The Interview

5 years later...

Drinking wine with my sister via Zoom wasn't the same as having cocktails at a new bar every other week. If I moved back to NYC, I could be with my sister right now. My older sister, Katheryn or Kate as most people know her, had finally moved back to the North East after a stint in Seattle with husband number two.

I was stuck paying taxes in an empty home, working remotely, friendless, and honestly, it was lonely.

"Mom insists on family dinners on Sundays like we are The Soprano's. I swear she thinks she's from Italy not Ireland. And no boys allowed. What does she think, I'm 16?"

She probably thinks that she doesn't wanting you ending up with another loser. But I didn't dare say that outloud.

"That's mom for ya. Even when I lived in the loft she asked for a dinner once a week. But she'd meet me in the city sometimes and pay for dinner. That was worth the motherly drama."

"A beer is $9 here. A beer! A cocktail is almost $20. Who has that kind of cash?!"

"Wall street, the 1%, and their children."I took a large gulp of my prosecco letting the bubbles pop and fizzle in my mouth. I was tired of seeing people through screens. "Speaking of which, weren't we supposed to have like 6 kids by now?!"

She almost snorted up red wine onto her iPhone. "Holy shit! I remember that! We planned to have 3 each by the time we were 35. How's that going for you?" She was 38 and getting her second divorce. No kids. Tried for them apparently, but it never happened.

"I'm turning 31 years old and I have no boyfriend. No fuckboy. No male gay best friend who might also want children but doesn't have a partner. Not even a boy that's a friend. I'm not even a piece of hot ass for someone to use and abuse." I huffed. "Life is depressing."

"Yep. I hear you on that. But I have you beat since I just moved back into my childhood bedroom living with mom who isn't here because she's out on a date. Her social calendar is booked until TBD, which stands for: to be determined. She actually used the term 'TBD' when I asked for a mother/daughter spa day."

It's taken our mother almost a decade to finally start dating after my father died. She's still as loyal to him as she is to the Catholic church. She might have a date tonight but I'm sure she will be saying a 'Hail Mary' on her rosary all night asking for God and dad's forgiveness.

"K, you win! I can't beat that depressing life. Although I have an interview this week with a company I interviewed for like 5 years ago and turned down."

"With the same prick?" Kate's eyebrows raised.

"His brother's team, working for their UX team for a pretty underwraps app that they want to have in beta testing stage ASAP."

"You lost me at 'brother'. The gorgeous, almost boss man, has a brother?! Is he single?! When do you start? Can I come live with you now? Please!" Kate begged.

"Going now." I hit end. Of course she's thinking that way.

I did G****e Noah Talon. They come from old money. Their father, Gregory Talon, invested well in properties and the stock market. He made a name for himself as a lead financial advisor at one of the country's largest firms before retiring and now sits as the head of the Board of Directors at Talon Inc. His sons both went to Harvard Business School, the land of the sharks, snakes, sociopaths, and grade A narcists.

They were only two years a part in age. They are known for both owning and running their company 50/50 and making panties drop wherever they went. Even their dad was handsome, single, and looking to mingle. Their mom isn't in any of the articles I found. I couldn't find a picture of any of them with the same woman on their arm.

It felt wrong interviewing there again but their Human Resources office called me out of the blue. They asked me to send them my updated resume. It's a step in the right direction for my career. I could be remote or in the office, would have a team of people to manage. It would also be a nice bump up in salary, not that I needed it honestly. I had paid off my student debt, my car, and at this point I could probably pay off this nice starter family home if I really wanted to. But the truth was I missed being around people.

I had no social life here and I was desperate enough to start using the dating and hookup apps that I had been assigned to test.

***

I got to the interview early, a nervous habit of mine that I should have ignored since the Talon brothers weren't very respectful of other people's time. Basically, they ran late to everything as a sign of their importance and power; i.e. I have better things to do with my time.

I've been working out since I moved here. There's not much else to do. It's that or drinking and drinking alone, which has started to make me feel like I need to find an AA meeting. So I've gotten pretty fit (I was always a curvy girl); I'm wearing a black dress, black heels, and a cropped emerald green sweater that I got from T.J. Maxx but when I looked up the name of the designer I couldn't believe I had only paid what I had for the brand name. The green complimented my "map of Ireland" face and I wore my hair down this time showing a little less business casual and more office flirt.

I might have done myself up a bit in case I ran into his brother, Adam. I was mad at myself for putting in the effort. I loathed Adam Talon. 

"Well, I must say Holly when my brother "highly recommended" you for the role I was curious. You didn't even work with Adam." Noah mused.

Fuck. He's even better looking than his younger brother. Noah was classic handsome. Maybe even preppy. Clean-cut brown hair, close shave trimmed beard outlining his square jaw-line instead of that messy beard. Same beautiful hazel eyes that seem don't waver, like an alpha making sure you know he's the top dog, he can't be the first to look away.

"That is odd. I didn't know that was who had recommended me for this position actually." Although I did wonder why someone reached out to me. I thought maybe another connection from NYC had somehow mentioned me but low and behold it was his brother.

