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"Sorry, um... do you know how to get to Building A-06? I've been wandering around for like twenty minutes and I'm completely lost!" The young woman was sweating and looked frazzled, managing an awkward smile despite her obvious anxiety.
"What's your business there?" Alex was curious. Building A-06 was Stormwind Studios. Why was this woman heading to his company with two dogs in tow?
"Job interview!" she said brightly.
"Interview?" Alex couldn't help looking her up and down. She was definitely dressed professionally, but he'd never seen someone bring pets to a job interview before.
"Yeah, and this boss is super weird. Most companies are in normal office buildings, but he sets up shop in some fancy villa neighborhood. This place is massive and impossible to navigate!" She gestured helplessly at the sprawling development around them. "I've been walking in circles forever!"
"Maybe he just wants to give his employees a better work environment," Alex suggested, trying not to smile. "Look around—it's pretty nice here. Mountains, lake views, birds singing."
"True! I read online that this guy gave everyone hundred-thousand-dollar bonuses just a few months after starting the company. That's pretty awesome!" Her enthusiasm was infectious.
Alex felt a little surge of pride at that comment.
"So anyway, you still haven't told me how to get there," she reminded him.
"I'll walk you over," Alex offered. He was heading back anyway.
"Oh my god, thank you so much!" She hurried to match his pace, then dug through her shoulder bag. "Here, take this—you look like you need water after your run."
She held out a bottle of water, and Alex hesitated.
"What, worried I drugged it or something?" She grinned mischievously, though her expression was completely innocent.
"Alright, thanks." Alex accepted the bottle. "So why bring dogs to an interview?"
"Ugh, don't even ask. My landlord kicked me out this morning. Rental life sucks—no pets allowed, and he finally caught me. So here we are." She looked down at the two small dogs with obvious affection.
"Finding pet-friendly rentals is tough. You might have a hard time with them."
"Yeah, but I can't just abandon them. Once you take responsibility for something, you see it through, you know? I'll find someone who'll accept all three of us eventually." Her optimism was genuine despite the circumstances.
Alex nodded approvingly. He respected that kind of loyalty.
"Here we are," Alex announced as they reached the villa's entrance.
"Perfect, thank you!" She started toward the front door with her dogs, then suddenly spun around and ran back. "Hey, could you maybe watch them for me?"
"What?"
"Please please please! I'm already running late and I don't want to screw up this interview. I'll be super quick, I promise!" Before Alex could respond, she shoved the leashes into his hands and sprinted toward the building.
Alex stared at the leashes now in his possession, then down at two adorable puppies—one white, one golden—who looked up at him expectantly. He shook his head and headed inside.
"Morning, Alex!"
"Good morning, Alex!" Various employees called out as he entered.
"Alex, where'd the puppies come from? They're so cute!"
"Oh my god, look at these little guys!" Several female employees immediately surrounded him, cooing over the dogs.
The commotion caught the attention of the young woman waiting in the interview corner. She looked over curiously, her expression shifting to alarm as she realized what was happening.
"Oh no, I'm so sorry!" she called out, rushing over with an apologetic expression.
She reached Alex and whispered urgently, "Why did you bring them inside?"
Everyone stared at the odd interaction, glancing between her and Alex with growing confusion.
"Alex, who's this?" someone asked.
"Alex?" The woman's eyes widened as she processed the name, then looked around at everyone's expectant faces. Understanding dawned on her features.
Could this handsome guy possibly be...the boss?
Did I just make my potential future boss walk my dogs? What are the odds?
"Wait—you're THE boss? Oh shit, I'm so sorry, Mr. Morrison! I had no idea!" Her face turned bright red as she stammered apologies. "I didn't recognize you! This is so embarrassing!"
She was mentally kicking herself. Of all the people to randomly encounter, it had to be the company CEO. And he looked so young—who would guess he was running a major gaming studio?
Had she said anything inappropriate earlier? Please let her not have said anything stupid.
"Don't worry about it," Alex said easily. Despite being the boss, he'd never been big on hierarchy. Outside of work decisions, everyone was just people.
Besides, he liked straightforward personalities—much better than dealing with fake, manipulative types.
"I'm really, really sorry!" The woman grabbed for the leashes, too embarrassed to ask Alex to keep watching the dogs.
"I'll keep an eye on them. Go do your interview—don't stress about it. Look, everyone loves them anyway," Alex said with a genuine smile.
"Yeah, they're adorable! What are their names?" one of the female employees asked.
"Prettyboy and Basin," she replied.
"Prettyboy and... Basin?" Alex tried not to laugh. "Those are some unique names."
"The white one's Prettyboy, the golden one's Basin!" she clarified.
Everyone exchanged glances.
"With names like that, do these dogs have any dignity left?" Alex was genuinely amused.
The woman scratched her head sheepishly. "Okay, so Prettyboy used to belong to my ex-boyfriend. When we broke up, he abandoned the dog, so I took him in and named him Prettyboy as a tribute to my ex."
Alex was speechless.
"Emily Watson!" The HR coordinator emerged from the conference room.
"That's me!" the woman responded immediately.
"Ready for your interview?"
"Absolutely!"
Hearing the name, Alex asked, "Emily Watson?"
"Yep!"
"Like the actress," Alex noted with amusement, and several employees chuckled.
"Oh!" Emily's eyes widened as she got the reference, then she laughed, revealing cute dimples. "That explains why people always ask if I'm going into movies!"
"It's memorable," Alex said. "Good luck with the interview."
"Thanks! Um... Mr. Morrison, I hate to ask, but could you maybe keep an eye on these two a little longer?" Emily seemed more relaxed now, having realized Alex was approachable rather than intimidating.
Alex nodded. While he didn't know what position Emily was interviewing for or whether she'd get it, her personality was genuinely likeable.
Of course, Alex didn't personally babysit the dogs. He asked other employees to watch Prettyboy and Basin while he headed upstairs to shower and prepare for the workday. By the time he came back down, Emily had finished her interview and left.
Later, Alex received the HR summary of successful candidates. Emily Watson was among them. Her resume was impressive—prestigious university graduate, multiple design awards, recent internship at StreamLine Games where she'd contributed to their major Sea Fortress project.
"Turns out she's seriously talented," Alex murmured, reviewing the other new hires. Most came from major gaming companies, clearly recognizing Stormwind Studios' potential and wanting to join early.
Smart people knew a good opportunity when they saw one.
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