The Interview

Erica sat quietly at the large L-shaped desk. She had been waiting twenty minutes for this interview with Mr. Bradley Brighton and was starting to feel a little impatient. “Am I even qualified for this job” she wondered to herself. “Is he late because my time isn’t valuable to him or his business?” In true Erica fashion her mind spiraled, her palms got sweaty and she hoped that this anxiety she felt would not show through when Mr. Brighton finally showed up.

After a few more minutes of internal pacing, the door flung open with a loud bang as it hit the wall behind it. Erica jumped in her chair and felt her skin flush with embarrassment. In came Mr. Brighton. He was disheveled, with dark brown hair and furrowed dark brows. His dark green eyes made for quite a penetrating look when he finally came around the desk and sat face to face with her. He dropped his messenger bag and smiled crookedly.

“Hello…” he said breathlessly.

Erica had been preparing for this interview for quite some time. She had brought her little black notebook. It was her favorite as the cover was hand-sewn leather and the pages had real texture and were yellowed like an old book. She found it at a Half Price Books in the neighborhood next to her own. She felt the leather-bound notebook gave her a look of sophistication she so desperately wanted to portray and she loved that the smell reminded her of the antique bookstore she frequented back home. Among her pages she had questions she wanted to ask Mr. Brighton about the business he had started five short years ago and notes outlining her own accomplishments and qualities she could bring to the table here.

His business was growing immensely and quite the chatter among the LinkedIn articles she followed. Erica was also very good at what she did. She could visualize a solution to almost any problem and break down the steps to get there quickly and efficiently. She was also well-known, although only in her own professional circle, for her tenacity and dependability. Women were not commonplace in her field so she always pushed herself twice as hard to get half as far. Today was supposed to change all that.

She fumbled with her little black notebook, returning Mr. Brighton’s gaze with as much confidence as she could muster.

“Good Morning.” She said it weakly, despite her best efforts.

He was straightening his suit jacket and she couldn’t help but notice how it fit tightly around his broad shoulders. His online presence made him seem like a man more suited to the outdoors than a boardroom and sitting in front of her now she could tell he may have been as uneasy as she was.

Of course she had done her research: Mr. Bradley Brighton, graduate of Ohio State University, class of 2007. He was Summa Cum Laude as well as being a first-string football player since sophomore year. He was a large man. He started his business from scratch with a Kickstarter for $5,000.00 then exceeded his stretch goals by 300% in 6 months and was able to grow his business into a publicly traded company within 3 years. He was dedicated, intelligent and intimidating.

Sitting in front of her with his suit jacket unbuttoned, she noticed he had softened in the middle from the photos she had seen online. This was a thought that made her smile. Finally, some sign he’s an actual human. He began speaking again, pulling her out of this train of thought.

“I’ve heard a lot about you Erica. I’m genuinely excited to have you on my team.”

She must have looked dumb-founded.

“This interview was more of a formality. I’ve been researching you and all you had to do was show up on time and the position was yours. I’m sorry I wasn’t able do the same!” He chuckled wryly.

She caught herself from just accepting on the spot out of excitement. She started her internal pep talk; she has value, she is worth a fair salary and she will be looking for a work-life balance that allows her to travel.

“That’s wonderful,” she said, “but I do have some questions for you.”

“Absolutely!” he remarked. Seemingly impressed.

She pulled out her notebook and asked the questions she had about culture, what his goals were, how he was managing this unprecedented growth, what challenges had he already prepared for and what did he hope for her to bring to the position. She felt her confidence growing as she went through her list. She was pleased with his responses, and they developed a friendly banter. She felt a sense of relief wash over her. All the stress and preparations, leaving her old job for this opportunity. It seemed like a great fit already.

They found themselves in a lull in their conversation. It was then that he slapped his hands down on the desk and said, “Well! That settles it, yes?”

Before she could respond he proceeded. “I’ve had this offer letter drawn up for you. Let me know if it meets your standards, I am open to some negotiation, if necessary. Take some time to look it over, would you like to meet for lunch tomorrow to discuss?”

“Sure.” She replied. He smiled warmly at her and slid the letter across the desk. She knew it would be rude to open the letter in front of him so she tucked the letter in her notebook and stood up to shake his hand, as is customary after an interview. He proceeded to give her instructions to a café, one that was actually a favorite of hers as it was within walking distance from her loft.

He walked around the desk and grabbed her hand. She could see how red sweaty his palms were, almost as if he’d been sitting with his fists clenched. She glossed over the thought and focused on the normal pleasantries required of her. He picked up her bag and offered to walk her out, but she declined. She was worried her knees might buckle from all the anxiety and excitement of the last 30 minutes. Had she really just landed her dream job?

He nodded and circled back to his seat while she exited his office.

When she returned to her car, she took a deep breath and opened the letter. She knew what she was hoping for. General salaries for a woman in her position ranged from $80k - $95k annually, but men were often paid upwards of $115k for the same job.

She gasped.

She read and re-read the letter carefully. Was this a typo? This was highly unusual in her experience. A sign-on bonus?! For $20,000.00?! With not a single obligation. This felt completely unreal. Mr. Brighton seemed like a careful and calculating man. She fumbled through the subsequent pages. She had become proficient in deciphering legal documents from her previous jobs. There were pieces about a handbook, all the other expectations of being a new employee, benefits, etc. There was no additional mention of this bonus.

She took a deep breath. He would probably have some explanation when they met for lunch tomorrow. There had to be something more to this.

She calmed herself down enough to drive home to her downtown loft. Her mind raced all over again. She didn’t think she could take any more surprises from this Mr. Brighton, but she also couldn’t ignore the flutter of excitement she felt at the thought of a more casual encounter tomorrow.