32. A Complication
A Complication
Wednesday morning, Noah sat at his desk, composing a report for the team.
After Thursday's planned movie night fell through in the best dating fail ever, he'd spent the weekend with Claire, touring Houston during the day and exploring her body at night.
Monday and Tuesday had been a grind, with testing sessions that stretched late and bled into evening calls with the team.
But now, with this last bit of documentation, they could finally make the needed changes and check another item off the project task list.
His desk phone buzzed, and he answered without looking at the caller. "Raines."
"Noah. Jackie here. I need a moment. Can you come 'round and see me?" The IT director's preference for in-person discussions was well-known. Simon had once suggested she didn't enjoy talking on phones where she couldn't see your face, and Noah agreed.
"Sure. Be there in a sec." He sent off the email and stood up, stretching his back as he did so.
He'd been spending the nights at Claire's this past week and hadn't gotten in his usual workouts.
Although—he smiled smugly—he had gotten in plenty of cardio.
Speaking of, he needed to pick up more condoms soon.
He walked toward the management branch of the IT wing with a lightness in his step that hadn't been there for a long time. Things had been going his way lately. His time with Claire, the project… Hell, he'd even won at poker last night.
Claire had declined again, saying poker wasn't really her thing.
He'd intended to cancel, but she'd encouraged him to go without her.
His brow furrowed. Rick knew about his attraction to Claire, but no one else did.
It felt like he was keeping secrets, which was far different from being private about your personal life.
His steps slowed. Was that what Jackie wanted to talk to him about? Had she somehow found out about him and Claire? Shit. Were they in trouble? He wiped his palms on his trousers as he approached her door.
She had her head down, reading what looked like a contract. He rapped on the door and she looked up, smiling.
"Come in. Have a seat."
His muscles loosened at her smile. If he were in trouble, she'd have greeted him with a stern face, not a happy-to-see-you look.
Although he did a double take when she got up and shut her office door before sitting back down again.
He slung an ankle over his knee to hide his nervousness and tried not to bounce his foot.
"What's up?" He raised an eyebrow and jerked his head toward the closed door.
"We talked before about how well you're doing on the MADS update project and I wanted to let you know several department heads have told me you specifically have been instrumental in getting their team's cooperation.
And your communication about what's going on has made them less nervous with the upcoming changes to their system. "
Noah's face flushed, and he shifted in his chair. The ticking of her wall clock filled the silence as he absorbed her words. "That's nice to hear, but I'm just doing my job."
"Simon said you're struggling to balance your workload between the project and your duties at the plant. Is that true?" she asked.
"Struggling?" He blew out a breath. "It's definitely a challenge.
And now that the coding and testing phase is underway…
yeah, it's becoming harder. The time difference doesn't help.
I only get a few hours in the morning to communicate with England before they leave for the day, and I try to prioritize those emails first." His heart picked up at the thought of falling down on the job. "Has someone complained?"
"Not at all. If you recall, I told you a while back how you'd become quite the team leader and people looked up to you." Jackie fussed with the paper in her hands before abruptly moving it aside and looking straight at him.
"Ye-es?" The word dragged out of him, reluctant to hear what she had to say next. His ears warmed and he shifted in his chair.
She sipped her coffee, watching him over the brim of the cup.
"I'd like you to come onboard full-time to the project."
Time came to a standstill. Noah shook his head, thinking he'd misheard her.
"Wh-what?" he stammered. He straightened and uncrossed his legs. What did that mean? What exactly was she suggesting?
Jackie rushed on before he could ask. "You're a natural leader and people listen to you.
In addition to being our operations liaison, you've unintentionally become an authority figure on this project, both to team members and the users we work with.
Not only do you have years of institutional knowledge and operational know-how, you also have a way with people.
You impart your knowledge in ways that don't step on their toes.
In ways that empower them and make them feel like they have a say in the matter. "
Noah flushed at the praise. His hand trembled as he ran it over his hair.
He squirmed and focused on deciphering her words.
He couldn't remember anyone ever calling him a natural leader before.
His mind flashed back to the conversation with Tristan about him forging the way at every new place they moved to, before going back to her opening salvo.
"What does full-time on the project mean? And what about my day job?"
"I've spoken to the leadership team and they all agree our priority is getting timely information into the hands of our users. And Mitch thinks you'd do well in the role."
What? "You talked to my boss? And Mitch said he wants this?" Noah's head spun. He'd had his suspicions about Mitch helping him fight his growing discontent, but pushing him out of operations? The idea scattered his thoughts and his heart raced.
"More like testing the waters before 'officially' talking," she said. "What do you think?"
