The Job Offer

chapter 2


Anne walked out of Concourse B into the Central Terminal of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and looked out the giant curved wall of windows at the late morning sky. The sun was shining brightly that Sunday morning which was a rarity for Seattle in other times of the year but much more common in the summer months. The sky was a brilliant azure blue clear of clouds except for a few wispy strips of white that streaked up high in the atmosphere. Anne, who was not prone to superstitions, took the nice weather as a good sign. It would not hurt to believe in good luck at a time like this.

She made arrangements with Ms. Iverson several days ago to fly in on the ninth instead of the tenth and to stay for two weeks visiting friends and family in case she received a call back interview with Mr. Stanford. This way, she could combine the interview with a short vacation.

The plan for today was that she would meet Carla for lunch on the waterfront before they went shopping. Then she would, then, spend the night in Carla and Gary’s guest room. This way, Anne would not be rushed tomorrow morning before her interview and could drive at her own pace from Carla’s Bellevue home to Redmond where the headquarters for Stanford Enterprises was located. Anne had already made arrangements to rent a car so that she could drive to the Seattle waterfront district to meet Carla for lunch. Carla and Anne decided to meet at the restaurant instead of at Carla’s house because Carla was working that morning at her downtown location to clean up and sort through paperwork from a wedding she catered the night before. Feeling thirsty after her long flight, Anne stopped for a latte at the Starbuck’s kiosk in the Central Terminal then went to pick up her luggage before heading out to the shuttle.

The air outside was warm. The salty, fish smell of Puget Sound combined with automobile exhaust reached her as she walked to the airport shuttle that would take her the few miles to the rental car lot where a white Toyota Camry was already waiting for her. Anne drove out onto Interstate 5 and headed north to Seattle after a few minutes spent checking in at the counter and handing over her credit card and driver’s license. After getting off at the Spring Street exit, she crossed over the freeway and headed over to Alaskan Way, the street that ran along the waterfront. She parked in the hotel’s parking ramp and went in search of Carla instead of looking for a spot in one of the several full parking lots close by. She hoped that the bistro still validated tickets. Anne and Carla decided to meet at the waterfront bistro located inside of the hotel for lunch because of the great food and its location to shopping.

As she drove through the downtown lunchtime traffic on her way in, Anne remembered smiling in enjoyment. Her spirit had lifted upon seeing the familiar skyline. This was home, Anne thought. She and Carla used to hang out around the waterfront district during their undergraduate days because Carla worked at the bistro and Anne worked as a front desk hostess for the hotel to earn the money for school. Walking into the bistro's street side entrance, Anne saw Carla already sitting at a booth in the corner overlooking the street and Puget Sound.

She walked to the booth and bypassed the hostess who was busy with several groups checking in so that they could be seated. Carla, who was checking her smart phone, did not see Anne until she was almost next to the table. Looking up, Carla quickly shut down her phone and grinned sheepishly. Anne wondered what her look was about this time. Carla had something planned for today. She always did.

"You look great, Anne! I can’t believe that it has been two years," Carla said as she jumped up to give Anne a hug before ushering her into the booth. It was two years since Anne was last home and had seen Carla in person. Two years ago, Anne made a special trip in September and returned to Orcas Island to be Carla’s maid of honor for her wedding to Gary. "I ordered you a Long Island ice tea while I waited," she said as she retook her seat opposite Anne. Carla had changed out of her work clothes earlier and was now wearing a frothy turquoise and white sundress that complimented her petite frame, pixie cut blonde hair, and blue eyes. She always reminded Anne of a fairy tale princess, and the way she was dressed today reinforced the image.

"Perfect! I could use one of these." Anne took a sip and smiled at the flavors of gin and rum. The burn of the different liqueurs combined with the ice cold cola felt good going down, quenching a thirst the latte failed to satisfy. "Marriage and pregnancy agree with you, Carla. You look great, too."

