Which only left me with one last question. “You’re not a fan, are you?”
“Excuse me?” Lilac frowned, bringing one hand to her chest. “A fan of what?”
“Me.” I tried to keep my voice from sounding too grim. “The other three were.”
“Of you?” Her eyes widened before a laugh escaped her. “No, sir.”
The sheer honesty of her reaction and the incredulity in her eyes amused me. “You’re not?”
The corners of her lips pressed in as if she was trying to stop herself from laughing, but she couldn’t hide the remaining traces of it in her eyes. “Not a fan, no. I look up to you, how you went from military to finance and made yourself into what you are today; how you take no shit from the people who really don’t matter. It’s admirable, sure, but I wouldn’t call myself a fan.”
I sat forward, placing my elbows on the table as a relieved grin found its way to my lips. “In that case, you’re hired.”
If she was comfortable and sure enough of herself to swear in front of me, that was the nail in her coffin as far as I was concerned. I ignored the astonishment written all over her expression and launched into the details.
“The hours may get long. When we’re in the middle of closing a big deal or when we’re in crisis mode, don’t expect to leave early.” I made sure to look into her blue eyes as I explained my terms, not wanting any part of what I was saying to go unheard.
It was important that she understood what I expected from her before she signed any paperwork. If we locked this in, it was locked in. No fucking misunderstanding was making me go through all of this again.
“I’m not appointing you as CFO today, as I’m sure you’ve already assumed. You have nowhere near the requisite amount of experience for a position like that, but that was what I was looking for.” Bewilderment flashed in her eyes, but she didn’t interrupt me. “I’m looking for someone I can start training fresh out of college and eventually appoint as my CFO.”
Lilac was nodding along as I talked, interjecting only when I leaned back again and had finished explaining my vision of her trajectory. “What about daycare? If I’m going to be expected to work long hours, I’ll need someone to look after Lincoln.”
I liked how she asked as if she hadn’t already known. “We have a room on the first floor. It’s big, fully equipped and well-staffed. Daycare for all employees’ children.”
For the first time since she came into my office, I stood up. “Is there anything else, or are you ready to accept my offer?”
I reached out for her hand, mine hanging in the empty space between us. A multitude of emotions spiraled across her face before she nodded and reached out to shake it, her grip dry and warm and firm. “I’ll be here at eight a.m. tomorrow morning to get started.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” I released her hand and turned to face to the windows as she made her way out the door. When I heard it click shut, I called for Ollie.
The door opened again, and my assistant’s voice reached my ears. “What’s up? You make a decision yet?”
“Yes.” I nodded, hooking my thumbs in my pockets but not turning around. “The woman. Lilac Hawkings. She’s going to be our next CFO. Get the paperwork ready and let security know what’s happening. I don’t want her delayed on her first day of work.”
In the reflection of the window, I saw Ollie smile and punch the air victoriously. “Good choice. I’ll make sure it’s done. Anything else?”
“No, that’s all.” Only once I heard the door shut again did I allow myself to return Ollie’s smile. Good choice, indeed.
I had a feeling about this one, and suddenly Titus’ resignation seemed like something of a blessing in disguise.
Chapter 4
Lilac
After I got home from my interview, made dinner and tucked Lincoln into bed later, I had my little freak-out. As much as I had hoped for and wanted the job, I hadn’t really believed I would get it.
Pinching my leg once I was alone in my bedroom, I had waited to wake up from what had to have been a dream. When it turned out that I hadn’t been dreaming, I leaned back against the wall, sliding down until I was sitting on the floor laughing and crying into my palms until I couldn’t take it anymore.
Historically, luck had a way of not being on my side. Every day was a struggle for me to make ends meet, worrying about how I was going to put food on the table and afford rent and daycare and all the million other things I needed to pay for myself and Lincoln.
Relief had flooded me to the bone as I sat there on the floor, combining with an intense sense of disbelief, joy, uncertainty, and determination to do this job well. The emotions had floored me, bringing me to tears until I was sobbing so hard my shoulders were shaking.
Being a single mother, putting myself through school and trying to maintain a sense of self in between had been fucking difficult. The thought that I might finally be able to make a dent in my student loans, that I might not have to worry about how I was going to provide for Lincoln or where I was going to get money for medication or dinner was overwhelming. I couldn’t quite imagine a world where I didn’t have to stress about all of that all the time.
And yet, if I could somehow hang on to this job, that was exactly the world I would find myself in. While I had been too overjoyed about getting the job to ask about my salary on the spot, I was sure it would be enough to cover my expenses.
I wasn’t greedy. I didn’t need a lot of money, didn’t expect to be paid millions or anything. All I was hoping for was that I would be able to close my eyes at night and not have to mentally review what was left in my bank account and whether the amount would cover the expenses I still had to pay. It didn’t feel like that was too much to ask for.
My freak-out had lasted for seventeen minutes and afterwards I felt so drained I had collapsed on my bed without even bothering to wash my tear-stained face. But now that the sun was up, I was dressed and ready to go.
The only evidence that remained of my seventeen minutes of borderline insanity was a slight redness to my eyelids. I managed to conceal it with a bit of makeup, gave myself a final once-over and then rushed to get Lincoln ready.
