Read Page 14

I pondered that. Maybe it had been an emperor's new clothes deal, where the fact that I didn't join the crowds to swoon over Rod counted as something. I'd proven that I wasn't easily swayed by peer pressure, but I'd also proven that appearances did apparently count with me—although it was more Rod's smugness and oily manner that had turned me off.

"But why me?" I asked after a while. "I'm just so ... so ordinary. There are probably hundreds—thousands, even—of people in this city with exactly the same qualifications. Okay, maybe not who have worked in a feed-and-seed store, but you see what I mean."Advertisement

"You'd be surprised how rare the truly ordinary is," Owen said softly. It was the kind of thing Yogi Berra would have said, but Owen made it sound profound and mysterious. I squinted at him in confusion, and he continued. "You have a unique perspective, a way of looking at things, that we find valuable."

"Oh, I get it," I said with great relief. "You're looking for a reality check."

His face lit up, and I fell just the least bit in love with him. "Yes! Exactly."

Now everything made a lot more sense. Some big corporation actually wanted my small-town honesty and common sense, instead of looking down on me because I grew up west of the Hudson River. I still wasn't sure how they'd found me in the first place, but I was sure big companies had all the resources they needed to find the right people.

"So, would you like to pursue this further?" Rod asked. "Things can get a little complicated from this point. Our executive team would have to interview you, and of course we'd tell you more about who we are. We would expect some discretion on your pan, in return. We operate out of the public spotlight, so we'd ask that you not discuss our business matters with anyone else."

There was still something just the least bit odd about all of this, but by now I was intrigued. I wanted to know who these people were, and I couldn't resist the idea of working for someone who might actually respect me a little bit, who had made such an effort to recruit me, out of all the people in New York. The more cautious part of my brain warned me that they could be playing to my ego, but curiosity overruled caution. "Sure," I said, hoping my voice didn't shake quite as much as it felt like it did.

He smiled, a real smile instead of a fake one calculated to charm, and for a second he actually looked good, proving that I'd been right about him. A less oily personality and a little effort made a big difference. "Great! If you'll excuse me for a second, I can try to line up the next step."

He got up and went outside, which left me alone with Owen, and the moment the situation turned from business to social, he got shy again and clammed up. We both sipped our cappuccinos in silence, darting little glances at each other. I'd have to get advice from Gemma on how to get a shy guy to relax and speak.

Rod came back inside, and I dabbed at my lips with a napkin, hoping I didn't have a foam mustache. "Is there any way you can get away during the day on Thursday?"

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he asked. "That's about the only time I can get together the people who need to meet you."

I didn't want to risk losing this. I wasn't quite sure if I was desperate to escape from Mimi or excited about this job, but I knew I'd do just about anything to pursue the opportunity. "I can take a sick day," I said, then I suddenly worried that being so willing to admit that would dim my image of small-town honesty. "I haven't taken one yet," I hurried to explain. "And if you knew my boss, you'd know they owe me a mental health day or two." Oops, I'd just committed another job interview sin, complaining about my current boss. But they didn't seem to care.

"Great. We're set, then. We'll see you at ten Thursday morning." He handed me a business card that had MSI, Inc. printed on it in Gothic lettering, along with his name and the usual contact information. "The address is on here, but it can be a little hard to find, so let me draw you a map." He took the card back, turned it over, and sketched in a few streets and landmarks. "Just ask for me at the front desk," he said as he handed the card back to me.

I tucked it carefully into my purse as we all stood to leave. Rod was the first to shake my hand. "I'm glad you finally decided to meet with us," he said.

"I figured it was either that or you would have driven me crazy."

"You're not wrong about that," he said, and he wasn't laughing or smiling. "You have no idea how much my bosses want me to get you on board."

Owen came around the table and shook my hand. "I look forward to having you on the team," he said softly, meeting my eyes for the first time, and then immediately blushing from his collar to the roots of his hair. He had the prettiest dark blue eyes, but they didn't do him any good if he didn't let anyone see them. He and Rod made quite a team. Rod acted like he looked like Owen, and Owen acted like he looked like Rod. Maybe there had been a science experiment gone wrong somewhere in their past. pqdm.com