The Halfbreed Threat

Part 3

"Good morning to you too!

Daniel, how long have you worked for me?"

Daniel: "Close to 12 years now."

"And how many times did I ask you to call me Johnathan?"

Daniel: "Too many to count, sir."

"Will you ever do it?"

Daniel: "Unlikely, sir. Was there something you needed?" Vincent could imagine his HR manager grinning at his own mischievous reply. So he sighed and got to the reason he called him:

"Can you tell me how many people applied initially for Samantha's position?"

Daniel: "Samantha Perkins, your secretary, I assume. Just a second. Here it is. 84, sir." Sam was holding her breath without even knowing and her eyes went wide as she heard the number.

"And how many of them got through your first four initial interviews?"

Daniel: "12, boss."

"How many got to the final interview with me?

Daniel: "5" came the quick reply.

"Did any of them have prior experience?"

Daniel: "The other 4 did, sir."

Sam's expression turned to bewilderment. She obviously hadn't known the numbers, nor the fact that her final competition beat her in the experience area by a fair margin.

"Daniel, in the time you've known me, have I ever made a mistake in choosing the people I work with?"

Daniel: "Unless you consider me still not calling you by your first name a mistake, no boss."

"Thanks! Have a nice day Daniel!"

Daniel: "You too, sir!"

"Johnathan!" Vincent tried to correct him one more time.

Daniel: "Yes, boss!"

The man was incorrigible. So Vincent gave up, ended the call, turned towards Samantha and continued:

"So you see Sam, you wouldn't be here if I didn't think you could handle it. But you will have to use that quick learning ability you put in your resume and demonstrated through the selection process."

She was blushing again so he let her breath for a moment while his mind switched to THE meeting again and after inserting the secure thumb drive, started typing down on his office laptop.

He was wondering if Peter would bring Kyra as backup.

*~* Vincent's journal notes:

A woman as a Keeper's "muscle" - how odd, right? Wrong! Never underestimate a woman, especially one from Kyra's species. In my past experience dealing with women, I learned that the hard way. I know you won't believe me but it was a human female that got me, and that was exactly because in my arrogance I underestimated her. Once in a while every species gets some exceptional individuals within them. We call them Old Souls. Those who come to learn a final thing before moving on to the next higher form. She did become the Queen of England afterwards and the respect I had for her prevented me from finding retaliation for what happened. Since I was actually grateful for the lesson, I moved a few strings towards helping her with the 1558 Spanish Armada event and the extra options helped her through it. She never knew it, but recognition was not my motivation.

*~*

*Author's Note

Many thanks for the reads, comments and votes (hopefully :D ).