This conversation was moving way too fast. Noah needed time to process. And catch his breath. He racked his brain for something to stall and give him time to think. "A project is a temporary thing."
Jackie nodded.
"What happens after the project is over? They will have replaced me at the plant, and I won't have a position in operations to return to."
"Or there might be a future in IT."
He laughed. "Right. Transfer to the dark side. I'm not an IT geek."
She smiled and leaned back. "Neither was I.
Neither was Simon nor Larry. Most IT managers I've met have come from somewhere else.
You have a natural proclivity toward logic and technology, and you're bright enough to learn the technical bits.
It's your institutional knowledge and your ease with users that makes you invaluable in an environment where we manage and distill data.
With your years of working in the business, from the shop floor to a management position, you know all the ins and outs of how things work, why they're set up the way they are, and the changes we need to make them work better. I'd like you to join IT permanently."
Jackie lifted her coffee cup and took another sip while Noah absorbed everything she'd said.
It's true he'd been looking for a change, but he'd never considered making a lateral move to the administrative side of the company.
He'd thought the global reach of the project might open doors at other locations.
Then again, as he'd told Claire, he truly enjoyed his work on this project.
"What exactly would my position be?"
"You'd be Simon's second. The official title is to be determined, but something like IT Application Manager.
As far as the MADS update project goes, your day-to-day duties would stay the same, but your authority would increase.
Right now, you're a subject matter expert who represents the users and can only make suggestions.
With this change, you'd have the power to make decisions and guide the team.
Something, I might add, you're already doing without the official authority. "
Noah's brain kicked in to high gear, thinking through the ramifications. "Where would I sit?"
"Here in Houston, if you're willing to relocate.
" She shrugged. "If you don't want to move, we could work with you in England, but it would be far easier having you here at headquarters where all the action is.
" Shock at the thought of moving away from his family threatened to take over, but he ruthlessly shoved it aside.
He reminded himself he'd been willing to consider Australia just a few weeks ago.
Jackie folded her hands on her desk. "There's a pay raise involved."
"What?" The whirlwind of thoughts spinning in his head froze and dropped, splintering like icicles knocked from their dangling perch.
"You'd be starting as a level ten manager.
That's higher than you are now." The building apprehension slid backward and, in its place, excitement slowly crept in.
He didn't want to get too hopeful, but this sounded better and better the more they talked.
"Your duties inside the project would continue, but outside the project, you'd be supervising IT staff. "
Warning bells rang, and he clenched his fists. "IT staff?"
"Simon has too many direct reports. He's the enterprise application manager.
It's hard to keep your eye on the bigger picture when you're busy managing all the bits and pieces.
We want to build a layer between him and those who manage the specific applications.
You'd manage those tied to the MADS system while he focuses on governance, oversight, and the proposed data warehouse and application links feeding it. "
His blood froze in his veins, Claire's face springing to mind. "And the developers?"
"Yes. The VIG contractors, Claire Broussard, and the staff who manage secondary applications feeding into and retrieving data from the MADS system. Excluding those managed by the financial team, of course."
His stomach twisted. Fuck. Shit. Fuck. He'd be Claire's manager.
A huge conflict of interest and definitely not allowed.
Jackie had presented him with a fantastic solution to his career dilemma.
A solution made impossible to accept if he wanted a relationship with Claire.
The excitement that had been building took a sudden dive and his stomach turned sour.
"What happens if I decline?"
Jackie frowned, then shrugged. "I honestly hadn't expected you to hesitate. Let's see… you'd stay on the team for now, but I'll have to hire someone eventually for the role. At that time, you'd go back to your day job."
Noah's stomach knotted again and threatened to evacuate its contents, but he kept his face straight.
His first impulse was to say no and walk away, but he'd been unhappy with his career prospects long before Claire entered his life.
However, if he said no, what would happen to him and Claire?
Jackie made it sound like they would replace him altogether and send him back to the production floor in England.
The idea of going back to his old position almost set off a panic attack, the realization coming as a shock.
He'd had random thoughts that he was outgrowing his current job.
But right here, in this moment? He couldn't deny it.
He couldn't go back to what he'd been doing.
"Give me some time to consider it?" When she stared at him, he reached for the charm he was known for and added, "Relocating my entire life isn't exactly a snap decision. Surely you can give me more than two minutes to wrap my head around it?"
"Yes, of course." She turned in her chair and focused on her laptop, effectively dismissing him. "I'll send you the job description with timelines for you to review. I'd like to know your answer soon, so I can start the paperwork to get you transferred. Or not."
"Sure." He stood to leave, taking a moment to make sure his wobbly knees would support him. "And, Jackie… " He waited until she looked up. "Thanks."
She smiled and waved him out.