Chapter Thirty
CHAPTER THIRTY
The following morning, Kya reached for her stash of Corinne Miller business cards. Next thing, she was joining the tech CEO for lunch at a Korean restaurant with a Michelin star.
‘Thanks for meeting with me today,’ Kya said, once they were seated.
‘Please,’ Corinne said, perusing the cocktail menu. ‘I’ve been dying to try this place, no one is ever available, and as a bonus, I get to expense it.’
‘Do you have to worry about that? You’re the boss.’
‘I imagine my CFO might have something to say about that. I know how to make money and how to spend it. She’s the one that knows about managing it.’
‘A female-led company,’ Kya noted, low-key impressed.
‘I insist on it,’ Corinne said. ‘Maybe it’s different for you, but the tech industry was just one giant man cave back when I started.’
‘It hasn’t changed much,’ Kya said. ‘They let women in, but it’s still a cave.’
Corinne folded the menu and set it aside. ‘A damn shame.’
‘Speaking of men,’ Kya said, ‘I wasn’t sure whether to get in touch but Victor Ortiz passed me your card and I figured I had to act on it.’
‘Little Vic Ortiz? His grandfather was my father’s accountant for decades. I’ve known him his entire life.’
‘I think it’s safe to say he’s grown up now.’
‘Either way, it’s smart of you to reach out,’ Corinne said. ‘Always take the meeting. You never know what may come of it.’
They were on the same page, at least. Kya recognized opportunity when it knocked. Something could come out of this meeting. She didn’t see a future for herself in lab automation, but she was open to freelancing if only for an excuse to stay in Miami a while longer. If she stayed, she and Quinn could take their eyes off the clock. They’d have months to explore this thing between them, rather than burn through it in a few short days.
‘I’ll get straight to it,’ Corinne continued. ‘We weren’t looking to hire right now but considering your experience at Ex-Cell, we might grant an exception. I’m sure you’d be an asset to us. Tell me more about your time there. Together we could figure out how best to use your skillset.’
Kya’s cheeks burned. She reached for a glass of water then stopped herself. Embarrassing or not, she had to get it out. No stalling. ‘My time at Ex-Cell didn’t end well.’
‘Even so,’ Corinne said. ‘It’s impressive.’
‘It was all very impressive until they fired me,’ Kya said bitterly.
‘You kids take things so personally,’ Corinne said. ‘You know what they say, right? Your career hasn’t begun until you get axed.’
No one said that. And Kya wasn’t a kid. Up until recently, she earned a six-figure salary while balancing a successful blog and day-trading stocks – although any clever kid could do any combination of those things from their home computers.
‘Next time it won’t sting as much,’ Corinne promised.
‘No,’ Kya said. ‘I won’t go through this another time.’
‘You will if you want to make waves.’
Her brother managed to make waves all while being treated with respect. His contributions were valued. Was that too much to ask?
‘Maybe you don’t need a job as much as you need a little advice,’ Corinne said.
‘I’ll take the advice, but I do need a job,’ Kya said. ‘I don’t know what to do with myself when I’m not working.’
‘Have you considered working for yourself?’
‘No.’ She was a lot of things, but a boss babe wasn’t one of them.
‘You should.’
The waiter came around for the drink order. Corinne went for a classic martini, and Kya stuck with tap water, asking only for a wedge of lime.
‘Please don’t hold back on my account,’ Corinne said. ‘I hatched the plan for my company over drinks with my friend, Joanne. We were at one of those networking events, bored to tears. She’s now my CFO.’
‘I have a long night ahead,’ Kya explained. ‘It’s Music Week, and my girlfriend is playing an event later.’
Had she really called Quinn her girlfriend? How would she have reacted if she’d overheard? Would she blush, or turn away?
‘What instrument does she play?’ Corinne asked.
‘She’s a DJ.’
‘Will she be playing at that concert downtown, the one that draws people from all over the world, blocking traffic and causing chaos?’
‘Yes! We’re so excited!’
Kya was shocked by just how excited she truly was. Everything had been building up to the week, and this one major performance. She couldn’t wait to see Quinn on the main stage.
Corinne topped up her water glass from the carafe on the table. ‘In that case, you really should stay hydrated.’
‘I’d like to hear more about the networking event that started it all. How did that brainstorm session go? Did you draw an org chart on cocktail napkins?’
‘I’ll never forget that day. We were miserable, just moaning over our awful jobs. At the time, my employer was demanding I relocate to San Francisco, even though I was hired to work remotely. It was just a ploy to get rid of me. They knew I wouldn’t do it. I’d have no choice but to quit. Joanne had been passed over for one too many promotions. So, we’re at the bar, ordering another round of Cosmopolitans – we thought we were so cool – and Joanne says, “We should branch out on our own.” I’m so glad we did. Our company is small and nimble. We love what we do, and we don’t have to answer to anyone. Well, I have to answer to Joanne and vice versa, but I’m fine with that.’
Kya picked up her phone and opened an app. ‘Do you mind if I take notes?’
‘If you like.’
‘I blog about this stuff, the ups and downs of working in tech. My subscribers would love this story. I mean … if it’s okay with you?’
‘Certainly. We need all the exposure we can get.’
‘I’m not Forbes or anything.’
‘Nobody reads Forbes , but I’m willing to bet your subscribers read your blogs.’
They used to, anyway, Kya thought. She’d built an engaged community and she missed them. This could be the way back, writing about others who’d struggled in the industry, taking the focus off herself.
‘All I ask is that you use a flattering photo of me,’ Corinne added.
Kya laughed. ‘That shouldn’t be difficult.’
Lunch was delicious. By the time they left the restaurant, Kya had enough material for a series of blog posts – but still no job.