Page 27 of Begin Again, Part 1

"Well," Eden began as she pushed her glasses up her nose, a clear sign she was nervous. "I've recently bought a house, and I need a permanent job to support my son and keep a roof over our heads."

"How old is he?"

"Eighteen months," Eden replied.

Gibby crossed her legs, a small crease forming between her eyebrows. "I'll be honest with you, this is a challenging role."

"I'm not afraid of hard work." Eden quickly put her mind at ease, assuring her she wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty.

"It's not the work I'm worried about," Gibby said. "It's the executive you'll be working with. He's demanding, sometimes unreasonable. Your life has to revolve around him. When he calls, you show up, no questions asked. No more brunch with your friends, Sunday afternoon weddings or spa days. You have to eat, sleep, and breathe the job."

Eden swallowed hard. He didn't sound like a nice man, whoever this executive was.

"He has a fiery temper, too. As a result, staff have nicknamed him the 'Dragon'. When he's unhappy, one can swear he breathes fire." Gibby smiled.

"He sounds terrifying," Eden said in a small voice.

"He is." Gibby nodded, pulled out a sheet of paper from the file, and slid it across the table. "But he's also a generous man. That's how much he's offering for the role."

Eden's eyes grew so big she thought they'd pop out of their sockets. Sure, she wouldn't get all the money in one go. But R650K over twelve months, minus the pension fund, etc., was still a lot of money. It was way more than she could ever dream of making with her illustrations.

With that kind of salary, she'd pay off her mortgage and car in no time, get on with her major renovations sooner than she thought, and start a modest trust fund for Aiden.

"I don't know what to say," Eden said, pulsing from her toes all the way to her fingertips.

Gibby held up her hand, curbing her enthusiasm. "Don't thank me yet. Since you don't have the right level of experience and have so much to learn still..."

Eden smelled a 'but' coming, and all the big dreams she had seconds ago vanished in a puff of smoke. No more trust fund for Aiden.

"There'll be two of you, so we'll have to split the offer," Gibby explained as she pushed another piece of paper at Eden. "This is what you'll walk away with if you sign the contract today."

Half wasn't bad, considering she wasn't expecting such a generous offer. She was starting to like the Dragon. He could breathe fire all he wanted. She'd even shine his shoes, too, if that was what he wanted.

"You'll have all the usual staff benefits. Medical aid. Twenty-eight annual leave days, forty sick leave days in a three-year cycle, and five family responsibility leave days. You'll get staff discounts at our eCommerce partners and travel a lot. We also have an in-house daycare. Of course, that's not free. But you can pop in on your lunch breaks to see your son. Over and above that, you'll receive an annual bonus based on the company's performance."

Gibby didn't need to sell her the dream. She already had her at R325K. But one thing bothered her, and she had to ask, "why?

"Why what?"

"You said I don't have the experience, so why would you want me and pay me so well?"

"I'll be honest with you, Ms McBride," Gibby said. "There are far more experienced applicants, but I have a good feeling about you."

Her eyes glued to the numbers on the contract, Eden wanted to believe her. She wanted the offer to be real so bad for Aiden's sake. But it all sounded too good to be true. "I don't know if I'm the right person for the role."

"You are, and with my guidance, you'll be soaring in no time. But if I fail to do a good job, your new boss will send you on the best training programme in the country."

Who was this man? Generous and patient too? Why would anyone call him the 'Dragon'? He should be more like 'St. Gracious' or something.

"Can I sleep on it?"

"I'm afraid we need an answer before you leave this room." Gibby pulled out five documents from the file, all with different names, Eden's included. "We want you, but as you can see, there are four other candidates we've shortlisted."

Eden thought for a moment, sweat trickling down her back as she rubbed her clammy hands on her skirt. Four other people were trying to steal Aiden's trust fund and her clawfoot tub. No way in hell she'd let them take her fat salary from her.

"I'm sold!" She quickly decided, stopping short of jumping in her chair with excitement.

"Fantastic!" Gibby rewarded her with a warm smile as she handed her the contract to sign and initial on every page. Blinded by possibility, Eden signed the document without reading the terms or any other fine print.

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