Tessa Gray (grayshifter) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2018-02-17 11:45:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | !completed gdoc, !log, ~2018 february, ~25 points, ~~karen page (notbullshit), ~~tessa gray (grayshifter) |
WHO: Tessa Carstairs and Karen Page
WHERE: Willessem Apartment
WHEN: Feb 9
WHAT: Interviewing
RATING: G
STATUS: log; completed
When Tessa had gone to City Hall to procure the license for her business, the lady behind the counter had kindly wished her luck - not in running her business, but in finding and retaining people to help her. Good help is hard to find, the lady had said, and in a place where people came and went as the dome wished, it was even more so. Tessa had thanked her and taken her words to heart...and she’d found them to be true. She had found and lost numerous assistants in the past two years, and while her client list had grown, the number of hours in a day had not. It did not help that she had come from a time before computers or technology, and using the contraptions had not made things easier for her as everyone had promised: it had simply befuddled her. She had relied on people who were of this era to help. Unfortunately, those who had helped her were gone now. The appearance of someone who knew of administrative work and the legal framework seemed like a godsend, but Tessa knew she could not seem too eager. She did not wish to scare off the poor woman...and she had gone through enough in her past that she did not immediately trust a good thing when she saw one. Still, she was determined to welcome Miss Page the best she could. She had made tea and tidied up the apartment that served as both home and office for her. Jem and Will were both at work, which was for the best. Will, in particular, would have either flirted with or interrogated Miss Page. Perhaps both. At the same time. Evidence of a masculine presence could not be ignored in the apartment, however: a hat on the shelf; a trenchcoat on the coat rack; large shoes by the door. And rows and rows of wickedly gleaming knives and daggers, carefully strapped in along the wall. *** Karen was slowly but steadily adjusting to life in Madison Valley, but she had never been someone who could handle a life of leisure for too long, which was what had prompted her post about looking for work. Now she had not only one prospective job, but two - and she honestly wasn’t sure if either one would work out. She dressed carefully for the interview in dark grey slacks and a blue button-up shirt, topping it off with a simple black coat she had picked up to handle the February temperatures, and then headed out to the address she’d been given. It didn’t take long to find, though she was a little surprised to find that it was an apartment rather than an office, and after a minute of hesitation, she headed into the building to the apartment number. Once she reached it, Karen lifted her fist and knocked lightly before stepping back to patiently wait for the door to be opened, inwardly praising the library for having been open the day before so she could recreate and print out her resume - though the references would obviously be useless in another world. *** Tessa opened the door shortly after; she had been waiting for the knock. “Miss Page?” She did not offer her hand. Even now, she still worried that a lapse in her concentration could activate her powers if she touched someone else. She offered a warm smile, though, and opened the door to allow the woman entrance. Tessa herself was tall and slender, and much younger than one would expect from a businesswoman or someone who was married. In fact, she had not long ago turned only 19. *** “Yes, hi,” Karen replied, smiling politely at the woman. When no hand was offered, she awkwardly shifted her purse a little, then stepped in at the silent invitation. “Thanks for meeting with me,” she said before she glanced around. The little touches that showed someone else lived there caught her attention first, before she then noted the large collection of blades along one wall. Maybe coming here hadn’t been the best idea? Recovering herself quickly, Karen forced herself not to show any nervousness as she shifted her attention back to Tessa. “I brought my resume, though obviously it won’t have any references. The only person I know in town is Pepper Potts, and that’s after meeting her here - back in our world, I only know her by reputation.” *** “Oh yes, Miss Potts.” Tessa closed the door behind Karen and gestured her towards the sofa, where she had tea and cookies waiting. “I was very good friends with her when she was here last. Her reputation is well-warranted.” Seeing Karen’s nervous look at the weaponry, she smiled ruefully. “Please do not be alarmed by that rather macabre display. My husband and his friend are collectors of fine blades.” She waited until Karen was seated before taking the resume and going over it. “I imagine someone as talented as you would have numerous options - and there are many businesses who do not require a blood test. Is there anything about this one that catches your interest?” *** “I understand,” she said in response to Tessa’s words about the weaponry, though she was still vaguely uneasy. She could hide that, though, as long as none of those weapons were being pointed at her. Karen waited patiently as Tessa reviewed the resume, then gave a rueful smile at her words. “To be honest with you, yours was the first offer I received. I’ve received another, but I’m not entirely sure I want to work at a law firm again. It almost feels like a step backwards instead of forwards. My background is mostly admin and secretarial work, as you can see, aside from my work at the Bulletin. Right now I’m seeing what’s available, and where I can do the most good.” *** “You will certainly do quite a bit of good here,” Tessa said, setting aside the resume for now. She had poured tea, and gestured for Karen to help herself. “We work with those who cannot move around easily on their own, and allow them to enjoy their time at home and not feel like a burden to their family members. I find it quite gratifying, myself.” *** Karen smiled her thanks and reached out to pick up one of the teacups, sitting back as she sipped even as she paid close attention to what Tessa was saying. “How long has the business been running? And what kind of help are you looking for?” *** “About…” Tessa considered. “Goodness, it’s been two years now. It started in winter, you see. It was snowing, and as I went about my own errands, I realized that there were some elderly citizens who were struggling to move about. So I offered to help, and it grew from there. Now, I have about thirty clients, and as you can imagine, it is quite a bit of work to attend to them all. And the dome keeps taking away my assistants. So I am looking for everything: someone who could tend to our clients, or speak on their behalf when it comes to matters of inheritance and estate - I have a legal advisor, but it by no means comes easily to me - and someone to organize time tables and chores. I come from a time when computers did not exist, and I am still learning to use them. So as you can see, there is a lot to do depending on your interest.” *** “It sounds like a terrific service,” Karen said, giving Tessa a smile. She nodded as the woman went on, tilting her head a little. “Working on the law firm definitely gave me the background in some of that - I obviously can’t claim any kind of expertise since I didn’t go to law school, but I got pretty good at being able to speed read and pull out information, or finding issues. And I’m good at organizing, it’s definitely a skill of mine. I know I’m new here, but if you’re willing to take the chance on me, I think I could be an asset for you,” she said. *** “We are all starting anew here,” Tessa acknowledged. “It does not matter to me your life at home. I only ask for your compassion, patience and understanding with our clients. Are you willing to give that?” *** Karen smiled at the question, and gave Tessa a firm nod. “Absolutely - though I’m sure that’s what anyone would say, but I can swear to you that you shouldn’t expect anything less than that with me.” Inwardly, she was thrilled to possibly be on the edge of getting a job so quickly and easily - and without having to go through some kind of blood test, because the idea of it unnerved her somewhat. *** Tessa, too, was thrilled. With the dome taking away her assistants so regularly, she was constantly stretched for resources - and she hated turning down clients who needed assistance. Adding someone who seemed as warm and capable as Miss Page to her team would greatly help. “Wonderful,” she said warmly. “Then I think all we need to do is a bit of paperwork.” |