Flirting with the HR Girl

Chapter 8

"Jenny, here, is our HR assistant," Blanche said the last word with pride as she brought in the first new hire. Jennifer had asked the store admin to call her assistant, instead of lady, in the past couple of weeks and she had done so. She was of the old school thought that assistants needed to stick together because their bosses are all crazy.

"Thank you, Blanche," Jennifer said before turning to the new hire and shaking her hand.

"Yes, thank you, Blanche!" Selena called after the assistant. She was the type of person who forgot about small 'details' as she called them unless she needed something. She put her arm around the new hire and said, "This is Shantell. She is filling my opening in Estee Lauder."

"Nice to meet you, Shantell," Jennifer said indicating for the new hire to sit next to her. The woman was young and clearly didn't need any make-up but that didn't mean she couldn't sell it. Jennifer knew Betty would take her under her wing and have her done-up and selling tons in no time. "We will get your paperwork done today and you'll have orientation with me tonight."

"Sounds great!" Selena said handing Jennifer her paperwork. "Just let me know if you need anything else. I'll see you on the floor tomorrow, Shantell."

"Okay," the young lady said as she pulled out her IDs. She had everything Jennifer needed to get her started on the computer for her forms. As she settled into do her forms, she had no idea how many she would be stuck doing, Jennifer went back to the computer that she was using to put in the new hire's information. Doing one new hire at a time seemed like a luxury after the last Christmas season when Jennifer had them back-to-back for hours every day.

As Jennifer filled out the work, she let her mind wander to Austin. He was the nicest guy she had met at the store in a long time. Most of the guys were only friendly when they found out she was single. Then they were more than a little annoying and tried to hit on her. Selena said Jennifer was too nice and that she should just tell them to buzz off like Selena and the other cosmetic girls did. But Jennifer felt as the HR assistant, it was her job to try to help people throughout the store. The problem was that by the time she realized they didn't really need any help and were just trying to find an excuse to talk to her, she had already wasted her time and given them the wrong idea.

Austin's attention didn't feel that way. Maybe it was just because he was unbelievably cute. Or maybe it was because he was asking questions and he genuinely needed help with his new role. Jennifer wasn't sure if he'd been a good assistant manager at his old job, but Todd was confident Austin would be a good men's manager. She hoped that Austin knew what he was getting into and that hiring people, keeping them happy, and helping them grow in their careers was an entirely different animal from selling. The thought of spending some time alone with him after lunch got her heart rate going just a little bit. Thinking about him sitting across from her, she didn't realize that her new hire was finished and had come up behind her. Shantell put a hand on Jennifer's shoulder, and she jumped for the second time that day.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," Shantell said and took a step back.

"It's my fault, I was daydreaming," Jennifer said, embarrassed. "Are you all finished?"

"Yes, I didn't know there would be so much, but I think I answered everything correctly." Shantell started to put her things back in her purse.

"If you didn't, I can always go in and change it if we need to," Jennifer said standing up and feeling more professional immediately. She needed to stop fantasizing about Austin and get back to focusing on why she was working for Peterson's in the first place. When she found out about the tuition reimbursement, it sounded like a godsend. Her credit was shot from years of trying to support herself after her parents said they could no longer afford to do so. But the tuition reimbursement program was only available to managers that had been with the company for four years. Jennifer had been there that long, but she wasn't management and wasn't sure when she would be promoted. Cynthia had no plans of retiring any time soon. Therefore, Jennifer would have to go to a different store to get a promotion. She would also need a glowing recommendation from Cynthia to make that happen. Some days Jennifer would have sworn Cynthia would say that she was the best thing that had ever happened to her. Others, she wondered if Cynthia was threatened by Jennifer's efficiency. And sometimes Jennifer could tell that Cynthia thought she was dumb as a box of rocks. Jennifer had to let this Austin thing go because if she made too many mistakes, Cynthia would never think of putting her up for the promotion.

Jennifer pulled out the papers that Shantell would need for orientation that night, handing them to her. "Here's your paperwork; please bring it with you tonight. I will be the one teaching orientation; I look forward to seeing you this evening."

"I was really hoping that I could see where I will be working," Shantell said.

"Yes, I would be happy to take you down to Selena and she can show you around," Jennifer said even though she dreaded going back down to the cosmetic department. She felt like a small child who had been reprimanded for trying to hang out with the big girls and they were all going to make fun of her for getting in trouble with her mommy. But there was no way she wasn't going to help her new hire feel more comfortable in her new job. That was Jennifer's number one priority, regardless of any promotions or any managers. She did take that very seriously. "Let's head down right now."

Jennifer stacked up her papers and set them in the corner for later since the HR office door was still closed. She could hear Cynthia and Todd inside. She smiled at Blanche as she led Shantell out into the store, snaking through the racks to the escalators.

"I've always wanted to work in a department store," Shantell said. "There was this book when I was little-"

"Corduroy!" Jennifer said smiling up at her on the escalator as they hummed down towards cosmetics.

"Yes!" she said with enthusiasm. "My mom read it to me because it was her favorite book when she was a kid."

"Mine, too!" Jennifer said and hoped that the girl would enjoy it as much as she had thought she would. There were days that Jennifer loved working in a department store, and she loved meeting all the new people. There were other days when the sales goals weren't met, or the openings were too many which led to the managers griping. Those were the times it was not nearly as glamorous as she thought it would be.

Jennifer purposefully did not look toward men's when they reached the bottom floor. Cosmetics was getting busier with customers at every counter so none of Jennifer's girlfriends from earlier had a chance to mock her for getting in trouble. She found Selena over at the Clinique counter and was able to drop Shantell off, telling her that she would see her that evening. Selena immediately put an arm around Shantell and started to walk her through the different counters. Jennifer thought that Shantell would fit right in.

She rounded to the back of the store to head up the escalator and spotted Austin deep in conversation with Destiny, who she noticed hadn't been at the Mac counter. Their heads were bent, and they were looking down at a tie. Austin said something, Destiny laughed, and Jennifer's heart clenched. Of course, he was talking to her. She was gorgeous. She was nice. She was funny. And she was right here down on the floor near his department every day. Jennifer hurried over to the escalator and started to ride to the top, determined that she would focus on her career and stop worrying about the cute guy downstairs.