"Just wondering, am I actually here for an interview or was this interview solely out of curiousness? Curiosity killed the cat, ya know?" Was I trying to blow this interview? Why did they both make me so annoyed. It's like they know how to get under my skin. Again, I hate working with HBS people. They are at the top for a reason but damn them and whatever Jedi mind tricks that ivy league school teaches them.

"Huh, I can see why my brother likes you so much. Lots of spunk. Let me guess, you're from New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia?"

This feels like Deja vu.

"Thank you I think. Grew up in New Jersey and worked mainly in the city after I completed my MBA at NYU." I nodded my head knowing what he would say next.

Wait for it... he's going to make sure he brings up the fact that he went to an ivy league school. They all do it.

"You know I went to Harvard business school. Yale for undergrad though." Called it.

"Wow. Impressive." I had to actively try to not roll my eyes or sound sarcastic. I mean, come on, are we going to compare cock sizes now pretty boy? Of course he brought that up. They all do this and I'll hear it every day, multiple times a day if I get this job.

"So you want the job, it's yours." Noah leaned in further onto his desk on his forearms.

"I'm sorry I don't think I heard you correctly." Was he joking? He just met me. And the person, his own brother, who put me up for the position had never worked with me before.

"I'm offering you the job." His lopsided smile seemed genuine but this doesn't make sense.

"Okay. So I did hear you correctly. Excuse me but why?" Don't I need an interview, get a background check, meet someone from HR?

He sat back in his big comfy office lounge chair behind a funky hand crafted wooden desk squeezing a tie-dyed stress ball and eyed me up and down.

"Why?" What is wrong with these guys. Maybe it's the city girl in me but I don't trust anyone.

"Why not?" He smirked.

"You didn't read my resume or you would have already known where I worked post graduate school and it has both my New Jersey and Colorado addresses on it at the top." That was in preparation to move back to the city. I could apply to jobs easily if I put my parents address up showing I was a Tri-State area person, able to easily move back and work in the city.

"So you're planning on moving back and work in New York City?" His shoulders mockingly shrugged; he already knew the answer.

"No." I said too quickly. "Just keeping my options open."

"I see. And you don't want this job, even though it's a natural progression for your career. You could make director or even a c-suite position before you're 40 at this rate."

He had me there. Noah might have gone to a better college but we both went to competitive universities, and he knew as well as I did that moving up the corporate ladder was my goal.

"Yes, sir. That's true. Living the dream."

He came around the funky desk and perched himself right in front of me. Noah was taller than Adam and a bit more built too. Not to mention his package was at eye level.

My eyes nearly popped out of my head.

Seriously?! He looked like he had a semi and if that was a semi then dear Neptune, he was packing a third leg. Nope, stop thinking like that! I chided myself.

Blushing I put my hands to cover my case and actually felt it. Shit.

"Are you trying to sleep with me?" His arms crossed and his hazel eyes squinted in amusement.

You wish buddy.

"No. I'm sorry I accidently, maybe, slightly, grazed your..." Oh God what do I call it. Penis sounds so clinical but cock sounds so sexual. 

"Dick?"

"...Whatever term you prefer." Oh my good Lord, please strike me dead now. Even a heart-attack would be welcomed right about now.

His eyes went wide with amusement. "What term do you prefer?"

Wow. Just like his brother, Noah's a grade A prick as well.

"No. I don't want to fu- sorry scratch that, sleep with you." I shook my head. I almost said the F-word to my potential boss. Time to get back on track and hit him where it hurts. "I think you and your brother may have misinterpreted me somehow. I'm here for a job interview and right now you are making me very uncomfortable. I'm sure your company would love to be the next company in a long line of white male owned companies that are swimming in sexual harassments cases right now."

He nodded and put his hands in his pocket. "You start Monday. Have a nice weekend Holly."

"Are you sure?"

He didn't look up from his phone. "Ask me again and I'll change my mind. See ya Monday. 8am team meeting. We have yoga an hour earlier and a 5 mile run an hour before that, but definitely don't want to miss the free breakfast and crappy cup of coffee. Bye Holly."

I stumbled out of his office only to see his PA, Jennifer, pick up the phone and put it quickly back down. "Okay so welcome to the team Holly! Let me show you to HR before you go so you know where to begin on Monday after team building and a healthy assortment of goodies! You'll love it here. Are you new to the area?" Wow she talked a mile a minute. I didn't even realize we had walked down a flight of stairs and through a few locked doors.

"Well here you are! Ricky here will get your security set up after you sign your contract and get all your forms set up on Monday. Ricky, this is Holly, she's joining the family!"

Ricky was an overweight Eastern guy who had lots of sodas and packaged foods on his desk. "You like ho-hos? I grew up near where they make them."

"Really?!" All the sudden Ricky was my new best friend. We bonded over our love of Hostess cakes while Jennifer went back to her desk. She couldn't run away fast enough when I brought up processed sugary foods.