things to deal with the last couple weeks.”
Sean sat down and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Forgive me for asking, but is it financial?”
She waved a hand at him. “Heavens, no! Don’t worry about it.” She sat back in her chair. “Now, let’s get back to the interview.”
“Yes, Ms. Naltsiine.” He couldn’t blame her for brushing his question aside. He’d asked out of concern, but she probably thought he was worried she couldn’t afford to hire him.
“Anesia, remember? Now, what is your educational background?” She pulled out a pen and paper.
This could be awkward. He cleared his throat.
“Mr. Connolly, we don’t stand on ceremony here. There’s no need to be ashamed. Please, just be honest.”
Ashamed? Yes. But not for the reasons she thought. “I attended Harvard.”
Her gaze shot up at him, eyebrows raised. She stared him down for a moment and then wrote it down on her paper. “For how long?”
“Ten years. Bachelors, Masters, and Ph. D.”
She dropped her pen as her mouth fell open. Several seconds passed. Her mouth closed. And then opened again. “You mean to tell me that you have a Ph. D. and you’re asking me for a job?”
“Yes.”
Long dark lashes swept down on her cheeks in rapid succession as she blinked. But her eyes gave no hint to what she was thinking. “That’s interesting, Mr. Connolly. You do understand I will be doing a background check?”
“Of course.”
She blinked again. Several times. Then looked back down at her paper and wrote some more. “All right, then. What about work experience?”
“I’ve only worked for one company.”
“And that would be?” She continued writing.
“CROM, Incorporated.”
There went her eyebrows again. “ The CROM? The multi-billion-dollar manufacturer?”
“That’s correct.”
She licked her lips and looked back down at her paper. “Interesting. What exactly did you do for them?”
“Do?” He stalled. Complicated didn’t even begin to describe the direction of this conversation.
“Yes, what was your title, your position with them?”
He straightened his shoulders. Here goes nothing . “I was a vice president, Miss Naltsiine.”
Anesia’s mouth closed again and her lips formed a thin, straight line. The pen in her hand made a slow journey down to settle on the desk as she tidied up in front of her. Each movement exact. Forced.
The chair rolled back and she pushed herself up to a standing position and leaned over, resting on her steepled fingers. “I know I asked you this before, but this time I’m serious. Are you running away from something, Mr. Connolly? In trouble with the law?” Her narrowed eyes were pure steel.
Sean didn’t flinch. “No. But I am starting over.”
“Might I ask why?”
“God wanted my attention, and He got it.” No need to say his family had taken a turn for the illegal. That would come out soon enough. He met her eyes. “I discovered I was being used for purposes that went against everything I believe in. So I left. What I want now is to find a job I love and work hard at it.”
Something flashed across her expression. Skepticism? Acceptance? He wasn’t sure.
“Mr. Connolly . . . Sean. I appreciate you sharing that with me. I don’t want you to think that I don’t believe you, but your story is a little uh . . . shall we say incredible? Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Not entirely, Ms. Naltsiine.”
“I’m sorry. That wasn’t very clear.” She sat down with a sigh folding her hands in front of her on the desk. “Your background is interesting, and your statement about your faith was refreshing to me. But please, understand that I can’t hire just anyone. I will not put my daughter at risk, or anyone else I welcome on my property.”
“I understand perfectly.”
“You do?”
“Yes, I do.”
“And you don’t want to change your story?”
“No, Ms. Naltsiine. It’s the truth.”
She hesitated a moment and narrowed
Sean sat down and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Forgive me for asking, but is it financial?”
She waved a hand at him. “Heavens, no! Don’t worry about it.” She sat back in her chair. “Now, let’s get back to the interview.”
“Yes, Ms. Naltsiine.” He couldn’t blame her for brushing his question aside. He’d asked out of concern, but she probably thought he was worried she couldn’t afford to hire him.
“Anesia, remember? Now, what is your educational background?” She pulled out a pen and paper.
This could be awkward. He cleared his throat.
“Mr. Connolly, we don’t stand on ceremony here. There’s no need to be ashamed. Please, just be honest.”
Ashamed? Yes. But not for the reasons she thought. “I attended Harvard.”
Her gaze shot up at him, eyebrows raised. She stared him down for a moment and then wrote it down on her paper. “For how long?”
“Ten years. Bachelors, Masters, and Ph. D.”
She dropped her pen as her mouth fell open. Several seconds passed. Her mouth closed. And then opened again. “You mean to tell me that you have a Ph. D. and you’re asking me for a job?”
“Yes.”
Long dark lashes swept down on her cheeks in rapid succession as she blinked. But her eyes gave no hint to what she was thinking. “That’s interesting, Mr. Connolly. You do understand I will be doing a background check?”
“Of course.”
She blinked again. Several times. Then looked back down at her paper and wrote some more. “All right, then. What about work experience?”
“I’ve only worked for one company.”
“And that would be?” She continued writing.
“CROM, Incorporated.”
There went her eyebrows again. “ The CROM? The multi-billion-dollar manufacturer?”
“That’s correct.”
She licked her lips and looked back down at her paper. “Interesting. What exactly did you do for them?”
“Do?” He stalled. Complicated didn’t even begin to describe the direction of this conversation.
“Yes, what was your title, your position with them?”
He straightened his shoulders. Here goes nothing . “I was a vice president, Miss Naltsiine.”
Anesia’s mouth closed again and her lips formed a thin, straight line. The pen in her hand made a slow journey down to settle on the desk as she tidied up in front of her. Each movement exact. Forced.
The chair rolled back and she pushed herself up to a standing position and leaned over, resting on her steepled fingers. “I know I asked you this before, but this time I’m serious. Are you running away from something, Mr. Connolly? In trouble with the law?” Her narrowed eyes were pure steel.
Sean didn’t flinch. “No. But I am starting over.”
“Might I ask why?”
“God wanted my attention, and He got it.” No need to say his family had taken a turn for the illegal. That would come out soon enough. He met her eyes. “I discovered I was being used for purposes that went against everything I believe in. So I left. What I want now is to find a job I love and work hard at it.”
Something flashed across her expression. Skepticism? Acceptance? He wasn’t sure.
“Mr. Connolly . . . Sean. I appreciate you sharing that with me. I don’t want you to think that I don’t believe you, but your story is a little uh . . . shall we say incredible? Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Not entirely, Ms. Naltsiine.”
“I’m sorry. That wasn’t very clear.” She sat down with a sigh folding her hands in front of her on the desk. “Your background is interesting, and your statement about your faith was refreshing to me. But please, understand that I can’t hire just anyone. I will not put my daughter at risk, or anyone else I welcome on my property.”
“I understand perfectly.”
“You do?”
“Yes, I do.”
“And you don’t want to change your story?”
“No, Ms. Naltsiine. It’s the truth.”
She hesitated a moment and narrowed
Similar Books
