Page 20 of An Engagement for Erica

She started to type. “Would you like that to go in as a positive or negative? It can be presented both ways. You want food or that you appreciate the change that was made and hope it continues.”

“The second is better,” Joel said. “I’m not afraid to say it like it is to Tucker. He’s a decent enough guy, but he’s got a long road to drive through torrential rain and winds.”

“Would you like to explain that to me?”

“Is it part of what you’re going to be asking?” Joel asked. “No reason to go off course.”

“There are several questions this could fall under and I’ll clear it with you.”

“Then I hope you can type fast,” Joel said. “I’ve got a long list of things that need to or should change. None that Tucker has done and most likely doesn’t even know have gone on or are happening. Here it goes.”

At the end of the day, Erica’s fingers were sore. She allocated ninety minutes for each interview. An hour to talk, and thirty minutes to make sure she put everything in her notes.

But Joel went over by thirty minutes and since he was the second in charge, she just called the other interviewee to tell them when to show up.

The Controller that Tucker had told her about had a lot of complaints and issues that went even longer.

Three hours had turned into six and she was glad for the food because she’d had to help herself to some between the two she’d scheduled.

“Still here?” Tucker asked.

“Yes,” she said. “We went a little over.”

He snorted. “Great,” he said. “I can only imagine.”

She didn’t say a word about what was said today and wouldn’t. “I’ll plan better for Wednesday and let those two know we could go over and that my time is their time.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” he said. “I want the staff to feel as if they are placed somewhere higher than they were before.”

She could easily say that they already did from the two she talked to, but wouldn’t.

It seemed as if neither had horrible issues with Tucker as a person and more about how things had been run and hoping there’d be changes.

She said more than once that she had no idea what the results of her contract would produce.

Personally, she was positive Tucker would make a lot of these changes. Why else would he be paying as much as he was for her services if he was going to just ignore everything?

“You’re doing a good job letting them know that,” she said. “Just contracting with me should be a first step.”

He came in and reached for a juice on the table. “I think so but not sure if they do,” he said. “I should have had lunch food brought in. Sorry about that. I thought you’d be done before lunch.”

She’d started at nine and should have been. But here she was at three.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said. “I’ll be prepared for Wednesday. I did eat a bagel.”

“I’m glad,” he said. “But I’ll probably order lunch on Wednesday, so I’ll let Alice know where and have her get an order from you. And if you need to adjust the contract, please do.”

She had so many hours allocated toward the work. “We’ll talk about it as we get closer. It might have been only today that took so long.”

He laughed. “It’s going to get worse,” he said. “You dealt with the two most laid back today.”

Oh crap.

Well, he did warn her.

“All part of what I’m hired for,” she said. “And I’m just about done.”

“I’ll get out of your way and see you on Wednesday,” he said. “Maybe. I’m back to back with meetings too, but I’ll try to pop my head in to at least say hi.”

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