揑抦 sure he doesn抰 mean that at all. Do you, Mr. Burns??Ida asks. When he doesn抰 answer for a few seconds, she looks at him and bites her lip. 揙ff-record reminder, it would be highly improper for a publicly traded company to make hiring decisions outside of the structured interview process.?
Hot Shrek shakes his head and looks over my resum?
揘o decisions made and no objections lodged. Not yet. I抦 still eager to find out what Miss Poe can do for us and why she抯 the best person for this job. Since the next questions are softballs, I won抰 risk any personal bias clouding the hiring. I抣l step out and leave you fine ladies to the assessing,?he says, sliding out of his seat.
Without a single look back, he抯 out the door, moving his hands to his throat like he抯 adjusting his tie梠r making a cross like he抯 warding off a vampire.
Jesus. What was that?
Lucy rolls her eyes, slurping her coffee. 揘ice save, bossman. Now, Miss Poe, can you tell us what you think your greatest strength is??
I spend the next half hour fielding their questions, talking about my experience, thinking more and more about my potential boss and his rancid attitude. His absence almost makes it worse. I抎 rather dance with rabid wolves.
But I survive the final battery of questions, and I抎 like to think I impressed them. At the end, they fall silent.
I guess it抯 over. Time to go home.
As I抦 dreaming of tasting the freedom that抯 outside the door and wondering if any new jobs have been posted online today, a male voice growls over my shoulder.
揟he new wedding line is crucial. You抣l be reporting directly to me even while you抮e technically working under Miss Patel. A little spine goes a long way, and yours is made of diamond. Don抰 make me regret this.?
Regret it? Regret what? Did I get the job?
What the actual hell?
The idea of working for this guy feels terrifying.
I抦 too stunned to even muster a thanks.
But he stares at me, expectant. Like I抦 supposed to fall down and hug his leg. Genuflect. Kiss his ring. Kiss his梬hatever.
揑抦 hired then??I ask softly. I need to hear it from the horse抯 mouth.
Those bottomless honey-brown eyes drop from my face to my lips.
Just like the day he tried to bribe my cinnamon roll away. And just like that first ugly morning, that gaze on my lips makes me tingle.
No, no, no, and no.
He抯 a professional ass in a tie and apparently my new boss.
He shrugs. 揘o point in wasting more time pretending it抯 not a done deal. Are there any last-minute objections??
He waits while heads shake around the room. I抦 glued to my seat in awe at how utterly ballsy and open he is.
揋ood. We抣l have your background check by the end of the day. Barring any surprises, you can start ASAP. Always remember you can leave just as easily as you came, so don抰 get cocky,?he says.
揥ell, okay. We just need to hammer out the details,?Ida says.
揥hy don抰 you get the paperwork? We can take care of it right now,?Burns tells her.
揝top by when you抮e done and I抣l introduce you to the team,?Anna says cheerfully.
揟hat抯 great. Thank you,?I say numbly, my mind whirling with a tornado of thoughts.
Do I really want this? Can I afford to be picky? I know it pays well and the benefits are bomb. Can I afford to flip him off and leave?
The women are nice. Maybe I can just deal.
The ladies leave the conference room one by one, filing out and leaving me alone with Prince Douchenozzle.
揅ongratulations,?he grinds out reluctantly.
揟hanks...I think??
The glare he levels could vaporize me several times over.
Yeah. If I want this position, I抦 definitely going to have my work cut out for me, and it抯 got nothing to do with the actual work.
Ida comes strolling back in with her laptop a minute later. 揥e still call it paperwork, but it抯 mostly digital.?
揥hat do you make at your current job??she asks.
揟hirty-five thousand a year.?
揥ait.?Burns throws up a hand, making an exasperated sound. 揧ou make thirty-five thousand dollars a year and you turned down five hundred dollars for a damn roll? And you called me insane??
Ignore him.
Easier said than done.
Ida scowls at him over her laptop.
揝tart her at ninety even with immediate performance incentives, plus the full match in her 401k,?he says.
Ninety thousand and then some?
To write?
Is this seriously happening?
揙h-kay.?Ida draws the word out so much it抯 almost two. 揥hen can you start, Dakota??
揝oon. I need to give two weeks?notice and tie up any loose ends before I棓
揝he抣l start Monday,?Burns tells her point-blank.
My toes curl up in my shoes.
揃ut I...I need to give two weeks?notice.?
揥hy抯 that, Miss Poe? It抯 not like they抮e paying you,?he snaps.
Woof. He抯 so rude.
揃ecause it抯 the right thing to do,?I say with a sniff.
He waves his hand dismissively.
揝o is paying your employees. Your choice, I suppose. You can start Monday with a job that pays more than double your current salary, or you can hang out at your discount agency and keep nibbling at crumbs. I need someone ready to dive in now.?
Well, thanks, Mr. Hardass.
He says it in a way that tells me he抯 not used to having people argue back, much less delay his beck and call.
揊ine. Can I get the offer in writing??I ask through clenched teeth.
He nods, never taking his eyes off me.
揌ave her sign off on it and send it over for my signature.?He turns and starts moving across the room, but stops with a hard glance over his shoulder. 揊ree tip: the next time you抮e in a job negotiation, don抰 tell anyone your current salary. It抯 none of their business. They抣l pay what you抮e worth and nothing else.?
Amazing. I never knew it was possible to hate a total stranger this much.
He strides out of the room with the air of a mafia don who抯 just given his new capo one chance not to wind up dismembered in a dog抯 dinner bowl.
Ida blinks and laughs awkwardly. 揧ou certainly bring out quite the reaction in our fearless leader.?
揝o, he抯 not always like that??
She twists her lips. 揌e抯 a hard worker and doesn抰 tolerate much foolery, but he抯 not usually such a jacka梑ad guy, I mean. Not usually.?
Awesome.
So I get to be the magnet for his lightning storm of assholery.
Why? All because I got to the freaking coffee shop before him and swiped the last cinnamon roll?
What a psycho.
A psycho who抯 willing to pay me almost six figures to work for him, but still...
Just what will this job cost me if Lincoln Burns stays obsessed with making my life suck?
揋ood Lord, I think I抦 high on the fumes alone,?I say, pushing into Eliza抯 apartment.
Her laughter echoes off the low ceiling. 揇o you want coffee??
揇o you have more of that sexy vanilla??
She shakes her head. 揑 brewed up a hazelnut cinnamon blend, a coconut, and chocolate pecan today. What抯 your poison??
揅hocolate pecan.?
揋ood choice. There抯 a vanilla scone with your name on it, though.?
揥hen are you opening a cafe??I demand, giving her a mock-stern look with my hands propped on my hips.
揂s soon as I have the money sometime this century. Commercial rent in this city ain抰 getting any cheaper.?Eliza heads for her kitchen coffee lab to start prepping 搕he caffeinated flight?as she calls it.
She抯 basically my dealer at this point, besides being my bestie and neighbor.
I take a stool in front of the kitchen bar, basking in the heavenly smell of her place.
She returns a minute later with two steaming mugs and scones piled high on a plate.
揌ow was the big interview??she asks. 揟ell me we have something to celebrate.?
揃onkers, honestly, but棓 Big pause. 揑 got the job.?
揧es!?She puts her mug down to throw both fists in the air and then hugs me. 揑 knew you抎 pull it off. When you said bonkers, you must mean the awesome kind.?
揥ell...?I clear my throat and take a comically long sip of coffee.
揢h-oh. Don抰 tell me it抯 a traveling job or something. Dakota, if you抮e leaving me, I抣l lose it.?