Dark Redemption - Charlotte Byrd Page 0,59

anything she wants, and I could get a job at any major magazine or newspaper.

They're not that many celebrity newspeople anymore, but the ones in certain positions know how valuable we are. This could be my ticket to the top, but it can also be something that blows up in my face and if he catches me and he puts the word out there that this is who I am, that I may not be able to get another job with anyone else.

"I'm going to do this," I say, shaking my head with great certainty. I realize the risks but I really want to do this.

"Good.” Dante nods, reaches over, and gives me a kiss.

35

Dante

The following morning, I get a call on my Google phone number from Seattle.

Wow, they took the bait a lot faster than I thought they would.

I walk out of the room and head downstairs, walking on my tiptoes and finally answering on the fourth ring. It's a recruiter from Seattle calling to confirm Jacqueline’s references.

She hasn't had much experience and as much as I had to spruce up her resume, it wasn't going to be nearly enough to land her this position. However, I wasn't sure if she would go along with lying on her resume and so I did it for her.

I added a phone number at the bottom right before she checked it over and sent it. The phone number led to my Google voice name set up with a virtual assistant to take the call representing my New York startup. The assistant kept the recruiter on the line prior to getting me on the phone: me, Jacqueline’s boss.

The recruiter is polite and quickly gets to the point.

"Yes, Jacqueline is a great employee and we're really going to miss her,” I say. “And as much as it pains me to let her go, I have no choice. She goes above and beyond for every task and has worked more than a few late nights trying to meet various deadlines.”

The recruiter wants to know more.

"As you know, the startup world is not light on work,” I elaborate. “She only asked for a raise once even though she probably should have gotten it three times, but she appreciates how tight the money is now. And I know that in the right environment and working for the right person, she will be able to accomplish great things."

I go on and on talking her up.

But I also make sure to mention a few flaws.

One of the reasons why women often stay in administrative positions longer than they should is that they don’t ask for raises often and don’t delegate much, choosing to do a lot of work themselves.

This makes them too valuable in their current positions and other less capable people get to move up. Everyone who has ever worked in any corporate environment, especially one that's full of hustle culture knows this to be the case.

I play this up knowing that that's exactly the type of person that Vasko would choose to be his assistant.

The recruiter finishes our conversation sounding excited, mentioning that she will put Jacqueline’s application on top of the pile.

“I’m sad to see her go but her mind is set to do something different. She prefers Seattle but she is also applying for positions in San Francisco and San Diego as well.”

I mention this to put a little pressure on the recruiter and when her voice tenses up I know it did its job. I hope it's enough to make her work a little harder to make sure that Jacqueline is the one who gets hired. And if she does get the position, the recruiter stands to make ten to twenty percent of Jacqueline’s annual salary as a finders’ fee.

"Hey, who are you talking to?" Jacqueline asks, walking down the stairs, coming out onto the patio.

I hang up, hesitating and wondering whether I should tell her the truth.

As soon as I see her there, I decide not to lie.

"That was the recruiter."

"Why was she calling you?" Jacqueline stands in a bathrobe with her hair tied up in a messy bun.

I can see a little bit of her pajamas underneath the silk robe.

"Okay, don't get mad, but I added something to the resume right before you sent it."

“What?" she gasps.

"A reference as your boss. You worked as an administrative assistant at Sunflower, mobile game startup in New York. I'm the CEO."

"You're the CEO of a mobile game startup?" Jacqueline starts to laugh leaning against the