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Their squabble cuts off abruptly. Ronan’s outraged voice replies, “Did you just say you were sleeping on a couch?”
I blink at the blank wall across from me. “A futon, actually. I don’t live in town, so I made arrangements to stay with a friend after the interview.”
I decide it’s probably best not to mention my inability to drive after meeting all of them. Awkward.
“Is it safe?” Ronan practically barks. “Is she someone you trust? Where are you?”
More angry murmurs behind him. A second later he speaks again, sounding minutely calmer. “What I meant was: if you would rather stay in a hotel, we’d be happy to put you up. It’s the least we could do for dragging you all the way to town without realizing we were inconveniencing you.”
“I’m okay,” I assure him. “She lives in a condo that’s specifically for?—”
Oh crap. “Never mind,” I fumble. “Anyway. How can I help you, Mr. Ash?”
“Ronan,” he reminds, still sounding put-out. When I don’t reply, he pushes on. “We were hoping to extend an offer to you, Meg. We like your proposed changes and think you would be a good fit for the team. However, we did want to go over a few key details before we bring you onboard.”
I clamp my lower lip between my teeth, unsure of what to say. What if he asks me point-blank about my designation? Somehow, lying in response to a direct question feels way worse than checking the wrong box on an application and pretending I didn’t read the fine print.
As it stands, the whole thing could just be a misunderstanding. But as soon as he asks and I lie directly… then I’m a liar. And that will surely end any future I might have had with the four of them before I’ve even considered it.
My mind weighs that fact against my desperate need for a job. Shit. This is so not a simple decision, and I have exactly zero minutes to make it.
I wonder if Theo is there, listening. The thought is almost enough to make me whine, but I stuff it down.
“Of course,” I finally croak.
Ronan pauses for a long beat. “For starters, we would need to discuss your living arrangements. You’d be moving to the area for this job?”
I nod, then realize he can’t see me. Thank God. There’s a hole in this T-shirt. “That’s correct.”
“We will provide an apartment.”
He says it like he’s checking an item off his grocery list: bread, milk, eggs, a new apartment. I’m so stunned I can’t even reply before he continues.
“We can discuss the location in person. You have a proper vehicle, yes?”
I nearly snort at the word “proper.” My car runs and all, but it’s ten years old and smaller than most people’s refrigerators. I don’t want him to know that, though.
“I have reliable transportation.”
He grumbles. “Safe and reliable?”
I mean, there are air bags…
“Yes?”
“We’ll discuss that in person too,” he replies, and I notice it is in no way an outright acceptance of my vehicle’s suitability. He’s crafty with his words, negotiating even when he doesn’t say much at all. I keep my lips clamped shut, deciding it’s better to give less away.
He fills the silence with confident command. “We’ll speak more tomorrow. Would you be available to come back here in the morning? We want to see you in action with the team. Assuming that goes well, you’ll have to sit down with HR and hammer out the finer details. They’ll want to verify all of your information. Date of birth, social security number… designation.”
My head is spinning so hard from all of this information, I can’t tell if he really paused before he mentioned my designation or if my anxiety is playing tricks on me. He doesn’t give me much time to consider it.
“Megera?”
“Y-yes. Sir. Ronan.” I cringe, rushing on. “I’ll be there in the morning.”
“Nine-thirty,” he intones. But before he hangs up, his voice drops into a low hum. “Don’t make me wait.”
At nine-twenty-three, I park my car as far from the office building as I can get, hiding it between two big SUV’s. You know, just in case Ronan’s threatened vehicle inspection has some bearing on my eligibility.
