[attr="class","body"]

[attr="class","credit"]

[attr="class","post"]

A small smile lingered on Colin's lips as he watched the young lady enter. Presentable, yes, and punctual, but perceptive.
[break][break]
His smile grew a little wider. Interesting.
[break][break]
His curiosity was piqued enough that he rose from his seat as she approached, a courtesy that only a handful of those who appeared before him were presented. "The pleasure is mine, Miss Huang," he responded, returning her handshake perfunctorily as he catalogued a series of mental notes.
[break][break]
Firm, but not too firm. Adherence to the usual formula spoke to her either trying to keep solid ground under her or sorely underestimating his own perceptiveness. Professional, relatively modest attire showed forethought.
[break][break]
She might do.
[break][break]
He accepted the folder with a little chuckle as he withdrew, returning to his seat and gesturing to one of the chairs opposite him. "Please, sit," he offered, flipping the folder open with his other hand. Scanning it briefly, he was pleased to see that nothing in the document before him was at odds with the information he'd already collected. At least she wasn't stupid enough to attempt padding her credentials.
[break][break]
He returned his gaze to her, warm amusement still lingering in his tone. "You're early."

[attr="class","pkmn"]

[attr="class","credit"]

[attr="class","body"]

[attr="class","credit"]

[attr="class","post"]

Mr. Roche gave an appreciative chuckle, a single monosyllabic huff of amusement at Sasha's response, though his eyes continued scanning over the document before him rather than moving up to meet her.
[break][break]
"I can appreciate the sentiment," he murmured. Indeed he could - if he'd prepared any more for this interview, he'd have a dossier detailing what the woman had had for breakfast before arriving.
[break][break]
Satisfied, he closed the folder with one hand, placed it on the desk, and slid it across the polished surface toward Sasha. Lacing his fingers together, he leaned forward in his seat slightly, his bright eyes finally bringing his full attention toward her. "Good morning, officially, Miss Huang."
[break][break]
She didn't seem fazed by him beyond the normal discomforts of a job interview, which meant she was either underinformed about who exactly he was, or dealt well with accomplishing a given task at hand. Given her behavior thus far, he'd bet good money on the latter.
[break][break]
"You've been through some screening interviews at this point, so I won't bore you with the semantics. You've been told who I am, you've been told what the position is, and we'll get to the boring bits. I'll ask predictable questions, you'll give predictable answers, and we'll reach a predictable outcome."
[break][break]
He laughed at this, though the mirth didn't reach his eyes. "I'm more interested in what exactly brings you here. A personal assistant position of this caliber isn't the usual calling for an arts major. Just filling the time until you make a name for yourself?"

[attr="class","pkmn"]

[attr="class","credit"]

[attr="class","body"]

[attr="class","credit"]

[attr="class","post"]

Roche surveyed the woman as she spoke, offering nothing more than a slight twitch of his lips at her response. Not quite as banal as he might have expected, but nearly as predictable as he'd foretold. Were prospective hires the same everywhere? Spare him.
[break][break]
"This work will certainly be supporting a great many others," he agreed, "Myself foremost among them. It is a demanding role, but I can assure you the compensation is commensurate with the work. You don't seem the type to let a hurdle or two stop you, am I correct?"
[break][break]
Of course he's correct, he's been reading people for far too long at this stage of the game.
[break][break]
Leaning back in his seat, he rolled his shoulders experimentally, gratified by the softly audible 'pop' of the persistent ache that had been plaguing him all morning releasing itself. With a grateful smile, he turned his attention more fully to the woman before him, lifting an eyebrow.
[break][break]
"Shall we entertain a what-if? Presume I am to attend a shareholder meeting at the Slateport office at ten o'clock. En route, a security breach is detected at the Mauville branch, and news arrives that my mother is on her deathbed." He pursed his lips thoughtfully, as though to determine whether this highly unlikely series of events presented enough conflict for one period.
[break][break]
"What would your course of action be to assist me?"

[attr="class","pkmn"]

[attr="class","credit"]

[attr="class","body"]

[attr="class","credit"]

[attr="class","post"]

Mr. Roche canted his head slightly as he patiently allowed the woman to work through her answer to his scenario, not a whit of emotion glossing across his features. While the sequence of events he'd presented was, in some aspects, far-fetched, it certainly was no rare thing to have unexpected crises occur, and where most in this position had failed him boiled down to being unable to prioritize correctly.
[break][break]
As she concluded, a faint, mirthless smile touched his lips. "Well-reasoned," he allowed, "But if it helps, my mother has been dead for nearly the past decade, and we shall all hope she stays that way."
[break][break]
He surveyed Sasha for a long moment, his bright eyes seeming to pierce through her, such was their focus. He seemed less contemplative and more assessing, and it seemed that if he looked any harder he might very well be able to assess the very core of her being. Suddenly, he flipped the folder in front of him closed and slid it across the desk toward her with his fingertips, then waved his hand dismissively.
[break][break]
"You'll suit," he drawled. "HR will be in touch with an offer letter and your compensation package by close of business. You'll start tomorrow, seven A.M., this office."
[break][break]
His demeanor abruptly shifted - he became more animated, more dynamic, more lazily fluid in his movements, and offered her a sly wink. "I'll give you a late start for your first day."
[break][break]
Rising from his seat, he circled around his chair to pluck his jacket from the claw-footed coat rack standing unobtrusively in the corner and shrugged it on with practiced ease, smoothing the lapels absently. "I'm afraid I'm off to my next engagement, but Simon can show you out." The butler, likely. He swanned to a smaller door at the side of the room - not the main entryway - and cracked it open. When he smiled at her, dazzling and bright, it seemed almost a completely different person from the one who sat opposite her at the desk.
[break][break]
"Oh, and congratulations."
[break][break]
The door snicked shut with a soft click, and Sasha was alone.

[attr="class","pkmn"]

[attr="class","credit"]

[attr="class","body"]

[attr="class","credit"]