AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"I'd like to give a two-week notice to my current employer."
"Well, I understand. But I want to let you know Mr. Roth personally offered an additional $5,000.00 signing bonus if you can begin on Monday."
"Mr. Roth?" The question came out as a rough whisper. A nervous wave tickled over Jewell's skin.
"Yes. You will be working for our best international fund manager, Mr. Benjamin Prescott Roth."
CHAPTER TWO
A different tumbling sensation fluttered around in her stomach the next time Jewell walked the halls of Bulwark Mutual Funds. A niggling edge of guilt at leaving Safeguard Fiduciary so abruptly scraped against the giddy excitement of a new position, all wrapped up in anticipation of seeing Mr. Roth. One single question bounced around in her head, keeping her from sleeping much of the weekend. Did he initiate her employment in his office?
Mr. Traynor met her at the reception desk in the glass and marble lobby of Bulwark, and after setting up her security clearance and giving her a temporary access badge, left her on her own to find her new office. The bullpen hummed with low-key activity as she passed by the first few desks to reach Mr. Roth's—her—office.
The desk she originally thought would be hers was empty, but with a flush of recognition, she caught the nameplate now resting on the desk edge. Carol Soldano. Well, that explained a few things.
"Good morning, April," Jewell said with what she hoped to be a confident smile as she reached the high-paneled desk. "Good to see you again."
"Good morning, Miss Kincaid," April said with a bright smile. "Welcome to Bulwark."
"Thank you. And please, I'm Jewell."
The young woman nodded. "Mr. Roth said to tell you to wait for him in the office. He has a meeting every Monday morning, but it will be over soon."
"Tell me? Not ask me?"
April smirked. "That's the way Mr. Roth is. You saw that last time you were here." She shrugged. "You get used to it after a while."
"Do you?"
April met her eyes, and her response didn't quite answer the question. "He can also be very generous to his staff," she said with a half-shrug.
With that, Jewell opened the door to Mr. Roth's office and went inside. The room was large and spacious with a bank of windows on the outside wall and looked much like Mr. Burke's office had, with the addition of the windows. The blinds were open and sunlight streamed through to cover his desk in its brightness. The desk itself was huge, being a good six feet across the front, in a rich walnut finish with a left-side return. A laptop in a raised desktop port sat on one corner of the desk, while dual monitors sat in the joined corners of the desk, leaving the space empty when he faced straight on. Several framed degrees and plaques hung on one wall. Curiosity led her to them.
"Harvard School of Business, Masters Degree in World Economics. Bachelor's degrees in both Accounting and Economics. Very impressive, Mr. B. P. Roth," she mumbled to herself as she examined each degree. She moved on to the wood and brass plaques. "Businessman of the Year twice. Top Fund Manager for the last three consecutive years. Mutual Fund Magazine top named fund. Smart Money top named fund twice. You've had yourself some good years." She realized she was talking to herself, and pressed her lips together, turning away from the display.
An open door to her left, near the interior wall leading back to April, led into another office. It had a door leading out to the bullpen, and Jewell assumed it was the other door behind April's desk. The office was a bit smaller than his but offered pretty much the same amount of sunlight. A good-sized desk sat near the door, this one with a right side return against the wall, plus the usual office furniture. A giant bouquet on the desktop greeted her. She couldn't name most of the blossoms expertly arranged in the large vase, but their aroma filled the room. Jewell leaned into the heady scent and let it fill her senses.
Nestled amongst the blooms was a small card with her name neatly written on it. She took it out and opened it to read the single word inside. "Welcome."
"They're from Travis Traynor," said Mr. Roth's subtle voice behind her.
Jewell jumped and turned. He stood in the doorway, his shoulder against the jamb and his arms crossed over his chest. Her stomach tumbled and her pulse skittered at her throat. With her hand pressed against her pounding heart, she fought to calm the flutter beneath her breasts. Mr. Roth straightened and stepped into the office.
"You startled me," she said.
"I see you found your office."
She nodded. His direct stare shifted from her eyes to her mouth. Its powerful effect created a whispered tingle on her skin. Heat rose high in her cheeks and she turned away. Jewell walked to the window before turning back. Unfortunately, it was impossible not to face him.
"It is very nice," she signed, her hand sweeping the room.
He nodded. "Come back into my office. We can cover the basics. There is a meeting this afternoon we both will attend."
Mr. Roth turned and she followed him back into the adjoining room, grabbing a blank notebook and pen from the desk as she passed. He moved behind his desk and sat down in the leather executive chair, indicating she should sit across from him. Jewell was thankful for the wooden barrier between them. At least he couldn't see her hands wringing nervously in her lap.
"I assume Mr. Traynor explained to you what the position entails. We work in tandem on most projects, but you would complete research and compile data for interpretation. April then works on data presentation. You have a strong knowledge of world economics?"
Jewell nodded. "Yes. I'm sure you saw on my résumé I hold a degree in World Macroeconomics. I minored in European Micro-economics."
