Page 96 of Irresistibly Us
Julie bends and kisses Tyler on the head and then me. “Do your nostalgia. But family dinner,” she orders. “Thursday night. I’m inviting everyone.”
“Sounds perfect,” Tyler and I say in unison. Then he leans in to kiss me again, right in front of his parents, and I wonder if life can possibly get any better than this.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
SOPHIE
“Sophie, thank you so much for taking the time to join us.” I sit up straight in my chair as the video call for my third interview connects and Luke Davis appears on the screen, along with two other men and absolutely zero women.
Because of course.
I’ve been impressed with almost everything about this company, but their lack of female representation in the C-suite is rage-inducing. If they offer me this job and I take it—emphasis on theif—my very first order of business is to pack that C-suite with all the estrogen it can hold.
Focusing my attention on the screen, I wince a little at my image in the tiny box on the bottom right. The muggy, late-March rain means my hair is at least twice its normal size, and there is no possible way they aren’t picking up the clink of my bracelets over the speakers. My lucky pink blazer seemed like a good idea when I got dressed this morning, but now I’m not so sure. Would a woman who is CEO material wear an armload of bangles, refuse to put her hair up lest her curl definition sufferfor the rest of the day, and wear a blazer so bright it can practically be seen from space?
Unlikely.
But I am constitutionally incapable of being anyone but who I am. It’s one of my favorite things about myself, so here we are.
I also may have overdone it just a little on the concealer, but when one is up all night fucking the hot football god of her dreams, abundant undereye coverage is practically a job requirement.
“It’s my pleasure,” I say, channeling the most professional version of myself which, let’s be honest, is not all that professional. In addition to the hair, bangles, pink blazer, and eighty pounds of concealer I’m just now noticing could really use a better eye cream underneath, it feels like a professional interviewing for a CEO position would have fewer than four beverages on her desk and would enjoy a more sophisticated candy than jelly beans in weird flavors that are actually awesome. I eye the bowl of candy in the corner of my desk and wonder if there’s a way to surreptitiously eat a handful while on camera. Probably not. And then I wonder if taking this job means I would have to force myself to be less…well…me. I don’t like that thought at all.
“I’m grateful for your consideration.” The words sound a little hollow, even to my own ears, and I give myself a quick mental pep talk because I am a badass bitch and I deserve this opportunity, even if I’m not completely sure I want it.
Luke nods. “Before we start, let me introduce everyone else on the call. Aidan Gray is our chief innovation officer. He leads the research teams and then liaises with George Sedgewick, the head of product development. They work together to turn the results of our research into tangible solutions to help schools enhance the value of the STEM education they provide.”
I nod, leaning slightly forward, excited butterflies suddenly flapping in my stomach. I think whiplash and conflicting feelings are the words of the day. “I’m familiar with your work. I can’t tellyou how many of your white papers I’ve poured over to try to incorporate your findings into the work we do here at the foundation.”
“I appreciate that,” Aidan says. “We’re great fans of your work as well.”
“Absolutely,” George says with a nod and a smile. “We’re grateful you’re considering the CEO position. I can’t image someone better suited to the role than you.”
Luke chuckles, even as the butterflies in my stomach are joined by a thousand of their friends. “George, we’re supposed to be giving her the impression we’re interviewing her to determine if she’s the right fit for the job.”
George rolls his eyes, leaning back in what looks like his desk chair. “That seems like a waste of her time and ours.”
“Agreed.” Aidan picks up a coffee mug, taking a sip. “InspireSTEM is doing incredible work in the STEM education space, and we know a lot of that is because of you. The programs you have implemented both in your community and around the country are unmatched. The breadth of your expertise in the space, combined with our funding and research capabilities, would put MasterLab at the absolute forefront of STEM education.”
“I appreciate the kind words,” I say, just barely resisting the urge to pat myself on the back for the professionalism in my voice when what I really want to do is jump up and down and fist pump because fuck yeah, I did the thing. “My dad built the foundation, so I had good bones to work with.”
“No doubt,” Luke says. “I’m a great fan of your dad’s as well.”
“Just not his phone,” I say wryly.
Luke grins. “Maybe don’t tell him that.”
I shrug. “I think that really depends a whole lot on my particular mood the next time I see him.”
Shit.
I forgot for a second I was talking to a very important personand not a friend. This is why I can’t be trusted in professional spaces. My chaos brain is too unpredictable for this kind of thing.
But all three men laugh as if I’ve said the most hilarious thing in the world, and I wonder, not for the first time during this interview process, where the asshole behavior is. Typically, when men in a technology-focused space talk to women, the mood is less jovial and far moreLet us explain things to this woman who dares to walk among us thinking she knows things.
It’s…confusing. But also, I like it, even if I still think there should be at least eighty percent more women in this company.
“Listen, Sophie,” Luke says, propping his elbows on his desk and leaning forward. “Since George has pretty much shattered the façade of any actual interview process, let me cut right to the chase. We want you. Badly. We want you to be the CEO of MasterLab and to take it to the next level and then every level after that. With you at the helm, we think there is no limit to what this company could be.”
