Kind face currently trying not to show frustration.
“Mr. Bennett.”
“I’m sorry.”
She looked him over.
“I can see something happened.”
“I stopped on Route Twelve.”
Luke exhaled.
“Someone had a flat.”
Claire stared.
“You changed a tire?”
“She was alone.”
“You had an interview.”
“I know.”
“Did you know we had three finalists today?”
“I assumed.”
Claire studied him.
Luke decided honesty was all he had left.
“If that disqualifies me, I understand.”
She looked surprised.
“But I wasn’t leaving a woman beside highway traffic in that storm.”
Claire sighed.
“The panel has started with the next candidate.”
Luke nodded.
“Okay.”
“And the CEO still isn’t back.”
He tried not to show disappointment.
“Can I wait?”
Claire checked her watch.
“The operations director has twenty minutes after the current interview.”
“I’ll take anything.”
She looked at his soaked clothing.
“There’s a restroom down the hall.”
Luke smiled weakly.
“I don’t suppose you keep spare suits?”
“No.”
“Worth asking.”
Claire almost smiled.
“Dry yourself.”
Luke went into the restroom.
He used paper towels on his hair.
Attempted cleaning mud from his sleeve.
Straightened the tie.
The result remained bad.
He looked at himself.
“Business professional.”
A man at the sink beside him glanced over.
Luke said, “Long story.”
The man nodded.
“Looks like it.”
At 5:42, Claire returned.
“The operations director can see you.”
Luke followed her toward the elevators.
They reached the fifth floor.
A glass conference room overlooked the factory.
Inside sat two people.
A stern gray-haired man in his late fifties.
And a younger woman from human resources.
No CEO.
Luke felt both relieved and disappointed.
Claire introduced him.
“Luke Bennett. Mr. Bennett, this is Robert Gaines, vice president of operations, and Melissa Grant from HR.”
Robert glanced at Luke’s clothing.
“Rough commute?”
Luke sat.
“Yes.”
“Want to explain?”
Luke did.
He kept it brief.
Stranded motorist.
Flat tire.
Highway shoulder.
Could not leave safely.
Robert listened without expression.
When Luke finished, the vice president leaned back.
“You knew you were interviewing for a supervisory position worth nearly ninety thousand dollars?”
“Yes.”
“You knew punctuality matters in manufacturing?”
“Yes.”
“And you still stopped?”
“Yes.”
Robert looked toward Melissa.
Then back.
“Why?”
Luke repeated the answer he had given Evelyn.
“My son watches what I do.”
Robert frowned.
“That’s it?”
“No.”
Luke thought.
“I also thought somebody should help.”
Silence.
Robert tapped a pen.
“Suppose one of your production lines goes down and your best technician stops to help someone with a personal problem while the company loses ten thousand dollars an hour.”