“Of course. Have you ever been here?” Sharon asks, pushing her menu aside.
When I tell her I haven’t, Sharon goes through her favorite items on the menu. Then she leans into the table and whispers, “I’ll let you in on a little secret. My husband is the chef, so everything is amazing.” She gives me a saucy smile. “I like to eat here because it gets me food made by a sexy man, and it reminds him to stay on his toes.” She winks, and it forces a light laugh out of me.
Once we’ve placed our orders, Sharon folds her hands on the table. “Let’s get to business. I want to be straightforward withyou about yesterday so I’m not holding you in suspense any longer than necessary.” She tilts her head with a smile. “So let me start by telling you how wonderful you did in the interview.”
“Thank you,” I say, bubbles of confidence filling my chest. I lift my shoulders a smidge.
“It was refreshing to hear your ideas, and they align perfectly with my thoughts and the rest of the hiring committee’s hopes for the entomology department.”
I nod, my fingers tapping a rapid beat on my thighs.
“And I’m beyond excited to tell you that we’ve decided you’ll be perfect for the position.”
I breathe out a sigh of relief as my heart soars. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome, my dear. I’m so proud of you.”
I lift my chin. “I’m pretty proud too.”
“You should be. As you left yesterday, we all looked at each other and nodded. We just knew you were the right person. You had this steady confidence and strong passion that we felt through every answer you gave.”
Tears sting in my eyes. Damn, these emotions the last two days have me acting like a blubbering mess, but it feels so satisfying to know I got this job because I’m the right person. Because I deserve it.
“That being said...” She sighs, her tone dropping an octave. Her chin lowers as she levels me with a serious look. “Why didn’t you tell me that you knew the other applicant?”
The blood drains from my face, and I swallow. “It... it didn’t seem like the right thing to do.”
She nods. “Well, I wasn’t aware until he had a breakdown of sorts in his interview yesterday. He was shouting and making accusations about you and your merit as an applicant.”
The sudden urge to throw up sweeps through me. If it wasn’t for the fact she already offered me the job, I’d crumple to the ground with humiliation.
“And I was shocked,” she continues, “because he seemed like a completely different person from the man I met in the first interview and last week while he was here.”
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, because it’s the only thing I can think to say.
“Millie,Iam sorry. You have nothing to apologize for.” Sharon reaches across the table to put her hand over mine. “Women in science need to stick together. I don’t know your whole story, but I do know that man I met yesterday is not the kind of person I want working at our museum. And he’s not the kind of person I want hurting one of my employees either. So I want to apologize for not seeing that sooner.”
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I didn’t see it for a long time.”
She shakes her head sadly. “You’re very strong, Millie.”
I scoff a laugh. “People keep telling me that, but I’m not. I couldn’t even tell anyone what was happening at the time.”
Her brows lower. “That doesn’t say anything about your strength. You were strong every day of that relationship. You were strong last week, enduring being around him. You were strong yesterday, showing up for that interview. And you’re strong today, having this conversation with me. Strength isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s a quiet power that isn’t so obvious to the world.”
I bite my lips and nod, her words reminding me so much of what Lena’s told me in the past.
“It’s one of my greatest joys in life to prove idiots wrong—especially men,” she continues, raising an eyebrow. “So I’m over-the-moon excited for you to prove that idiot wrong. While he wasbeing walked out of the museum by security, spouting nonsense about some of my favorite employees, he was only solidifying my decision.”
My chest is lighter as I take a deep breath. It feels so good to hear that someone finally saw his true colors.
We’re interrupted by a dashing older man in a black apron, who approaches our table with a wide grin and two plates of food.
“I had a feeling this was for you,” he says warmly as he sets Sharon’s plate in front of her and kisses her on the cheek.
“This looks fabulous,” she coos, then motions toward me. “Darling, this is my new entomology director, Millie Oaks.”
The title hits me in the chest. Millie Oaks. Entomology Director. It sounds like a dream.
