Chapter Three
Hanna
I climbed out of bed and yawned, rubbing my fists against my eyes. The sun was shining outside – it looked like it was already late afternoon – but I knew it was freezing cold. It had snowed, again, the night before, and I’d stayed in bed all day, reading and snacking on the cookies Danielle had brought home from her job.
It had been exactly one week since I’d quit working for Jim. The first few days had been hard. I felt useless and lazy, and it was hard to motivate myself to do anything other than shower during the long days at home. Danielle had been more than supportive – she’d done nothing but give me encouraging words. She’d even asked her friend who worked in a staffing agency if there were any leads that looked like they’d be a good fit for me. But nothing had worked out. Yesterday, I’d spent the whole day sending my resume to what felt like every company in the city. I knew that as soon as I started getting interviews again, I’d start to feel better.
Just as I was about to head into the kitchen and grab the ice cream from the freezer, my phone buzzed in the pocket of my pajama pants. Excitedly, I pulled it out and swiped the call open.
“Hello, this is Hanna Parker,” I said in my most professional voice.
“Hello, Hanna! This is Laura, over at Magnate Group. We received your resume yesterday for an administrative position, and I was hoping you’d be able to come in for an interview tomorrow morning.”
My heart leapt into my throat and I had to steady myself. Magnate Group was the firm to work for in Boston! It was always on the Fortune 500 list, and I knew the owner was a young, mysterious billionaire. It was impossible to go anywhere in the city without seeing sleek Magnate Group advertisements.
“Hanna? Are you there?”
“Oh my gosh, yes, I’m so sorry,” I said. “And yes, I’d love to come in and speak with you tomorrow morning!”
“Perfect,” Laura said. “Please come at ten-thirty.”
I scribbled down the address that Laura gave me on the back of my hand and fought the urge to squeal and jump for joy when I hung up. I couldn’t believe it – if I started working at Magnate Group, my money problems would be over. I’d be able to save, and more importantly, start to pay Danielle back for all of her kindness.
I was still jumping for joy when Danielle got home. She smiled when she saw me.
“I got an interview!” I said excitedly. “At Magnate Group!”
“Holy shit, no way!” Danielle squealed and hugged me tightly. “Hanna, that’s incredible!”
“I know,” I said, closing my eyes and taking a huge breath. “I can’t believe they called me. Me, of all people!”
“I can believe it,” Danielle replied. “You’re smart and capable. They’ll be lucky to have you.”
“Don’t talk like I already have the job,” I said cautiously. “It’s bad luck.”
Danielle scoffed. “It’s not bad luck,” she said. “Hanna, I know you’re going to crush this! I’m so happy for you.”
I bit my lip. “I just don’t want to get too optimistic when nothing has happened yet,” I said. “You understand, right?”
Danielle nodded. “But I’m confident in you,” she said. “And tomorrow, I know you’re going to wow them.”
I flushed. “I hope so,” I said. “Because I really need this.”
That night, I barely slept. I tossed and turned in my bed, wondering what would happen. Would the interview go well? Or go poorly? I even got up early in the morning to brush up on typical interview questions and a brief history of the Magnate Group. It was incredibly impressive that in less than twenty-five years, Magnate had become one of the largest domestic consulting firms.
I wondered if I’d be good enough to work there.
I left the apartment at nine in the morning, in my favorite black dress with stockings and heels tucked in my bag. The streets were still slushy and wet, but the sun was shining. I took it as a good omen. I’m going to get this, I thought, my confidence growing as I walked to the bus stop. I just know it!
When I got to the Magnate Group offices, I couldn’t help but be impressed. They owned an entire building, a large skyscraper in the posh downtown. The inside was all modern – stainless steel and glass – but with luxe touches, like marble floors and beautiful paintings on the wall. I rode the elevator up alone, fidgeting nervously. When the doors dinged open, I reluctantly stepped out and looked around.
A smiling woman at reception stood up when she saw me. “Hello,” she said. “You must be Hanna Parker.”
I nodded. “Yes,” I said. “I’m meeting Laura at ten-thirty.”
The woman smiled. “Come with me, please,” she said. “She’s waiting for you.”
My heart began to thump nervously as the woman led me into a small, intimate conference room. The table was set with a bowl of fruit and bottles of chic sparkling water, but I didn’t want to touch anything and make a bad impression.
“Hello, Hanna, I’m Laura.”
I looked up to see a middle-aged woman sitting at the table. She stood and offered me her hand, which I shook as firmly as I could without crushing her. She had friendly eyes but a stern face, and I noticed that her silk and wool suit was obviously designer.
“It’s very nice to meet you,” I said politely. I waited for Laura to sit down before sitting across from her and passing over a copy of my resume. “I brought this, just in case you needed an extra copy.”
Laura gave me a brief smile. “Thank you for coming in today,” she said. “I’m going to tell you a little about the position, and then we’ll get into the interview portion.”
I nodded.
“So, you’ll be working as the administrative assistant for our CEO, James West,” Laura continued. “He’s a very important man, with a busy schedule. You’ll need to make sure that all of his needs are taken care of, and that a professional relationship is maintained at all times.”
I frowned. “Why do you say that?”
For the first time, I saw a crack in Laura’s composure. “Some of his assistants in the past have developed…” She trailed off. “Well, let’s not discuss that.” She smiled, but I could tell it was forced. “The important thing is that you’re able to do the job properly.”
I thought of my horrible last boss, Jim, and the harassment I’d endured.
“I’m sure I can,” I said. “As long as Mr. West is professional and respectful, I will be, too.”
Laura nodded. She seemed relieved. “Very good,” she said. “So, please tell me a little bit about yourself.”
“I recently graduated with a degree in social media management,” I said. As I told Laura about myself and my interests, I could see that she was smiling for real now. She made a lot of notes on the pad in front of her as I talked.
After Laura had asked me a few questions, I felt more confident than ever. She was easy to talk with – it was almost like talking with a friend – and I knew instinctively that I’d be a good match for this company. As long as James, whoever he was, was nothing like Jim, I had a feeling that I was going to be very happy here.
At the end of the interview, Laura got to her feet. She beamed at me. “Hanna, I don’t want to give anything away, but you’re the strongest candidate I’ve spoken to so far. I think you would be a great fit for this position.”
My jaw dropped and it took me a few seconds to recover my composure. “Wow, that’s wonderful news,” I said. “Thank you so much.”
Laura nodded. “I’ll speak with human resources, but I’m betting you’ll have a verbal offer by the end of the day. Are you currently interviewing anywhere else?”
I shook my head. “No,” I said honestly. “I’m not.”
Laura smiled. “Very good,” she said. “Well, Hanna, thank you very much for coming in and speaking with me today. And I think I can speak for all of us at Magnate Group when I say that I’m looking forward to seeing how you do here.”
“Thank you so much,” I said. My heart was racing and I had to make a conscious effort not to jump and leap around with happiness.
As I left the Magnate Group offices, I felt happier and more relaxed than I had in weeks. I couldn’t believe it – I’d finally landed a job worthy of the four years I’d spent slaving away in college. And while I didn’t know anything about my new boss, James, I was more than excited to learn.