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Well, I certainly hope this guy is better than the last candidate. She didn’t have any retail experience, or any customer service experience either. I know people say that everyone deserves a chance but when you got nothing, you really got nothing. And I know that this guy has at least got customer service experience because he works in the mall and deals with people every day.

“Come with me,” I say.

Cody gets to his feet and follows me behind the counter and through the door that leads to our back room.

“Take a seat,” I offer.

He sits down on one of the vacant chairs. I go through the mountain of paperwork on my desk and pick up his file, then sit down on a chair opposite him. I slide it closer to him until we’re about a foot apart.

“So, Cody, I’m looking at your resume here, and I have to say, it’s pretty impressive. You have a wealth of experience.”

“Thank you,” he says.

“Tell me a little about yourself and why you want to work for the phone industry. What attracted you to the position?”

“The people, actually. I walk past this store on a daily basis, and every time I look inside the store, I see how vibrant and friendly the staff are. I’ve been working in retail for almost thirty years now, in a variety of different roles and I think it’s time for a change. Phones are a part of our everyday lives, so we know that they’re going to be around for a very long time because we’re so dependent on them. I know this is definitely a role that I can do really well in.”

“Ok, great answer. Thank you. What would you say are your biggest strengths?”

“I’m incredibly loyal, dedicated, hard-working, and always up for a challenge. I love coaching and helping people, and most of all, I enjoy learning new things.”

“You’re currently working as an assistant manager, so why do you want to leave that role?”

“I’ve been an assistant manager for over a year, and there’s no opportunity for me to grow in my current position. When I saw that this role was for a store manager, I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to move up the ladder.”

“We have a team of ten here. Some of those are casual employees, then there’s the assistant manager and myself. The store has just gone through some major renovations and we’re expanding, so I’m going to need a second manager to help me run the store. How are you at working with others in a senior role?”

“I can adjust quite easily. If it’s required in my role, then I make it work. I don’t have an issue working with others.”

“And you’re good with big, sudden changes?”

I question.

“Absolutely. I’m good at a lot of things.”

He smiles.

I make some notes on my notepad, then raise my head to look at him again.

“You mentioned that you’ve been in retail for almost thirty years, so that would make you in your …?

“I’m forty-five,”

he answers.

My eyes widen at that realization. The guy doesn’t look any older than about thirty, thirty-five tops. I mean, he could very easily be my father.

“The staff here are in their twenties. The youngest is sixteen. Do you have an issue working with people a lot younger than you?”

“No, not at all. I’m the oldest where I work at the moment, and honestly, I think it makes it a lot easier to work with people a lot younger than me because we don’t clash.”

I make some more notes on my notepad, and then my phone pings, alerting me of my next interview in five minutes.

“Um, I don’t really have anything else to ask. Do you have any questions for me?”

“I guess the main thing to ask is, how long would it be before I find out if I get the job?”

“That’s a good question. I still have a couple more interviews to get through this week, and ideally, I would like to have the position filled by the end of next week and the successful candidate to start training the week after next, with the position officially starting the first of next month.”

“That sounds perfect. Thank you.”

“Does that work with you giving notice to your current employer?”

I ask him.

“Yes, I believe it’s plenty of time. I can make it work.”

I close my notebook and get to my feet, then stretch out my hand. “Cody, it was a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for coming in today.”

“Thanks so much for seeing me, and for your time. I look forward to hearing from you soon.”

He takes a hold of my hand and shakes it firmly with a smile. After releasing my grip, I pull open the door and escort him out through to the store floor.

“Thanks again for coming in, Cody. You’ll hear from me soon.”

“Thank you,”

he replies and with a final smile I turn and walk back inside the store to prepare for my next interview.

Ten applicants, and out of all of them, the only one that I can see fit the role is Cody. He ticks all the boxes when it comes to experience, and not to mention, the team could do with a senior colleague. They need some proper guidance and coaching. He did interview very well and has a ton of experience that would certainly be a huge asset to my store, and we would definitely work well together side-by-side. And it was also bluntly obvious that the guy had his eyes all over me. Which, now that I come to think of it, is probably the reason he wanders past my store almost every single day.

He's been checking me out.

I do work in a shopping mall, after all. I see hundreds, maybe thousands of people every day. In this environment, it’s not like I’m a stranger to both women and men hitting on me. And even though I’ve noticed this guy looking at me every day, I guess I hadn’t seen it with him. Most of my days are spent working with the girls, so maybe I hadn’t taken too much notice. On the other hand, maybe I am reading this completely wrong and the guy has absolutely no interest in me whatsoever, and the looks are just completely innocent. Regardless though, it’s irrelevant because if I hire this guy and the two of us end up working together, nothing like that could or would ever happen.

