 

"Oh, thank you," Ashley replied and went over and sat down, making sure her skirt was covering whatever it could. 

No way did she want to drink anything at this moment, doubting her stomach would like that. She hoped the wait wouldn't be too long, and was thankful when within just a few moments a young woman showed up. She did seem to think her heart was now beating a little faster.  She stood back up as the woman said, "Hi, Ashley Miller, I believe?"  

"Yes, hi.  I'm, um, here for the 1PM interview with, um, Mr. Austin?" 

"Hi, Ashley.  I'm Deirdre. Nice to meet you."  

She offered her hand and they shook. Ashley noticed that this woman, made no change to her expressions or body language as they shook hands.  

She wondered if she really did look enough like a young woman to be accepted.  "We'll get you right up there. Come with me, please.  

I do like what you're wearing, very attractive.  Where did you find it?"  

"Thank you," Ashley responded as they walked over to the elevators and rode up, "um, Van Hisen, their downtown store.  They certainly do have nice clothes." 

"Ah, yes, I fully agree.  

They have such a nice selection, very stylish, I understand, now.  

So, you're seeing...Mr. Austin, right?" Deirdre asked with an odd tone in her voice, at least to Ashley's imagination.  

"Um, yes," Ashley answered wondering why she was being asked again. "Is, there, um, a...problem?"  Deirdre was silent for a moment, then replied, "No, uh, not at all. 

 I work directly for Mr. Relsly, while Mr. Austin is also in the section. Mr. Relsly usually sees applicants, but he's out of the office at this moment, I'm not sure when he'll be back.  

But I work with Mr. Austin, too, on some projects, so I guess he wanted to talk to you. I think he is interviewing for a position." 

"Oh, um, okay," replied Ashley, again a little confused as from the phone call, she thought that she would be seeing Mr. Relsly, and maybe just this Brad Austin for a moment or two.  Well, she surmised, this Brad must be his assistant or something and maybe start the interview or he has a position he thinks I might fill.  

Well, one more person to convince...that is, if I want the job, if it's right for me...if I even get an offer.  

Deirdre was being quite pleasant with Ashley after meeting her in the reception area and on the way to the third floor.  

This allowed Ashley to calm down a little as they walked and as it appeared that Deirdre was fully accepting Ashley as a young woman job applicant.  

The elevator up, and the hallways they entered, all looked very standard to Ashley.  It helped calm her a little.  

They entered an outer office, with what looked like a secretarial desk and an open door to an inner one, and after Deirdre motioned Ashley to wait, she went to the door and said, "Ashley Miller is here, Brad."  

Ashley heard a male voice in there, "Okay, thanks, Deirdre, you can go, and close the outer door if you would, please." 

"Right."  Deirdre turned to Ashley and said, "He'll be right out."  She took a breath and with an attractive smile, said, "Good luck." 

"Thanks, um, it was nice meeting you."  "Yes, nice meeting you too, bye.  Maybe we'll see each other later.  

I can fill you in a little if you'd like."  Ashley smiled back, saying, "I'd like that.  Thank you."  With her own smile, Deirdre nodded a little as she left Ashley standing there in the middle of the room with the door closing behind her. Ashley now took a breath trying to remain as calm as possible.  

This Deirdre had certainly helped as she seemed friendly, non-judgmental, and just pleasant.  That had aided her a lot in trying to maintain some kind of composure.  

An Unexpected and Maybe Unwelcome Position  She heard a noise in the interior office and then a young man came out, and stopped just across the doorway, as he looked at Ashley, practically staring at her, almost up and down with a smile forming and little nods both of which became more intense as the seconds ticked by.  

It made her a little uncomfortable and got her nervous again.  

The silence was also causing her to be more self-conscious than she had been since before she left the clothing store.  

Finally, she forced herself to say, "H.hello. I'm here for the One o'clock interview...?  

He continued staring at her, with a look she didn't fully understand, but it made her even more nervous.  It reminded her of how some of Ash's more macho male friends would stare at some of the more attractive girls.  

She didn't really understand it then, and even less so now. More of a grin than a smile.  Finally, he said, extending his hand, "Yes, Ashley Miller isn't it?" She nodded as he continued, "Brad Austin.  

