The Hiring

This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Copyright © 2012 by Helen Cooper

Chapter 1

Alice sat at the table with Jess and Liz and tried to stifle a yawn. It was 3am and here she was at a diner instead of in her bed.  The noise in the diner was deafening, it seemed like everyone who was anyone was out right now.

“Do not turn around now but I think that Oliver Park just walked in.” Jess hissed loudly and Alice felt her heart running, she quickly turned her head to face the entrance and she caught her breath. There was Oliver Park surrounded by three beautiful women and about five other guys, and he was walking towards her. The Oliver Park. Alice was suddenly glad that she had come out tonight and not stayed home to read a book.

He walked past their table without even glancing at them and Alice felt a tinge of regret. She had always daydreamed that she and Oliver Park would one day meet and fall in love. She was sure that millions of other girls had had the same daydream but the fact that he hadn’t even glanced at her; well that hurt.

“He is even hotter in person than he is on the big screen.” Jess squealed and Liz looked bored. Alice tried to contain her excitement but couldn’t resist. “Yes, he is gorgeous.” She looked over at his table. He sat there looking disinterested in the two women by his side
that
were caressing his face and chest. He was more handsome than she had expected him to be. His hair was unruly and jet black and the stubble on his face made him look softer than the action hero he played in so many movies.

She couldn’t turn her face away from him. He was wearing a white-
t-shirt
that clung to his chest exposing every ripple of perfection. She gasped as she saw one of the girls bend down into his lap. It looked as though she where going down on him. But that couldn’t be possible. Not in a public diner.  She studied his face to see if an expression of pleasure were about to cross it, but she saw him reach down to the blond girl in disgust and pull her up from him. As he pulled the girl off of his lap, she saw him look over at her. His eyes met hers and bore into her. She was captivated by his stare and saw him wave her over to his table.

She stood up as if being guided by some invisible spirit. She heard Jess gasp and whisper to Liz, “Omg, Alice has lost it. She’s going over to his table.” She didn’t even look back as she walked. She was so engaged in Oliver’s eyes.

She stopped at his table and she saw the girls looking up at her in distaste. She knew she wasn’t a supermodel but she also knew she was attractive.

“Can I help you?” Oliver broke his gaze and looked at her in disdain. Suddenly Alice was out of her trance and a feeling of embarrassment washed over her.

“Uh sorry, I thought you called me over to the table?” She blushed while talking to Oliver.

“Do I know you?”

“Uhm, no.”

“Then why would I call you over to the table?”
He spoke with a lilt in his voice. She looked at him and she could tell it was a game to him. The girls at the table laughed at her.

“Sorry, I thought…” She stammered, not sure what to say.

“Get me a glass of water if you want to be helpful.” He dismissed her from the table with a flick of his hand and the two blonds went back to kissing on his face.

“How dare you,” Alice heard her voice shouting. “How dare you disrespect me like that? Who do you think you are?” She realized she had the attention of everyone at the table. But she didn’t care. She was tired and annoyed and embarrassed.

“You think just because you are Oliver Park, a big successful actor that you can treat people however you like? Well, let me tell you this Mr. Park, those two bimbo’s probably have a STD., from all the men they go down on in restaurants and you aren’t even that good an actor.” She turned away quickly as she saw one of the blonds reach for a glass of water, presumably to throw on her and she walked back to her table.

Jess looked at her in shock but Liz was smiling. “Way to go Alice, put that asshole in his place.” Liz high fived her as she sat down while Jess tried to hide her face.

“Omg, we are so ruined in LA now.” Jess whined. Alice didn’t bother telling her that she was sure her job as a nanny was safe.

“Leave her alone Jess. He’s a privileged asshole who has made millions for looking good. He deserved to be put in his place.” Liz spoke
up;
glad that she finally had a friend that hated Hollywood stars as much as she did.

Alice attempted to regulate her breathing. She could not believe that she had just told off Oliver Park, the man of her dreams. She had seen every single one of his movies 3 times and had dreamt of the day that she would get to meet him for years. She had never thought it would go like this. She snuck a look at his table to see if anyone was still looking at her and her breath caught. Oliver was staring at her with a smirk on his face. She tried to break his gaze again but she couldn’t. He raised his eyebrow at her and mouthed something that she couldn’t understand. She finally turned her gaze away from him not wanting to let him think she was still into him. It took everything she had to not look back at his table.

She felt a felling of disappointment when she saw Oliver and his entourage get up and walk out of the diner. She had hoped he would stop by the table and apologize to her.

