Page 17 of Nothing to You
She couldn’t believe it.The guys were cheering, and Helena was on her feet.They hugged and gushed, and she was just… astounded.
“What do we have to do?”Myles asked.“What’s our operating budget?”
“Another team had a similar pitch,” Helena said.“We’ve been asked to work with them on a feasibility study.”
“Another team?”
“Yes, and they want us to get to work as soon as possible,” Helena said.“We’ll be based on the executive level of MHQ.The squeeze will be tight at first, but we’ll need to keep the top brass in the loop every step of the way.We’ll be working very closely with the highest level of management.”
“Here?”Franco asked.“In California?”
“Yes,” Helena said, dialing back a little.“We were prepared to move if we progressed in See It Through.I told Mr.Cornish that wouldn’t be a problem.”Moving to the Golden State.Relocating her entire life.She’d been willing to do it before.Why did it seem like such a big step now?“We’ll get a moving bonus.There are employee apartments on the Mosaic compound.It’s like its own little village.We’ll live there until we decide we want to get something of our own somewhere else.”
“What if we don’t want to move away from the Mosaic Village?”
“I don’t know,” Helena said, returning to lay a hand on the paperwork.“I haven’t got through everything yet.They’re flying in a lawyer for us… I can’t believe this is… it’s like a movie.”She laughed then took a deep breath.“We’re still employees of Huddle.So our employee contracts don’t exactly change.These are just add-ons to cover what it means to work with Mosaic.We have a meeting set for tomorrow morning.If we’re a go, they’ll transport us to Mosaic HQ, and we’ll have the weekend to settle in.Work starts Monday.”
“Just like that?”
“I think so.We’ll have to go home to get our things.They said someone would do that for us, but I’d rather get my own things.”
Why?If it was as simple as giving someone a list, she had nothing to hide.
“This is incredible…” Myles said, falling into a nearby chair.
“He said Mr.Rourke is like this, he’s a really decisive leader,” Helena said.“I didn’t meet him.Leon Cornish from the panel yesterday came to me.He said Mr.Rourke only takes such bold steps when he’s certain.But it’s a minefield of an area.That’s why so many social media platforms shy away from anything like Huddle Hope.If we can crack it, with the help of this other team, we could make a big difference in millions of lives.”
“He gave you the hard sell, huh?”Roux asked.
“This was your idea, Roux,” Helena said, frowning.“Why aren’t you jumping for joy?You didn’t screw it up.Huddle Hope will happen… despite your outburst yesterday.”
“Maybe because of it,” Franco said.“I’ve heard Xavien Rourke likes passionate people.”
“One thing we know for sure, Roux is passionate,” Helena said on another laugh.“This is everything.For all of us.Executive level management stuff… overnight.We could never have got here with any other company or going out on our own.”
She was right.The opportunity was undeniable.A new life in a new place with a new job… maybe even a raise, she’d be a fool to say no.Who would say no?
SEVEN
“NO.”
“I haven’t said anything yet,” Hotshot’s voice came through her cellphone’s speaker.
“And to whatever you’re going to say, I say no,” she said, combing her just blow-dried hair.“I spent all afternoon yesterday with a lawyer thanks to you.Then on calls to long-haul movers.I’m moving my whole life.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, oozing cocky condescension.
“I’m doing this because it will help a lot of people… and because I won’t let my aversion to being your friend come between me and professional progress.”
“You’re a smart woman.”
He believed he’d won.Maybe he had.What war were they fighting?At that precise moment, she didn’t know exactly.But he certainly sounded sure of himself, good for him.
“Do you actually believe in the idea or are you flexing some macho misogynistic muscle?”
“Who cares?”he asked.“If you do your job right and this gets off the ground, do you think the people you help will care?”
“I won’t help anyone,” she said, amused by the prospect.“Of all the people in the world who someone might charge with caring for others’ sensitive needs, I’d say I’m the last person on the list.No, sorry, second to last.You’d be right underneath me.”
