1. Ethan

Ethan

August

“Please give her a job, Ethan. She’s the last piece of the burden holding my parents back from signing over their estate and giving me everything. Once she’s out of the picture, they will move into my grandmother’s house and finally retire!” Braxton, my best friend, pleaded with me.

“I’m trying to figure out if you’re serious or pranking me right now.” I laughed. “I forget you even have a sister most of the time. I guess she must have been born after we left for college?” I questioned. Of course, having been friends with him as long as I had, I knew he had a sister, or at least I knew she existed, but it wasn’t like I was lining up to join all their family affairs and embrace every newborn.

“Yes, she was the ‘ uh oh’ after my parents’ 25th anniversary. She has a degree in business management and is twenty-three years old, but she doesn’t party or do anything stupid. She’s the library queen and loves to read, but other than that, she’s perfect for your hotel! You could even throw her in human resources or something. It doesn’t have to be a serious or high-up position, just a job,” Braxton explained further, clearly trying to convince me to hire her.

“Okay, let’s say I hire….” I paused, waiting for him to tell me her name.

“Lily, Lily Buchanan,” he said quickly.

“Okay, let’s say I hire Lily Buchanan, your sister, as my new human resources manager—which I’m surprised you knew was currently an open position—and she moves out of your parents’ house. What do I get out of this?” I was not above doing favors, but this was a big favor for him to ask. How would I know if she were a scam artist or not?

“Run a background test on her, have your clients interview her, and once you feel she qualifies for the position you want, go ahead and hire her. Put her on a probationary period. Maybe have your assistant manager oversee her training while she learns the ropes and gets into the flow of things. If it turns out she isn’t right for the position by the end of let’s say…. ninety days, then let her go. Personally, I think she would be a great addition to the hotel.

“Give her time to move into her new place. Give our parents time to sign everything over to me. And give them time to move to my grandparents' house. You can do whatever you need to. I’ll move into my parents’ house once she moves out. Then, you’ll have your loft to yourself again.” Braxton was adamant that this was what he wanted.

“So, you’re saying if I hire her, you will move out? You cook the best food; we’ve been best friends since preschool. That’s not much of an offer. I was just playing anyway. I’ll run the usual background and credit checks. Then, I’ll test out a few things and double-check that she’s eligible for international clearance. Plus, after she’s here for ninety days, she can move into a loft in the hotel. It's just like the one we’re in, but it would be just hers. Nobody can move in with her.” I couldn’t believe I was going along with this.

“After that, she can start training with Helga, the current VP of Human and Labor Relations. And we’ll move forward from there. Tell her to apply, and I’ll start the ball rolling.” I smiled. What was I getting myself into?

“Okay, that’s amazing! Thank you!” Braxton hugged me, then slapped my back. “Tonight, I’ll make your favorite food! Hot wings with extra peach salsa, nachos, and strawberry cheesecake turnovers!”

“Now, you’re just kissing my ass. What else did you want?” I asked my friend with a laugh.

“I’d like to be your assistant or someone who helps you in your role here while I wait for my parents to sign everything over to me.” Braxton had always been a trustworthy guy and a good businessman. He owned two companies. Two were doing exceptionally well, and I had invested in each. The other two were just now kicking off and beginning to gain traction.

“You already have a job. You run four businesses that you started, and they’re all doing much better than I expected. Why do you need another job?” I asked, trying not to sound condescending.

“I just want to keep an eye on Lily. I know how you business mongrels can be.” He winked.

“You think one of the men here may go after your little sister? Please. We’re all almost in our fifties.” I laughed off the thought. Even if I was remotely interested, there was no way his younger twenty-something-year-old sister would go for me. I laughed again.

“No, I just want to ensure she’s safe, that’s all,” Braxton said as he walked to the kitchen, debating what to cook. “Just make sure she’s taken care of, and all you old men keep your hands off her. Just thinking about her getting it on with any of you makes me want to puke instantly.” He said as he rummaged through the fridge.

“Understood,” I said, still chuckling as I headed to my home office. The office walls were lined with framed awards and motivational quotes, which starkly contrasted the tension of the previous conversation. Braxton and I have been roomates for the longest time. With one of his business connected to the hotel, it made sense for him to stay here part of the time.

I pulled up my calendar and blocked out several days to initiate the hiring process and Lily’s interview. I also sent Braxton an application for a personal assistant position. It’d be nice to have him as additional support.

As I dug into my daily tasks, meticulously reviewing accounts to ensure everything was on track, I reflected on Braxton’s proposal. Despite the potential distraction of hiring a new HR manager, the idea of a fresh perspective intrigued me. But for now, I was committed to seeing how Lily would fit into the puzzle.