I took his hand and led him to the door, pausing when I opened it to make sure we both had everything we needed. Lincoln had his backpack, his favorite stuffed dinosaur, and his inhaler. I had my purse, but I opened it to make sure my wallet and phone were inside.
Better double-check for Lincoln’s inhaler too. “Turn around, baby. Mommy just wants to have a quick look in your backpack.”
Lincoln pulled his little face and sighed, but turned his back on me. “I have it, Mommy. You just checked in the kitchen.”
Unzipping the backpack, I smiled and peered inside. “I know. I just don’t want to get there and have to come all the way back if we’ve forgotten it.”
My little boy was a bad asthmatic, so bad that we couldn’t take any chances about him not having his inhaler with him at all times. The possibility of one day maybe not being able to afford his medication was a thought that had haunted me since the day he had been diagnosed.
It was the biggest worry I’d had, and the one I was most looking forward to not having any more if I earned a decent salary. Matthews Financial had a reputation for paying well, which was why I was positive I would be able to cover my expenses for as long as I managed to hang on to my new job. Hopefully forever.
Spotting Lincoln’s inhaler in the small bag I had sewn into the backpack specially for it, I zipped him back up. “You were right, we do have it. Let’s go, buddy.”
He spun around to face me, an exasperated look on his face. “Yes, let’s go. Please.”
Ushering him out of our apartment, I gave him a playful nudge. “Better safe than sorry, remember?”
“Okay, okay.” He threw his thin arms out in surrender, grinning as he waited for me to lock up. “We’re safe. Now can we go?”
“Now we can go.” I turned the key in the lock, checked the
door handle and then held my hand out to Lincoln. “Wait until you see your new daycare. You’re going to love it.”
On my way back to my apartment yesterday, I had received an email from Ollie with all the forms and information I needed for the daycare. He had attached pictures too, and I had to admit the place was impressive. I was looking forward to seeing it firsthand. It looked amazing.
“Do you think the people will be nice?” he asked as we walked to the train station, looking up at me with hope and curiosity shining in his eyes.
I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “I’m sure they will be. Everyone I’ve met there so far has been very nice.”
Well, all of them except for the lady at reception, but I doubted she worked at the daycare. I was hoping she didn’t, anyway. Taking a deep breath, I rolled my shoulders back and tried to force confidence into my smile as I looked down at Lincoln. “Don’t worry about it, okay? You’re going to be fine.”
He sucked his lower lip into his mouth and nodded. “I know, Mommy.”
We made it to the train on time, and soon enough we both standing in front of the Matthews Financial building. Lincoln leaned back and looked up, trying to see the top.
“It’s so big,” he said, his voice filled with awe. “It goes into the sky.”
A smile lifted my lips despite my first day nerves. “Almost, baby. Mommy’s office is way up high. I’ll take you there sometime, okay?”
He nodded enthusiastically and started tugging on my hand, urging me forward and into the lobby. Lincoln insisted on going through the revolving door twice, then gaped when we finally walked inside. Like mother, like son.
“I just have to pick up my new badge, then we’ll go get you settled at daycare.” I held on to Lincoln’s hand as we made our way across the marble floor to the circular reception desk.
Thankfully, there was a different person signing us in today, and she already had all the required paperwork ready for me. Tapping a pen to indicate where I had to sign, she smiled and handed over my permanent badge when I pushed the papers back to her.
“Welcome to Matthews Financial, Ms. Hawkings. The daycare center is on the fourth floor. Take the elevator up, and Molly will be there to show you the way.”
Molly turned out to be a homely looking older woman and sure enough, she was waiting for us when we stepped off the elevator. Smiling kindly, she extended a hand to me. “You must be Lilac Hawkings. I’m the daycare manager. We’ll take very good care of little Lincoln over here.”
Dropping to her haunches with much more agility and grace than I’d have thought her capable of, she grinned at Lincoln. “It’s nice to meet you, Lincoln. If you need anything, you just ask for me, okay?”
“Okay.” He returned her smile and darted a look up at me. Excitement radiated from him, and I knew he had taken an instant liking to Molly.
Some of the knots in my stomach loosened. Lincoln was a very outgoing kid, so I knew I didn’t have to worry about him being in daycare all day. I had been nervous about his first introduction to the place, but his reaction to Molly was positive and as she led us into the daycare center, I knew he really was going to love it here.
Heck, if the job upstairs didn’t work out, I’d even love to get a job here instead. The walls were painted in neutral colors, but had beautiful murals on them depicting scenes from popular children’s movies. Kids were placed in different classes depending on their age, and Lincoln’s class was a bright space filled with toys, low plastic tables and shelf upon shelf filled with books lined the walls.
The teacher for his class was welcoming and friendly, a woman around my age named Jodie. “He’s going to be very happy here. You’re welcome to come by anytime. Some of the parents collect their kids for lunch or come down here to play for a while when they have time, but that’s up to you and your schedule.”
“Thank you.” I hoped I would be able to spend a couple of minutes a day with Lincoln, but I wasn’t counting on it. “Once I get settled, I might take you up on that.”
