Little White Lies Read Online Free Page B

should hire you for this job? How do I know I’m not just buying a bunch of trouble? What the hell, the minute you come in here, I’m going to have everybody in this joint all over my little black ass. What the hell am I going to say to these people?”
    He gestures grandly as he concludes his statement. One would think he was addressing a multitude of admirers, instead of one ‘don’t-give-a-shit’ job applicant. I spent a good part of my professional life in sales. If this were a sales call, and in a sense I suppose that’s what it is turning out to be, I would say this man is asking to buy.
    “If you are the person making all the decisions here,” I respond, “and if you are running this operation in addition to all the other things going on in your personal and professional life. then, if I were you, I would want to nail this operation down with the most competent manager I could find. I would want to be free to do the things I’m good at… the things I like to do.
    “To answer your question, I will give you not one, but two good reasons why you should hire me. The first is I am competent… very competent, in fact.
    Second, I am honest and I will see to it that the people who work here are honest as well, or they will not stay on.”
    There was no way to know I had just hit a very tender nerve. A.J. did not react in any particular way to my statement, but I was to learn a bit later that he had just fired his business manager the previous day. The man was a brother and a long-time friend, and a thief. The man had started small and then took larger and larger amounts until it finally came to A.J.’s attention.
    “What did you mean when you said you were not sure if you wanted the job or not? Maybe we’re just shoveling smoke.”
    With this he retrieves the pencil, spins it once and then throws it on the desk and spikes his comment with, “Dammit!”
    I pause a moment before replying. He seems pretty agitated.
    “Well, for openers, I do not know what you want done, or what my level of authority would be. I know nothing of the staff, and finally, what the compensation or benefits are.”
    A.J. slowly pushes his chair away from the desk and crosses his legs. He takes a deep breath and seems to be making a conscious effort to relax.
    “That’s easy,” he replies. “The job is to manage the estate. I believe you already know the size of this place… two hundred and fifty acres, which includes about twenty acres of lawn. There are tennis courts and a swimming pool. There’s a grounds staff and theylook after all that. There’s the house staff. There’s a cook and maids and security for both my family and myself. There’s equipment to maintain the property, automobiles, and toys… everybody has toys!
    “We have been here only two months and money is flowing out like a river at flood stage. I have no idea what the hell for. We’re decorating and redecorating. At the same time we’re trying to live a normal life and throw an occasional party or two with friends. You can’t believe the bills I get… hell, I can’t believe the bills I get. That’s what I have for openers. I could go on, but I’d ruin my whole day.”
    I can see where this would be perturbing, but it’s hardly insurmountable.
    “Would all those people report to me,” I ask, “and if so, what would my level of authority be?”
    “Yes. All those people and all those functions would be your responsibility… except for my personal security.”
    “Why not your personal security?”
    “Because those people are friends of mine and all they do is watch out for me… once in a while the kids… but basically just me.”
    This is a good a time as any to straighten out this mess.
    “That arrangement wouldn’t work… all security would have to report to me.”
    “Why?”
    I like him already. Some young hotshots his age would just argue and try to bull their way through an issue like this. He’s asking for a reason.
    “Because I