Cyrus’s eyes widened, and that feeling of ut-oh came over me.
“Didn’t Jude tell you? He hired me.”
He shook his head. “It must have slipped his mind. But since you’re here, and eager to start, let me show you around.”
Now I wondered if maybe I should wait for Jude. Awkward didn’t adequately explain how this situation was.
“This, of course, is the front area. You can set up shop here.” He walked up the hall. “Here is the restroom. There’s only one, but there’s a lock. A conference room, break room, and two offices are here.” He held his arm out toward one of the offices. “Why don’t you come into mine and we can have a chat.”
Since he was my other boss, I figured I should agree. I entered the office and took a seat in one of the chairs.
“Do you want coffee?” he asked. “I just made a pot.”
I shook my head. “No thank you.” I hoped he didn’t ask me to make him any. I’d need to make it clear to Jude that coffee making and ordering flowers for wives or girlfriends wasn’t in my job description.
“I don’t mean to be indelicate, but what are your qualifications?”
At first, I was offended, but then I remembered that I met him at the restaurant. He didn?
??t know my real job.
“I have a degree in business administration and accounting. I’ve worked at Davidsons doing much of what you need. Project management. Payroll. Bookkeeping. Basic admin tasks.”
“I don’t know Davidsons.”
“It’s an accounting firm,” I said, not mentioning it was started by my father and run by my brother. I didn’t want him to think I only worked there because of nepotism, and not on qualifications. Then again, maybe not saying anything would seem like a lie of omission.
He sat back in his chair, steepling his fingers. “Again, I don’t mean to be indelicate, but I’m aware that there used to be something between you and Jude—”
“He and I grew up together. He and my brother used to be best friends.”
He arched a brow. “But there was more.”
So, Jude told him about us? “Yes, but that was a long time ago. We were kids, really. Would you have difficulty working with the girl you dated in high school?” It felt wrong to relegate our relationship to puppy love, but I wanted to make sure that Cyrus knew I could be professional. My past with Jude wasn’t going to get in the way of this job.
“Hey,” Jude said, poking his head in the door.
“Jude, I was just getting better acquainted with April.”
Jude stepped into the office and smiled, although it looked a bit strained. “I picked up a few things for the office. April, want to follow me?”
I looked at Cyrus, now wondering if one of them had seniority. I couldn’t just leave a meeting with Cyrus at Jude’s whim, could I?
Cyrus stood and nodded to the door. I rose and followed Jude out to the front area. On the desk there were several bags from the local office store.
“I figure you’ll know what to do with all this,” Jude said motioning to the office supplies.
Cyrus laughed. “Maybe we should get April’s hiring paperwork sorted before we put her to work.”
“Right.”
“Jude, why don’t you and I pull that together while Ms…”
“Davidson,” I said.
“Davidson.” He frowned as if he realized my last employer had my same last name. “While she gets these things organized.”
Jude nodded and they went to the office area. I wondered what Cyrus was asking him and how Jude was explaining my hire.