Sorting through the list of candidates, I eliminate those that I don’t feel are an appropriate fit for the business. And when I’m down to the final two applicants, I scan over their resumes over and over again. While this girl seems to have the potential of an aspiring store manager, she’s younger than me. And the way she was dressed for her interview -- painted long acrylic nails, a mini skirt well above the knee, knee-high boots, and a top that not only exposed her skin but also her cleavage. Her entire attire was more appropriate for someone who was perhaps looking to work at a strip club, or a bar, rather than in a retail store. If that’s the sort of impression she’s going to leave, then imagine what kind of attitude she will bring to work, and influence other employees. Then I also have to consider the fact that she’s young, and may spend many late Friday nights out clubbing, which means there’s the tendency to call in sick on a Saturday. I don’t know, something just doesn’t sit right, and I guess the only reason she made it this far on the list was because she was the only one with more retail experience than those who hadn’t been short-listed. And okay, maybe her eye-catching outfit also influenced my judgement.

I place her application down on the table and once again go through Cody’s resume. This guy is everything that I need. Smart. Intelligent. Hard-working. More experience than I’ve been alive. A great first impression, and … it just kind of feels right. Like he’s the one I should be hiring.

So why am I so hesitant?

Is it because of the way I noticed he was checking me out during the interview? Or the way he watches me as he wanders past the store? I know I’ve never been interested in a guy, but I can’t help the chemistry and connection that I felt in those short ten minutes that I spent interviewing him. The more I stare at this guy’s resume and think about his interview, I decide that he is by far the best candidate. I mean it’s obvious that he has already taken a liking to me, innocent or not. Who am I to judge one’s sexual preference? It’s completely irrelevant in this circumstance anyway. I place Cody’s file on top of my pile of paperwork, then with a red marker write, Successful. Call tomorrow to confirm start date and employment details.

I’ve been so busy with interviews today that I have completely forgotten to have lunch, so I head to the food court. Finding a table by the window, I sit down and enjoy my late lunch. I begin scrolling through my phone, and as I take another bite of my sandwich, I don’t know why, but I feel like someone is watching me. I casually look around the food court, and about twenty pairs of eyes narrow in my direction, which of course, is no help whatsoever. I shrug it off and continue eating my meal. Despite trying to concentrate on my lunch break and not think about work for the next forty or so minutes, I can’t help but think about Cody. I know I said it before, but I just can’t shake this feeling that he was doing more than just checking me out. While I was questioning him, I got this feeling that he was flirting with me. Especially when he said, “I’m good at a lot of things.”

It was subtle but definitely flirtatious. I don’t know why I didn’t see it earlier.

Why do I care if another guy is checking me out? Why is it such a big deal? I know that I’m a good-looking guy and keep myself in shape.

Maybe it’s because he’s forty-five and old enough to be my father, and I don’t know if I’m grossed out at that thought, or a little excited.

What the fuck am I saying?

Why am I suddenly having thoughts about this guy that I shouldn’t be? I’m comfortable with my sexuality, at least I think I am.

Shit!

No! I’m straight. And who cares if he was flirting with me? Nothing will ever come of it because I’m not going to flirt back and give this guy the wrong impression. Not to mention the complications and repercussions that would have in a workplace. No. The only relationship I will enter into with this guy is purely a professional one, nothing more. When I finish my meal, I grab my bottle of water and make my way back to the store.

After pushing through my front door some time after 6 p.m., I remove my sneakers, then walk down my foyer to my bedroom, where I remove my polo top, unzip my pants and slide them down my thighs, kicking them off my ankles. I then remove my socks and throw them in the laundry basket. Lastly, I remove my briefs and climb into my shorts before making my way into the kitchen where I open the fridge and grab the bottle of orange juice. Tossing my phone on the coffee table, I slump into the couch, unscrew the lid of the juice and take a rather large gulp.

What a fucking day!

I really need to shake this feeling about Cody. It was nothing but just standard interview protocol, and everyone knows that people exaggerate things in an interview just to get a job. I just need to make sure that if I hire this guy, I make it perfectly clear that number one, I’m one hundred percent straight. And number two, that I will not tolerate any sort of inappropriate behavior while in the workplace. Maybe I’m just overreacting and reading into this all wrong, and maybe when he starts working for me, this will be all behind me and prove to be nothing more than just a simple misunderstanding.

I take another sip of my juice and turn on the television, then flick through the channels with the remote, trying to settle on something to watch. When I can’t make up my mind, I turn off the TV in frustration, then down some more juice before putting it back in the fridge. I need to clear my head, and the only thing that helps me do that is a visit to the gym where I can pump some iron and relieve some stress. I make my way to my bedroom and quickly change into my gym gear before walking out the front door.