“He took me to dinner,” Shelly said. “And when I told him I was looking for a job, he said there was something coming available at TAKA-Hanson. You’ve heard of Hanson North America, right?”
“Oh, yes.” Norma Winston prided herself on staying informed. She took three newspapers: the Mt. Vernon Register-News, the Tribune and the New York Times. She read all three, too.
“Uncle Drake says Hanson Media merged with a giant Japanese company called TAKA Corporation some years back, becoming Hanson North America here in the States. Since then, under the name TAKA-Hanson, the merged company branched out into other things, beyond the media business. Including this way upscale, exclusive hotel chain. I guess Uncle Drake’s got an ‘in’ there or something, though he was pretty vague about how he knew the job would be open.”
“But you’re excited?”
“Yeah. I am. I have a feeling this is it.”
“Well. I know it is.”
“Mom. That’s what I love about you and Dad. You’re always so sure good things will happen.”
“Because they will,” her mother said. And then she laughed. “Nothing but good news ahead.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“Of course I’m right.”
Shelly was ready and waiting at the TAKA-Hanson building the next day when the human resources office opened. She turned in her résumé and made it through two tiers of interviews. When asked what brought her to apply at TAKA-Hanson, she played it safe and left her uncle Drake out of it.
“I like what I’ve heard about the company,” she said. It was true. She’d spent two hours on the Internet before bed the night before, researching like crazy, learning all she could about TAKA-Hanson, which had home offices in Chicago and Tokyo. “And it occurred to me I ought to come in and get my résumé on file,” she added. “Just in case.”
The woman across the desk nodded. “As it happens, your timing is perfect. We’ve learned this morning that Tom Holloway, CFO in our hospitality division, will be needing a new assistant.”
Yes! Inside, Shelly was jumping up and down, doing the happy dance. But when she spoke, it was in her most polished, professional tone. “It sounds like exactly what I’m looking for.”
The woman clicked her mouse and frowned at her computer screen. “If you’ve got time, I’d like to go ahead and send you upstairs now. You’ll meet with Verna Reed, the woman you would be replacing.”
“I have time. Definitely.”
The elevator ride to the top floor seemed to last forever. But the doors slid wide at last and a slim, fiftyish woman was waiting on the other side. “Shelly? I’m Verna. Follow me.…”
They went to Verna’s desk in a roomy alcove outside a closed door with Tom Holloway’s name on it. Verna looked over Shelly’s résumé and explained the job duties and asked questions about how Shelly might handle this or that situation. Shelly felt she did well. And she liked Verna, who was friendly and down-to-earth.
“I love this job,” Verna confessed. “The money’s great, there’s lots of variety—and Tom Holloway is my hands-down favorite as bosses go. But my husband’s retiring. You should see the RV he went out and bought. We’ve always said someday we’d travel together, see America, all that.” She cocked her neatly combed head. “Let me see if Tom can spare a minute or two for you right now. What do you say?”
Shelly’s heart did a forward roll. Yes! “I’d love to meet Tom.”
Two minutes later, Verna ushered her into the sunlit corner office. The man behind the wide desk looked up. He had gorgeous blue eyes. “Shelly. Hi.” He rose to greet her.
His jacket was nowhere in evidence and his silk shirt, which exactly matched those unforgettable eyes, was rolled to below the elbows. She took the hand he offered. His grip was solid. Strong.
When he released her hand, he gestured toward a nearby chair. She sat.
“Verna seems to think she’s already found her replacement.” He had a great voice. Deep and firm. Warm. And so…manly.
She grinned then. She just couldn’t help it. “I think so. And I really hope you think so, too.”
He had her résumé and application up on his computer. “Let me have a look here.…”
She waited, thinking how attractive he was, wondering if she was happy about that or not. Having a hunky boss could be a distraction.
But hey. She could learn to live with that. She could learn, easy.
“Everything seems to be in order here.” He sent her an approving glance. “Two years at Southern Illinois University studying business…and until a month ago, you were managing the office at Coffey Fire Alarm, Incorporated?”
“That’s right. Life kind of got in the way of my getting my degree.” Life in the form of a beautiful baby boy. “And at Coffey, I wanted a promotion. And more money. They were happy with my work—you can see they gave me a great letter of recommendation. But they’re a small company. I was running the office for them. That was the best they had to offer.”
“So you quit.”
“Yes. I loved working at Coffey. But after making several requests for a raise and a promotion, and being told there was nothing available unless I wanted to move over into sales, I felt the job was going nowhere. I wanted to be free to look full-time for something better.” She didn’t mention the sleepless nights since then, the worry and the guilt. What sensible single mom quit her job when she didn’t have another one lined up? At the time she handed in her resignation, she’d felt she just couldn’t bear another day in the job that went nowhere. But months without a paycheck had shown her otherwise.
Tom was nodding. Did that mean he liked her answer?
God. Interviews. Like walking through a minefield of handshakes and loaded questions and cordial smiles.
“What brings you to TAKA-Hanson?”
He would have to ask that one. She hated to lie. And really, why not just tell him the truth? Her uncle’s name was on the tip of her tongue. But with her savings on life support and the perfect job in the palm of her hand, she couldn’t do it, couldn’t take the risk of losing what she needed so much.
She played it safe and trotted out the same story she’d given the woman down in HR. It seemed to fly.
“You’ve heard about our hotel project, then?” he asked.
She had. From Drake, when he’d told her about the job. And from her research the night before. “I saw that article in the Tribune. The Taka San Francisco will open in the fall, right?”
“A soft opening,” he said. “Gives us a chance to work out the kinks. Our grand opening will be in Kyoto, Japan, over the holidays.” He was quiet again, studying his computer screen. “I see there’s a child.”
“Yes. My son, Maxwell. He’s going into first grade this year.”
“You’re not married,” he said thoughtfully, his eyes on the monitor. She’d checked Single on the application.
She hitched up her chin. “That’s right. It’s just Max and me.”
“I’m guessing your ex-husband has the boy some of the time?”
“There is no ex-husband. In fact, Max’s father is not in the picture.”
“You’re…on your own?”
Irritation