“How did it go?”
“I believe three people hate me.”
“Only three? Excellent.”
She sat opposite me.
“I need to tell you something.”
“What?”
“The position you interviewed for isn’t available.”
My stomach sank.
“Oh.”
Eleanor folded her hands.
“I lied.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
“There was never an opening for Director of Human Capital Strategy.”
I could hardly believe her.
“Are you kidding me?”
“No.”
“Then why did I spend six hours interviewing?”
“Because I needed the board to meet you.”
Frustration rose inside me.
“Eleanor, I’m not interested in games.”
“Neither am I.”
She placed a folder on the desk.
“Open it.”
I did.
Its title read:
HALSTON COMMUNITY VENTURES — FORMATION PLAN
I looked up.
“What is this?”
“A new company.”
“For what?”
“Small businesses.”
Eleanor leaned back.
“Every year, thousands of businesses fail because nobody believes they are large enough to matter. Family restaurants. Local manufacturers. Rural clinics. Repair shops. Small technology firms.”