Carla took the compliment in her stride and gave Anne a beaming smile. "I’ll take that now since I’m not showing yet. God, Anne. It’s hard to believe that it has been two years. I still feel like a newlywed. But, we will get to me in a minute. I want to talk about you. So, how was the flight? Are you nervous about tomorrow?" Carla took a sip from her water glass while she waited for Anne's answer.

"The flight was fine but long. I forgot how long the flight actually was. I had a really annoying man sit next to me."

"Naturally."

"Am I nervous? You bet I am, but I think it will go well. I hope so." Anne gave a wry smile and raised her eyebrows. She did not want to get her hopes up too much. She had been through the final interview stages before only to lose out to other more experienced scientists or to find out that the company had made the decision to hold off on hiring. She told Carla about the two Skype interviews and what her impressions were of the company based on the facts she had managed to gather from the internet.

Although she had read several news articles about the company and the business profile of the current CEO, she had never seen a photo of him. There were several old photographs of the founder but none of the son in the company website. But, since it did not really matter what the current CEO looked like, Anne did not search for information on him specifically and concentrated on the company’s record in research, instead. At one point, she realized that she was boring Carla with facts about the company and the technical aspects of research and stopped talking.

"I hear it's a good company. Gary's brother really likes being there and is happy that he made the move to them last year. I think you'll get the job," Carla said positively. "My Spidey sense is tingling, and it’s telling me you'll get it. Oh, I can't wait to have you back here. I need you here to help me decorate the nursery. You know that I love Gary to the ends of the earth, but I swear that man will drive me crazy with his total lack of design sense. Do you know what he told me when I started talking about redecorating the third bedroom for the nursery? He told me that the current colors will look fine for a baby's room."

Remembering the peanut butter brown color with baby blue sponge paint that was on the walls when they bought the house two years ago, Anne wondered if Carla had repainted yet. Seeing the look on Anne's face, Carla exclaimed, "I know! Can you believe it? It's the same ugly color it was when we moved in. I never got around to repainting it with all the other changes we made to the house and me going out on my own."

"He's a dentist, Carla. Need I say more?"

"How in the world I ever fell in love with such a nerd, I'll never know. But he is crazy about me and over the moon about the baby coming."

That led into a conversation about Carla and the baby. Carla was feeling greet without any morning sickness, and she glowed with happiness. With babies on her mind, Carla even talked about experimenting with new baby food recipes. From there the afternoon was spent in companionable conversation catching up and laughing over memories from their college days when they worked on the waterfront. After they finished their lunch, they decided to walk to Edmonds Central Plaza, located a few blocks away, to begin their search for new maternity clothing for Carla. It would be months before Carla started showing, but stores always stocked new clothes a few months in advance of the season, and Carla wanted to get a jump on the new fashions.

While browsing through the clothing stores looking for Carla, Carla spotted several summer dresses and a pair of sandals for Anne to try on. They were sexy and lacy and not at all what Anne was used to wearing out east. But Carla kept insisting that Anne try them on because she said that Anne "seriously needed a summer makeover."

"So this was what 'the look' was about."

"What look?" Carla tried her best at appearing innocent but failed miserably.

"The one you gave me at lunch. It's the one you get every time you plan something for me without telling me."

"Come on, Anne. I know how you hate shopping for yourself, so I decided that you needed to lose the beatnik slash scientist look." Anne looked down at her blue jeans and button down white blouse and frowned when she looked back up at Carla. "Not that you don't rock that look, Sweetie. But when was the last time you bought something sexy for yourself or had your nails done? Probably not since the last time I took you shopping, so you are long overdue for a makeover. I love your hair, though, and if I had your body, I'd flaunt it."

"Ok. I don't want anything too sexy, though. I don't want to look slutty. I still want to look like me."

"You will look like you, only sexier. Trust me, Anne. You know that I've never steered you wrong in the past."

