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“Sorry. I’m just not good at being idle.”
“Then the timing couldn’t be more perfect. This project was made for you, Arianne. It’s the kind of opportunity you can really sink your teeth into and make your mark.”
Interesting.
“Here in LA?”
“Yes. My friend isn’t a tire kicker.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“He already has a hugely successful company worth multibillions of dollars.”
I frown my confusion into the phone. “Why would he need me?”
“He’s seeking an expert willing to take a look under the hood of his well-oiled top-of-the-line ride and turn it into a speeding bullet. In other words, he needs you to take his company to the next level. This is more about ballooning his profits than a potential buyout.”
Right up my alley.
“I’d love to meet with your friend.”
“Good. I was hoping you’d say that. He flew overnight from New York to LA. He just called me to find out if I got in touch with you. He’s eager to meet with you. Are you available today?”
I hesitate. “Err… I like to have a complete picture of a prospect’s company before meeting with them.” I sigh. “I don’t want to give off the wrong first impression by being unprepared.”
“Arianne, your mind works faster than a processor.”
I laugh. “You’ve always been such a great supporter.”
Easton was my ticket out of Silicon Valley when I needed to run away.
“From my understanding, you already have the job.”
What? “How can that be?”
I’m dumbfounded.
“I relayed my experience. You’ve never disappointed me.”
Incredible. “Wow.”
“This is a relaxed face-to-face. You’ll have plenty of time to crunch numbers and prepare complicated, colorful Excel spreadsheets.”
“Are you making fun of me, Easton Winchester?”
He laughs. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“I should hire you as my publicist,” I tell him. “Here I thought I could do it on my own, but I keep stumbling on losers. One call from you and you hand me a winning lottery ticket.”
“I didn’t do a thing.” That’s a lie, but I won’t argue.
“Thanks for vouching for me, but I still feel uncomfortable walking into a meeting with nothing more to offer than a smile.”
Nervous trepidation grips at my core.
“Arianne, stop overthinking. You could nail this contract with your eyes closed.”
I think of how much time I’ve sunk into proposals that no one really cares about since I landed in LA.
