The Reluctant Assistant - Book One

The Popular Kid Part 5

Monday morning. Jackson wanted to have the interviews in his office, but Raymond convinced him that the boardroom would be less intimidating. "They're going to have to come into my office at some point." he frowned at Raymond, who left without saying a word. 

Two interviews in, and Raymond was about to throw something at Jackson. He was being his usual rude self, but seemed particularly fussy this morning, not even pretending to be interested in the interviews. At one point Jackson snapped at an interviewee for some obscure reason, glaring at the woman sitting in front of him. "It doesn't look like we're hiring her."

Raymond was itching to slap some sense into Jackson, who either seemed to enjoy messing him about in these interviews, or whether he was being childish because he could get what he wanted. That was a first, he thought, turning to smile, trying to ease the woman's nerves. She looked sick, as if she just wanted to get it over with and get out.

"Yeah, we're not hiring her anyway, so you can leave now." Jackson threw her file on the table, looking expectantly at Raymond.

The woman who at first looked at him in atonishment, quickly grabbed her bag and left in a hurry. Raymond was sure that she'd tell the others outside to run for the hills.

"You know that you can't keep going on like this?" Raymond turned to Jackson, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Okay, I won't, if  you stop this rediculous game you are playing." he narrowed his eyes at Raymond.

"Mr..."

"Jackson." he interrupted Raymond with a smile.

"Mr. Dealer," Raymond continued as if Jackson hadn't spoken. "You're making this unnecessarily difficult. I have selected the best candidates, who are even better qualified than me. The things you're picking at are not such a high priority."

"Raymond, those are the most important things to me. How else am I supposed to cope?" he smiled over at Raymond.

"I liked it better when you called me Cook." Raymond said to him expressionlessly, wanting to lunge over at Jackson and choke him to death, well, he wouldn't have much luck there, but clobbering might work. 

"What is it that you want?! You got pissed off because I didn't use your name, now you don't want me to use it?" he frowned sourly.

Raymond sighed and asked the next person to come through. Going through the usual questions, he was surprised that Jackson didn't interfere at all. That, of course didn't last long.

"Would you get pissed off if I didn't remember your name?" Jackson asked pointedly.

"Well..., n-no, of course not." the interviewee responded, perplexed by the question.

"So, if you won't get upset that I don't know your first name, would you say it's childish for someone else to do so?" Jackson pushed.

"I-well, I..." Raymond could see the poor man struggling to make sense of the question.

"That's okay Glenn," Raymond stepped in. "What Mr. Dealer means, is that he's too lazy to learn your name. Even after you've worked for him for six years." he smiled warmly at Glenn, who was looking uncertainly between the two of them. 

"Fine! He'll do!" Jackson threw his hands up in defeat and stalked out of the room, in a bad mood.

--

"Cook! Get in here!" Jackson screamed over the intercom later that afternoon. Jumping up, tablet in hand, Raymond stood in front of Jackson's desk, waiting.

"Sit!" Jackson commanded shortly.

Seated on the edge of the chair, Raymond waited expectantly.

"Look, Cook. I know, and you know, that you're not going to leave. So can we please just stop this whole thing? We've been working together for more than six years now, doesn't that mean anything to you?" Jackson was now trying to do damage control again. So far, calling Raymond's bluff did not work as expected.