“You think her experience at Safe Haven outweighs Bill’s bachelor degree from UNM?”
“Degrees don’t mean much by themselves,” I replied. “I’ve known a lot of rich kids with Ivy League degrees who don’t know their arm from their asshole.” I slowly turned to look at August.
“My degrees are from the University of Chicago, thank you very much,” he said indignantly. He snatched up Ginny’s folder and gingerly touched the edge with his fingertip. “I wouldn’t be caught dead going to an Ivy with all those rich, waspy assholes.”
“So you’re voting for Ms. Hanover,” Allison said.
I nodded. “If we had more time, I would like to interview a few more candidates. But if it’s between Bill and Ginny, I’m going with her.”
August gave me a long look, then tossed down the folder and nodded. “I agree with Mikey. Bill said all the right things in the interview, but he strikes me as a bullshitter.”
“Takes one to know one,” I replied.
August jabbed a finger in my direction. “First: yes, exactly! Second: what are you, a preschooler?Takes one to know one.” He snorted.
Allison nodded. “I’ll make the phone calls. Glad it was a relatively easy decision.” She leaned closer to me. “Usuallysomebodyplays devil’s advocate just to make things difficult.”
“Hey!” August threw up his hands. “You know I can hear you, right?”
I stopped by the break room to get a cup of coffee before returning to my office. When I got there, I found August sitting in my seat, his feet propped up on my desk while he leafed through a copy of theFort Perth Gazette.
“You have your own office, you know.”
“I get lonely back there. I like yours.” He tossed the magazine down. “I didn’t know you were into girls who make you bleed. Kinky.”
“Shut up.”
“Did you pick her because she’s cute? You can tell me.”
I gave a start. “What? No, of course not.”
“Sure.” He gave me a very slow, exaggerated wink. “Of course not. Nobody has ever been hired based on their level of attractiveness before in the history of mankind.”
“Is that why you picked her?” I countered.
“I don’t care who we hire for the position,” he replied. “I was just backing you up because you seemed certain. That’s what friends do. Friendsalsoadmit it when they like someone.”
August had always been able to read me, and this was no exception. Ginny had a great body. No, that was putting it mildly: she washot. She had dressed professionally for the interview today, but I could tell she has a narrow waist and wide, curvy hips. An hourglass figure that was the epitome of traditional beauty. The kind of body that made a guy sit up a little straighter in his chair and take notice.
“Just admit you think she’s a total bombshell and the only reason you hired her is so you can admire that ass five days a week.”
I closed the door behind me and gave him a look. “Dude, you can’t say stuff like that. It’s fucked up.”
August nodded emphatically. “Yes, itisfucked up. Nobody would ever base their hiring on something so superficial.” He winked dramatically again.
“Ginny was the right choice for the position.” I gave him a warning look. “Whateverpositionjoke you’re about to make, don’t.”
He rolled his eyes and got up from my chair. “Ginny was the best candidate. That’s true. But it can also be true that you have a big old boner for her.”
“My choice had nothing to do with her looks,” I insisted.
“Whatever you say, Mikey.”
I tried not to think about it the rest of the afternoon while I finished up some last-minute grant requests. By the time I packed up my things and left at 4:30, most of the office was already gone.
I lived in a loft apartment in downtown Fort Perth, just a ten minute walk from the office. It was a studio, nothing fancy, which was all someone like me needed. I changed into gym shorts and a tank top and went down to the apartment gym for a quick workout. I had to change up my routine since my left palm was cut; I couldn’t fully grip the dumbbells.
The cut on my palm was a constant reminder of today’s events, and soon Ginny drifted back into my thoughts. I did like her, as a candidate for the position and as a person. I didn’t know her exact circumstances, but she implied that she grew up poor, like me. It was a breath of fresh air compared to all the rich people I worked with in donor relations. And her personality! I replayed her comment in my head:Everyone is a bleeder, that’s how blood works!It was funny now that I wasn’t actively wounded. If she was a fraction as witty under normal circumstances, then she would give August a run for his money.