Anne took the dresses and the shoes reluctantly and walked to the changing room while Carla waited out in the store. The dresses and sandals did make her look and feel feminine and sexy, Anne had to admit. After changing back into her regular clothing, she suffered through Carla’s smug expression and took out her credit card. But new dresses required new underwear too, Carla said, so Anne bought some of that as well.

As Carla talked about how she soon would be wearing maternity clothes because short people always showed faster than tall people and that last week she saw some cute clothes in another store, Anne mentally tallied up the small fortune she had just spent. The maternity clothes came next, and Anne helped Carla decide on several fall fashions that would compliment her petite frame. Then with their purchases in hand, Carla led them to a shop for manicures and pedicures because, she reasoned playfully, there was no point in having sexy clothes and sandals without them.

"Maybe you’ll get lucky while up at the inn. With all those hot males, Anne, it pays to look good," Carla said as their toes were being colored. Anne laughed at the comment because she was just not the "getting lucky" type of women men went for.

Once their hands and feet were done, they worked their way along the waterfront past several busy stores and crowds of people who flocked to the waterfront on that Sunday afternoon. Eventually, they found a place to sit in a little coffee shop that faced the harbor. As they split a piece of fudge cake ala mode and drank their beverages, they discussed where to head next. Because they had a few more hours before they needed to be at Carla’s house in Bellevue, they decided to head in that direction and drive down to the Bellevue Square mall to look for furniture.

At six, they finished their shopping and headed to the house where Carla and Gary lived. Their house was located in a nice quiet neighborhood along a tree lined street and was located only two blocks from a large park and nature preserve. As Anne drove behind Carla up the street, she saw families outside in their yards either working on their lawns and flower gardens or tossing around balls and Frisbees. Several people waved at Anne’s car as she drove by. Carla and Gary’s home was located on the corner lot at the top of the hill. They had a Craftsman style house with a wide front porch, and the large lot had several mature trees. A two stall detached garage was tucked away behind the house. Carla parked in the garage while Anne parked behind her on the concrete driveway. They brought their purchases and Anne’s suitcase inside through the back door then decided to wait for Gary on the back patio and enjoy the early evening.

Gary returned about twenty minutes later from a walk with their dog, Bob, a golden Labrador retriever. The last time Anne saw Bob, he was just a puppy, but he had since grown to be quite a large dog. The two year separation did not stop Bob from showing his acceptance of Anne, and he surprised her with a slobbering wet tennis ball dropped at her feet. Gary quickly shooed Bob away and went into the house to clean up before he joined them again on the patio to start up the grill.

Gary had not changed too much physically in the past few years, Anne noticed. He was about Anne’s height and had a wiry build that today was covered in a pair of old jeans and a tee shirt with the Superman logo on the front. He still sported his slightly shy expression behind his wire rimmed glasses, but his hazel eyes were warm with welcome. Anne noticed that he was getting a slight paunch around the middle, and his blond hair was receding slightly. Anne decided that there was nothing really exceptional physically about him. But Gary had a keen mind and a wicked, offbeat sense of humor that complimented Carla to a T. Perhaps the thing that struck Anne the most about Gary was that he had a loving expression whenever he looked at his wife. For that reason alone, Anne had always liked him.

While Gary took care of grilling steaks, Carla and Anne worked together in the kitchen pulling together a salad and broiling vegetables. They decided to eat outside at the table and enjoy the warm evening. Anne watched the easy manner between Carla and Gary and thought about how nice it would be to be married to your best friend. Her mother and Jim had that same ease between them. Anne smiled happily at Carla and Gary who, at times, seemed oblivious to anyone other than each other. Then looking out at the back yard and the late sun, Anne thought that a sunny day and great friends were the perfect way to welcome her back to the Seattle area. Getting the new job would make her trip complete.

