Chapter 5

I awoke a little before seven and got ready for my next four interviews. I had a great night's sleep after all the good news from yesterday. I now had a new employee, I found a job for a deserving guy, and I might even find another employee today. Then I could concentrate on business and getting my new home built.

Ok, my first victim today was Ted Donner, twenty-two and ready to graduate from SMU. He was expected at eight and showed up in rumpled clothes at quarter to nine. No calling me or nothing. He claimed he had car trouble, but he looked more like he had overslept. I talked to him for a few minutes, and at nine fifteen I said I really needed to get ready for my next appointment. I said I would call him if I needed to talk to him again. Boy, some students are a waste of time and money, let alone air space. Besides, when I asked for a transcript he didn't have one. That also did not bode well for his chances. I'll say one thing about the military, they teach you about being on time or early for appointments.

My next appointment was for 10:00, and I was not disappointed, he was five minutes early. I heard a very timid knock on my front door, and opened it to find a medium height male with thick glasses and a very nerdy look. This one looked promising, so I let him in. I didn't feel so after about fifteen minutes. I had explained the job and asked a few questions, but the demeanor of the man, Henry Hawkins, didn't impress me. He was painfully shy, reserved, and spoke in such a whisper that I had to have him repeat himself several times while answering my questions. I finished my spiel and told him I would let him know my decision later this week.

Wow, another loser. What has become of the younger generation? Don't these kids know it will all be theirs in a few years, and they will have to learn to sink or swim? No wonder you can't get good help these days. I fixed myself some lunch and hoped for the best this afternoon.

My next interviewee was Nicole Kidd, she was about to graduate in a month, and as near as I could tell from her resume, she had worked somewhere all through school and even before. Her latest job as an intern at an insurance company in Dallas, she was in their IT division. That said a few things about her, she wasn't afraid of work, and she must know her stuff if they let her intern at the insurance company.

I heard a car pull up about ten till one, so I looked out. Nicole was just sitting in her car, a fairly new one I think. She was looking at all her papers and her watch. It was about six minutes before her appointed time when she got out of her car and made it up to the door. She rang the bell and I let her in after a fifteen second lag. She did not ring again, but was ready to when I opened the door for her.

"Good afternoon, you must be Miss Kidd, it is Miss, isn't it?"

"Yes, Sir, Mr. Rothman, Nicole Kidd."

I invited her in and we sat in the living room. I in my chair and she on the couch, with the coffee table between us.

I started right in and told her about the job, the possible move to Taylor, the hours, and the possibility for advancement. I then asked, "Does this sound like something you might want to pursue, Miss Kidd?"

"Yes, Sir, Mr. Rothman. I think that I could be comfortable working in that environment."

"Good, now for some questions to test your knowledge. I have had some people misrepresent themselves during the interview process." I asked a bunch of questions about several subjects and she answered them all with ease. "Have you done any practical website design work yet, Miss Kidd?"

"Yes, Sir, I have. I completed four sites last semester for class, and two more for friends. I received high marks from the instructor on all my class projects."

"Are either of your friend's websites something I could look at, so that I might have a better idea of your work?"

"One is, but the other one, I ah ... I think I would like her permission first, before I allowed you to see it."

"Oh, a teaser, web cam site, or a porn site, Miss Kidd?"

"I would rather not say, Sir, unless I am required to."

"No need, Miss Kidd, I have done some of those sites too. In fact I still do, if they are tasteful. Most people, I find, want some hard-core crap, which is more than distasteful to me. This other site," I asked as I opened my laptop. "The name of this site is?"

Nicole told me and I opened it and browsed around in it. "Quite nice, good graphics, nice design, very user friendly, I like it, did you have any additional help other than the prerequisites the client wanted for the site?"

"No, Sir, my friend told me what she wanted it to do, and I did the whole design and set it up on her computer."

"Let me go over some things with you first, and then we can talk about if and when you would like to start."

"You mean you're offering me the job?"

"Well, as long as you accept the working conditions and the pay, sure, I'm offering you the job. Now, can you work nights or days until you are done with school, or will I have to wait until you graduate before you can start?"

"I would prefer that I started after graduation, as that way I can continue to have time to study and give my present employer the required two week's notice. I think they hoped that I would stay with them and become an employee, but this opportunity is too good to pass up. I think you said that you were searching for two employees, have you hired the other one yet?"

"Yes, I have, Miss Kidd, was there someone who you would like to recommend?"

"Well, there is a girl that I have talked to several times at a restaurant I frequent. She is struggling and really needs some help. I have tried to assist her, but I think she is just too proud to accept my help."

"And who would this person be, Miss Kidd?"

"Her name is Tammy, and she goes to UT Arlington and is in computers, too. She works at the steakhouse over on Copeland in Arlington. I think it is TXLC, do you know the one? It is over near the UT-Arlington campus."

"Well, Nicole, I hope you don't mind me calling you that, we are very informal in addressing each other here." I saw Nicole shaking her head. "I now have four employees, counting myself, and a part timer that I have come in when I am flying off to some exciting place to work. The one new employee I hired yesterday is a girl from UT-Arlington by the name of Tammy Fields, and if I remember correctly she worked at a steakhouse near campus. We could be talking about the same person. And when we move to Taylor, there will just be the three of us. That is until the business expands again and we need a bigger place. You don't have a problem with that, do you, Nicole? And by the way, I'm Bob or Rothman, or even the 'old man' as Mike calls me, but he has a good thirteen years on me in that regard. I'm not sure how I came by that name, it just kind of happened. Now, would there be a problem with just the three of us working together?"

"Oh no, Mr ... ah ... Bob, or how about I call you Boss? I have noticed that there was no tent blooming during this whole time, so I gathered that this was all above board and there would be no hanky panky during working hours. Most men I interview with can't keep staring at my breasts or my crotch when they talk to me, but you always looked into my eyes or on the notes you had. I'll bet you couldn't tell me what color my shoes were, or maybe even my skirt, is it long or short? But if I asked you what color my eyes were, you could tell me right away."

"For your information, Nicole, you have hazel eyes, dirty blond hair, a light blue blouse with two buttons undone. You also have a darker blue, knee length skirt and black shoes. They are a sling-back type I believe they call them, with moderate two inch heels. You are more used to taller heels, but you dressed down for this interview. You are 5'7" tall, and weigh about 125 lbs, you are a Libra, born about the eighth or ninth of October, you are not a vegan, you love red meat, and you exercise regularly to keep your weight down. You run some and do machines to keep your muscles toned. Now, have I answered your question, Miss Kidd?"

"All that, and then some. How did you know about my birthday, I didn't put that on my resume, the same with my height and weight?"

"I have a knack for seeing who a person is in the first five minutes after I meet them in person. I can also tell a lot on the phone, too. I would also say that you are from around the Dallas area, I would say Northeast section, probably Garland or Rowlett. I was thinking Rockwall, but that is too far east. You still live at home, and commute to the university by way of your car. You are always five to ten minutes early for any appointment, sometimes even earlier if you do not know the area. I think you came down the CF Hawn freeway and stopped near Beardon Park to eat your lunch, which you fixed before leaving home today. How am I doing?"