Patrick sat in front of his computer and he waited. As minutes passed, he was increasingly more fidgety and nervous. He was biting his nails. He wondered what were to happen if Emilia didn't go ahead with the application. He was definitely a dead meat.
It was at 21:58 when an email came through with a CV attached. The email was well written showing that Emilia was quite diligent in her writing.
Patrick opened the CV, not really caring much for its content beyond confirming the education requirement.
As he read it, he let out a sigh of relief. Emilia was beyond well-educated.
"A PhD?" He read out loud in clear surprise. Without hesitation he added Emilia's name to his list. It was the only name he had on there. It didn't look great. Dr Emilia Anna Vincent with a PhD in science. Her last job was as a researched in some lab.
After a long thought, he picked five okay-ish names from his previous attempts of finding someone suitable. He knew full well that the five women will show Emilia in a very contrasting light, hopefully highlighting Emilia's competencies. She was his only hope.
After putting the list together, he send the names to Christopher.
At least he tried…
*
The next morning he needed a strong coffee and a few energy drinks to keep afloat after having the drinks a night before. He regretted it fully.
"Good morning, sir." Patrick smiled as he entered his boss's office.
"And?" Christopher asked without a single pleasantry. It was very like him. He was blunt and he didn't care for others much. It didn't bother Patrick much anymore. He was used to it.
"There are six candidates for the final selection process. I do believe one to be particularly suitable so I have no doubt that you can pick someone today." Patrick tried to be optimistic but he had his doubts. He still had all his hope in Emilia, who, quite likely, didn't know it wasn't a job interview yet. He felt increasingly horrible for not revealing it straight away. But now, it was too late.
"That's good." Christopher nodded without looking up from a document he held. Only now Patrick realised that it was the marriage contract that one of the women should be signing today, he gulped at a thought of Emilia finding out that it was about marriage and making a scene in front of Christopher. He couldn't let it happen.
"The six women are due to arrive within half an hour. As you asked, they will do the logic test to ensure their minimum understanding of general knowledge. Then there's a comprehensive test to determine their suitability for the role. Lastly, there's a short interview. In the end, decision is yours."
"Understood. Let me know when I should come down."
"Of course, sir." Patrick bowed his head and left the darkened office. He was often startled by how light it was everywhere else within the building, aside of Christopher's personal office which was often dim, with blinds down, and just a reading lamp on on his desk.
Patrick came downstairs where he found six women in a lobby. Emilia stood out straight away. She was very neat and elegantly dressed, without any flashy clothes or jewellery. She read a book in the lobby whilst waiting. There were two women dressed up very clearly to attract the male gaze with revealing clothes and bright make up. One woman was busy checking her reflection in the mirror, and last one was watching some videos on her phone.
"Good morning." Patrick approached them. Emilia put the book away hurriedly and smiled at him. Her charming smile might just be what melts Christopher's icy heart. If not her, then no one. "We will begin by you completing a short test which is to see what are your thinking styles and problem solving skills." Patrick announced. He waved at them to follow him into a meeting room where he gave them a printed paper each.
He set the timer going, an hour, and they commenced. He watched Emilia who silently thought and reflected on each question before writing down her answer. There was one woman who took her phone out and started Googling the answers. He wasn't going to stop her. He just wrote zero by her name. He could see struggle on a few faces, besides Emilia's. She was careful but she was consistent in answering questions, finishing the paper before the time was up.
He collected the papers and led the women upstairs, where he interviewed each of them separately, whilst his colleague marked the papers.
The interview was also marked. There were very specific things he was looking for. He wanted someone diligent, logical, considerate, and who could do well in challenging situations. After all, their entire life was about to be a challenging situation if they were to put up with Christopher.
"Dr Vincent." Patrick smiled as Emilia entered the room. She was the last one in. In some sense, this put the level higher for her as she had to fight against a standard set by women before her.
"Good morning, Mr Cosby." Emilia sat down before him.
"It is just a few questions."
"Of course."
"There is a sudden invitation to a big event in the evening. What is the first thing you do?"
"The very first thing is for me to find out all of the details of the event, including the dress code, and any other requirements to attend. After confirming the attendance with Mr Hayden, I would research the event and organisers to ensure that I have information suitable to allow for conversation started and appropriate involvement. Lastly, I will ensure that appropriate wear and transport is prepared and that Mr Hayden departures on time."
Patrick smiled. Two of the women before her mentioned picking up the dresses as the first response, one mentioned calling her friend, two more didn't have a clear answer.
"Tell me about the company." He asked and leaned back in the chair. He watched Emilia curiously, wondering if she knew anything about Christopher's work life.
"Crimson Tech Incorporated was established in 2001 as a tech company. Since then, it acquired two more subsidiaries, one responsible for insurance, and one for pharmaceuticals. Currently, tech side is the largest, whilst insurance subsidiary is growing the fastest and is likely to supersede tech value in the next five years. The company is increasingly shifting from being a product provider to being a service provider. There is a lot of potential still in the pharmaceuticals side, but more investment is necessary to start creating more groundbreaking research. Currently, the company is marked the 8th most valuable company in the world while still rapidly growing."
"Tell me about Mr Hayden."
"Mr Hayden is the youngest multi-billionaire in the world. He has been involved in a company since he was a teen, and he is the main contributor to expansion and growth. I believe his background in business, but also his keenness on applying a disruptive innovation theory to his business is what truly drives him towards the success. It is also well known that he is a very hard working individual who poured his soul into this company."
"Tell me why you think we should pick you."
"Hmmm…" Emilia looked down as she thought on an answer. "I have a capability to remain calm when things are at their worst. I can be a soothing presence in the room. But also… I share a lot of the same values as Mr Hayden. I believe that even in my role I can make a huge difference." Emilia bit her lip, feeling as if she just failed to answer the question.
"What is the most important quality in others?"
"Perseverance."
"What is your best quality?"
"Perseverance." Emilia smiled.
"Thank you, doctor Vincent. Do you have any questions?"
"Professionally, no."
"Otherwise?"
"You didn't tell me that you worked for Mr Hayden." Emilia said in a loud whisper.
Patrick smiled. There were worse things he didn't tell her, for example, that it was likely she will be picked to marry his boss within the next few hours.
"I thought you may like surprises."
"Certainly." Emilia smiled before leaving the room as led by Patrick.