it’s clear right away that nobody’s head is in the game.
“Jenna,” I begin as I address my team of five. I’ve got a strong team—I appreciate every single person and I wouldn’t want to see any of them get laid off. “How is the interface going? Did you work out that bug?”
Jenna scrunches up her freckled nose. “Do you think the project will get scrapped?”
“No,” I say patiently. “They would be stupid to scrap this project. Why would they buy our company and get rid of something with the potential for so much profit?”
“Because they want to dismantle the company and sell the parts,” speaks up George, another member of our team, who always drinks a decaf cappuccino. Decaf seems insane to me. Seriously, if there’s no caffeine, what’s the point?
“They are not going to dismantle the company and sell the parts,” I say firmly. “That’s what they do with stolen cars.”
“Companies too,” George insists.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes.
“What do you think he’s like?” Jenna asks.
“Who?” I say.
“Luke Thayer,” Jenna says. “What do you think he’s like? I read he’s only thirty-four. That’s pretty young to be a CEO.”
I already knew he was thirty-four. Because that’s the same age I am. And we did, after all, go to college together.
“Well, it was a family business,” I point out. “I read his father had a heart attack.”
Jenna nods. “He’s more than doubled the company’s profits while he’s been in charge. You don’t do that by being nice.”
“Jenna, I’m sure he’s…” My tongue sticks on the word “nice.” Luke isn’t nice. He was never nice. He’s probably more of an asshole now than he ever was. I’m dreading any interaction with him. I’m hoping he’s just going to say a quick hello, then move onto more important businesses.
“I’ve been reading what people say about him online,” says John, another member of my team. “People really hate him. They say he’s this heartless businessman who will sell you out for a nickel. Doesn’t care about his employees. Only cares about profit.”
“Well,” I say in my most chipper voice, “let’s prove to him that we can turn a profit, and our jobs will be safe.”
I’m not sure if my motivational speech would have worked. But at that moment, our receptionist peeks into the room, her eyes wide. “Ellie,” she says, “Mr. Thayer would like to see you in his office upstairs ASAP.”
My mouth goes dry. “Did he say what about?”
She shakes her head, her eyes still big like saucers.
My mind is racing a mile a minute. This doesn’t sound good. As one of the project managers, I am among the highest-paid people here. If he’s going to get rid of anyone to turn a profit, it will be someone like me. And let’s face it, in the programming industry, women are less respected. They probably think I’m more expendable than somebody like Nathan.
I get the fleeting thought that perhaps Luke recognized my name. But no, I doubt it. If he remembers me at all, it’s as Ellie, not Eleanor Jensen. That name won’t look familiar to him at all, I’m sure.
“Good luck, Ellie,” Jenna squeaks. And the rest of my team looks at me like I’m going off to the electric chair.
I hit the ladies room before I go upstairs. Partially because I always have to pee when I’m nervous, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to check out my appearance before seeing the best looking guy I ever met. At least, I need to make sure I don’t have any spinach in my teeth. Although I don’t know why I would have spinach in my teeth, considering I haven’t eaten any spinach today. But it would be just my luck.
I spend a good five minutes checking myself out in the ladies’ room mirror. I look… fine. Probably better than I did in college. My natural hair is a huge mound of frizz that would need its own seat on the bus. My roommate Delia used to jokingly refer to me as Rosanna Rosannadanna, after Gilda Radnor’s character on Saturday Night Live with giant hair. After college, I started getting keratin treatments, which have done wonders. My dark hair is straight and silky now.
Most of my lipstick has worn off, and my eye makeup is fairly subtle, as per usual. I’ve never been a big believer in lots of makeup. I prefer the natural look. But I find myself rifling inside my purse for my darker shade