Chapter 2

Alice brushed her brown hair until it was shining like silk. She applied some mascara and looked in front of the mirror. Not too shabby, she thought to herself. She looked smart without looking like a lawyer. She had an interview to be a
writer’s
assistant in Hollywood and she was praying to get the job. She had graduated from her MFA program 2 years ago and so far her career had gone no-where. She hadn’t sold a
script;
she hadn’t even gotten a break as a gofer in a studio. She had been a nanny since she moved to LA and she really wanted a change. She was happy to have met Jess and Liz through her job but being a nanny was not her life’s goal. She had been so excited when the temp agency had told her that a top Hollywood writer was looking for an assistant and that she was one of 3 candidates that he was going to interview.

She had a 1 in 3 chance of getting this position and she was going all out. She had wondered after the weekend if this was really the career she wanted but she was not going to let an ass like Oliver Park change her career goals.

“How do I look?” She twirled around in front of Liz.

“You look gorgeous Alice.” Liz grinned at her. Even though she hated everything that Hollywood stood for, she was still rooting for her friend to get this job.

“Not too slutty?” Alice asked. She was wearing a short black skirt and a crisp white top. She would never have worn this outfit to any interview out of LA but both Jess and the temp agency had told her that sex appeal was important.  That in LA, talent wasn’t everything. Looks played a huge huge role.

“A little slutty but not too much.” Liz laughed as Alice groaned.

“I just don’t want anyone getting the wrong idea. I’m not going to do any and everything to get this job.” Alice spoke earnestly.

“So, no casting couch for you?” Liz questioned.

“No.” Alice was adamant. There was no way she was going to sleep with some gross old man to get a foot in the door.

“Well good luck.” Liz hugged her before she walked out of the door.  Alice walked down and got into her old Toyota Corolla.
She sang along to ‘The Cure” as she drove to Beverly Hills for her interview. She didn’t know who the important writer was going to be but she hoped it was going to be someone who wanted to utilize her skills and would value her writing. She didn’t want to be used as the coffee and lunch girl as many assistants were. The only reason she had hope was because the temp agency had said the writer had asked specifically for someone who had an MFA. That had to mean he wanted a real writer.

Her breath caught as she parked and she felt the nerves in her stomach. This was it. This could be her big break. She gave the receptionist her name and waiting patiently in the lobby as she waited to be called up for her interview.

“Alice Nichols?” A young blond lady walked up to her and smiled.

“Yes.” Alice tried to smile and sound confident but the nerves were getting to her.

“Follow me. He’s ready for your interview.” Alice followed behind the lady wanting to ask exactly who ‘he’ was. She was escorted into a big conference room and was told to sit.

The lady left and she sat there alone looking around her. The nerves turned to annoyance about twenty minutes later as Alice still sat at the table waiting for someone to enter the room. She debated whether or not she should go back down to reception to let them know that no one had come to the room as yet. However, she had a feeling this was part of the interview. The writer likely wanted to see how patient she was. She sat back and sighed, stopping herself from reaching into her bag to grab her phone and text. If she was being watched she didn’t want anyone to think that she was addicted and dependent on her phone.

It was exactly one hour later that someone walked into the office behind her. She could feel rather than here them come in. She didn’t turn
around,
as she didn’t want them to see the annoyance on her face.

“Ms. Nichols, thank you for waiting. I got caught up on a call.” She looked down and saw the hand reached out to her. She shook it and then looked up and gasped. Standing in front of her was Oliver Park.

“You.” She spat out as his eyes twinkled at her.

“Yes, I am me and you are you.”
He
walked around the table. “Have a seat.”

She glowered at him. “What’s the point? I’m not getting this job am I?” She contemplated walking out of the door but there was a part of her that was excited to be so close to Oliver Park.

“Ms. Nichols, would you like to interview or not?” Oliver stood there staring at her from across the table. He licked his lips and sipped from the coffee cup that was in his hands.
His lips and tongue mesmerized her
.

“Why are you looking for a writing assistant? You’re not a writer.” Alice spoke softly, still standing up.

“Have a seat Ms. Nichols, if you want to know more.” He sat down and waited for her. She sat down against her will.

“Did you plan this?” She looked at him with eyes narrowed.

“Plan what Ms. Nichols?”

“Set this up so you could make a fool of me like I did you last weekend.”

He laughed, loud and boisterously. “Do you think you made a fool of me Ms. Nichols?”

She paused. “Not really.” She spoke honestly. She didn’t think that anyone had paid any attention to her words that night except for him, and he hadn’t looked as if he had cared really.

“Good. I’m glad you have some sense.” He looked down at the table and studied her resume.