Page 24 of Power Play

He shook his head. “Stay.”

One word. A simple plea. That was all it took. I nodded and followed him back into the lobby and resumed my position next to Colby. She raised her head off Noah’s shoulder and smiled before going back to resting.

* * *

I didn’t wake up until noon, but it didn’t matter. We hadn’t gotten back to the hotel until three that morning. It took that long to clear Hartman and release him. Kendall was flying back to Salt Lake with him so he could recover at home. She hugged me and told me to stay in touch before I left the hospital, and it didn’t feel like she was just saying what was expected. The women I’d met were amazing and caring, and for some reason, they let me into their circle.

But they were all leaving later today and I would be alone.

I rolled out of bed and took a quick shower before doing my hair and makeup. I had two interviews, both over video, today so I needed to look like I didn’t spend all night in the hospital waiting room.

By one, I was sitting in front of my laptop with a professional smile.

“Hello, Ms. Klein.” A bored man greeted me with little to no enthusiasm. Great. He couldn’t even muster some excitement. Why would I want to work at a place capable of making their employees so miserable?

“Mr. Barker, I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me.”

The rest of the interview was painfully formulaic. He literally went through a list of questions and made checks to each one, not bothering to note my responses. So I crossed this company off my list.

“Have a nice day. We’ll be in touch.” He didn’t bother to look at the screen before logging off.

Great. Moving to Charlotte was a no go.

My next interview was with a company in Silicon Valley. A move to the other side of the country, but it was one of those tech startups that boasted unlimited time off, snacks, and a fun atmosphere. I usually avoided cool companies since they had a record of short lifespans, but I was getting desperate.

When the interviewer appeared on the screen I almost laughed. He was the CEO and the head of HR and the head engineer and looked to be about twenty-four. His energy was off the charts and there were several moments I thought he might stand up and cheer.

“Sorry, is that ...is that an arcade behind you?” I couldn’t stay silent any longer. At least a dozen employees were standing around various vintage games machines.

He glanced over his shoulder and then nodded with a wide smile. “That’s a portion of it. We also have three screens for video games and a ping pong table in the lobby.”

Right. Of course. Why wouldn’t you want your guests to be greeted with a ping pong ball flying at their face?

“Cool.” I forced a smile.

“Yeah, we really encourage the work hard, play hard mentality here.”

Shocker. I was only twenty-two, but this just did not appeal to me. I could only imagine the nightmare their books were. I’d probably spend the first month just sorting through their accounts, recording expenses like energy drinks and new video games.

I didn’t spend last summer interning with a reputable firm, where they didn’t wear flip flops and tank tops to work, to babysit a company.

“So, I’ve got a few more people to interview, but I’ll get back to you within a few days.” He finished by holding up his hands in the ‘hang loose’ sign before logging off.

I shuddered and closed my laptop. No, nope. Never in a million years. That seemed like a fun place for some people, but I would pull my hair out within the first hour.

With a huff, I stood, grabbed my purse, and left my room. I had to get away for a few minutes, a short walk before going back and applying to any new jobs that popped up in the last twelve hours.

I wanted to crumble. Collapse on my bed and sob. My hope was wearing thin. If I didn’t come up with a plan before Sunday at check-out, I had no choice but to head home. I was running out of money, and I couldn’t dip into my savings in case I needed it to fund a cross-country move.

I stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby to see the Fury waiting by the door with their luggage. Not wanting to be seen, I stayed back and tried to remember alternative escape routes.

“Hey, Taylor.” I turned to see Colby wave, and Sydney behind her pushing their luggage out toward me. “I’m glad we ran into you. How did your interviews go today?”

My shoulders dropped. “They were terrible. I wouldn't want to work for either company.”

Sydney gave me a sympathetic smile. “Job hunting is the worst. I would probably be working retail if I hadn’t run into some of the girls my first few days in Salt Lake.”

Colby started to nod and then stopped. “You know, we might be able to help you find a job in Salt Lake. I don’t have many connections outside of the team or the personal assistant community, but I’m sure someone does.”