Kelly brought in the first candidate, ending her reverie. She turned her attention from the sky to the door at the far end of the room just in time to see Keenan walk through.
Her jaw dropped at the same time her heart skipped several beats. He was dressed in a navy suit, crisp white shirt, and a subtle blue-and-red striped tie, his beard neatly trimmed.
“This is Keenan Parker, formerly of the United States Navy SEALs,” Kelly said, then rattled off the names and titles of everyone at the table.
Patrick nudged her while Keenan was exchanging firm handshakes with the other committee members. “I want this guy,” he said. “He’s smart. He’s tough. For damn sure no storage facilities will get blown up on his watch. I want this guy.”
I know the feeling, Rose thought.
“Ma’am,” Keenan said. His hand clasped hers.
“Hello,” Rose heard herself saying, praying her cheeks weren’t as red as they felt.
Everyone waited while Keenan seated himself. “Before we begin,” Rose said, “I must clarify that Mr. Parker and I know each other. He and my brother served on the same team in the SEALs, and he served as our guide on my grandmother’s recent trip to Turkey.”
“I know,” Patrick said. “He said you mentioned the job to him. This is good. You already know how you work together.”
I will not blush. I will not blush. I did not make Senior Director by thirty to blush like a schoolgirl at a hiring committee meeting.
“Keenan and I will work very well together,” she said. Did the company’s nepotism policy allow for colleagues with no direct reporting relationship to work together? Field Energy was privately held. That helped. Keenan wouldn’t report to her, nor she to him, and their career paths followed separate arcs. Besides, maybe he didn’t want to start up with her again. Maybe he just wanted the job.
“Don’t piss her off,” Patrick said to Keenan. “She’s the best in the business.”
Kelly cleared her throat and picked up her pen. “Keenan, why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself?”
*
When she walked out of the building at five, Keenan was leaning against her BMW 3-series. He’d loosened his tie just enough to expose his throat, and he was staring off into the distance, hands shoved in his trouser pockets. He looked just like any other bearded millennial office drone.
He looked like the man she loved.
“How did I do?” he asked when she stopped in front of him.
“Your phone hasn’t rung yet?” she said, surprised. “Patrick wants you, and what Patrick wants, Patrick gets.”
“He seems like a good guy.”
“He got his start in the oil fields, and works harder than anyone else in the company. He’s a straight shooter and appreciates the same in his team. He values competency over flash, and loyalty above all. You’ll get along just fine. But,” she said, pursing her lips, “I’m guessing you did some research before you walked through the front door.”
“I did,” he said. “I know a few guys in the industry who provide security for oil rigs. I made a couple of calls.”
“You could have told me,” she said.
He turned his face to hers, his eyes were unreadable behind the mirrored blade shades, the slightest hint of hesitation in the twist of his mouth. “I thought about it,” he said, “but I wanted to see your face when you saw me. In case you’d changed your mind.”
“I haven’t changed my mind,” she said. “I’ve been researching jobs in Istanbul, truth be told. But something inside me said you’d get here, one way or another.”
“So you still want me.”
“Of course I still want you,” she said. “But I have one more interview question for you.”
“Go.”
“There’s no right or wrong answer, but if you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?”
He considered the question for a moment. “That’s a good one. I’ve lived all over the world, in all kinds of circumstances. But this is where I’d be.”
“Not in Istanbul, or Virginia Beach. In Lancaster,” she confirmed. “The world’s most boring city.”
He pointed at the asphalt beneath their feet. “I’ve been driving around all afternoon. Lancaster’s not all that boring, but I meant right here. In this parking lot, with you.” His face sobered. “I fell in love with you the moment you walked up to me and said you were jet-lagged as hell. I’m coming home, to you.”
She knew she shouldn’t stand in the company parking lot and kiss the newly hired Director of Security with greedy hands and tongue. She shouldn’t luxuriate in the shift of fine wool against her bare legs, in the tensile strength of his shoulders and torso under a fine cotton shirt. Nothing about this was ordinary, average, white picket fence, and perfectly spaced kids and maybe even a golden retriever.
Keenan was everything she didn’t know she wanted, and more.
“I’ll tell Kelly about us tomorrow,” she said when he came up for air.
“Okay,” he said, brushing his thumb over her lips, her beard-scraped chin. “Jack’s going kill me.”