After the Interview (2 page)

“I like to make notes not only about what I hear but my impressions,” Zoe answered.

When she looked up, sky blue eyes and a devil-may-care smile met her gaze. Zoe thought, I am definitely not going to be imagining this one in the nude or the interview will go nowhere. Damn, I shouldn’t have sat across from him. The blue eyes swept over her and Zoe had the impression C J Fairchild knew just the affect he was having on her. Well, time to burst his bubble and get back to business. As Zoe started to ask her first question, Margie walked in with the coffee and a huge smile on her face.

Zoe just smiled back and said, “Thank you, Margie,” with an equally bright smile. Zoe didn’t want the coffee but knew she had to take at least an opening sip before starting the interview.

“Ready to get started?” C J Fairchild asked.

Zoe turned, faced that smile again, and noticed a small scar high on C J’s left cheekbone. The scar did not detract from his good looks but only caught her gaze before she looked into his eyes. Zoe felt her opening question before she asked it.

Pen poised, she asked, “So, Mr. Fairchild, why don’t you tell me the story behind that scar on your left cheekbone?”

Not the least taken aback, he grinned and said, “It’s not an exciting story. I fell down the porch steps at my grandfather’s house when I was three. About all I remember is being pulled to my feet, having the gash washed and treated by my mother and then being sent on my way to play. I didn’t think anyone ever noticed the scar.”

Great, Zoe thought, now he thinks I am checking him out, but I am after all. So what? My job is to catch people off guard.

“My mother was a doctor so no one was negligent in my care if that’s what you think. Grandfather George was close to his family and it was a huge blow to us when he died last year,” C J Fairchild said.

“Mr. Fairchild, what made you enter the family business?” Zoe asked.

“Please call me C J and not Mr. Fairchild, Zoe,” C J said.

This guy is smooth and bold but I respect that, Zoe thought. Let’s see if he stays as cool when we start to talk about oil and the environment.

“I wasn’t groomed by my grandfather to enter the company. Neither my mother nor father had any interest in the industry— they’re both doctors. From the time I was a child, I was enthralled by what my grandfather did and begged to visit rig sites with him. I attended the University of Texas at Austin and earned a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering. This did not land me at Marshall Petroleum. My grandfather believed in employing people who had experience and passion for the industry. After three years of working on and off rigs in the Gulf of Mexico for Shell, I headed back to UT and earned my master’s degree in geology. At that point, I interviewed for a job at Marshall Petroleum and was hired. Seven years later, I am one of the VPs in our exploration and development division. Your interview request landed on my desk because I’m the point man for all questions dealing with fracking technology. Is that a fair enough synopsis of my background or do you have other questions in mind?” he asked.

Other questions, yes, Zoe thought, but her ideas had strayed to a personal vein like why aren’t you married, do you have a girlfriend, or do you just enjoy multiple women all of the time? Zoe’s thoughts usually didn’t stray from business, but then C J was being so cooperative that she had to fight to retain her edginess.

“I’ve read your bio on the company website, so your education background is known to me. Why don’t you explain to me what draws men to this industry in this day and age of environmental controversy?” Zoe asked.

C J smiled, and his blue eyes flashed before he spoke. “Zoe, before I answer that question do me the favor of setting aside any bias you might have about the oil industry and the move to fracking technology. I’ve read your work and you’re known for being a vanguard of the green energy movement but you don’t appear to be close-minded,” C J said.

Before she could answer or comment, C J forged ahead as if he assumed she would comply with his request. Zoe was a bit miffed by his bravado but she also understood he was self-assured, so she bit back the urge to stop him.

“The oil industry has always inspired men with guts to take big chances. This has led to major technological advances to get more from less. Fracking is a prime example of this technology, and it was inspired by the horizontal drilling techniques invented by my grandfather. Is the risk worth it? We say it is because the reserves in our nation can not only supply the U. S. with oil for the next 100 or more years easily. It will also allow us to export oil to countries now paying exorbitant sums to regimes that wish to have a monopoly on the supply side. The industry becomes even more intriguing as world politics come into play. We make advances in the U.S. and that creates enemies in pretty well every other oil-exporting area of the globe. To better explain the technology and our belief in its safety, I can take you to our research department and show you the studies and data we have amassed for the past twenty-five years.”

Zoe said, “That could be informative but I won’t promise to become a convert. As everyone knows, research can be skewed and tell any story the presenter wishes. Will I be allowed to include any of the data in my article?”

“Of course, we’ll be glad to print items or forward research to you via email as long as it’s not related to our new R&D projects,” C J said. He was silently cursing his luck at having to deal with another liberal media member. Couldn’t this group just let him get his work done? C J did admit this journalist was a step out of the ordinary; she seemed intelligent and was businesslike. What intrigued him was the sensuality he was picking up on. She’s working hard to keep it bottled up. He quickly decided this would make dealing with her attitude much more appealing.

Smiling, C J stood and said, “Shall we?”

Walking to the elevators, C J asked Margie to call ahead and make sure he and Zoe would be expected in building E. Zoe asked C J about his grandfather as they rode downstairs to the lobby and he smiled warmly, showing how much he admired the man. This conversation continued as they headed outside and walked to building E. Zoe barely noticed the heat and humidity as C J laughed and told her a story about his sister, Logan, and her building projects as a child with his grandfather as her “assistant.” C J was obviously proud of his sister, who was a structural engineer building “dams, bridges and such,” as he put it. As they entered building E, the receptionist smiled brightly and told them Bill was expecting them on the 13
th
floor. Zoe got the feeling that C J always got bright smiles from the female employees at Marshall Petroleum, no matter who he was with.