* * * * *


Monday morning dawned with the promise of a day as equally beautiful as the day before, and Anne finished getting ready for her interview by running through all possible questions and her answers over a cup of coffee and a bagel. Then after stowing her suitcase and new clothing in the trunk of her rental car, she made her way up Interstate 405 to the Highway 520 exchange and headed east to Redmond. She did not bother playing with the radio station but, instead, listened to the NPR station someone had previously programmed in. Traffic was light due to missing the morning rush hour, and she made good time as she drove and listened to the morning news report. About two miles after merging onto Highway 520, she saw the exit for the frontage road she would need to take and followed it until she reached the campus for Stanford Enterprises a few blocks away.

The Stanford Enterprises campus consisted of a large two story red brick building with two white concrete buildings located behind it, flanking it like raised wings. The sweeping campus was covered with mature maple and pine trees and had several large grassy areas, a small parking lot in front of the red building, and a larger parking lot located in back between the two concrete buildings. A well maintained shrub and flower garden filled with azalea and potentilla bushes, blue lobelia, red impatiens, purple and white petunias, red astilbes, and several other annuals Anne could not name followed the sidewalk that led to the front door of the red brick building from the smaller parking lot. She parked her rental in one of the Visitor Parking spots in the lot and looked at the dashboard clock before locking her vehicle and following the sidewalk to the main door. With fifteen minutes to spare, she entered Building One, the red brick building, and checked in at the reception desk. Then she excused herself and went to the Ladies' room to freshen up her hair and makeup and attempt to calm her racing heart.

Her reflection did not reveal any of her nervousness but, instead, showed a woman who was calm and collected. Her long curly dark brown hair that she had put up in a neat French twist that morning still held. This should not have surprised Anne because it was so covered in product that a hurricane would not let loose a strand. But it did. She said a quick "thank you" to the god of good hair days for keeping her hair looking neat. Her white silk shell showed a few wrinkles from the seat belt, so she buttoned up her blue suit jacket to hide them. Her light blue eyes were bright and alert not showing any effects from the sleepless night she had experienced due to her nervousness over the interview and sleeping in a strange bed. At least she looked good, she thought, as she touched up her lipstick and powdered her nose.

When she was finished she went back into the front lobby where she was directed by the reception desk to the Human Resources department. There she took a seat in a light blue colored contemporary accent chair and looked around as she waited. The lobby of the HR department, like the main reception area, was tastefully decorated with a mixture of blues and greens with white painted woodwork. The overall color scheme gave the room a sophisticated beach house look that helped calm her nerves. A painting of racing sailboats hung behind the HR reception desk complimenting the decor. She liked that the room was not too formal.

After a few minutes, a tall middle-aged African American woman, with short silvery white, came out to greet her. The woman was dressed professionally in a multicolored floral print blouse, black dress pants, and colorful earrings. Her short hair emphasized her striking looks, her good bone structure, her warm brown eyes, and her smile. "Dr. Conner. It is a pleasure to meet you, finally. I am Ms. Tomlinson, our Human Resources Director. Can I get you anything before we go to the conference room?" She shook Anne's hand while she spoke then began leading her down a wide, well lit hallway until they came to a conference room that also reflected the beach house theme.

"No. Thank you, Ms. Tomlinson. I'm fine."

"Good. I hope your flight was alright. I always hate to fly, myself." She ushered Anne inside to a chair at the table. Two men were already waiting inside and were seated at the oblong cherry wood table across from Anne. Each of them had a notebook and several papers on the table in front of them. After Anne's assurance that the flight went well, Anne was introduced to the men. Mr. Winfield was a tall distinguished looking man of about sixty who came across, to Anne, as someone who could be formal and standoffish until he had a chance to get to know you. Dr. Rudolph, in contrast, was a short balding man with a shaved haircut who wore black framed glasses over his brown eyes. He appeared to be somewhere in his late forties, had a wiry build, and looked like he wanted to jump out of his seat and move around. Anne's first impression of him was that he was like a Jack Russell terrier that had boundless energy. His smile was warm and friendly. If she was hired, he would be her boss.

