Mari & Ilna: What can I say? I'm enjoying this adventure every bit as much as I was on day one. Maybe more.
REAL Worlders-thanks for all the enthusiastic support. You guys are the best.
A Big Step (1/1)
Grace perched nervously on the edge of her chair in the tastefully appointed office with breathtaking views of the ocean. As her eyes swept the room she couldn't help but smile to herself. This is exactly what she'd imagined it would look like.
The top of the highly polished desk was empty with the exceptions of a small lamp, a single silver picture frame, and a laptop which sat perfectly straight in the middle of the work surface. The large piece of furniture behind the desk reminded her of Nonna's sprawling china cabinet with its sparkling glass doors and neatly arranged shelves.
She wondered what that piece of furniture was called. It seemed like the kind of thing she should know if today worked out the way she hoped it would. She briefly considered pulling out her phone and looking up the information but decided against it. She made a mental note to do it later though.
On the far wall there was a side table that held an impressive arrangement of flowers.
Definitely fresh.
A set of French doors lead out to a spacious balcony where a tasteful beige loveseat and three matching chairs surrounded a large glass coffee table.
She cleared her throat as she smoothed her skirt for the tenth time since she arrived.
She had no idea why she was so nervous.
She took a deep breath and straightened her back just as the office door opened and a familiar face walked in.
"I'm so sorry I'm late," the man said apologetically. "There was a bit of a situation in the kitchen I needed to deal with."
"That's ok." Grace smiled. "If you need to get back to it …" she offered.
"Absolutely not." The man shook his head as he took a seat at his desk. He opened the top drawer and extracted a manila folder.
Grace had spent most of the previous evening reading up on successful job interview techniques. She really wanted to get things off on the right foot.
She pulled a neatly typed packet of papers from the tote bag by her feet and handed it to the man on the other side of the desk. It listed all her extracurricular school activities as well as her awards and accomplishments with Aloha girls and her non-school related cheerleading team. Behind that were two letters of recommendation. One was from her Aloha Girl's leader and one was from her cheerleading coach. She knew she could have asked Uncle Steve and Auntie Catherine to write a letter and they would both have been happy to do it. Or any member of the Five-0 team or her extended family for that matter. But she thought it would be better to show the opinions of people who might be viewed as a little more objective. The last page was a copy of her final report card for the year showing a 3.87 GPA.
As the man skimmed the pages she squared her shoulders and said confidently, "Thanks for seeing me today, Boris, and considering me for this position."
"I just can't believe my baby is actually on a job interview." Danny sulked as Steve pulled the car onto the highway. They'd spent the morning chasing down leads and were now on their way back to headquarters to compare notes with Chin and Kono and map out a strategy for moving forward. "It seems like just yesterday she was too little to see over my desk and now she's going to be sitting at one."
"I don't think Boris is going to have her sitting at a desk," Steve replied matter of factly.
Anything else he might have been going to say was cut off by his partner's glare which he could feel without even looking.
"I was painting a nice picture and you ruined it," Danny grumbled.
Steve smirked. "Sorry."
"No, you're not." Danny began to rub his forehead in an effort to stave off the headache he could feel coming on. "Why does she want to get a job?"
"She's gonna be sixteen in a couple of weeks," Steve pointed out. "She wants some independence and some money of her own."
"I'm aware of that much," Danny said sharply but then his voice softened. "And I want her to have that. I want the rest of the world to see what I see every day. A smart, strong, capable young woman." He shook his head. "But it's hard letting go. Even just a little."
Steve nodded empathetically. He'd always known how close Gracie and Danny were but since Angie's birth he had a far deeper understanding of the father/daughter bond. "Once she gets her driver's license she won't need you to take her places anymore. All of those car conversations will be history."
"Are you trying to kill me?" Danny asked with an annoyed tone.
"Actually," Steve frowned, "I was kinda thinking of myself too. I've had some great conversations with Gracie when I was taking her somewhere or picking her up."
Danny leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "First her driver's license. Then a job. Then she'll be off to college. She's gonna have less and less time for her old man."
"Look at the bright side," Steve said. "Maybe Boris won't hire her."
