Chapter 13 #2
“Knox mentioned you guys were restructuring,” I found myself saying. “That’s gotta be scary.”
Jason seesawed his hand. “Eh. I guess? But it’s the nature of the beast, or so I’m told. Gotta keep things fresh.” He winked. “Never good to get complacent. Good news for you is, this means you’ll move into the New York job that much faster.”
“Move into it,” I repeated. “So I wouldn’t be starting there.”
Douchebro from the waiting area had been right.
“Well, you would. On paper. And you’d go down for meetings and whatnot.
But for the first little while, you’d spend a good part of your time up here in Boston doing some onboarding: learning about our corporate culture and our clients, learning how to analyze project costs and feasibility.
All that good stuff.” He winked again. “Then once you’re up to speed, assuming all goes well, we’ll pay to relocate you. ”
Assuming all went well.
“So it’s a little like a probation period.”
He nodded. “If you like. But that goes both ways. Not everyone has what it takes to play for our team,” he said sadly.
“Being very real with you here, it’s demanding, rewarding work.
I love it. But if you’re the sort of person who wants work-life balance in the first year or two…
” He shrugged in a what-can-you-do sort of way.
“I get the feeling you could hack it, though.” He winked again. “And Boston’s a great city.”
It was. And—my stomach did a giddy two-step—it was closer to Vermont than New York was by a couple of hours.
Not that it mattered, since Knox and I wouldn’t be together by then.
I bit my lip. Except… what if we could be?
“In any case, you’re only talking about… oh, half a year. Maybe a year.” He paused, considered. “Year and a half at most. But in the meantime, we’d be paying you handsomely.”
He named an amount that was at least triple what I’d earn at Sunday Orchard if they could afford for me to work for them full-time.
I coughed lightly. “That’s your starting salary?”
“Yup.” He winked a fourth time. “And I haven’t even told you about the employee stock options. That’s why that waiting room out there was so packed, Gage. We expect a lot from our employees—long hours, some sleepless nights—but we reward that. That’s our version of work-life balance.”
I chuckled uneasily. “No wonder it’s popular.”
“I’ve taken a look at your resume,” Jason went on. “I’m extremely impressed. Your professors had excellent things to say about you. And is it true that you’re related to the guys who found the Whispering Key treasure and to Jayd Rollins, the musician?”
I blinked. “Uh. Yeah. Wow, your google skills are strong.”
“Oh, I take no credit. It’s all down to Hannah. But all of that would be nothing if you weren’t extremely qualified for the position,” Jason assured me, “and if Knox hadn’t given you such a glowing recommendation.” He winked again.
“Did he? That’s nice.”
Was it weird for someone to wink five times in five minutes, especially in an interview?
It felt weird. I was pretty sure it wasn’t dry eyes or a tic, either.
The man seemed to think he was being charming and friendly, but it wasn’t working.
Especially not after hearing Knox’s name conjured an image of the man in my mind—honest and scowly and solid, charming without ever trying.
In fact, charming because he didn’t try to be.
“Oh, it’s better than nice. Knox thinks you walk on water, Gage.
Went on and on about the app you’re creating and how easily you fit into the scene up there in Vermont, figuring out exactly what your clients needed.
I’ve never heard him be that enthusiastic ever.
” Jason seemed baffled by the very idea of Knox being enthusiastic.
“But that’s the kind of boundless energy we need here at Rubicon. ”
“Oh. Yeah.” I nodded, more because it seemed expected than because I was really excited. “Yes. No, I can totally do that.”
“Awesome.” He leaned toward me conspiratorially.
“Technically, today is supposed to be for first-round interviews, where we’re supposed to ask all those questions about your strengths and your goals and whatnot.
We’re not supposed to make selections until after the next round, but I told my boss I’d already picked you.
So what do you say, Gage? Would you like to join the Rubicon team? ”
I opened my mouth to say a hearty yes, of course, but when I tried to make the words move through my thick throat, it came out sounding like a wheeze. I licked my lips to try again, when a woman knocked on the door and poked her head in.
“Jason? Sorry to interrupt, boss, but Max is asking for you. It’s urgent,” she said apologetically. “And you know how he hates to wait.”
“Sure.” Jason winked at me once more—seriously—and stood up. “Two seconds, Gage. Be right back.”