Zoe, a bit more relaxed in C J’s presence, laughed and said, “Having a floor thirteen is a bit unusual isn’t it? I guess oilmen aren’t superstitious.”

“On the contrary, oilmen can be very superstitious, but having a 13
th
floor in our research building was all my grandfather. My grandmother was born on August 13
th
and she was a constant inspiration to my grandfather, so this is for her.” C J beamed as he said this.

Zoe got the feeling that Texas oilmen, at least in this family, not only worked hard but loved hard: interesting thought for sure. Bill Sorrell introduced himself as the head of environmental research at Marshall Petroleum and led Zoe and C J into a room that felt like a command center. The walls were covered with a timeline showing research and corresponding numbers for files in a database. Another wall showed the tectonic plates in the world overlaid by pipeline routes and refinery sites while displaying up-to-the-minute data on activity. As Bill and C J discussed activity on the North American continent, Zoe watched. A sense of intrigue washed over her the moment C J turned his back to her, effectively blocking any chance she might have of over hearing the conversation.

“Did you get a call from McGuire in North Dakota today?” Bill asked C J.

“Not yet, but I did hear back from the other party’s attorney. They plan to overnight the contract with a new turnaround schedule. The timeframe on this deal’s shortened, and Burt wanted me to let him know when I sign off on it,” C J answered.

“That’s unusual,” Bill said.

“We’ll talk more about it after my phone conference, which is in fifteen minutes,” C J said quietly.

C J turned, smiling, and apologized for excluding her from their conversation. He then asked her what information she wished sent to her for the interview. Zoe became alert and was able to name the subjects she was interested in. She had been mesmerized watching the two men’s conversation and had momentarily lost track of her list of questions. Get a grip, girl, she thought to herself. Zoe quickly remembered to ask for a timeline on the development of horizontal drilling by Marshall Petroleum and any data on the effects of fracking to groundwater reserves and wildlife. C J thought to himself, of course, the same old crap. Why did I expect this journalist to have a different angle?

Bill Sorrell, asked in advance by C J to cooperate, said, “No problem, I will have my assistant send you more than you probably wish to wade through. How about a tour of a fracking rig set up, or at least a miniature version of one, Ms. Alden?”

Zoe, thrilled at the chance to get this much information, was delighted, and she turned to follow Bill.

“Zoe, I need to excuse myself but you’re in good hands with Bill, so I’ll head back to my office,” C J said.

Zoe turned and felt deflated to see him leave, even though she knew it made perfect sense. “C J, thank you for your time. This is going to be a very interesting article to write. If I have more questions for you or Bill, will email be the best avenue of contact?” Zoe said with a smile.

“Oh, you haven’t seen the last of me yet, Zoe. You can save any follow-up questions for me this evening. There’s a cocktail party and reception tonight at the Petroleum Club downtown before the symposium starts this weekend. I’ll pick you up and we can make the rounds. This will let you meet all of the big players before they get down to business tomorrow,” C J said with a glint of amusement in his eyes.

Zoe, a bit stunned, said, “Sure, what time?”

“I’ll pick you up at 7:00. After the cocktail party we can grab a bite to eat and you can give me your impression of the group. You are staying at the Westin, right?” C J asked, knowing he was right.

Zoe, stunned again, nodded her assent and watched C J punch the elevator button. She turned, following Bill, only half-hearing what he was saying. How in the hell did she just end up with her quiet night in the hotel turning into an evening in the company of C J Fairchild? Zoe wanted to smile but knew it would be out of place. She thought about a new angle to the story: the life of an oilman after business hours. Zoe’s tour of building E ended about five pm, which left her only two hours to get ready for the evening. Zoe thanked Bill for his help and the information he was sending her as she exited for the walk back to the parking garage. Damn, Zoe thought, if I get caught in traffic this is going to be tight. Good thing I brought something to wear for the occasion.

ℓ

At five thirty, C J decided he had no time to head home before picking up Zoe Alden. This meant a quick shower in his office suite before changing for the evening ahead. C J had not decided how to play this night. He wanted to think Zoe was smart and fair enough to listen to what she heard, backed up by the data Marshall Petroleum was presenting to her, but he didn’t know if she could get past her biases. If necessary, he would gladly use his looks and body to sway her opinion. C J wasn’t stupid and he had seen the affect he had on her, but he also knew if he rushed the situation it could backfire and be disastrous. He decided to see how the evening progressed and then determine how adventurous Ms. Alden proved to be. Stepping out of the shower, he looked in the mirror and saw his reflection. Who was the last woman to tell him no? Grinning, he knew he could persuade Ms. Alden to soften her point of view and enjoy the evening if presented with an opportunity.

ℓ

Driving back to the hotel, Zoe started to have major misgivings about going to this party and then having dinner with C J Fairchild. What had made her say yes? It was not only unprofessional, but it was also very dangerous. However, she could justify it by mingling with the other oilmen in town to gather more information for her story. Was C J Fairchild just being nice, or did he have an ulterior motive? Zoe did not know the answer and, even worse, she felt any ulterior motives this man might dream up would be welcome. Knowing she felt this way shocked her and left her feeling somewhat naughty. Zoe knew men were attracted to her physically, but she wanted that rare man who could handle her brains and drive to succeed. Jean had loved it all, and Zoe had thrived while they were married. Wow, Zoe thought, am I really behaving like this? You would think I was back in high school and had just gotten asked to prom by the hottest guy in the class. Fuck it! It’s ok to feel good and want more out of life, but Zoe also knew she had better be careful what she wished for.