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I nod and start to stand up.
“I do. Thank you for your time,” I say.
He raises an eyebrow.
“You’re giving up that quickly?” he says.
“I’m not going to beg for a job,” I say, but I let myself fall back into the seat.
“I wouldn’t expect you to. You look like the sort of woman who knows what she wants. And exactly how to get it, and I can’t imagine you ever have to beg for it.” He smiles.
I get the feeling we’re talking about something else now. His words give me the creeps, but his smile isn’t, and I tell myself to stop reading too much into this. Falcon’s paranoia must be starting to rub off on me.
“What I’m thinking is a solution that might be beneficial to both of us,” he says.
“I’m listening,” I say.
“I do need a receptionist, but I can find one of those who is experienced and can walk into the job tomorrow. I also need a salesperson, and that’s not something you can teach. A salesperson has to have an air of confidence and a look about them that makes people like them. I think you have those things. And the sales team is where my focus is. I would be happy to give you a trial in sales.”
I debate it. I’ve never considered working in sales. Maybe I could be good at it, but I don’t know if it’s something I would enjoy. It’s a job though, and it would give me enough experience to make a sideways leap in a year’s time. There’s only one problem with it, and I again choose to level with Franklin.
“I appreciate that,” I say. “But the thing is, well, I don’t actually know what a multimedia solution is.”
He throws his head back and laughs.
“Oh, Elle, who does?” he says. “It’s just jargon. And you have nothing to worry about. You wouldn’t have to do any of the setups or run any of the accounts. You’d have to memorize the sales scripts, of course, but the majority of sales isn’t about selling a product. It’s about selling yourself. Make the person like you, they buy from you. It’s really that simple. And you would be given training. So what do you say?”
It’s all moving so fast. I’m pretty sure he just offered me a job. This would have been the perfect outcome in my mind coming into this, but now I feel flustered, like I have no real idea what I would be agreeing to.
“I—” I start.
“Your starting salary would be seventy five thousand plus benefits, and you’d be working on five percent commission. Hit your sales target for the month, and anything above and beyond that gets you seven percent.”
I feel myself nodding. The job isn’t about the money or the benefits, but suddenly, I realize it kind of is. The salary is part of it. It’s knowing that I am making a decent living, that I can be financially independent if I want to be.
The salary is pocket change compared to what Falcon earns, but it’s enough of a salary to make him sit up and take notice. It’s a salary that says I am doing a real job, something worthwhile, not just make work. Not just a hobby job, but a real career.
“When do I start?” I grin.
Franklin grins back at me, a predatory look that makes me look away from him. I look back, and his smile is normal.
What the fuck is wrong with you, Elle? You have to stop seeing the world as a dangerous trap. You’re not Falcon.
“Give Sandra your details on the way out, and I’ll get the contract faxed over to you this afternoon. You can start on Monday.”
I raise an eyebrow. It’s Friday today, and it doesn’t give me much time to prepare myself.
“What?” Franklin says. “Is that too short of a notice? Because if you work here, Elle, I expect a certain level of commitment.”
“No, it’s fine,” I say quickly. “I just thought I’d need some training first.”
It’s a lie, but suddenly, I want this job more than anything. It seems I have something to prove to both Falcon and Franklin.
“You’ll get your training on the job. You’ll shadow me for at least two weeks, and then we’ll assess whether you’re ready to go it alone.”
He stands up and extends his hand, making it clear the interview is over. I stand up and shake his hand. He holds my hand for a second too long.
“See you on Monday, Elle. Remember, you’ll be selling yourself, so make sure you look as good as you do right now.”
I nod, blushing as I head for the door. I have a bad feeling about this, but I can’t back out the second it gets tough. I can handle Franklin’s bad flirting for two weeks, and I’ll make damn sure I’m good enough at selling to be set free at the end of that time.
