Page 87 of The Austen Escape
She straightened and backed away. I did the same.
“You did this?” She pointed a finger to me. Craig wasn’t paying attention to us.
“Benson did. I sent him my work on Friday and he designed final schematics. He’s been awake a few days, I think.”
Karen nodded and got lost somewhere in her own thoughts until Craig surprised us both by slapping Benson’s computer shut.
“We need a full meeting. Rally the troops. When’s that meeting with HP? And—”
“Can we deal with one thing at a time?” Karen nodded to me.
“Right. You’re leaving. Why are you leaving again?” Craig swung back and forth in his chair, trying to keep both Karen and me in sight.
To make it easier for him, we circled his desk and dropped into the two chairs facing it.
“Okay, then...” Craig pulled a tablet over. He’d already forgotten his question. “I looked up MedCore. Good company, innovative work, and you are right, Karen, it’s not in conflict with what we do here. But I’m sorry to lose you, Mary. Four years is a long time... Five years. We’re at five years... You’ve been invaluable to this company.” He looked up. “You’ve also been a good friend.”
I smiled. “We’ve been through a lot.”
“Haven’t we?” He blinked, as if just realizing that we held thesame fond and frenetic memories. “It’s been a ride. Remember that first year when we—”
“That said...” Karen paused to clear her throat. “Growth is hard, and not everyone is equipped to handle the challenges. Procedural requirements and streamlining systems can rattle some people. I’m glad you found a company that fits your more fluid style. I think MedCore is half our size?”
“It is. They have a small line. In fact, all resources are focused on one product, a new dissolving non-lithium battery for humans.”
“How interesting.” Karen’s tone said it was anything but.
“Mary offered to see out the two weeks.” Craig looked between us. He widened his eyes and held them a few beats. It was his token gesture forGo figure out the details yourselves.
Karen bristled. “I hardly think that’s necessary. I’ve had every member of my team catalogue their work, down to the last detail, for the past six months. It was meant to bring me up to speed and highlight inefficiencies, but in both cases now, it serves as a line of sight to past interaction and future projects.”
“Both cases...” Craig’s focus drifted above and beyond us.
Karen squirmed, pushed herself straighter, and rushed on. “The procedures already in place minimize any disruption.”
“Fine.” Something hardened within Craig’s eyes. He dropped them back to his tablet. “Did they throw good money your way?”
I blinked.
“They should. Talk to finance. Moira will know; she can tell you what you’re worth.” Craig bounced back in his chair. “I certainly haven’t been paying you enough.”
“Craig.” Karen’s voice held a warning.
“What? She’s an engineer like me and loves the work. They’ll pay her less than she deserves if she doesn’t know.”
Loves the work... I found myself nodding.
Craig looked at his watch. “Any last words of wisdom for us?”
“I hardly think that’s necessary,” Karen interjected.
“Mary’s been here for five years. She was my...” He looked back to me. “Fourth hire?”
“Fourth hire,” I confirmed.
Craig smiled slow and long. “What fun we’ve had. It’s been a good run so far... Let me have it. What do we need to do different, better, faster? After all, there’s a reason you’re leaving.”
“Craig—”