Danny head popped up. "Hey, I hadn't thought of that." He smiled momentarily but then it quickly turned to a scowl. "Wait … why wouldn't he hire her? He'd be lucky to have her. She's brilliant and organized and good with people … "
Steve smiled to himself as Danny's rant kept going. Listing all the reasons his daughter should get the job even though deep down he wanted just one more summer with her all to himself.
"And I'm gonna tell you something else, no one will work harder for them than Grace … "
Steve shook his head as he thought to himself, 'Fatherhood. There's nothing like it.'
"Now," Boris folded his hands in front of him on the desk. "Are there any questions you'd like to ask me?"
He'd spent the previous thirty minutes explaining exactly what the job entailed and what her duties would be just as he would do in any interview.
But this interview was different.
He knew Grace. And more than that he'd seen her in action. He knew he would be lucky to have her as an employee.
'Who knows,' he thought to himself. 'She may even choose a career as an event planner. She certainly has the tools for it.'
Grace thought back to all the things she'd read about making a good impression in an interview.
"What are some of the traits you look for in the person who will hold this position?"
"I look for someone smart, who takes direction well. Punctuality is a must. Someone who can be flexible if plans change on a moment's notice. Someone organized with good time management skills who doesn't get thrown by deadlines. Someone who enjoys working as part of a team. But I think the most important thing is I look for someone who is passionate about making sure the client's experience exceeds their expectations."
"I've been involved in cheerleading since I was little," Grace said, remembering the advice from the article to use his answer to point out some of her own strengths. "And that's all about teamwork. I've also learned to be flexible because of Danno's work schedule and the fact that my mom and stepdad sometimes have to take last-minute trips for his job. So I'm used to working around plans that change. And I love seeing the happy look on people's faces when they get the party they wanted."
Boris nodded. "That's very good."
"If I get hired, what is the dress code?" Grace asked. "I have some babysitting money saved up to buy new clothes if I need to."
Boris was impressed by not only her questions but the way in which she asked them. He'd had potential employees far older and more experienced than Grace who were far less engaged, let alone composed.
"I would expect you to wear slacks and a short-sleeved shirt with a collar," he replied. "Except on event days. Then I require a knee length skirt and a blazer."
Grace scribbled notes as he spoke.
"Would I work only for you and Gus or would I also spend time in other departments?" she asked with steady eye contact.
"Ideally I would like you to learn about every step of the process," Boris replied. "The majority of your time would be spent with Gus or myself, but I would also like you to get some experience with the catering and decorating staffs. In addition to that I myself found it invaluable in my early days to spend some time with the valets and the security personnel. It has helped me tremendously in terms of understanding the flow of an event."
Grace nodded and took a few more notes. "I think those are all my questions," she said. "I want to thank you for having me in this morning and for considering me for this position." She stood and held out her hand. "I look forward to hearing from you."
Boris stood and shook her hand with a smile. "There's no need to wait, Grace. I think you'd be perfect for the job. It's yours if you want it."
A squeal of excitement escaped from her mouth before she could stop it. "Sorry," she said apologetically as she shook his hand enthusiastically.
"Don't apologize," Boris chuckled. "Squeals of delight are music to me ears."
"And he said he normally pays minimum wage to summer employees but since he worked with me before …" Grace had begged Rachel to drop her off at Five-0 headquarters after they had lunch together so she could give Danno all the details of the interview. "Well not worked together …" She pinked slightly. "You know what I mean. Anyway, he's gonna pay me $11 an hour!"
Steve held out his hand for a high five. "Good job, Gracie."
"And I asked him about hours just like you told me to," Grace continued breathlessly as she turned to her father, "And he said no more than twenty a week unless there's a super special event and even then, he'll make sure he has your permission."
Danny smiled. "That's good." It was impossible for him not get caught up in his daughter's excitement. "That'll give you time to do some fun stuff this summer too."
Grace clapped her hands. "I have most of the clothes I'll need for normal days, but I have to buy a suit for event days."
"Listen to you." Kono threw her arm across Grace's shoulders. "'Event days'. You're talking like a pro already."
"Boris better watch himself." Chin grinned. "You'll be running that place in no time."
"You bet she will," Steve agreed.
"I'm really proud of you, Monkey," Danny said as he pulled his daughter into a tight hug. "I may think you're growing up too fast, but the fact is you're growing into an amazing young lady."
"Thanks." Grace smiled as she squeezed him tightly. "It's all because I have an amazing dad."
THE END
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