He smiled and reached out his hand to greet her properly. “Hello, Miss Dempsey.”
“Call me Emma, please,” she said with a soft, knowing smile as she shook his hand.
It took everything he had for Jonah to let her go, but he had to. “Please have a seat,” he said, indicating the guest chair she’d sat in many times before.
Once they were settled, Jonah picked up her résumé and tried to think of something intelligent to say. He decided to continue as though they’d never met before and start with his basic opening question for any interview. “So. Emma, please tell me a little about why you want to work here at FlynnSoft.”
Normally, this question would help him pinpoint whether or not the applicant had the same core values as most FlynnSoft employees. A love of gaming and graphic design, joy for their work, hell, even an interest in free coffee was worth a mention. People who appreciated his workplace innovations before they even started would be much happier and more productive employees later on.
“Well,” Emma began, “I recently had an opportunity to work with some of the FlynnSoft family as part of an audit I conducted for my previous position. It was not at all what I was used to in a corporate environment, but after I adjusted, I really learned to appreciate what FlynnSoft offers their employees.”
“And what is that?”
“Freedom to work at their own pace on projects that excite them. All the tools they need—traditional or otherwise—to get their jobs done. Time and amenities to recharge and maintain their enthusiasm for their work. Also, an owner and CEO that truly cares for his staff. At first I thought he was all about the money, but I realized that so much of what motivated him was the success of his company for the benefit of the employees that depended on him.”
“So you understand that despite how things might look, he was just trying to protect them?” he asked.
Emma nodded.
“And you realize that he would never deliberately hurt one of his employees, even if they were just on a temporary assignment?”
Emma looked at him with her big green eyes and he was happy to see no hurt hiding there. “Yes. I can see that now. At first, it was hard to believe, but I’ve had a little time to think about it and I’ve really come to appreciate what he was willing to do.”
She understood why he did what he did. Jonah wanted to sigh loudly in relief and thank his lucky stars, but
he wouldn’t. Not yet. “Okay, great answer. Now, what skills and experience do you have that would be an asset to FlynnSoft if we were to bring you on board?”
At this question, Emma grinned. “Well, I am very structured and organized. I like to keep things professional in the workplace, but I also know when to let my hair down. I think that with my experience, I am the perfect candidate to keep not only the FlynnSoft financial department in line, but to keep the CEO himself in line, as well.”
“Oh really?” Jonah’s brows rose in curiosity. Now things were getting interesting.
“Yes. He has some weaknesses that I can exploit when necessary to keep things on track.”
“What kind of weaknesses?” Jonah asked.
Emma’s soft pink lips curled into a smile. “Me, for one thing. I happen to know that the CEO has a soft spot where I’m concerned.”
Jonah leaned forward onto his elbows, getting as close to her as he could with the massive furniture between them. “That’s true. You could probably negotiate an amazing benefits package with that kind of leverage.”
“I’m mostly interested in maternity leave,” Emma responded. “Flexible schedules and telecommuting are always good with little ones, as well. If my office was big enough, I would also like to be able to bring my daughter in to work with me.”
Jonah opened his mouth to respond, but found there were no words. He had been following along until suddenly—wham! Did she just say daughter? They were having a girl? How could she know so soon?
Emma reached into her portfolio and slid a grainy black-and-white photo across the desk to him. He’d seen normal ultrasound pictures before, but this one had amazing detail.
“I had a 3-D ultrasound done yesterday. Fourteen weeks is still a little early to be absolutely sure, but the technician was very confident that I, we, are having a little girl.”
* * *
Emma was fairly certain the interview was over. Jonah had managed to maintain as professional a face as he’d ever had, but the minute she slid the photo of his daughter across the desk to him, it was done.
Sitting there, she had the rare opportunity to actually watch a man fall in love with his child. It was something she thought she might never see before now, and she was so relieved she could almost cry. But she wouldn’t. She could already see the sheen of tears in Jonah’s eyes and the whole meeting would devolve into sobbing if she started.
Jonah stared at the picture for a few minutes before gently wiping at his eyes and setting it back down on his desk. “I am fairly certain we can accommodate whatever needs you may have to bring our daughter into the office. I’ll kick Noah out of his office and turn it into a nursery if you want me to.”
He smiled and stood up, walking slowly around his desk to her. He stopped just short of touching her, sitting down in the other guest chair beside her so they were at eye level. “I love you, Emma,” he said without the slightest hesitation. “I love you and I’ve missed you so badly. I’m so sorry that I hurt you. I never meant to do that.”
Emma reached out and covered his hand with her own. She gave it a gentle squeeze, reveling in the touch of his skin against hers once again. “I know. I love you, too. And I’m sorry, as well.”