“Excellent.” She grinned and reached for Lincoln’s hand. “Let me show you around, then I just need to have a quick chat with your mommy.”
A few minutes later, Lincoln was happily playing on a carpet with some other kids and I’d made sure that both Jodie and Molly were aware of his asthma. They assured me he was in good hands, that they’d both received training in a variety of common medical issues experienced by children and then sent me on my way.
After saying goodbye to Lincoln, I made my way to my new office. It was right next to Joseph’s, and I could see him talking to Ollie through the glass that made up the upper half of the wall between our offices. For a minute, I just stood in front of the door staring and trying to convince myself that this was really happening.
Smiling as a sense of achievement warmed me from my fingers to my toes, I opened my door and walked into my office. It was large, but not quite as cavernous as Joseph’s. I had a glass-topped desk with a state-of-the-art laptop sitting on top of it, a printer already installed and a couple of other electronic devices I would have to figure out what to do with.
Since the office was right next to Joseph’s, I had as impressive a view of the city as he did.
Crossing the office to my desk, I sat in my fancy chair and took a second to get my bearings. The smile that had spread as I walked in didn’t want to leave, remaining on my lips as I took a picture of Lincoln and me out of my purse and put it down on my desk.
My planner came next, and then I was done. I hadn’t brought any more personal effects and I was filled with adrenaline. I wanted to get started.
Leaving the planner on my desk, I headed over to his office to find out how my boss wanted to get me started. Ollie opened the door after I’d knocked only once, a smile spread wide on his full lips.
“Good to see you, Lilac,” he said and motioned me into the office, speaking over his shoulder as I followed him to Joseph’s desk. “I hope you’re ready to jump right in. We’ve got all the contracts and paperwork ready to make it official.”
“Great.” I cleared my throat and took the folders he handed to me when gesturing for me to take a seat across from Joseph. Flashing my most winning smile at my new boss, I sat down and opened the folder on top. “Good morning, Joseph. I’m looking forward to getting started.”
“Good,” he said, his intriguing hazel eyes meeting mine and locking onto them. “We’re going to do everything we can to ease you into it, but realistically, you’re going to have to hit the ground running. Even easing you into it, we operate at a fast pace here and we need you to be ready for that.”
His voice was commanding and authoritative. I didn’t know what rank he’d held in the Air Force, but he sounded like a person who had been born to lead the charge. Probably why he’s been so successful.
I was half compelled to salute him in recognition of the order I felt he’d just given, but I didn’t know how that would go down. I knew military folks could be sensitive about that kind of thing, and the last thing I wanted to do was to offend him unwittingly. I prefer it to be intentional when I offend people.
Clamping my hands together in my lap to keep from acting on the urge, I nodded instead. “I’m ready to keep up. I’m a fast learner, so you won’t need to worry about me.”
“Excellent.” He picked up a folder from his desk, and it turned out to be his copy of the one I had already opened. Without any more pleasantries being exchanged, he launched into an explanation of the documents inside.
I listened carefully as he went over my duties, then started a little when he added that he’d be shadowing me for the first two weeks. I signed off on everything, but the back of my mind was occupied with how I would do under the constant scrutiny of a man who was a notorious businessman and self-made billionaire.
At least, it was occupied with that until we reached the addendum containing my starting salary. I did everything I could to hide the way my eyes bulged and blinked away the shock. Well, that
’s not what I was expecting.
“You can hand all those over to me and I’ll go get them processed and filed,” Ollie said when we had worked our way through all the folders he had handed me. The sheer amount of paperwork and agreements I’d had to sign was overwhelming, but there was one document in particular that I needed to discuss with Joseph in private.
I held on to it, but handed the rest over to Ollie. “Thanks, I’ll bring this to you in a minute. I just need to have a word with the boss.”
Chapter 5
Joseph
Watching as Lilac signed the seemingly endless stack of contracts that legal and human resources insisted on having all new employees sign, I noticed a change in her demeanor when we reached her remuneration package.
A slight frown creased my forehead. The package was good, but she had paled and seemed startled, maybe even taken aback. Wonder why.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Ollie nodding at her request. He glanced at me and at my head inclining, he grinned at her. “Sure thing. Whenever you’re ready, you can bring that out to me.”
He left, shutting the door with a soft click behind him. Once we were alone, I gave the paper in her hand a pointed look. “Why did you keep that?”
Whatever I had been expecting her to say, it certainly wasn’t the answer I got. Few things in life surprised me, but what she said next sure as fuck did.
“It’s about my salary. We didn’t discuss it at the interview, so I didn’t know what it was going to be when I took this job but it wasn’t this. It’s too much. I don’t need to earn that much.”
My eyes widened, a laugh born from pure astonishment escaping me. “What?”
Seriousness darkened her eyes, her spine ramrod straight and her shoulders tense. I looked at her face, sure that she was fucking with me. When she frowned and bit down on her bottom lip, I realized she really was serious.
I laughed again. I couldn’t help it. Lilac watched me, her frown deepening. “Why are you laughing?”
Come Work For Me Page 3