Nice meeting you, Ashley. And right on time, I like that, very punctual, a good trait."  She took his hand, and she felt that it was firm and while it could be a strong grip, it was rather gentle holding her hand, even with it being obviously larger than hers. She replied, "Nice meeting you, Mr. Austin."  

Not letting go of her hand he continued, "My, my, your job application gave no indication that you were so pretty.  Why don't you step into my...office?  Oh, and please call me Brad."  

Looking up at him, she did feel that he was even more handsome-looking than the limo driver.  

He was solidly built, easily over six feet, with penetrating dark eyes, an interesting smile, expensive-looking suit. Like an older version of some of the 'jocks' she remembered from high school and the one year of college.  But, the overriding thought she was now having was, doesn't he notice that I'm not quite the same person that sent in that photo? 

That my resume implied, well sort of I think, that I was a male?  

"Oh, um, okay," Ashley replied as Brad started gently pulling her arm, sort of directing her into the inner office. 

With that she walked to the door, while Brad continued holding her hand until she passed him.  As she passed, he slipped his right hand onto her lower back, more or less continuing to direct her into the office, saying, "There you go."  Slightly startled but trying to ignore it, she got up the nerve to ask, "Um, am I dressed...appropriately?"  

"Oh, yes, you certainly are.  I'll have to compliment Jen when I see her again. You are very well attired, just perfect for the office.  She does understand my, um, our...needs quite well.  So have a seat right here, if you would."  

He directed her to a swivel chair in front of a desk, his desk, Ashley guessed and she said, "Okay."  This interview was going in such a different direction than almost all of Ash's previous ones.  

Brad had definitely taken full control and all Ashley could do was follow his directions.  For some reason, it gave her a little shiver. 

Once she was seated, he said, "All right, let's get you in the right setting," and he firmly swiveled the chair so that she was facing the desk with the chair rather close to the desk.  

He then stood right in front of her and sort of sat up on the desk, with one foot on the floor, looking down at her, with still that smile on his face. They were quite close now, with Ashley having to look up at him, and he down at her.  

The way this was going, Ashley felt, she didn't exactly know how to describe it, but she felt maybe somewhat vulnerable, perhaps, having to look up at Brad like this.  

He was definitely all male, and he was treating her definitely as a young woman, someone he seemed to find very attractive and in whom he was showing maybe more than just a professional interest.  

The thought of this and what it could lead to was starting to cause her a little embarrassment.  

Noticing that her resume with the picture attached (as Ash) was on his desk, and how he mentioned she now looked, she then thought that maybe he had looked at the picture and just mistakenly assumed that he was seeing a young woman, dressed in casual clothes and just glanced at the resume. 

Maybe the picture showing Ash's longish hair, his name which could seem non-gender specific, the seeming neutral colors of his clothes, and the way he was looking, maybe all gave a mistaken impression.  

And when he talked to her on the phone and found that she was close to the clothing store, told her to go there, and called Jen and told her a young woman was coming.  Jen then seeing Ash decided to correct his mistake and dress her as a young woman.  

How could she possibly now try to tell him any different?  It would make for an embarrassing moment for both of them if she did and he actually had made a mistake and she acknowledged that she let Jen do it.  He appeared to assume she was female, so why not follow through. 

Despite what Jen and the girls at the salon had said, she still doubted that she would actually get a job offer and anyway, she, no doubt, would have to refuse it if she did.  

"So, tell me a little about yourself," he asked.  'Oh, my,' she thought to herself, 'this is sort of a different way than job interviews in the past, she thought. First, he asked me to call him 'Brad'. 

 I don't think an applicant or even a new hire is supposed to be that friendly with her potential boss.  

And isn't he supposed to tell me the job, then glance at my resume and ask how any of my previous jobs might fit into what they're looking for, and then my telling him about specific parts of each job? 

Well, just tell him, I guess.'  And she did, some about where she now lived, her family, her schooling, her previous jobs, trying her hardest to keep all of them gender neutral at best as well as reasonably positive, of course.  

She decided also to pretty much agree to almost anything he said, as much as possible, as she just expected to say no to any job offer at the end, although she still doubted she would get one. 

He'd probably say something like, 'Thank you, we'll be in touch', and then she'd get a form letter or worse, a text, telling her she was rejected.  

"So you live over in the Woodside neighborhood?  An apartment I would presume?"  

"Yes, just a small one...for now."  

"You're by yourself? No roommate?" 

