the car door and more scraping.
“Well, we are hoping to fill the position in the next few weeks, preferably before the office shuts down for the holidays. We are closed from...hmm, let me find my calendar...”
Oh, my God! “Right, for the holidays, I understand. Anyway, I’d love to send you my résumé.”
“Well, before we get to that, I have a couple of questions.”
“Okay.”
“The most obvious one, of course, is why should we consider you for the position?” he asked, before erupting in a terrible fit of coughing.
“Um...” Still coughing.
“Sorry...give me...just a sec...” he said between coughs, and she could hear him set the phone down.
She closed her eyes and rested her head against her hand. Come on.
“Sorry about that. Terrible cold...it seems to have migrated to my lungs.”
“Terrible...just awful. To answer your question, though, I think I would be a great candidate for the position based on my years of experience in a similar role with Clarke and Johnston Acquisitions in New York City...”
“We do things a little differently around here, I’ll warn you.”
“That’s okay. I’m a quick learner, and I’m loyal,” she said and cringed. Sure she was; that’s why she was desperate to get this job and bail on one of her best friends.
The outside porch door opened, and her heart raced.
“We do appreciate long-term employees. Your brother-in-law has been with us probably the least amount of time and he’s been here...”
“Ten years, I know,” she said quickly, hearing the stomping of boots in the entryway. “Anyway, sir, I really would love to send you my résumé, and I’m available for a face-to-face interview anytime.” Not exactly true, but she would make time.
Any second now, Vic would enter, and she really wasn’t ready to tell her friend that she hoped to move back to the city. She’d rather wait to tell her once she knew for sure about the job...maybe by phone. She shook her head. Victoria deserved better after all their years of friendship. She would tell her...soon.
The door opened, and Victoria came in, carrying a wailing Harper in her car seat. Weighed down with the baby, a diaper bag and several grocery bags, she struggled to close the door.
“Do you have children?” Mike asked.
“Some help, please?” Victoria said at the same time.
“No!” Heather answered Mike’s question.
“Seriously?” Victoria shot her a look before noticing she was on the phone. “Oh, sorry,” she said, setting the crying baby girl on the floor and shutting the door against the cold breeze.
“Okay...because we expect our employees to travel quite a bit,” Mike said.
Heather plugged her other ear against the earth-shattering wails. “I understand. That’s not a problem.”
Victoria unharnessed Harper from her car seat, and the crying stopped immediately.
Finally.
“Who are you talking to?” she mouthed.
Nosy much? Heather shook her head, hoping Vic would move on.
She didn’t. Instead, she bounced Harper on her shoulder as she paced in front of the desk.
“Okay, send me your résumé, and I’ll have a look,” Mike said.
“Great. Where should I send it?” she mumbled into the phone, turning her back to Victoria.
Please, let the email address be an easy one that she wouldn’t have to write down.
“Michael...underscore Ainsley...underscore nineteen...not the numerals, actually spelled out...at Highstone...no, wait... Did I say the nineteen?”
Heather sighed. “Yes.” Forget it, she’d ask her brother-in-law for the email later.
“Great. So, Michael...underscore...” The man’s voice broke into another fit of loud, throat-ripping coughs.
Victoria moved to stand in front of her, her eyes wide. “They sound terrible—who is that?” she asked. “And why are you on the rotary?”
“Hey, anyone notice that the connection for the network is down?” Luke asked, entering a second later.
Heather nodded and gestured at the receiver in her hand.
“I’ll try to fix it,” Luke said, coming around the desk.
Sure, why don’t they all hang out there?
He glanced at her with a frown. “Who’s dying on the phone?”
She was.
“Sorry, Heather. Did you get that email?”
“Yes, sir,” she lied. “Thank you. I’ll send it right away,” she said quickly, hanging up the phone.
Oh, my God.
Victoria was staring at her.
“What?”
“You’re leaving, aren’t you?” she asked, still bouncing Harper on her shoulder.
“No, of course—” She stopped. She couldn’t lie to her friend. “Yes...as fast as my little legs can go.” She stood and hugged her. “I’m so sorry, Vic.”
Victoria waved a hand. “Don’t be. I knew this wasn’t a permanent situation. It’s fine,” she choked out, as tears formed in her eyes.
“Oh, Vic—don’t do that!”
“They’re happy tears, see?” She faked a weird, grimace-type smile.
Luke laughed behind the desk. “Yep, those are happy tears.”
Heather shot him a look. “Nothing is definite yet. I haven’t even sent my résumé.”
“What company is it?”
“Highstone Acquisitions.”
Victoria’s eyes widened. “That’s wonderful! I applied there three times when I worked for Clarke and Johnston.”
Heather frowned. “I never knew that. Why didn’t you tell me? My brother-in-law works there—I probably could have gotten you an interview.”
“You were dating our boss, remember? Not exactly a trustworthy vault back then,” she said, looking envious. “So if Rob works there, you’re sure to get the position.” She didn’t sound thrilled.
