Page 5 of Hidden Chance

“I don’t envy you. Give me my computer and gadgets any day of the week. I’d rather write reportsuntil the wee hours of the morning than have to listen to those stuffed shirts drone on. Or worse, have to convince them of something.”

The elevator dinged its arrival, and the group stepped on.

“Don’t forget those stuffed shirts give you your paycheck,” said a man in a lab coat. Hannah was pretty sure his name was Brian.

“They’re not so bad,” Hannah said. “They do a lot to help people in need.”

Marissa grunted again. “Only because it makes them look good.”

“I don’t care. I’ll take what I can get. Besides, they’ve got me on their heels to keep them in check. And today, I’m going to convince them to reach into their pockets a little deeper. We all know how kids are treated on the rubber plantations, and I want to make sure TreadCraft Dynamics leads the way in looking after them and their families. We’re the leaders in the industry. We should be leading the way in how we take care of others no matter where on the totem pole they stand.”

“Is that part of your speech?”

Hannah let out a breath. “It is. Do you like it?”

“You’ve got my vote,” Brian said. “But I don’t think I’m your target audience.” The doors slid open on the lab floor. “Good luck.”

Half the elevator emptied.

She focused on the floor as they continued to climb, mouthing out the introduction she’d planned for the meeting.

“I’ve always wondered if you were one of thosevirtuous types.” Charles was the IP manager, although Hannah wasn’t really sure what that meant. She had little to do with him, so it was hard to tell if he’d meant his comment to be disparaging or not.

Thankfully, the doors opened, so she didn’t need to discuss it further.

“Break a leg,” he said as she stepped off ahead of him. He chuckled under his breath as they went their separate ways.

The cubicles in the bullpen were mostly empty as they usually were at that time of the morning, but she knew the offices would already have their occupants getting ready for the meeting. She stopped and pressed a hand to her stomach to settle her nerves, then veered sideways to stop at an office to the left.

A man in his early forties, wearing a well-fitting suit, looked up from his computer. “Morning,” he said, pushing his keyboard back so she could see he was giving her his full attention.

“Morning, Pike.” Pike was her boss and was always positive when he spoke to her, though he’d tried to talk her out of this meeting. In the end, he’d relented, and he’d been supportive since then. She needed more of that positivity now.

“How’re you feeling?”

“A little nervous, if I’m honest.”

“You don’t look it. You look fantastic. Power suit and all—but are you still sure you want to do this?”

“That’s why I stopped by.”

“You’ve changed your mind?”

“No. I’m more sure than ever. I know you wantedme to drop it, but I need that encouragement you gave me the other day. I respect your advice as my boss.”

“But you don’t always follow it.”

She shrugged. “I wouldn’t be a very good employee if I couldn’t think for myself.”

“That’s one of the things I like the most about you. The other is that you stick to your convictions. When you’ve set your mind to something, you do not relent. That’s not always a good thing, but I like it in an employee.”

She couldn’t take all the credit for her determination. She’d been praying about it for weeks and felt certain that God was leading her to follow through despite the numerous times she’d almost given up. When she’d woken up this morning, she’d thanked Him for the positive outcome she expected. But entering the building had stolen some of her confidence.

“All right. If you’re sure, then I support you a hundred percent. Don’t worry about the guys at the meeting. If you feel overwhelmed, look at me. I’ll be smiling. Focus on that, but don’t be afraid to look the others in the eye.”

“Thank you. That’s what I needed.”

“Any time. I’ll see you in there.”

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