Jeremiah leaned forward and rested a strong chin on his fingers. “Yes,” he said simply, the one word answering all my questions.

I tried to get indignant at the proposition, tried to find some way to protest and maintain some shred of dignity, but I was too practical. Right now I desperately needed a job and here was an offer, and I couldn’t afford to let it pass not knowing when I might get another. That didn’t mean, however, that I was just going to say yes. “What are you offering?” I demanded, raising my chin and hoping he didn’t see the flush that suffused my body. I can’t believe I’m actually considering this!

A slow smile tipped one corner of his mouth. “Full benefits, a raise in pay, and all travel expenses paid.” He wrote something on a small post-it note and passed it over to me. “This should be sufficient for a starting salary.”

The sum on the note made me faint – I could have my student loans paid off in only a few months, and have more than enough money to go back to college within a year. My jaw wouldn’t work as I fumbled for words, unable to think of what to say. It’s an opportunity, part of me insisted while another part, the one that usually sounded like my parents, screamed at me to RUN! I sat in silence a moment, pondering my options, then drew in a shaky breath. “I want this in writing.”

Something told me that hadn’t been the answer he was expecting; he cocked his head sideways and his eyes crinkled, the only sign I saw of humor. That gorgeous face remained otherwise stoic as he nodded. “Very well,” he said, “but first I need to interview you further for this position.” He leaned forward and set his chin on steepled fingers. “Stand up, bend down and put your elbows on the desk.”

4

I froze, the earlier phrase anything I want echoing through my head. After a tense moment where I warred with myself and lost, I rose to my feet and moved toward the desk, bending down to place my elbows along the edge of the dark wood. Nervous, I watched Jeremiah as he stood and came around the desk. “Stay like this until I tell you to move again. How many words can you type a minute?”