Page 9 of One Night Billionaire

“Actually, it looks like my current company isn’t going to miss me. I could start next week.” The woman told him.

“Just what I needed to hear. If you have a few minutes, we can go ahead and do the interview?” Brian asked her.

“Sure.”

The next hour was spent quizzing her on everything she had done with hints of the project he was specifically hiring her for to see if she was qualified to handle it. She nailed it, missing only a few of the questions that would have made her a perfect fit.

What won him over, aside from the fact that she could start right away, was for the questions she couldn’t answer, she didn’t pretend to know. She calmly stated that she wasn’t sure and then told him where she would find the information if this came up in the course of her work. That in and of itself would have qualified her for any role she applied for with him.

“Perfect. You’re hired. I will have HR get in touch with you to discuss the offer,” he wrapped up when they were done.

“I have one for you,” she said. “Why is this so urgent?”

“I can only be vague in my details about the project so I apologize for that. My TPM left abruptly and we are in the middle of a very important project that is on a tight deadline. I believe you have the skills to help me move it forward.”

She hesitated. “I understand you can’t disclose everything. However, I would like a clause that after the NDA is signed and I’m briefed, I have the option to back out.”

Brian took a deep breath. It was a fair request and one that he would have appreciated her asking more if he wasn’t desperate.

“Deal. I will have that included in the offer.”

“Level with me. Is it a mess?” she asked.

Brian answered the only way he could. “I don’t know. I will know more next Monday. I hope to you see here.”

“Thanks for your honesty,” she told him.

They wrapped up the call and Brian sent all her information to HR to get everything out to her as quickly as possible. He needed to follow policy but he needed her more.

They would waive any delays in background checks instead of the NDA, with a clause that it would still affect her employment beyond this project. He was taking a risk, but sometimes that was all you could do.

Chapter five

Annalookedaroundherlarge office and smiled. It was nice to be at an established company and not holed up in a warehouse-style office with no windows.

The windows here overlooked a parking lot, but it was windows nonetheless. She hadn’t even settled into her desk yet; she was just looking outside. Natural light was going to boost her productivity so much.

“Knock, knock,” Pete, her new boss said. “Sorry, it’s not a great view.” He walked up next to her.

“I didn’t have a window in my last office, so this is amazing for me,” she told him.

“No window?” he gasped in mock horror.

“None,” she confirmed.

“Well, then I take it back. I hope you enjoy your marvelous view,” he joked.

She laughed and turned to go back to her desk. She would ask to move it to face the far wall instead of the door so she could see out the window more.

“I wanted to come to make sure you were getting settled, but it doesn’t look like you brought much with you,” he remarked on the one box she’d carried in.

“I didn’t. I think I’ll wait until my probation period is over and I hear more about this project before I get too comfortable.” Honesty was best here.

He seemed to think it over before replying. “I can respect that you want to wait. I won’t keep you in suspense much longer. We can get started on that right now.”

“Perfect. I’d like to get started as soon as possible. When I spoke to Brian, he made it sound urgent.”

Pete laughed. “Most things are urgent to him. However, this one truly is. We don’t have wiggle room in the deadline any longer.”

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