TOO TEMPTING TO HIRE

Natalie Collins had been rejected by seven companies in less than two months.

Seven.

She had stopped counting the polite rejection emails because they all seemed to say the same thing.

We regret to inform you that we have decided to proceed with another candidate.

At this point, Natalie was beginning to hate that sentence.

She sat at the small dining table in her mother's apartment, staring at the email on her laptop.

Another rejection.

She closed the message and leaned back in her chair.

"Let me guess. Another company doesn't think you're good enough?"

Natalie looked up.

Her mother, Margaret, stood near the kitchen entrance with a cup of tea in her hand.

"Good morning to you too, Mom."

Margaret smiled.

"Good morning, sweetheart."

Natalie turned her laptop around.

"Apparently, they found someone more suitable."

"Then another company will find you suitable."

"That's what you said last week."

"And I'll keep saying it until you find a job."

Natalie sighed.

She wasn't angry with her mother. Margaret had been supportive throughout her job search, but Natalie was tired of depending on her.

She was twenty-four, had graduated with a degree in business administration and wanted nothing more than to start building her own life.

Unfortunately, getting a job seemed harder than earning her degree.

Her phone vibrated.

She glanced at the screen.

An email notification appeared.

BLACKWOOD GLOBAL – INTERVIEW CONFIRMATION

Natalie immediately sat upright.

"Wait."

Margaret looked at her.

"What happened?"

Natalie opened the email.

Her eyes moved quickly across the screen.

She read it once.

Then again.

"Oh my goodness."

"What?"

"I got an interview!"

Margaret placed her cup on the table.

"Where?"

"Blackwood Global."

Her mother's eyebrows rose.

"Blackwood Global? The company in Manhattan?"

Natalie nodded.

"Yes!"

"That's wonderful!"

"I know!"

Margaret pulled out a chair and sat beside her.

"What position?"

"Executive Assistant."

For a moment, both women stared at each other.

Then Margaret smiled.

"See? I told you another company would give you a chance."

Natalie couldn't stop smiling.

But the excitement quickly turned into nervousness when she noticed the interview time.

10:00 AM.

She checked the clock.

"Mom!"

"What?"

"I have less than an hour!"

Margaret laughed.

"Then stop sitting there and get ready."

Natalie quickly closed her laptop and rushed towards her bedroom.

Today, she was not going to give anyone a reason to reject her.

---

Blackwood Global occupied one of the most impressive skyscrapers in Manhattan.

The building had glass walls, polished marble floors and a reception area that looked more expensive than Natalie's entire apartment.

She stepped inside, holding her handbag tightly.

For a few seconds, she simply looked around.

Employees walked through the lobby carrying laptops and coffee cups. Everyone seemed busy, confident and professionally dressed.

Natalie suddenly became aware of her own appearance.

She adjusted the sleeves of her cream-coloured blazer and checked that her hair was still neatly arranged.

"Good morning. How may I help you?"

The receptionist's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Good morning. My name is Natalie Collins. I have an interview scheduled for ten."

The receptionist typed something into her computer.

"Yes, Ms Collins. You're interviewing for the executive assistant position."

"That's correct."

"Please take the elevator to the twenty-eighth floor. The recruitment department will attend to you."

"Thank you."

Natalie walked towards the elevators.

As the doors opened, she stepped inside and pressed the button for the twenty-eighth floor.

She took a deep breath.

She could do this.

It was only an interview.

A few questions, a few answers and hopefully a job offer.

How difficult could it be?

---

The twenty-eighth floor was quieter than the lobby.

A woman in a grey suit approached Natalie.

"Ms Collins?"

"Yes."

"I'm Rachel, from Human Resources. Please follow me."

Natalie followed her down a long corridor.

They passed several glass offices before stopping outside a conference room.

"Please wait here. The hiring manager will be with you shortly."

"Alright. Thank you."

Rachel walked away.

Natalie sat down, placed her handbag beside her and looked at the folder containing her résumé.

She reviewed it for the third time.

Everything was in order.

Her qualifications were there. Her previous work experience was there. Even her references were included.

She had prepared for every possible interview question.

Well, almost every question.

A few minutes later, the conference room door opened.

A tall man stepped inside.

He wore a perfectly tailored charcoal suit, a white shirt and a silver wristwatch. His dark hair was neatly styled, and his expression was serious.

He looked at Natalie briefly before taking the seat opposite her.

"Ms Collins?"

Natalie straightened.

"Yes."

He placed a folder on the table.

"Good morning. I'm Nathaniel Blackwood."

Natalie blinked.

Nathaniel Blackwood?

The Nathaniel Blackwood?

The chief executive officer of Blackwood Global?

She had expected to meet someone from Human Resources, not the billionaire himself.

"Good morning, Mr Blackwood."

He opened her resume.

"Let's begin."

Natalie nodded.

"Of course."

Nathaniel glanced through the first page.

"Your academic qualifications are satisfactory. Your previous experience is limited, though."

Natalie swallowed.

"I understand, sir. But I'm a fast learner, and I'm willing to work hard."

"Everyone says that during interviews."

She pressed her lips together.

Nathaniel looked up.

"Why should I hire you?"

Natalie had prepared for that question.

"Because I'm organised, responsible and capable of handling pressure. I may not have years of experience, but I know how to learn quickly and take responsibility for my work."

Nathaniel studied her for a moment.

"Confidence is easy to demonstrate in an interview. Performance is different."

"I agree."

His eyebrows moved slightly.

"You agree?"

"Yes, sir. That's why I would appreciate the opportunity to prove myself instead of being judged entirely by my experience."

For the first time, Nathaniel stopped looking at her résumé.

He looked directly at her.

Natalie returned his gaze.

The silence lasted several seconds.

Then he closed the folder.

"Interesting."

She wasn't sure whether that was a good thing.

Nathaniel stood.

"Someone from Human Resources will contact you."

Natalie rose from her chair.

"Thank you for your time, Mr Blackwood."

He gave a brief nod and walked towards the door.

Just before leaving, he turned slightly.

"One more thing, Ms Collins."

"Yes?"

"Don't mistake this opportunity for an easy job. I expect excellence from everyone who works here."

Natalie managed a polite smile.

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

He left.

She remained standing for a moment.

Then she slowly released the breath she had been holding.

That man was intimidating.

Very intimidating.

But she had survived the interview.

And as far as she was concerned, that was already an achievement.

What Natalie didn't know was that Nathaniel Blackwood had already made a note beside her name.

UNUSUAL.

And in his world, unusual people were rarely easy to ignore.