Anne made herself comfortable as Ms. Tomlinson sat down next to Dr. Rudolph then began answering their seemingly "small talk" questions. Anne knew from experience that the questions were merely "feeler" questions that were asked to see what her personality was like and how she would fit into the company culture. They spent a few minutes with those seemingly unimportant questions, and once that portion of the interview was completed, they proceeded to the portion of the interview where they asked specific questions about her work experiences, education, and ideas. The butterflies in Anne's stomach at the beginning of the interview left her as she began to talk about her work. They spoke for almost fifty-five minutes discussing Anne’s work experience. Anne was ready with her replies for each question. The verbal and nonverbal responses she received from the three of them were encouraging. Anne noticed small smiles, their bodies leaning in, a few slight head nods, and silent communications that took place between the interviewers.

After their line of questioning was completed, Anne had the opportunity to ask them specific questions related to the job and the company, things she could not learn from the company website and business journals. This took several more minutes, and before she knew it, the interview was over. The hour and a half long interview flew by. Anne’s good feeling about how it went increased when she saw that the three interviewers were all smiling sincerely as the meeting broke up. Then, after shaking the hands of the men, she was shown out of the room by Ms. Tomlinson for a quick tour of the facility.

The position was for a biochemical research scientist working as part of the Marine Biochemical R & D department, and Anne and Ms. Tomlinson began their tour there. The department focus was on marine water cleanup solutions, an area of research right up Anne's alley. The R & D department was located in the front of Building Two directly behind the main building and was connected by a glass enclosed walkway. As they walked to the department, Anne saw that a courtyard was set up outside for people to take breaks and eat their lunches. Wrought iron tables and chairs were set up for the employees. Several people were already outside enjoying the sunny day as they ate their lunches. Flower boxes filled with red geraniums and multicolored flowers flanked the edges of the exposed concrete patio, and several Japanese maple trees dressed up the grassy areas.

The R & D department looked much as Anne expected with several offices and a central lab area. Although Anne was only allowed a quick glance into the lab through the door, she could see several scientists were still at work. One man was busy typing on a computer while two other people, a man and a woman, were busy working with beakers and Bunsen burners. Out by the offices, there was a small lunchroom with vending machines. It was empty except for a woman who was at a microwave oven heating her lunch. Anne could smell chicken, and her stomach growled. On the far end of the office area was a conference room complete with a digital whiteboard and a table that sat at least ten people.

After the brief tour of the R & D department, Ms. Tomlinson walked Anne back to the HR Department by way of another glassed in walkway that connected the two white buildings. As they walked through the third building, Anne was told that manufacturing took place behind the office areas of that building but that they would not be touring there because it was restricted. Coming back into Building One, they entered the HR Department after walking past the Sales and Marketing Department and the Customer Service Department. The Accounting Department, the Information Technology Department, and the Executive offices were located on the second floor, Anne was told.

"If we decide to call you back for the final round of interviews, the final interviews will be held with Mr. Winfield, Dr. Rudolph, Benjamin Stanford, our CEO, and I. Final interviews will begin on the eighteenth. There are five applicants being interviewed this week," Ms. Tomlinson informed her as they walked back into the HR Department. "I understand that you will be staying with family in the Seattle area?"

"Yes, I will," Anne said as she walked beside Ms. Tomlinson into the HR lobby.

"Good. We have your cell phone number in your file. You will be called to return again to meet Mr. Stanford if we decide to call you back. Have a nice stay in Seattle, Dr. Conner. It was a pleasure meeting you." She shook Anne's hand warmly before leaving Anne to check herself out from the front reception desk.

With the rest of the day free from interviews, Anne walked out to the rental car, took off her jacket, and steered her car north for the three hour drive to Orcas Island. She stopped only once to grab a burger and fries from a fast food restaurant along the interstate.