I opened the door and quickly said, "I have to reschedule our meeting, Mr. DeVille. How does tomorrow sound? Any time you want."
His expression darkened, and he shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, Mr. Tanchen. That won't do. I really must speak to you now. I can't reschedule, unfortunately."
Something about this guy made me think he was a lot like Josh. Neither one of them understood the word no, and I'd be wasting my time trying to convince him to come back tomorrow.
"Fine. Now's great. Let's go into my office," I said, relenting only because I felt sure I could get this done and out of the way quicker than trying to put him off.
I rushed back in and sat down behind my desk as Mr. DeVille casually strolled to my door. Looking across the hall, he said, "Miss Cooper's former office, I presume?"
"Yes. That was her office."
"Very close to yours. Did you like that set-up or did you find she was too close?" he asked, still not in my office yet.
His question sounded inane. I'd chosen that location for her office, so why would I not have liked it?
"Where her office was didn't bother me," I answered, losing patience with this guy just one question in.
"Miss Cooper has a wonderful way of lighting up a room, doesn't she? I can't decide if it's her smile or those beautiful blue eyes of hers," DeVille said. Smiling, he added, "Then again, I might not be an impartial judge since I do favor blue eyes."
"Yes, she does. I think it's her personality, to be honest, and nothing physical she possesses," I answered, suddenly very defensive about the way he talked about Emma.
"Her personality?" he asked, arching a single black eyebrow. "I haven't found her to be particularly bubbly, and she's certainly not giggly, especially considering her young age."
"No, she isn't any of those things, thankfully. She is, however, bright and intelligent, which makes talking to her much easier than if she was a bubbly or giggly young girl."
Finally, he stepped into my office. "Bright and intelligent I can definitely agree with."
Our conversation had already frustrated me since the man seemed to have nothing better to do than waste my time. Clearly, he ran his business differently than I ran mine.
"So what can I do for you today, Mr. DeVille? You said you wanted to discuss what I was looking for in a replacement secretary. To be honest, I don't want one, but since you and my partner decided I'd only get a month with each new one you sent, all I can say is I'd like her to be exactly like Emma."
He studied me for more than a few moments and then tilted his head. "The job you have the prospective employee perform isn't terribly difficult, Mr. Tanchen. There are a very limited number of tasks she would have to do, and the hours aren't oppressive, so I'm thinking just about any of my people could handle it. Was there something about Ms. Cooper that made her superior in any way to another secretary?"
His question made me sit back in my chair. I couldn't tell him how I felt about Emma. That would be unprofessional, and even though I didn't care if he ever sent another secretary to me, I prided myself on being a professional.
So what was an answer I could give him?
He focused his attention on me, his pale blue eyes staring into mine as I tried to find a way to convey what about Emma made her superior to everyone else. Finally, after nearly a minute of thinking of an appropriate answer, I said, "Sometimes in business, it isn't about the abilities of the employee so much as the way they click with an organization. Emma clicked immediately. I can't explain why. She just did."
A slow smile spread across his lips. "Isn't it wonderful when that happens? Almost as if fate stepped in and helped bring the exactly right person into your life. I love when that happens. It makes what I do so fulfilling and rewarding."
"Does that happen often in your line of work?" I asked, suddenly curious about this man sitting in front of me.
He nodded slowly as his smile grew broader. "Oh, every time."
"Really? Every time? You must be quite good at your job, Mr. DeVille."
"Oh, I am. I have a knack for these things. I know exactly what people need. In your case, the right person to help you."
Interested to know if he understood his employees as well as the businesses he worked with, I asked, "And the people who come to you looking for positions? Do you have a knack with them too?"
"Oh, yes. You see, it must be perfect on both sides. You needed the right person to help you. For Miss Cooper, she needed a position that would allow her to use her organizational talents while giving her the confidence she needs in other areas."
His final words hit me like a sledgehammer to the side of my head. Other areas? What other areas did he mean?
I opened my mouth to ask him, but he was already out of his chair and heading toward the door. Confused, I rushed after him and caught him just as he was about to walk out the front door. "Mr. DeVille, what did you mean other areas?"
Turning to look at me, he smiled. "Ms. Cooper has organization down to a science. It's what makes her such a wonderful assistant to men like you. But she's lacking confidence in what I'd call social areas. I think that might have been the reason the issue with your partner and her occurred."