resolution stats are not impressive. Why would you want him?” Javier taps on the paper and passes it to Elaine.
“Yes, that number isn’t great, but if you look at his numbers from when he started to now his performance has nearly doubled. He’s on the right track.” I fold the napkin over in my lap. “Plus his sales are excellent.”
“I don’t know, Lauren, what about this gap in his employment?” Elaine points at the dates on his résumé.
“His mother died and he had to take some time off from work to settle her estate.” I roll my lips together.
“Oh,” they say in unison.
“Here, take a look over the rest of these, Elaine.” Javier hands the résumés to her and turns to me. “Let’s see what Elaine thinks. She was in the same spot as you a couple of years ago and now has the best team at Calstone Corp.” Javier takes a gulp from his water. “Even better than me.” Javier laughs. “I don’t know how I’m going keep up without you on my team, Lauren.”
I smile. “You’ve got a strong team, even without me.”
“What about Leena?” Elaine places the papers on the table. “Why isn’t she on the list?”
All eyes are on me. I don’t want to say the real reason. I laugh. “I can’t take her away from Javier.”
“Well, I don’t know about this, Lauren. It’s pretty good, but I’d like to see the rest of the candidates before making my decision. Did you bring the rest of the résumés with you?” Elaine raises her eyebrows at me.
Shiat. No I didn’t bring any of the other résumés. One, I thought Javier would only want to see the résumés of the candidates I had chosen and two, I didn’t think that Elaine would be with us.
“No, I didn’t.” I cross my legs underneath the table. The waiter arrives with our food and I’m thankful for the distraction.
Javier inspects his salad with his fork. “Excuse me, there should be bacon and chicken in this and I don’t see either.”
“There is. It’s those square chunks.” The waiter points to the small bits in Javier’s salad.
Javier semi-grunts.
The waiter presses his lips together. “Enjoy your lunch.” He turns on his heel and heads back towards the kitchen.
My Caesar salad is overflowing with faded lettuce and doused in dressing. Almost like this business meeting, my lunch had potential but is a bit disappointing. I pick up my fork and poke at a few pieces of lettuce.
I take a bite. It’s okay but definitely not worthy of a return visit. I glance at Javier. He is picking at his food like a child who doesn’t want to eat his vegetables. Elaine is chewing the same bite of her salad that I would have already digested by this point. I roll my eyes and immediately focus on my own salad. I don’t want anyone to think I have antagonistic feelings towards her.
“Your salad looks delicious, Javier. How amazing is it?” Elaine takes another bite of her salad and peers at Javier. Her jaw is working overtime. She must be one of those power-chewers who tries to break down their food before it even makes it to their stomach.
Javier shakes his head. “Elaine, you might have good team management skills but I’m going to demote you as far as choosing lunch spots goes.” Javier takes another bite of his less than appealing salad.
“Oh stop, this is one of the best salad places in the city.” Elaine sips some of her water.
Javier’s eyebrows furrow. “The best salad places? I doubt there is much competition.” He guffaws.
“So, Lauren, since you didn’t bring the rest of the list, why don’t you stop by my office when we get back so I can check them out?” Elaine inspects my face and gives me a condescending glare.
“All right, that’s a good plan, but I want the five chosen today.” Javier waves for the waiter. “Can I get the check?”
The waiter hands him a black folder. Javier eyes the paper and hands it back to him with his corporate card.
“Lauren, you can get it next time.” Javier raises an eyebrow at me. “On your company card.” He hands me an envelope.
I open it to find a platinum corporate Visa card inside with my name on it. I bite my inner cheek to refrain from making a silly “I’m going shopping” statement.
“Thanks, Javier.” I put the envelope in my purse.
Javier signs the slip the waiter has placed in front of him. “Elaine, you’re going to have to swing by a drive-thru on the way back. That salad…” Javier shakes his head. “I just need something more.”
Elaine’s lips form two straight lines before she twists them into a flashy smile. “Sure thing, Javier, let’s hurry. I’ve got my work cut out for me with Lauren’s team to figure out.”
For the second time I have to bite my cheek, except it’s not to make a silly joke, it’s to keep myself from saying something not so pleasant. This is going to be a long day.
My head is pounding an uneven rhythm, most likely from the multiple causes of it. One, I’m starving. Two, stress, which also includes number three, Elaine. It’s five after seven as I pull into my garage. My shoulders are heavy and there is a gnawing pain in the back of my neck. I hit the remote on my garage door to close it and climb out of my car. My legs are like overcooked spaghetti noodles. I wobble my way to the stairs. I never imagined being a manager would be this difficult. The idea of more power equals more work or decision-making was always something I understood or assumed, but dealing with Elaine today was beyond difficult. Every candidate I chose, she found something wrong with.
We finally agreed on five people, two from her pile, two from mine and one we both were iffy about but I suppose we were ready to call it a day. Prior to my Christmas holiday, Javier had not mentioned Elaine helping me. He had made it clear that it was my choice. So the lunch meeting really threw me for a loop. I’m not sure if Elaine coming along was his idea or one forced on him by her? Maybe he doesn’t think I can choose people on my own? Maybe he is regretting his decision in promoting me? My airway constricts; I let out a breath from my lips.
I inch my way up the stairs to my townhouse. It’s a three-story colonial-style home. I bought it several years ago and fortunately for me the previous owners did some pretty amazing renovations. Reaching the top of the stairs is like winning an award. There is a prize waiting inside for me, a liquid kind and I cannot wait to pop open the bottle of wine and unwind. Ha! I unlock my door and put my purse on the side table. I’m extremely safety-conscious so I immediately lock my door again.
The 2005 Shiraz is glaring at me from my wine rack. I bought this one a while ago. It’s been on my rack for at least a few years. Normally, I would wait to share a bottle like this with someone special, but today is my first day as a manager and this calls for a celebration. Besides, I’m supposed to be video chatting with Jack at any moment. I wish we were talking in person. My stomach is empty and a wrecking ball of nerves is swinging around inside. This long-distance thing is really a drag, especially after the day
