Page 76 of Return on Love

The next morning I get dressed in a pine green pant-suit. But instead of heeled sandals, I wear my flat-soled shoes. Yeah, baby. That’s right. I’m no longer a slave to these stupid notions. From now on, I’ll do what I please.

The office is in a state of excitement. Everyone is busy whispering and talking, and no one is even pretending to work. Talk of Priscilla is rife. Apparently, they’ve hushed it all down and no police have been involved. Stephen Stratham is still coming on board as an investor. There are rumors that Priscilla’s brother’s wedding to Stratham’s daughter is being called off. Once Lily has filled me in on the gossip (we were together the whole time, I don’t know how she’s still on top of all the news); I stroll over to Bernard’s office.

“Good to see you back here,” I say, as I peep in through the door.

“Good to be here. Thanks to you,” he says, coming over and giving me a quick hug. As we both take a seat, he looks at me straight in the eyes. “Why do I have a feeling you’re not here to give me good news?”

I purse my lips. A part of my brain wants to avoid the potential uncomfortable situation and just decide to stay on and give Bernard what he wants. The other, the one recently awakened, powers through and forces me to meet Bernard’s gaze and tell him what I truly want.

“I’ve decided,” I say, leaning back in the chair. “I want to explore a different path. Please don’t think I’m ungrateful or anything, but I want to have what you have—a spring in my step when I go to work, and this is not the place which’ll give me that.”

Bernard smiles and leans a little forward. “Not even the surety of partnership? You’ll have your own team, your own office. I have hinted to many that you’re the one who brought this all forward in this amazing, meticulous yet prudent way. With Priscilla gone, and Weber not in the good books of anyone they’re all ready to give you whatever you want.”

I feel that twinge again, my old self trying to push me down. It’d be so much easier to just say yes. It has money, power, everything I’m expected to value. But I can’t. If I don’t walk away now, I never will. I know I’ll regret it later.

“I can only thank you for your faith in me, Bernard. At this point, even I’m not sure what I want, but I know that this is not it. I’m sorry if I’m putting you in an awkward position in the firm or with the other partners because of this.”

Bernard stands up and walks over to my side, and sits down on the edge of the table. “You don’t need to apologize for doing what you want, Eva. Never. Not to me. Not to anyone else. I obviously want you to stay on. But that’s for my selfish reason. I want good people around me and in my team. It strengthens me. But I’d never want you to stay on against your wishes.”

He holds my shoulder and bends down a little, looking directly into my eyes. “Just remember, my team will always have a place for you if you ever want to come back. Now go. Before I change my mind and start emotionally manipulating you to stay.”

He smiles and steps back. I know he’d never do that and I’m overwhelmed with emotions that he thinks so highly of me. A hold back a tear as he pulls me into a bear hug.

“I hope we can work together again, even if it is as a client and investor,” he says, as I walk to the door.

I go back to my desk. I need to think when I should put in my resignation. The countdown to my last salary will start from then. Perhaps I should wait a little till I get some interview calls. As I open my laptop and check my emails, I’m pleasantly surprised to see responses from two of the four companies I’d emailed last night. Both have called me for an interview. One of them, a gaming company, MooreGames’ competitor based in LA, has asked if I could meet them today itself! Wow! That’s fast.

I reply in the affirmative and within a few minutes receive a call from their office for finalizing the time. They want to meet in three hours. I joined my firm right from grad school and have applied nowhere since then. I’m completely out of touch as far as interviewing for jobs goes. Clearly, I wasn’t really expecting anything so soon.

I haven’t even added my work at MooreGames on my resume. As I type in the points, I feel a stab of pain. I’d enjoyed my stint there and if nothing else, I at least found something I enjoy doing.

I make a hasty stop at Lily’s workstation, whispering to her where I’m going and make a run for the exit. On my way, I think of answers to the usual interview questions of why this company, and why I’m leaving. I reach their office well in time, at least slightly better prepared. The glass building is huge and their office occupies the entire fourth floor. If the number of employees is anything to go by, they seem at least four to five times the size of MooreGames, maybe more. I feel conscious of my pant-suit in this environment, where everyone is sporting loose T-shirts and jeans. Thankfully, I’m not wearing heels.

A man, probably my age, comes to fetch me in a few minutes.

“Hi, I’m Nick. C’mon inside,” he says, leading me into a room with a round table and a couple of chairs. He sits on one of them and waits as I make myself comfortable in the other.

“So, Eva. I hear you wanna join us? Why?”

I tell him the same reasons I gave Bernard, citing my work with MooreGames and showing off wherever possible my knowledge of the gaming industry. I feel I’m rambling on. I wish I’d had more time to prepare.

He stops me as I’m rattling off some stats of the gaming industry. “Okay, I get it. You know the industry, at least the facts about the industry. But where do you think you fit in?”

I’m at a loss here. I really don’t have creative experience, but that’s what I want, but I have to reply. So I just smile and say, “I’m sure you have something in mind for which you called me at such short notice.”

It’s his turn to smile. “You’re right. I met Ryan Moore during the codathon here some weeks ago. They mentioned your firm is helping them with funding. Now, we’re looking at expansion and obviously raising money. I’ve been thinking about getting a person on board, so when I received your email last night, I felt the answer had fallen into my lap and I’d be foolish to let it go.”

“So, you want me to help you find investors?”

He nods. “Yup. That’s what you do, isn’t it? I looked into you. I guess MooreGames is the first client your firm is handling in this space. But that’s okay. I can pay you thirty percent more than what your firm is paying you, plus a bonus if we get the funds.”

I slowly nod my head. That’s a start and maybe once inside the firm I can look for other opportunities, like I did at MooreGames. It was possible. “I need time to think.”

“Sure. Let me know before Monday. As you probably noticed, I like to move fast. If you have concerns, you can call me directly. Here’s my number.” He hands me his business card with a handwritten number. “This is my personal number, so please don’t share it with anyone else.”

“Ofcourse.”

“Great,” Nick says, jumping onto his feet and extending his hand. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Eva, and I hope to see you working for us as soon as possible.” I shake his hand, and in seconds, he’s out of the door.

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