Mary was waiting outside the meeting room. She’d gotten herself a second meeting with Connor. It was probably a lost cause, but that didn’t matter. She’d told him after losing the contract that she’d would appreciate a review of her pitch. She and Gina had sent him a thank you card and told him how much they would appreciate the help.
He had answered quickly and agreed, much to her surprise and delight. That was why she felt a little guilty. She didn’t need a review of her pitch. She knew why they hadn’t gotten the contract—their bid was too high. She was there with another intention: she wanted to ask him to give her the job. She knew that was unprofessional, but this was a last-ditch hope. She’d been trying to secure jobs over the last few days. All of them combined wouldn’t bring in the money that this one job at the Hansen mansion would.
They needed this. Even if she made a fool of herself, she wanted to try. He had acted as if he really liked her. She was willing to bid lower. This was so unprofessional, but it was all she had left to try.
Her stomach flipped when she saw him coming down the hall. It would be better if he were less handsome. Now that all his baby fat was gone, it was hard to keep her nerves steady when she saw him. Today, he was wearing a slim-cut black suit with a white tie covered in red gems. Very formal for a meeting like this. She was wearing a simple sheath dress and wished she’d put on higher heels and done something else with her hair.
Standing next to him, she was always going to pale in comparison, but she’d have felt better in more formal dress. Being underdressed only added to her nerves.
“Nice to see you again, Mary.” He held the door to the office open for her. “Thanks for coming to meet me here.”
“No problem. I’m glad to get to see the building.”
Hansen Security headquarters was one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. It overlooked a sparkling lake and had a solid glass front. The grounds were immaculately landscaped, with lush trees, bushes in animal shapes, and flowers everywhere. It was like something out of a fairy tale. Honestly, she thought it was even more beautiful than their home.
Connor’s office, where they would be meeting, occupied the top floor. There was and office for his father and one for his brother also. She knew that Beckett never used his, and that it was more of a showpiece. He and his wife were jetsetters who traveled all over.
Beckett and Lenni Hansen’s wedding had been the talk of the town last year. It had been held outside here at the company’s headquarters. Since the grounds were so beautiful, it wasn’t that unusual, but she was surprised that they’d allowed press photographers to take pictures.
“I really appreciate you meeting with me,” she said, standing next to a chair.
“Please have a seat,” he said. He went around to his side of the desk and opened a folder. “Would you like something to drink before we begin?”
“I’d love some water,” she said.
She quickly looked around his office as he poured her drink. It was much more extravagant than his space at the house. It appeared that the Hansens were more concerned with having a lavish business front and were more minimal at home.
Most of the millionaires Mary worked for had lavish homes and very sleek offices. Connor and his family were very much the opposite. The mansion was modern and minimalist, with very few frills. It would be a dream to clean.
She was going to get to clean it, too. She was going to get this job.
It was important to keep a positive outlook. The more she told herself that she’d get the job, the more she felt it was true.
“It’s really no problem to meet with you,” he told her, handing a glass of water to her. “I’m glad to be able to help a young businesswoman starting out.”
“I’m not that young,” she admitted. “And I’m not just starting out, either.”
Connor frowned. “Have you just been having a string of failures, then?”
She shook her head, cheeks burning. “I actually was dishonest. I didn’t ask you to review my pitch. I’m here to ask you to please hire us.”
He rose from his chair. “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you. I decided to go with a different company. Your bid didn’t attract me.”
“Whatever they’re offering, we’ll do it for half.” She didn’t stand up. She wouldn’t budge until she absolutely had to.
He went to the door and opened it. “That wouldn’t be fair to you. I don’t want to waste your time or underpay anyone.”
“If they’re willing to do the job for less, then so can we.” She still didn’t get up from her chair. “Please. I’m not usually one to ask for charity, but I’m begging you to give us this job. I know the other companies that you saw that day, and we do much better work than any of them. Please check our references.”
As she spoke, a beautiful blonde woman came to the door. Stephanie Hansen—Mary would have recognized the glamorous woman anywhere. She was Connor’s mother and Mr. Hansen’s second wife. She was a well-known figure in charity circles around town, and she’d spoken at Mary’s high school three times while she was there. Mary had gotten to meet her one of those times, and the older shifter’s presence had stuck with her.
She wished she could command the attention of a room like Mrs. Hansen could. No one would ever refuse her requests. She wouldn’t even have to ask for the job, because she would have already gotten it. Women like Stephanie Hansen always got ahead. If she hadn’t been so kind, it would be easy to hate someone so beautiful. But while Mary was envious of Mrs. Hansen’s beauty, she was more jealous of her confidence.
Now she stood up, tugging down her cheap dress as she unfolded herself from the seat. “I see you have another appointment. I’m sorry to keep you. I’ll leave you two alone.”
“No need to rush on my account. I came unannounced.” Stephanie extended her hand. “I’m Stephanie Hansen. And you?”
“Mary Sanders.” Mary shook her hand. “We’ve actually met before.”
Stephanie studied Mary’s face for a moment, and then her eyes lit up. “You went to high school here. I met you a few years back, right?”
“It’s so nice of you to remember. You must meet hundreds of people every year.” Mary was so flattered. She hadn’t thought anyone like Stephanie would ever remember someone like her.
“Now that I’m seeing you up close, I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you at the house last week. You were one of the prettiest girls at that school. I couldn’t believe someone as beautiful as you was on the math team. You really put me to shame.” Stephanie laughed. “My husband tells me I’m as pretty as a picture, but I’m as dumb as a rock when it comes to math. You’re one lucky girl: beauty and brains.”
Mary’s cheeks burned hotter than when she’d had to lie to Connor. “Oh, I’m not that good at math. Only average, really.”
Stephanie elbowed her son. “Pretty and humble. This is one is a keeper. I see why you wanted to meet with her again.”
Connor clenched his fists at his sides. “What do you want, Mother?”
“I came to take you to lunch, but I see you already have plans.”
“This is a business meeting,” Connor said. “Mary was just leaving, so I’m free.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to come?” Stephanie asked Mary. “My treat. I’d love to hear what you’re doing these days.”
“I run a cleaning company,” Mary said.
“Well, isn’t that nice. I’ve always admired women who are able to run their own companies,” Stephanie said, putting her hand on Mary’s arm. “My son is looking for a cleaning crew. Is that why you’re here?”
“She’s already hired,” Connor said quickly. He grabbed Mary by the arm and pulled her toward the door. “I was just telling her that I’d send her all the specifications in an email. I was going to go with another crew, but I’ve changed my mind. It was nice of her to agree to do the job on such short notice.”
Mary had no idea what was going on, but she could barely contain her excitement. He wanted her to agree with what he was saying. She wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth, but if she was going to get the job, she didn’t care. He wanted her away from his mother, and if that was all it would take to get this job, she’d play along with whatever he wanted.
“Thank you, Mr. Hansen. Send it to the email address you contacted before. I’m sorry I can’t join you for lunch, Mrs. Hansen. I need to get back to work.”
“If you’re going to be at the mansion,” Stephanie said, “I’ll be seeing you around. You have to come and have lunch with me one of these days. Don’t try to back out of it.”
Connor pushed her toward the door again. “Thank you, Ms. Sanders.”
Mary left the office nearly at a sprint. She didn’t need to stick around and sour whatever magic was happening.
After she got into the elevator and was alone, she jumped up and down. This had gone better than she could have imagined. Whatever was going on with Connor and his mother, she didn’t care. She’d gotten a job. Mission accomplished!