handled through them.
I would have to thank my brother at some point for pissing me off enough to bail town and find better waters. All things considered, I saw no need to do much negotiation, although I had one thing on my adult wishlist I’d add. “Would the company be willing to help me find an apartment that would allow a dog?”
“We’re a dog-friendly employer. Assuming your dog is trained, you are welcome to bring the animal to work on days you’re not required to leave for meetings. Some of our contacts welcome dogs as well, but that’s case-by-case.”
I foresaw a dog in my future, one as cute, fluffy, and lovable as Rick’s. “I don’t have a dog yet, as one wasn’t an option in my previous apartment.”
Garret smiled. “We’re used to accommodating pet owners moving into the area, so this is no issue.”
I flipped through the pages to locate where I needed to sign over my soul for a chance at a good, challenging job that paid me closer to what I deserved. I swiped the nearest pen, gave it a click, and signed. “As I have successfully negotiated for the ability to have a dog, I’m quite pleased about this proposal.”
My new boss—or, who I assumed would be my new boss—chuckled. “Considering I managed to finagle a range for your old salary out of your former employer, I thought you’d enjoy our proposal. It’s a tough job, but we try to make sure the pay justifies the headaches.”
“So far, the headaches seem comparable,” I admitted.
“That’s what I gathered after listening to your previous job description. Frankly, your tolerance for an intense work schedule was what bumped you to the front of our list. In our line of work, flexibility is needed. We never know who is going to walk through our door with a proposal, and sometimes, those proposals take us all over the world.”
That caught my attention. “It does?”
“Yes. There are many companies who wish to move into New York City and need to know the legal and financial ramifications of such a choice. I’ve found sending our negotiators with an accountant makes the process go much smoother. People like you are the financial heart of an investment group. You see all the numbers other departments sometimes miss—and you know how the money flows. So, we’d be foolish to exclude accountants from such ventures. I do wish we’d been better named for what we actually do. Auditing challenges are only a small part of our firm’s operations, albeit a critical one. I think you’ll find your job challenging but rewarding, especially as we issue corporate cards for travel so you don’t have to worry about filing as many expense reports. Accounting likes when we have nice, neat, easily tracked credit cards assigned to employees for tracking expenses. We do require expense sheets be turned in that match the expenses on the card, but it’s much easier on the accounting at the end of the year this way.”
I wanted to cry from joy. “You concentrate the expenses to credit cards?”
Garret’s smile widened to a grin. “I do love the moment an accountant realizes we’ve significantly simplified certain elements of their work. We do. We consolidate many expenses to be easily tracked. Every corporate card is linked to only one employee, and we have an accountant who checks all credit expenses every week to make certain there is nothing fraudulent. We allow traveling employees up to thirty days to turn in expense sheets, but we do confirm what expenditures are going through on a weekly basis. We try to avoid issues.”
I slid over the signed papers and matched his grin. “I think I’m going to like it here, Garret.”
“As do I. Welcome aboard, Hope.”
Seven
You should get a nicer model and buy yours new.
Signing the hiring proposal started a frenzy of activity, and after two more hours, three meetings with various members of HR, and all the other little things required to hire me in the state of New York, I secured full-time employment. I handed over the key to my storage box, which would be emptied and transferred to my new apartment in New York.
On Monday evening, I had a date with one of their real estate agents, who’d help me find a place within my budget.
Once finished with the necessities to be employed, I hiked to my hotel, grabbed a quick bite to eat on the way, and flopped in front of my laptop, checking my email to