I smiled and nodded, but when he was gone, I stood up and began pacing the length of the small sitting area—which was only three very unsatisfying paces long.
Why was I self-sabotaging? Jesus Christ. I needed this job. Not the way the other guys in the waiting room did, maybe. Not because I wanted to prove something to anyone…
I turned to pace in the other direction.
Or did I sort of want to prove to everyone that getting money all of a sudden hadn’t turned me into a dilettante and that the company I wanted to start wasn’t just a hobby or a vanity project?
I turned again.
It didn’t matter, because I needed to learn about running a business before I could start my own. I needed to understand how to bring a project from a dream to an end product.
I spun once more.
But would I really learn here? Jason seemed like a really nice guy, but the gaps in his knowledge were large enough to drive a tractor through.
How many times had he said that he trusted people in other departments to take care of the parts of the business he didn’t understand?
And if it wasn’t uncommon for a project to take years and years just to get into development, how long would it take for me to get that experience?
Not to mention, how well would I fit with people like Preppy McDouchebag from the waiting area?
I turned again.
Still, no job was perfect, and—
“Gage! Sorry about that.” Jason hurried back in and gave me a smile that seemed a bit forced.
“My boss called. He needs me to jump on a couple of things before he arrives tomorrow, so I’m afraid I’m going to have to cut our meeting short.
” He shrugged. “Pivoting is the name of the game around here. But can I tell him that you’ve agreed to jump on board? ”
“Oh, yeah.” I nodded. “I would love to…” I broke off, my mouth gone dry. “But I’m gonna need some time to think about it first,” I concluded, shocking both of us.
The moment the words were out of my mouth, though, they felt right. I felt peaceful.
I wanted to think about this commitment a little more. I wanted to talk to people I trusted and make a rational decision. I wanted to talk to Knox, specifically, since I trusted him more than maybe anyone else in my life to give me the unvarnished truth.
Jason frowned. “Is it the salary? Because I could see if we could negotiate the salary vs. bonus if that—”
“No! Gosh, no. The salary isn’t the issue.
It’s…” I hesitated, thinking about how I could present this like my Grindr ass dimples, but Knox and I hadn’t practiced what to do in the extremely fucked-up scenario where I got cold feet and choked after being offered the job I’d been gagging for. So in the end, I opted for the truth.
“It’s that I’ve spent the summer having a certain amount of autonomy, and I need to wrap my mind around being a well-paid intern on probation for a year and a half again.
” I smiled ruefully. “I understand this is how companies like Rubicon work, and it makes perfect sense for you. I just want to be a hundred percent sure that it makes sense for me, because once I commit, I commit.”
“Ah.” He looked gratifyingly disappointed. “Well, fair enough. We’ll touch base in a few days, then? See if you have any more questions I can answer for you?”
I nodded. “Thanks for understanding.”
I strode out toward the elevator, eager to get out into the fresh air, and nearly ran into Myles, who was heading in the same direction.
“Gage!” He eyed me up and down and grinned. “You sure clean up nice. Did you interview with Jason?”
“Yeah! Yeah, he’s great. I’m gonna think about the job. Talk it over. That kind of thing.” Why wouldn’t this elevator come faster?
“Oh. Well, I’m sure it’ll all work out,” Myles said, making it perfectly clear he had no idea what I was talking about and didn’t care to know.
I took out my phone and sent Knox a text. Maybe I’ll let you pick me up after all if you still want to chauffeur me.
He wrote back immediately. You’re done already? Tell me how it went! No, wait. Tell me in person. On my way.
I grinned down at my phone like a sap.
“If you’re spending time down here while you make your decision, I know Curt and Rod and the others would love to hang out,” Myles said. “Maybe you can even convince Knox to have us over to his place for once.”
“Maybe.” I shrugged distractedly and put my phone back in my pocket. “Depends how fast it sells, I guess.”
“Sells?” Myles frowned. “Knox is selling his condo? Really? He’s always been so proud of that place.” He rolled his eyes. “I thought he was subletting it.”
“Yeah, the sublease is over. But it’s been on the market for a while. I mean, he’s living in Vermont now, and he’s way too… particular about things to be an absentee landlord for long.” I grinned, thinking particular was my new euphemism for control freak.
“I suppose,” Myles said dubiously. “But why now when he’s moving back to Boston in just a few weeks?”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”