I’m sorry we couldn’t schedule a meeting during normal business hours. Then again, this discussion wouldn’t really be appropriate for your office.” Rachel smiled a perfectly straight white-toothed smile at Grace.
What? Why would Grace want to meet them at work? Jack nudged Rachel’s arm with his elbow and she looked at him sharply.
“What?” Rachel asked. Jack ignored her.
“I asked you to meet us today to make a business proposal.” Jack reached across the table as if to take Grace’s hand but he yanked it back before he touched her and put his hands in his lap.
Grace frowned. This was a business proposal. They must need her firm’s services. Jack wanted to be a client. He hadn’t called to catch up with her personally or to make an attempt at reconnecting. God! She was such an idiot! She really hoped the disappointment swelling in her gut wasn’t plain on her face.
“Artifex, that’s our company, has grown by leaps and bounds in the last couple of years. We’re in a hurry to get back to Seattle because we just acquired a new building and we’re moving this week. We do web development of all kinds from small business owners to mega corporations. We recently developed a product that allows people to design their website with easy templates and lots of choices to make the site individually unique to the client. We certainly aren’t the first in the market, but the non-commercial and small business side of the company has exploded,” he explained with a grin. Jack was clearly proud of the company he’d built with Rachel.
Rachel looked annoyed with her partner. She’d just realized that Grace hadn’t been informed of the reason for their visit. “Jack and I both do development and graphic work, but I’ve become more absorbed by the day-to-day running of the business in the office. I deal with our rapidly growing staff and the new web-building site. Jack focuses on our commercial customers.”
“Congratulations on your success,” Grace tried to smile. “I don’t really see how I could be of service unless you’re interested in hiring my firm to manage your portfolio. Unfortunately, I don’t have a creative or techy bone in my body.”
“That’s that not what we need from you, Grace.” Jack leaned back so the waiter could deliver their food before he continued. “What Artifex needs is a financial mind. Rachel and I have done okay up to this point, but the business has grown past our ability to maintain the design and financial aspects on our own. Neither of us enjoys the money managing end of things. We’re just not numbers people.”
“What we need is a CFO,” Rachel put in. “We need a partner in the business to deal solely with all of those very important money matters,” Rachel gestured between herself and Jack, “so we can focus on the creative end of things and bringing in new business.”
“That’s where you come in.” Jack smiled broadly at her. Grace’s stomach flipped. That smile had the power to destroy her. “We’d like you to come out to Seattle and spend some time at Artifex. Check out our operation. Have a look at our books. Talk to our employees.”
“Basically we want you to come out and see if you think Artifex could become your new home. Spend some time in Seattle to see if it’s a place that could grow on you.” Rachel now beamed as broadly as Jack.
“Come be our bean counter, Grace,” Jack pleaded. Rachel swatted his arm.
Grace couldn’t help laughing at the reference to their past and the way Jack had described people like her. Grace shook her head and rested her face in her hands. She’d just been offered a junior executive position in New York. Now she had the offer of full partner for an upstart company on the other side of the country, Jack’s side of the country, and Jack’s company.
“I need time to think about this. I was just offered a junior executive position with my firm. That’s pretty amazing at my age and I have to
What? Why would Grace want to meet them at work? Jack nudged Rachel’s arm with his elbow and she looked at him sharply.
“What?” Rachel asked. Jack ignored her.
“I asked you to meet us today to make a business proposal.” Jack reached across the table as if to take Grace’s hand but he yanked it back before he touched her and put his hands in his lap.
Grace frowned. This was a business proposal. They must need her firm’s services. Jack wanted to be a client. He hadn’t called to catch up with her personally or to make an attempt at reconnecting. God! She was such an idiot! She really hoped the disappointment swelling in her gut wasn’t plain on her face.
“Artifex, that’s our company, has grown by leaps and bounds in the last couple of years. We’re in a hurry to get back to Seattle because we just acquired a new building and we’re moving this week. We do web development of all kinds from small business owners to mega corporations. We recently developed a product that allows people to design their website with easy templates and lots of choices to make the site individually unique to the client. We certainly aren’t the first in the market, but the non-commercial and small business side of the company has exploded,” he explained with a grin. Jack was clearly proud of the company he’d built with Rachel.
Rachel looked annoyed with her partner. She’d just realized that Grace hadn’t been informed of the reason for their visit. “Jack and I both do development and graphic work, but I’ve become more absorbed by the day-to-day running of the business in the office. I deal with our rapidly growing staff and the new web-building site. Jack focuses on our commercial customers.”
“Congratulations on your success,” Grace tried to smile. “I don’t really see how I could be of service unless you’re interested in hiring my firm to manage your portfolio. Unfortunately, I don’t have a creative or techy bone in my body.”
“That’s that not what we need from you, Grace.” Jack leaned back so the waiter could deliver their food before he continued. “What Artifex needs is a financial mind. Rachel and I have done okay up to this point, but the business has grown past our ability to maintain the design and financial aspects on our own. Neither of us enjoys the money managing end of things. We’re just not numbers people.”
“What we need is a CFO,” Rachel put in. “We need a partner in the business to deal solely with all of those very important money matters,” Rachel gestured between herself and Jack, “so we can focus on the creative end of things and bringing in new business.”
“That’s where you come in.” Jack smiled broadly at her. Grace’s stomach flipped. That smile had the power to destroy her. “We’d like you to come out to Seattle and spend some time at Artifex. Check out our operation. Have a look at our books. Talk to our employees.”
“Basically we want you to come out and see if you think Artifex could become your new home. Spend some time in Seattle to see if it’s a place that could grow on you.” Rachel now beamed as broadly as Jack.
“Come be our bean counter, Grace,” Jack pleaded. Rachel swatted his arm.
Grace couldn’t help laughing at the reference to their past and the way Jack had described people like her. Grace shook her head and rested her face in her hands. She’d just been offered a junior executive position in New York. Now she had the offer of full partner for an upstart company on the other side of the country, Jack’s side of the country, and Jack’s company.
“I need time to think about this. I was just offered a junior executive position with my firm. That’s pretty amazing at my age and I have to
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