Page 102 of Billion Dollar Dispute

Humming her agreement, she writes this down on a notepad.

“I also have questions about how they handled issues with events.”

“Good idea. You need them to be independent, to handle things on their own while you stay in the managerial role.”

“Unrealistic clients and how to talk to them.”

“Ask for examples. If they don’t have any, that's a problem.”

She makes another note. “What’s the biggest team they’ve managed, and how did they handle it? Any new marketing tools they’ve wanted to try or have tried successfully?”

I whistle. “You're really good at this.”

“You doubted me?” she bites out, with a teasing glint in her eyes.

“Never.” I smirk.

“One thing you should ask is how they handle feedback. Clients will give it, but you need to make sure they’re willing to listen to it, bring it to you, and offer solutions.”

She points her pen at me. “Good idea.”

Just as she finishes writing, her desk phone rings. Molly informs me that the first interviewee is in the meeting room. We rise, and as she rounds her desk, I stand in her way.

“You’ve got this. Don’t use your heart. This is all about your head.”

“This is business,” she agrees.

“Exactly. Now let's find us some colleagues.”

It’s strange how the word “us” rolls off my tongue with such ease, but soon I won’t be here. There won’t be an “us.” I try to ignore the way my stomach bottoms out and follow her to the room.

The interviews go smoothly and end on time. I sit back, letting her take the lead, never needing to speak a word. She’s intelligent, capable, and knows exactly what she’s doing. Leaning back and watching her in action, I’m in awe. She may not have envisioned this as her job, but now that she’s here, I can see she was born to lead. She cares about people but won’t take shit and that combination is perfect.

After the last interviewee leaves, I walk over to her and spin her around, holding her waist. “You were incredible.”

She looks down, then back up, her shy expression one I’ve never seen before. It’s adorable. “Thanks, but they made it easy.”

“They were great, and you made them open up. You’re going to have a hard time narrowing it down.”

“Were there any you think I shouldn't take to the next round?” she asks as her eyes drop to her notes.

I grab her files to carry them for her.

“Maybe the second to last one. Some of their stories weren’t as strong. You want people who’ve faced major problems and fixed them.”

She hums thoughtfully, nibbling the end of her pen as she reads her notes.

“Let’s go grab some lunch and we can chat more,” I suggest, knowing we both need a break.

“Good idea,” she agrees, looking up at me with a small smile.

“No Molly. Just us two.” I wink.

She hesitates, and her brow furrows slightly. “I feel bad,” she whispers.

“We can bring her something back.” I try to make her feel better, not wanting her to feel guilty.

“If we bring her a bagel with cream cheese and a coffee, I think she’ll get over it.” The tension eases from her shoulders as she chuckles.

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