“Oh, hi, Hilary.” I clear my throat. “Um. What can I do for you?” Then I check the calendar. I’m not mistaken. It’s Saturday. Why is she working on a weekend? I heard from a few coworkers that she doesn’t do that anymore. Apparently, it’s one of a few conditions for her continuing her employment at OWM.
“Gavin would like you to come to the office as soon as you’re able.”
Shit. Saturdays mean a day off for most, but not those in finance. “Um. Didn’t he get my email?”
“That’s why he wants you to come.”
Somehow that doesn’t sound reassuring. An exit interview can wait until Monday. “Is he upset?” He was pretty smug about his recruiting skills during the welcome lunch, so maybe now he’s pissed off.
“Should he be?” she asks in the same warm tone.
Damn it. That’s got to be her way of letting me know that she, too, is mad at me. “Okay. I’ll be there soon.”
I probably owe Gavin an in-person explanation. And honestly, it’s probably a better way to end my short stint at OWM. I shower quickly, then dress super fast. For makeup, I opt for mascara and lip gloss. I don’t need more than that for the office.
Still, it’s ninety minutes later that I reach Gavin’s office. Hilary isn’t at her desk. Her travel mug is missing too.
Gavin, on the other hand, is in his office, working on his laptop. Even though it’s Saturday, he’s dressed in a suit. I don’t think he owns anything else.
“Hi,” I say. “Hilary said you wanted to see me?”
“Yeah, I do. Sit down.” He gestures at a chair, taps his keyboard a few more times and then closes his laptop and turns toward me. “So. What’s that notice about? Did you get a better offer elsewhere?”
Oh shit. Is that what he thought? “No. Of course not.”
He pulls back in surprise. “You don’t have a new job lined up, but you’re quitting? Why?”
“If you really want to know…” I inhale deeply and tell him what I discovered about the deal between him and Court.
He listens, then waves me away like everything I just said is about as important as a fruit fly buzzing around. “Pascal. That is the most fucked-up—uh, I mean, the silliest thing I’ve ever heard. A hundred million? Come on. That’s”—he casts around for a word—“a joke.”
“I’m sorry, but what?” Did he and Court decide to use the exact same excuse?
He leans forward. “Let me clue you in on a couple of things. One, I hate idiots. Okay? Hate ’em. Two, I have a few billion bucks in my own account. More than your boyfriend by at least a couple multiples of ten. You understand what I’m saying? So no amount of money can make me put up with some moron who makes me wonder how they tie their shoes in the morning. And three, when there’s a hiring mistake through a referral or whatever, I usually correct that in a month and put a black mark on the referee’s record. Since I started doing that, which was”—his eyes stay on me, but lose a bit of focus—“I don’t know, six years ago? Seven? Anyway, we don’t get those anymore.”
Well, this is a new side. Gavin’s always so nice that it never really occurred to me he could be…like this. “But Court doesn’t work for you.”
He looks horrified. “Damn right he doesn’t. I wouldn’t hire him even if he begged me. He doesn’t have the right training or temperament for what we do. The only thing he did was ask me to just talk to you for ten minutes, then offered to open an account here with his hundred million.” He says it like a Michelin chef talking about a fast food taco. “Like that was going to make a difference to my decision to see you.”
Gavin doesn’t seem to be faking it. And he has no reason to lie to me. “But you did change your mind about seeing me,” I point out.
“Yeah, because he was so convinced that I’d see your brilliance if I just gave you a chance. He sees you and sees perfection. And I said yes because, well… Actually, I’m not sure why I said yes. I guess I just like the guy. But even though I agreed to see you, I had no expectation that you’d be any good.”
I swallow. Court thought I was perfect. He just wanted me to have a chance because nobody else was giving me one. Oh my God. What have I done?
“But you know what? He was right. You did impress me, which is the only, let me repeat, only reason I hired you. And also that’s why I then let him open an account here. In case you didn’t know, I don’t allow just anybody to be a client at OWM.”
“You don’t?”
Gavin shrugs. “Don’t have to. Like that guy…Cristiano Cortez. He came to me last week. Said he was interested in moving his business. Apparently he likes you.” He flips a hand back and forth. “I’m thinking about it.”
Oh my God. That’s unbelievable…and incredibly flattering. He’s one of the most important clients at SFG. Does Dad know? Holy shit.
“But seeing as how you’re quitting and everything, I guess he won’t be moving after all.” Gavin leans back in his chair. “Look. You getting upset with Court is stupid—and quitting the job over it is flat-out idiotic. You understand? Fifty-IQ-type stuff. A guy like him is priceless. I can price anything, but I literally can’t put a price on him for you. But I guess we’ll see tonight at Elizabeth’s bachelor auction.”
“What?”
“Court’s going to get bid on, and then we’ll see what the market will bear for him.”