"Thank you. That’s all for now."
After a few more questions, the first set of interviews was finally done.
Diana and Joel both stood up, bowed once more, and gave their thanks before stepping out.
The door clicked shut.
Caesar turned slowly to Gray. He had a satisfied look on his face. Years of experience in hiring, and he could tell that the two were prepared for the day.
"That was unexpected."
"I agree," Marcus also nodded.
"I liked their answers," Gray murmured. However, out of the two, he really preferred how Joel did it. It was evident earlier that the three of them were surprised by the way he answered.
"You still have 15 minutes before the second set, Sirs." The assistant from earlier came back into the room to remind them of the time.
Gray leaned back in his seat slightly, his fingers drumming once along the edge of his folder.
"Fifteen minutes, huh?" he repeated.
Across from him, Caesar gave a quiet chuckle.
"It’s enough time for a sip of water and a quick debate."
Gray chuckled along with it.
"Between the two, I thought Diana came in strong. She was composed, clear, and tactical." Gray reached for one of the glasses and poured himself a drink from the pitcher.
"She was," Marcus agreed. "But Joel’s pitch... that was clever. I didn’t see it coming."
"Same," Gray said quietly. His gaze drifted down to the notes he’d written.
"I also agree with that." Caesar joined in. "What impressed me wasn’t just the trick. It was the way he adapted. You saw it. He didn’t panic when his idea was already used. He just changed his approach."
"It was also funny," Marcus muttered, shaking his head with a small grin. "I actually laughed. That never happens in interviews."
Caesar lifted his glass slightly.
"Well. If this is the quality of the first two, I’m curious what else you’ll get today."
Gray smiled faintly but didn’t say anything more. Instead, he reached for his folder again and reorganized the pages in front of him.
The door opened once more as the assistant stepped in again, her voice polite but quiet.
"Sir, the next two applicants are here."
Gray nodded without looking up.
"Let them in."
As the door clicked open and two new figures stepped into the room, Gray straightened in his seat again.
The interviews weren’t over
There were still seven more to go.
The rest of the day passed by quickly. They did interview after interview, each one as composed and engaging as the last.
There were no major slip-ups. No awkward silences. No clear red flags.
If anything, the rest of the applicants only added to the difficulty of the decision they neededto make.
The third and fourth applicants were both impressive in their own ways. One brought a clipboard full of past performance charts, all neatly color-coded by year. The other spoke calmly, giving clear answers based on real-life experience.
The fifth was a former military man who had worked in warehouse logistics. He spoke with quiet confidence, answering questions in a steady, no-nonsense tone. When asked to "sell the pen," he treated it like a strategy meeting, pointing out long-term use, value, and reliability.
The sixth was a woman who used to help run her family’s small restaurant. She shared funny but insightful stories of her life, like how she taught her younger brother to use the cash register by turning it into a game.
She said that her asset was knowing how to connect and train with people.
By the time the seventh applicant walked in, even Caesar leaned back in his chair and let out a quiet breath.
"We’re not going to make this easy on ourselves, are we?" he said, with a big smile on his face.
"I think so," Gray answered as he shook his head.
The interviews continued, and so did the thoughts growing between the three of them—Everyone who showed up today was good. Some were even great.
By 3:30 PM, the interview was finally done
The folders were now stacked on one side, and notes were scattered across the table. The interviewers sat in silence.
Gray closed the last folder gently.
"That’s finally nine," he said and sighed, "They were all qualified for me."
"I agree," Caesar said. "If you asked me to pick one right now, I wouldn’t be able to."
Ms. Lopez finally spoke from the side. She had been silent for most of the day, taking notes from a few steps behind them.
"Oh well, we obviously can’t hire nine people," she said plainly, her voice was cool and straightforward. "But based on what I saw, five of them are viable for second interviews."
Caesar leaned back in his chair again, his arms crossed thoughtfully as he glanced toward Ms. Lopez.
"Five, huh? I was thinking four. Maybe I’m being too strict."
"I had five in mind as well," Marcus said. "Though not sure if they’re the same names."
"Well, I wanted to hear your thoughts." Gray nodded at them.
Ms. Lopez flipped her notepad open, unfazed.
"I’m thinking of Diana Cortez. Joel Hernandez. The woman from the small restaurant, Clarisse? The last one, Ando. And that calm one with the color-coded charts. Lionel, was it?"
"Lionel Mercado," Gray confirmed quietly, already glancing at the notes he had scribbled across their folders. "Yeah. Those five stood out. They were on my list, too."
"It was the same five I had in mind." Caesar nodded
"They were consistent," Ms. Lopez added. "All five had clear experience, a sense of leadership, and they handled pressure well. Different personalities, sure, but I think that’s where your final decision has to come in."
Gray tapped his pen gently against his pad.
"I’ll put that into consideration," Gray said finally with a calm voice. "I’ll review everything you said tonight and make a final call by tomorrow."
He looked at Ms. Lopez and nodded.
"Once I make a decision, you can notify them immediately. Let them know they’ve been qualified for a second interview by Monday next week to give them time to prepare."
"Understood, Sir," Ms. Lopez replied, standing as she closed her notes. "I’ll coordinate with the rest of HR to have the notices ready by morning."
Marcus stretched slightly in his seat and let out a soft breath.
"That was a long day."
"It was," Gray agreed, rising from his seat. "But it was nice, wasn’t it??"