Tylenol.I need Tylenol.
“Iris speaking,” I murmur as I slide open my drawer.
“Hi Iris, this is Julius from the Astor Conglomerate. How are you doing today?” he asks.
I frown, wondering why he is calling me. This is out of the ordinary.
“I’m doing great, Julius. What can I do for you?” I ask, keeping my tone light.
I open up the bottle and pop a couple of pills into my mouth and then reach for my water.
“I know this is unorthodox, but I wanted to run something by you,” he starts.
“Okay…” I trail off.
“I guess I should ask, you’ve heard of us before, correct?” he says.
“Of course,” I say, rolling my eyes, not that he can see it.
To say the Astor Conglomerate is one of our biggest competitors would be an understatement. As of right now, they have more European hotels than we do, all more exclusive then the last. Meanwhile, we are concentrating on expanding not only in our backyard but also our island retreats. That doesn’t mean that our hotels abroad aren’t doing phenomenally, though.
“Look, I’ll cut to the chase. I’ve been following you for a while now. Your story is truly inspiring. You’ve literally worked your way from an assistant to the CFO. Frankly, it’s impressive.”
“As much as I love being flattered, Julius, and not to be rude, but could you please get to the point? I am a busy woman. I am surprised they even put you through to my desk.”
He chuckles. “I told them it was urgent, but I’ll cut to the chase. I want to offer you a job.”
“Excuse me?” I ask, completely off guard.
“I know this is out of the blue, but we have a job opening, and I think you would be perfect for it.” He rattles on, telling me more about the job while I sit, listening in stunned silence.
“Look, I know this is a lot and unexpected. Why don’t you send me your personal email, and I’ll send you over the details?” he says.
“Sure,” I tell him, feeling numb, and I rattle off my email.
“Great. I hope we will be working together soon,” he says before hanging up.
I shake my head and blow out a deep breath.
That was…unexpected. Flattering, but unexpected.
London.
I would be based in London.
One of my favorite cities in the world.
I could get a place in SoHo or Mayfair. I could spend my time in central London. I could go to North London and live in Camden, where some of my favorite markets are. My options are endless.
I smile as I think about the milder winters there compared to here on the East Coast. All the gardens and markets I could visit on the weekends. The shows I could see.
I could be a quick train or plane ride from so many other countries. I could travel on the weekend and see so much more than I already have. Especially since the job would be a lot less than my current one.
The job wouldn’t be a CFO job like I currently have, but one that’s more interpersonal. Something that I’ve been missing since I took this position. I miss being out there and working behind the scenes with everyone else to make sure everything stayed smooth and there were no hiccups.
London.
My heart races at the thought.
