So, when he offered me a promotion after the tirade I had just unleashed, I wasn’t quite sure I’d heard him right. I was still trying to decide if I wanted to sink into the Earth itself and be buried alive or knock his handsome head off his
shoulders.
I kept my cool as best I could. I was in the right, and the opinions I'd expressed about the failure of the watch campaign were completely valid. I had no intention of backing down or apologizing for my comments.
After introducing who he really was, he had told me how impressed he’d been by my presentation and offered me a promotion, but all I'd heard was, “My name's not really Andrew. It’s Asher, Asher Sinclair.” Everything after that had been an auditory blur as the world had come crashing down around me.
I did my best to maintain my composure. “I’m sorry, Mr. Sinclair, but what did you just ask me?”
He smiled, and I would have sworn there was something more than mere professional courtesy in that smile. Still, Asher Sinclair’s ulterior motives were the last thing I was thinking about. Instead, I tried to simply focus on his words.
“I'd like to offer you a position on my personal staff,” he repeated. “What you said and your vision for moving forward really impressed me and—”
“I'm so sorry I insulted your campaign so bluntly,” I heard myself sputter out. It was almost as if the words had a mind of their own. I didn't remember my brain issuing any such command to say anything by way of an insincere apology.
He chuckled. “Your honesty and candor are exactly why I want to offer you this position,” he countered. “You're absolutely right. I did drop the ball on this one. Even the best of us make mistakes sometimes. I have no issues owning up to my mistakes. I admit I made an error in judgment.
“Don't get too used to it, though. It doesn’t happen too often. I didn't get where I am by sheer luck, Ms. Maxwell.
“But, something tells me you’re the type to do her homework before taking a position with a company. I'm sure you're familiar enough with my former campaigns, and that I don't need to point out my success rate. Which means you also know that I'm not satisfied with what I've achieved thus far. I have higher ambitions. I don't just want the Sinclair Agency to be the biggest PR firm in North America, I want it to be the biggest PR firm on the planet. And, I feel like I can achieve this, but only if I've got the right people behind me.
“That’s where you come in, Ms. Maxwell—I need people who aren't afraid to tell me when I've dropped the ball, people who have revolutionary visions, people who have, as you seem to, an innate ability to understand what it is that sells a product. So, what do you say?”
I breathed in deeply, trying to maintain control over the mad tornado of conflicting emotions whirling around the inside of my head and the swarm of butterflies wreaking havoc in my stomach.
“Well, Mr. Sinclair, I’d like to know more about what the position entails. Could you give me a more detailed job description and allow me some time to think about it?”
“Call me Asher, please.”
“All right, Asher. But my questions still stand. Do I have to make a decision right now, or would you permit me a little time to consider your offer? With all due respect, it's a bit overwhelming, and I do enjoy the job I have now. While I do thrive under pressure, I’d still like to know what I’d be getting into.”
He nodded. “That’s a fair enough request. I'm sure you have a number of things you'll need to factor into your decision. I can tell you now, it's not going to be easy. I'm a stickler for discipline and hard work. But I'm also extremely generous when my people show me their worth. Extremely generous.”
I nodded. “I can appreciate that. I'm not afraid of hard work, not in the least. In fact, the tougher the task, the more enthusiastically I approach it.”
“I get the sense that you're a woman who enjoys taking on a challenge—that you're not easily intimidated.”
“Your would be right about that.”
“Excellent. That means you're just the sort of person I'm looking for on my team. I think you and I could go a long way together, Ms. Maxwell. There could be a very bright future ahead of you—if you make the right decision, of course. So, how about I give you a week to think about it. Does that sound reasonable?”
“Absolutely. Can I give you my card?”
“Please do. Would you prefer a call or an email?”
“An email would be great. I'm all over the place with meetings and I can't guarantee I'll be able to answer a call.”
“I know exactly what you mean. All right, I'll email you later with a detailed job description and you can let me know in a week what your decision is going to be—or sooner if the answer hits you in the middle of the might, as many good ideas often do.” The crooked smile he beamed at me caused a bit of warmth in places I didn’t want to acknowledge.
I returned the smile, though I doubted it had the same effect on him. “Thank you, Mr. Sinc—Asher,” I responded. “I'll definitely have an answer for you soon.”
“Great. I look forward to hearing from you. And now, I must get going. I have a conference to fly to in Hong Kong. My limo is waiting downstairs. You need a ride anywhere?”
“I don't, but thanks for the offer.”
“Anytime.” He turned to leave, but quickly spun back around. “One more thing. If you’ve done your homework, you know I like my privacy. Maybe anonymity is a better word for it. So, I’d appreciate you acting as if you have no idea who I am outside of the top floor. That won’t be a problem, will it?”
“Your secret is safe with me,” I chuckled with a smile.