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“Here’s my email.” He slid a card to me, similar to the one he’d given me at the restaurant. But this one was laminated as if he had always kept it at his desk.
I memorized his email address real fast, then forwarded the resume. He watched his computer until it pulled up and remained silent for a while, leaning back in his seat while he read. When he nodded, I felt hopeful but waited patiently for his sharp green gaze to capture mine again.
“You’ll notice I’m not one for... orthodox interviews. I work on instinct when it comes to the hiring process, and I think you have what I need for our next venture.”
“What is this next venture? I’m afraid you didn’t specify when we first talked.”
He leaned forward, his eyes glistening with excitement. “And that’s one thing I am eager to talk about. But first, let’s talk about the boring stuff. We usually pay our consultants a retainer and will not be undervalued because of your lack of years in experience as long as it does not reflect in your contributions, which judging by your lecture, I’d like to say we don’t have anything to worry about there.”
“I would, too. I’m glad you brought up my experience because—”
“So I’d like to start you off with this number if it works for you.”
I started to ask what the number was when I realized he was writing. Were there recording devices in here or something? I didn’t understand the point in him writing it down, but that concern dissipated quickly when I saw the amount he had in mind. “This... Yes, this is enough,” I said carefully, avoiding words likemore thanandtoo much. I’d almost used them both.
He smiled. “Great! I attended your session because we specialize in software development, but with this new direction for Mayhew Industries, we want to provide more than just personalized software. We want to turn it into a consumer product.”
“How so?”
Andrew proceeded to tell me about what software Mayhew Industries developed and how diverse their clientele was, but he wanted to narrow his clientele with this product to those working specifically in growing industries that had not yet reached a global scale.
“Like cannabis,” I offered, thinking again of SunStone.
“Exactly. I want you to help us identify the areas where industries such as that need the most help on a digital scale. If we can create the product they don’t have yet, when they do reach a global scale, we already have the clientele to provide the services we offer now.”
“Okay, I understand. It’ll take a lot of research, but I assume you have a few plans in place?”
He nodded. “I know I’ve been vague, but I’m glad you’re at least present. You seem to understand what I’m getting at. If you come aboard, we have a team of consultants you’ll be working with, and I’m confident you’ll fit in wonderfully.”
This was an amazing opportunity, and my head spun with the avenues it could create for other businesses that were minorities in their own industry. “I would love to help you with your vision,” I said without much thought.
“And we’d love to have you. So is that a yes?” He held out his hand, then pulled it back quickly. “You can take time to think about it—don’t feel pressured. I knew you were only here for a short time and didn’t want to risk losing you to someone else.”
I never expected to be a commodity, not that anyone else was waiting in line. Part of me wanted to wait it out a day and think on it, to let my mind clear enough that I could line everything up properly. But if I waited too long, I could lose my chance. I was a rookie, after all, and maybe Andrew’s influence only went so far.
“I would love to join your team,” I said, my heart thumping wildly.
“Excellent!” Andrew shook my hand, and I tried to calm my nerves. “We will have to meet with HR when we can get you back into town, but the job is yours, Christie Hannam.”
“Just the technical stuff,” I offered lightheartedly.
He nodded once. “What are you doing this evening? I know you’re not here much longer, so perhaps I could show you a few areas near here worth looking at for housing? Dallas is a great city to live in.”
My red flag went up, and I tried to rein my emotions in. “I have a...” A what? My brain emptied as I continued to weigh whether it was even appropriate to take a new hire around town. The interview itself hadn’t been what I expected.
“It’s company policy to provide a chaperone so we can ensure you don’t have any questions when looking for things around here. It’s a big city, after all. Normally, the HR department has a couple of folks who will take you to lunch, but it’s a weekend, and normally I’m not the one conducting interviews.”
“Meaning you’d show everyone the town if you were hiring them?”
He smiled, and his eyes softened. “Meaning I see something really special in you, and I want to make sure you have everything you need to come back to us. How about dinner? We can talk more about our plans so you can be more prepared when you do start work.”
Chapter 16
Ryan
I’d found absolutely zero houses worth buying. Well, I’d found one, but it wasn’t as close to James as I wanted, and I didn’t want to give Darlene any reason to say I wasn’t trying. I’d put in an offer anyway because I knew I wouldn’t have much time to look for other houses, and apparently, it was a seller’s market.
I’d know whether the seller accepted my offer by tomorrow, the real estate agent had said, but we could always increase the offer. I wasn’t sure if that was real estate talk for “Make a better offer” or if it was just how things went. Most of the time, people needed to tell me what to do because there was no way in hell I’d just figure it out.
