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“Hi, Emma. I’m Owen Li.”
“Nice to meet you.” Emma gave his hand a firm shake.
“Likewise. Please have a seat.”
“Can I get you anything to drink?” Julie offered.
Emma spotted a pitcher of water on the table and nodded to it. “I’ll just have a glass of water, I think.”
As she poured the water, Julie and Owen took seats on the other side of the table. Emma had gotten very good at interviewing in her line of work, but she still felt a little nervous as the interview began. This was an important job and she didn’t want to ruin it.
As it turned out, though, there was no need to be nervous. The interview began with a complete softball.
“So, Emma, tell us a little about why you’d like to work for LWC’s Art Acquisition Department.” Owen gave her a friendly smile and Emma leaned forward, more than ready to answer.
“I’ve always loved art,” she began. “I even double-majored in art history and painting in college. Ever since I graduated, I’ve been looking for a job where I can put my passion for art into practice. When I saw this job opening, I knew it was perfect. I’ve seen a few of the pieces LWC has acquired recently and I appreciate how you were able to select pieces from unusual sources, such as new artists and art collectives, which are now valued at particularly high prices. That creativity and innovation is something I’d love to be a part of.”
Owen nodded, and Emma thought that he looked a little impressed.
“That’s very thoughtful, Emma. And can you tell us a little about how your work history has prepared you for a job like this?”
Emma felt herself relax further as she launched into her fictional resume. By the time Owen had asked about her strengths and weaknesses and Julie had inquired as to her salary expectations and possible start dates, Emma was sure that she’d made a good impression.
“I think that’s all we need from you,” Owen said as Emma wrapped up an answer on her opinion of the most important elements to look for when acquiring art from an unproven artist. “Do you have any questions for us?”
“What would my team be like?” Emma asked. She didn’t particularly need to know, but she wanted to sound interested.
“Good question. I’m the head of the department, and we currently have six art appraisers working on different topics and levels who would make up your immediate coworkers. Since this is an entry-level position, you’d get a chance to work on a few different kinds of art before hopefully choosing a focus down the road. Our CEO, Patrick Daniels, also works closely with the department.”
Excellent. Maybe Julie simply hadn’t met Patrick Daniels because he wasn’t as interested in HR as he was in art.
“That sounds perfect.” Emma tossed out a few more questions about the job description and working hours before bringing her part to a close.
Owen exchanged a glance with Julie, who nodded, then turned back to Emma. “We’d planned to look a little more and get back to you in a week or two, but you seem like such a perfect fit that I’d like to offer you the job now. Would you be interested?”
“Definitely.” Emma fought to stay in her chair instead of jumping up and dancing with joy. Finally, something was going right.
“I’m glad to hear it. Will you be available to start on Monday?”
“Yes. I’m looking forward to it.” Emma stood to shake hands with Owen and Julie. “Thank you. I’m very excited for this opportunity.”
“We’re excited to have you as part of LWC Capital. I’ll see you on Monday.”
“And I’ll walk you down.” Julie opened the door for Emma and they started the journey back down to the lobby. As they entered the elevator, Julie turned to Emma. “I’m really glad this worked out. I think you’ll like it here a lot.”
“I think so, too.”
They made small talk as the elevator descended into the lobby. When the doors opened, Julie gave Emma one more smile.
“I think you can make it on your own from here.”
“I think I can. Thank you again for everything.”
“Of course.”
Emma stepped into the lobby and the elevator doors whished closed behind her with Julie inside. As she started toward the doors, Emma caught sight of a familiar man talking to the receptionist. He had sandy blond hair and blue eyes and was dressed in a professionally tailored suit that perfectly accentuated his athletic physique and impressive height. It took a moment for Emma to realize just where she knew him from. This was none other than Patrick Daniels.
Emma almost froze in place. She’d seen pictures of the man during her research and had noted that he was handsome, but it was nothing compared to how he looked in person. His chiseled jaw and broad shoulders made him look like he’d be equally at home farming a ranch as running a wildly successful investment company. And something about those blue eyes made Emma’s heart skip a beat.
