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Sunlight poured through the windows, causing the black marble floors to sparkle. The sound of my heels hurrying across them bounced off the three stories of walls in the expansive lobby at Seminal Communications. I pranced up to the reception desk.
“Jessica Stroker. I’m here to see...”
The concierge smiled and responded before I could finish.
“Erika. She’s expecting you. Third elevator on the left. Take it up to the 12th floor, Mrs. Stroker.”
“Thank you.”
Erika Bloodworth shattered the glass ceiling by building Seminal Communications to become the juggernaut in the Telecommunications industry across the western seaboard. Before she took over, the company struggled and hurtled towards bankruptcy. She turned it around in just 3 short years and became a favorite cover story for every major regional women’s business magazine. So, when I received a call three days ago from her assistant asking me to come meet with her, I accepted.
When I stepped out of the elevator on the 12th floor, Erika stood there waiting for me with a warm smile and a firm handshake.
“Welcome to Seminal Communications, Jessica.”
Keep it cool, Jessica.
“Thank you for having me.”
“Come with me.”
Erika’s tailored suit moved in harmony with her body as she took long, steady strides. She led me down a hallway and into a large conference room with windows that ran from floor to ceiling and down the full length of one side of the room. My lips parted. I walked over and looked out at the sprawling gardens and walkways that decorated the company grounds.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is.”
“When I first joined the company, all of that was undeveloped dirt.”
The polished sandstone paths meandered through a sea of vibrant green grass. Scattered islands of bright yellow daffodils mixed with red chrysanthemums. Branches of a rippling brook extended out from a large fountain in the middle.
“Wow, it’s really something.”
She smiled at me.
“I’m sure you’re wondering why I asked you to come meet with me.”
I grinned at her.
“It wasn’t just to show me your beautiful gardens?”
She laughed.
“No, it wasn’t. Have a seat. Can I have Ken bring you anything?”
I smirked.
And she’s got men bringing her coffee. Nice.
“Ken can bring me a glass of water.”
“How about brandy?”
Oooo, I like this woman. Does she know that is my drink of choice?
“That sounds fabulous.”
She leaned over and tapped a console in the center of the dark mahogany table, gave Ken my order, and took a seat near me.
“Jessica, we don’t lose many contracts at Seminal. I make it a point to hire the very best salespeople and provide customers with the utmost in excellent customer service. But when we have lost a contract to a competitor, do you know who it was?”
Seminal had no actual competition in the region.
You all lose business? To anyone?
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Always smaller contracts. Nothing that would affect our bottom line, but it still pissed me off that this little company beat us in our own backyard. Still no idea?”
I shook my head.
“Most recently, we lost a contract with Solidarity Insurance.”
My eyes widened as I lifted a hand to my mouth.
“Piddly Starlight communications. And do you know who the salesperson was? Every single time?”
“I’m sorry, Erika, I honestly never knew it was your company I took the business from.”
“Well, that’s because we are exceptionally good at keeping our competition in the dark about who our customers are, but we weren’t good enough to keep you from sniping them. And don’t apologize, Jessica. All is fair out there in the trenches of commission sales.”
A wry grin surfaced on my face.
“Well, ok then, I’m not sorry.”
“My sources tell me you might be in the market for a new opportunity.”
My heart skipped a beat.
Omg, she’s offering me a job. Stay. Cool.
“I might.”
“I’ll make this simple. We designed our bonus structure to reward performers and weed out slackers. I’m confident, based on my research, that you’ll double and perhaps even triple what you were making at Starlight. You’ll be representing a far superior product backed by best in class customer service and warranties.”
My best efforts to contain my excitement deteriorated as a jubilant light pushed its way into my eyes, and Erika caught it.
“You’ll always travel first class, and we will pay all those expenses. We have excellent benefits and 401k matching if up to twelve percent.”
My mouth fell open.
“Ok, no one else is doing that.”
“That’s why our retention rate is ninety-six percent. I take care of my people.”
The specter of the volatile situation I left behind at Starlight floated into my mind and dampened my shine. If she called them, there’s no telling what she’d learn. Those catty bitches would probably risk a lawsuit just to expose me and sabotage my chances of getting back on my feet.
“I feel I should probably tell you something.”
“You should tell me you accept.”
“I do, but if you do a background check, you’ll likely learn that things didn’t end well with Starlight.”
“I know.”
The blood drained from my face.
“Relax, Jessica. I have exceedingly effective methods for finding out dirt on my competition. I know about your old boss and the complaints from women in the office. I also know you set company sales records and beat my people while playing with an inferior hand.”
She leaned in closer.
“I could tell you some of my own stories, Jessica. Men are easy prey.”
She winked at me as she stood and patted me on the shoulder.
“Maybe one day, when I get to know you better, I will.”
I wanted to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming or caught in the twilight zone. Could I really be going to work for a powerhouse of a woman cut from the same cloth as me?
Erika eyed me, grinning, as she walked towards the door.
“Do you need some time to think about it?”
Get it together, Jessica.
“No, I don’t. When can I start?”
I got up and walked over to her, and she took my hand, giving it another firm shake and taking hold of my shoulder with the other.
“I’ll see you on Monday morning. Welcome to Seminal.”
