“Yes, sir.”
He slowly stroked down from his lower lip to his chin with his forefinger and middle finger and nodded. “If I do say so myself, I’m very good at matching people to the perfect place they should be, so it’s quite rare that I don’t succeed. It happens from time to time, though.”
I smiled, liking how confident he sounded. Two of my friends had found great jobs and so much more through Mr. DeVille, so I had high hopes I’d at least get a position that would help me pay my bills.
Anything more would be like a cherry on top of the cake.
Lowering his head, he looked over my information I’d filled out online, nodding and humming as he read it. Finally, he lifted his gaze and flashed me another of his charming smiles.
“Tia, this all looks excellent. While you don’t have much work experience, you’re young so that’s to be expected. I’m impressed with how much you love children. I see from all your previous positions that everyone says they love you too.”
“Oh, very much so. What work experience I do have almost all consists of working with children. I enjoy being around them so much. I’ve never met a child I didn’t like.”
Mr. DeVille sat back in his chair and nodded slowly as I gushed about loving kids. “To have found your specialty and calling at such a young age, I’m envious. So many of us have to try things that aren’t right before we find what’s good for us.”
I wanted to tell him that I’ve had a lot of side jobs that were awful and definitely not right for me, but I pressed my lips together and simply smiled. He didn’t need to know about those.
“Okay, I have something that I think will be perfect for you.”
He handed me a sheet of paper, but before I could begin to read the information about my new employer, Mr. DeVille said, “His name is Mr. Nico Allen. He’s a great guy. He used to go through me for temp workers for his real estate business, but he’s grown so big that he needed more than my modest staffing agency could offer. However, he’s got a very different issue now. He’s taking care of his five year old niece, and I don’t think he’d be offended by my telling you he’s completely lost. Think you’re up to the task of helping him?”
“Yes, absolutely!” I said happily.
Taking care of a five year old sounded like the perfect job. I’d babysat ever since I was young and my degree was in early childhood education. It was perfect. And five was such a great age.
I looked down at the address for Mr. Allen’s home and saw it listed as Scarsdale. Looking up, I asked, “Mr. DeVille, is this a live-in position?”
My beat up car likely wouldn’t make the trip from Brooklyn to Scarsdale too many times before it gave out.
“It is. Do you need transportation to Mr. Allen’s home?”
I thought about my old car looking completely out of place in one of the wealthiest suburbs of the city and cringed. I definitely did not want to take that piece of junk out there and make a bad first impression.
“Yes,” I lied. “That would be great. Thank you.”
“Excellent. I’ll have my driver pick you up at your apartment at eight sharp Wednesday morning. That will give him a couple days to prepare. I’m sure he’d love if you would come tomorrow. He’s definitely struggling with his niece.”
“Does he have any experience with children?” I asked, imagining a grown man not knowing the first thing to do with a five year old girl if he didn’t have any of his own.
“Other than some of his whinier clients, no,” Mr. DeVille joked. “Now if you have any questions, please feel free to call or email me.”
He stood up from behind his desk, a clear sign he believed our meeting had ended, and began walking toward the door. Just as he reached it, he turned around to face me, and for the first time, I saw something different in his expression.
Something far more serious.
“Tia, I want to warn you that your new employer can be a bit brusque. He doesn’t mean to be, but it’s his way. Don’t be discouraged if he doesn’t warm up to you for a while. Anyway, no matter how he acts, I know he’s going to be thrilled to have your help with his niece.”
I nodded, taking all he said in before asking, “Do you know the child’s name, Mr. DeVille?”
“Grace. Oh, also, don’t ask about her parents. It’s nothing terribly tragic, but just know that they aren’t around right now, so Mr. Allen is in charge of her welfare. Now enjoy your new position, and remember, if you need anything, we here at DeVille Staffing are always available to help.”
“Thank you so much. I’m sure it’s going to be a wonderful experience.”
As Mr. DeVille escorted me to the front door, I noticed the rain had finally stopped and the sun appeared to be poking out from the clouds. That seemed like a good sign.
So what if my job involved a cranky uncle? It also came with a five year old girl I was sure would be wonderful to be around. The best thing was I had a job and could finally pay my bills and not be forced to ask my friends for money anymore.
Wednesday couldn’t come fast enough.