room. He gulped down his coffee and rubbed his face.
Keisha slipped into the office. “What did she want?”
“To crucify me.” He shrugged. “I have an interview at five thirty today.”
“I hate them.” Her eyes grew shiny. “Please. If you find another position, take me with you?”
Touched, he left his seat. “Are you okay if I hug you?”
“Oh, shut up and get over here.” They held each other.
“I can’t imagine working anywhere without you. Are you serious?”
“Never more so. She was questioning me, asking all about you.” Keisha’s brown eyes narrowed. “Then she tried to sweet-talk me by saying it would be better for my career to work for her than you. I don’t trust her vibes.”
Jake knew Keisha didn’t speak ill of people lightly. “I’m not talking to her about anything outside of work.”
“Good,” Keisha said, but both of them knew it didn’t make one damn difference. His days with Precision were numbered.
He spent the rest of the day with his head down, answering Renée Schneider’s questions. All nitpicky items her secretary could’ve handled, but Jake recognized the power game in action. He hated everything about it but kept his mouth shut and his smile pleasant, hoping the interview later in the day would go well and he could put Precision behind him. If not…well, it was too depressing to think about.
At five thirty he entered the offices of the social media behemoth and was gratified to see a significantly more relaxed and less structured atmosphere than at his financial services company. God, everyone looked so young. Was he already over the hill in his midthirties?
A smiling young man with a mop of blond curls to his shoulders greeted him. “Hi. Can I help you?”
“Yes. I’m Jake Axelrod. I’m here to meet with Carson Welch.”
“That’s great.” And from the man’s megawatt smile, it looked like he meant it. “Have a seat, and I’ll let him know you’re here.” He picked up his tablet and typed something, and within two minutes another twentysomething individual, this time a tall woman in a maxi dress, with her hair in box braids extending down her back, entered through the glass doors.
“Mr. Axelrod? I’m Timeka Lord, Mr. Welch’s executive assistant. Follow me, please.” She led him through the doorway to the spacious interior. “How are you doing in this heat?” They passed by offices, where people congregated in animated group discussions, and Jake glimpsed a ping-pong table in a corner as well as an area set up as a living room. All in stark contrast to the cut-and-dried office and conference rooms at Precision. His heartbeat quickened.
“It’s a killer, but I managed to get to the beach this weekend, so at least there was some relief.”
Her hazel eyes sparkled. “Oh, I’d die if I couldn’t get to the ocean. My husband and I go to Jones Beach every chance we get.” Her glowing deep-amber skin was a testament to that sun worship.
“We took my daughter to Coney Island, and she loved it.”
“I haven’t been in years.” They rounded a corner. “Now I want Nathan’s fries.” They laughed.
“Nothing better.”
She led him into a small but airy conference room. “Have a seat. Carson will be with you in a minute.”
“Thanks.” He set his briefcase down and closed his eyes for a second to put himself in the mindset. It had been years since he’d interviewed for a job.
The door opened, and a man several inches shorter than him and around his age walked in. No jacket, shirt undone at the collar, and with a wide-open, freckled face, Carson Welch projected an image of easygoing, Midwestern friendliness. But Jake had studied him and knew he possessed razor-sharp business acumen and an uncanny ability to spot trends in their infancy. Welch prided himself in a small but fiercely loyal inner circle, whom he rewarded with excellent pay and benefits. When people came to work for him, they didn’t leave. There was much to learn from a man who’d started this company while in business school and now was one of the richest men in the country. Jake hoped to have that chance.
“Jake. Wonderful to meet you.” They shook hands, and Carson sat not across the table, but next to him.
“Same. I was very excited to have received a call from you and your company.”
“Awesome. Rocco, our Human Resources person, only left because his husband was transferred to Asia, and he didn’t feel he could adequately perform the job from there. We were sad to see him go. But then