Author's note: Alright guys, here it goes… crosses fingers Please be good…
"Perfect. You're hired."
Pan watched from inside the kitchen as Trunks brought forth the thick wad of paperwork necessary to employ anyone at Capsule Corp, from the most insignificant janitor to his own advisors, and handed it across the table to a sandy-haired young man.
Although technically Pan had been sent into the kitchen by Bra and Bulma to procure another pitcher full of lemonade, she'd seen fit to use the opportunity to keep herself posted on the developments of the young interviewee with astonishingly green eyes. She'd walked in just in time to hear Trunks' deep voice float in through the window screen with the good news about Ken.
"If you'll just wade through this mess and sign a few things here and there, we can get you set up in an office by Monday."
Pan raised her eyebrows in disbelief. It's that easy, huh? she thought to herself. For almost a year now, Trunks had been filing through thousands upon thousands of applications for the post of personal assistant to Trunks Briefs, president and CEO of Capsule Corporation. Of course, by personal assistant it was implied that the lucky man or woman who received the job would eventually become the first full-fledged vice president of Capsule Corp., next in line for the throne—a safeguard for the Briefs' fortune. Throughout the entire mess, Trunks had never seemed eager to award the post to anyone, not even the most accomplished of applicants—Harvard graduates and even CEOs willing to leave their jobs to work for CC. He'd even avoided the extremely attractive and lethally intelligent blondes whom he was so inclined to hire as personal secretaries.
As a result, Pan had written the whole ordeal off as a ruse, a pitiful attempt to make Bulma believe that her son was actually humble enough to search for a successor. Each time he sent away interviewees with a 'no' and threw down countless applications, and he usually threw down an excuse to go with them—the proverbial nail in the coffin. He hadn't indicated any changes of heart...until two days ago, when he'd solemnly swallowed his last gulp of coffee, set an application down carefully on the kitchen table, and looked around slowly at Bulma, Bra and Pan, who'd popped over for breakfast with Bra.
"I've found him," he'd announced, with perfect clarity and a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Pan had laughed and choked on her blueberry muffin.
"That's a good one, Trunks. Is it April the first already?" Bra had muttered, not even bothering to look up from the newspaper she was reading.
"I'm not joking this time half-pint. See for yourself." He'd handed the portfolio across the table to Bra, who dropped her newspaper and skimmed over it for several minutes.
"What makes him so special?" Pan had asked, leaning over Bra's shoulder to read.
"Yeah, other than the fact that he's extremely attractive, he's got nothing in particular thatsetshim apart fromthe other candidates,"
"I know, I know. But consider this:he's a small-town kid with just the right amount ofbusiness experience, he's competent, or so his previous employers have told me, and he's loyal as well. He's exactly what I'm looking for."
"Mmm-hmm, right. That sounds like exactly the type of guy I'd want running my company," Pan had retorted sarcastically.
"I don't think you're seeing the big picture Panny. You see, his is the only application I've read without 101 different prestigious awards or recomendations, and he doesn't come from thetop tierof the cutthroat business world. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I can mold him into whatever I want, that way I won't have to worry about some underhanded CEO changing the company around as soon as I decide to take a vacation to Bermuda." He'd sat back, looking smug and waiting for the expected praise from around the table.
"Clever dear! That's why you're my son I suppose." Bulma had smiled as she mopped up the last of her eggs with toast. "I can't wait to meet him."
And that had been the advent of a new and complex turn of events. Ken Gleeson was supposedly perfect for the job, and now he had it. Pan mentally ticked off the many requirements which Ken seemed to meet and which she'd had to hear about from Trunks for over a week. He was handsome, intelligent, had graduated from Chapman University, and had started a rapidly growing chain of small businesses which he hoped to consolidate with CC. And that was just a small fraction of the list.
Now, as Pan gazed through the window out across the perfectly manicured lawn of the Briefs estate at the lawn chairs and table set under idyllic willow trees, she wondered whether the new employee at CC would make life easier or harder for her. Of course, that was a question which could only be answered with another question. Would seeing Trunks in ever-increasing increments with his soon-to-be free time ease the longing in her heart for him, or increase it exponentially?
She stalled a bit longer as Trunks and Ken began to walk back towards the house and finally in through the sliding porch door. Both men were laughing congenially when they both stopped and looked up at Pan, standing in the kitchen with a pitcher of lemonade in her hand and an innocent smile on her face which was clearly affected.
As Ken's eyes alighted upon Pan in her tiny summer cover-up, a grin broke out upon his face. He reached out his arm to shake her hand and said, "Hi there. I'm Ken. It's nice to meet you Miss…?"
Pan's eyes danced as she tried to decide what this stranger meant by his friendly advance. "Son. Miss Pan Son, if you will."
That's the end of that. I hope you all enjoy this first rather boring, but necessary chapter. More will be forthcoming, I promise.