laugh.
“You still chose to work here.”
“I needed money.”
“Fair.”
Then he said:
“We are hiring an operations coordinator for the residential division.”
I immediately held up a hand.
“No.”
“I have not offered you the job.”
“Good.”
“I was going to say you could apply.”
I paused.
“That’s different.”
“Independent hiring panel.”
“Better.”
“You would not report to me.”
“Much better.”
“Carlo is on the technical interview panel.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“He knows facilities.”
Fair.
“Would my current job be safe if I don’t get it?”
“Yes.”
“In writing?”
“Yes.”
I smiled.
“You know me.”
“I’m learning.”
I took the application.
Not the job.
The application.
That mattered.
I interviewed three weeks later.
It went badly.
At least I thought so.
The panel asked about budgets.
I stumbled.
They asked about guest-service software I had not used in two years.
I admitted I would need training.
They