 "Um, no roommate.  Just a single."  

"Good, good, nice to know. If I, um, we hire you, as my executive assistant, I would hope you would understand that it would be a long-term commitment. 

Not only do I have several projects coming up that I would, um, need help on, quite close help, actually, but I'm also expecting to rise through the ranks here and I would want whoever I hire to stay with me as I go.  

The more assistance you can provide along the way, the more valuable you'll be to me.  And, of course, as I get raises so would you."  

She noticed that his smile got wider and almost seemed to turn into a leer as he finished, "The more you can give to me, the more I can provide to you in return." 

 Although it was a little unsettling, she didn't really understand what his look meant and put it aside as she considered what he just said, thinking, 'Well, I guess I can understand that', and then finally saying, "I understand. I believe that's, um, something I'd like." 

 "Good. Now of course there will be a significant number of late hours, times with the workload where we'll have to discuss things in detail and go over your current assignment, and even more travel, so if you have any commitments outside of the office, group activities, spending time with friends, and the like, they'll definitely have to be secondary, very minimal at the most to what I require here.  

I want someone dedicated to doing what I need to have done. 

 Working...quite closely with me. Can you do that?"  

"Yes, I, um, believe I can," she replied. 'It does sound interesting,' she thought, 'although he hasn't yet told me exactly what I'll be doing. I would like to travel, however, the long hours could be difficult, but I did decide to be agreeable until he offered me something.'  

"Very good. Now the salary for this position starts at $25,000 per year. 

That's because the workweeks could easily exceed forty hours, so since it's not hourly, there's no paid overtime. 

1 week vacation at a year, 2 weeks in the 2nd year. And of course, the standard bank holidays and company benefits, health insurance, savings plans, the usual. And as I said, we'll look at yearly raises, depending on my promotions. So, what do you think?"  

'My goodness!' she thought, 'that's a lot of money, way more than I've ever made before.  I could move out of my place and into a nicer place in several months at most, maybe even consider a used car.  

That would be so great!'  

"That sounds really good, I, um..."  

"Now, so far I've interviewed several young women today and any one of you would be a good choice, still I will have to make that choice."  

Ashley was now a little elated as well as somewhat worried.  

It sounded like he was seriously considering her, which she had not expected until just a few moments ago. 

However, she still didn't think she could accept an offer even with that salary and benefits, although she had to admit it would so greatly help her.  

She would no doubt have to keep coming in as Ashley, and while maybe it could work, she wasn't sure she wanted to do it, but to get this far in the interview and then be rejected, she felt that she would be very disappointed. But now maybe, he had made his choice and he was going to tell her, 'Thank you, for coming in, I'll be in touch.'  

"But," he continued, "I'm very glad you're agreeable. 

Yes, after meeting you, getting to know you, and after comparing you to the others, I think you'll be perfect, absolutely perfect, just exactly what I'm looking for.  So, you're hired! Welcome to Johnston Industries.  That is, if you'll accept.  And if you're ready, you can start now and we can get going on some of the projects immediately."  

It took her a moment for it all to sink in as she began to realize, 'He's offered me the job, and it's for more than I ever dreamed of. And starting right now! 

That's so wonderful as I can use that money as soon as my first paycheck comes. And my parents will be happy. 

But, I don't even know what I'll be doing!  He hasn't described the job at all except working long hours and traveling. I haven't even filled out any forms or anything.  

This is so very odd.  And besides, how can I accept as I am? I can't keep living as a girl, can I? Even if I did, I certainly don't have enough clothes for tomorrow, much less any additional days, and I can't wear this again tomorrow, for sure.  

Anyway, eventually he's bound to realize I'm sort of a guy underneath all this, and then what will happen? He'll no doubt become upset with me, maybe call the authorities.  But if I say 'no' will I ever get any other offer this good?' 

 "Well? How about it?  Since you're here, I can definitely show you around, get you set up, go over some of the projects.  

I think that would really work, don't you?" he asked as he got up off the desk and began leaning into her.  

"I...I don't....um....you see...."  

"Don't be a fool, Ashley! It's a great position...right under me, if...you catch my drift."  Blushing a little at how close he was now, and not fully listening to him, she thought, 'I suppose I can start now, I mean if I don't like it, I can always just quit at the end of the afternoon, say that it just isn't working out and I quit.