Never Got Over You

“Are you feeling okay, Miss Kennedy?” Mr. Jewell asked. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

“Maybe she has,” James said. “I’m starting to think that I’m seeing one, too.”

“Let’s get some water in here before starting again, shall we?” Mr. Jewell pressed a button. “Michael, could you bring in a water cart for the board, please?”

The doors opened immediately, and a crew of four placed pitchers and cups in between every person within a matter of seconds.

Picking up my glass, I brought it to my lips, and I realized that James was now glaring at me.

“Now, let’s get back to business,” Mr. Jewell said. “Carol, please resume the questioning.”

“Miss Kennedy,” she said, smiling. “We’re looking for someone who is willing to join our ranks for an extended period of time. We would prefer for this person to be permanent, but at the very least, we would like this person to wait five to ten years before pursuing other employment. Do you think you could wait for five to ten years?”

“She couldn’t even wait for two.” James sipped his water.

A few board members shot him confused looks, and I narrowed my eyes at him.

“I’m definitely looking for a permanent place to work,” I said. “I’ve been going from city to city for the past several years and I’d like to finally settle down.”

“Settle down is quite the interesting choice of words …” James looked at my left hand and leaned back in his seat. “I don’t think everyone shares the same definition of what that word really means.”

“Excellent, Miss Kennedy.” Carol ignored his intrusion. “Just in case we do consider you for this position, do you have any travel phobias? We do have our own fleet of private planes for executive use, but some team members prefer to take the bus or the train.”

“I haven’t flown on a plane in years,” I admitted. “But I’m more than willing to do the oh-so-difficult job of flying on a private plane, if you hire me.”

A few of the board members laughed. James remained stoic.

“Do you have any additional hobbies outside of your passion for marketing?” Carol said. “I noticed you left that interview question blank.”

“How the hell did she get a perfect score if she left a question blank?” James intruded again, his gaze as intense as ever.

Mr. Jewell shot James a look, but none of the other board members seemed bothered by his outburst.

“Can you tell us a few things about yourself?” Carol asked. “Perhaps a few things that will be different from whatever is in your five-minute pitch?”

“Well, I’m a huge fan of coffee and—” I paused. I’d anticipated this question, rehearsed my answer hundreds of times in the mirror with perfected mannerisms to match, but I was done with fake smiles.

“I’m a hopeless romantic,” I said. “I have an unhealthy obsession with romance novels because they always give me a happily ever after, even if it only lasts until I pick up the next book. I’m the worst person to take to the movies because I always ask questions out loud and I like to guess the plot twists.” I let my guard down a little more. “I always order water at fast food restaurants, but I secretly fill the cups with Coke because these days, I can’t afford to go ten cents over my budget. I know my way around twenty American cities, and you may not believe me, but I was once one of the most promising cello players in the world. I also know, without a doubt, that if you give me a chance and let me show you all the things I can do, I will be the best marketing director this company has ever hired.”

The room was silent.

Every board member was staring at me, expressionless.

Several more seconds of silence stretched into minutes.

I waited for Carol or Joseph to say something, for James to throw out a rude remark, but no one said a word. They just stared.

Determined to make an impression, I decided to launch into my five-minute pitch without asking for permission.

I took a few sips of water and cleared my throat. “The most recent campaigns I managed were for Girl Boss, Inc., and Rain Tea Café. On page five, you can see my initial promo plans for each company’s product goals and the modifications I made over time to help them exceed sales of ten million dollars.”

Silence.

I moved on to the next part of my presentation—remaining enthusiastic, even though the members continued to sit quietly. I played a mock-up commercial I personally designed on their massive screen, handed out custom coffee cookies I purchased with Sarah Kay’s money, and ended with what I thought was a perfect promise.

“I understand that there are tons of other candidates vying for this position,” I said, “but I can guarantee that none of them will outwork me. I promise that I’ll surpass all your expectations, if you just give me a chance.