projects she’d handled, what types of assignments she could expect to be given here, and about current design trends.
At the end of it all, Travis was regarding her with a half-smile. “So I assume you’d live in the city if you got this job?”
She nodded. “Luckily there’s a great little place that just became available in my friend Angela’s building. She lives in this amazing Victorian in Lower Pacific Heights. I’ve been crashing with her the past couple of nights.”
“Any other job offers you’re considering?”
Julia bit her bottom lip uncertainly. “Nothing serious, no. There’s a small firm in Atlanta that I’ve had a phone interview with, and a place in Minneapolis who just emailed me this morning. But both of those are just straightforward home interior shops, nothing like what you were just describing.”
Travis waved a hand in dismissal. “Ugh, Atlanta. From a boy who grew up in Florida, trust me when I say you’d hate summer in the Deep South – all that humidity and those nasty bugs. Yuck. And Minnesota? Honey, all that wretched snow and probably no Neiman Marcus or Barneys within a hundred mile radius. No, you can’t even consider either of those offers because you’re coming to work for me.”
She stared at him in shocked surprise. “Just like that? I mean, don’t you have to think about it for awhile? Or – or discuss it with your business partner or something?”
“Yes, just like that. No, I knew almost before you walked in the door that I would hire you. And, no. Nate and I don’t interfere with who the other hires. So, if you’ll do us the honor, Ms. McKinnon, Atwood Headley would very much like you to be their newest interior designer.”
Julia smiled, really smiled, for the first time in months and couldn’t contain her happiness, almost giggling in reaction. “I would absolutely adore working here with you, Travis. Given our connection through Gerard, this feels like the perfect fit for me. I know I’m going to be very happy here.”
Travis stood and extended his hand to her. “Welcome aboard, honey. Now, give your new boss a hug, why don’t you? You know with me it’s not going to be any form of sexual harassment if I touch you.”
She did giggle then as she gave him a quick, affectionate hug. “Thank you, Travis,” she told him, suddenly serious. “You don’t know how much this means to me. I was afraid for awhile that I’d never be able to get a decent job again.”
“Vanessa’s influence isn’t as far reaching as she’d like to believe with that overinflated ego of hers, “declared Travis. “And from what I hear her business isn’t going so well these days. A lot of clients were very loyal to Gerard – and also to you – so with the two of you gone things are drying up. Plus, Gerard is so pissed over what happened to you that he’s working on damaging her professional reputation with as many people as he can.”
She nodded. “He told me that. It really isn’t necessary, you know. I’m just glad to be out of that awful situation. Ever since Gerard left it was hell for me to work there.”
Travis’s mouth tightened. “Having interned there for a year and seeing how Vanessa operates, I can certainly empathize. But that’s all in the past now. You’re going to love working here and I’m going to start throwing stuff at you right away. How soon can you start?”
“Hmm. Today is Tuesday, Would next Monday be okay? I think I can sign the lease on the flat today – the landlord is holding it for me until Thursday – and then convince my dad to haul all my stuff up this weekend.”
He grinned. “A woman of action. I like that. It will serve you very well here because things move fast. Monday would be sensational. Let’s take you over to Personnel so you can fill out mounds of boring paperwork. I’ll introduce you along the way to as many people as I can. You’ll never remember names, of course, but I guarantee they’ll all remember
At the end of it all, Travis was regarding her with a half-smile. “So I assume you’d live in the city if you got this job?”
She nodded. “Luckily there’s a great little place that just became available in my friend Angela’s building. She lives in this amazing Victorian in Lower Pacific Heights. I’ve been crashing with her the past couple of nights.”
“Any other job offers you’re considering?”
Julia bit her bottom lip uncertainly. “Nothing serious, no. There’s a small firm in Atlanta that I’ve had a phone interview with, and a place in Minneapolis who just emailed me this morning. But both of those are just straightforward home interior shops, nothing like what you were just describing.”
Travis waved a hand in dismissal. “Ugh, Atlanta. From a boy who grew up in Florida, trust me when I say you’d hate summer in the Deep South – all that humidity and those nasty bugs. Yuck. And Minnesota? Honey, all that wretched snow and probably no Neiman Marcus or Barneys within a hundred mile radius. No, you can’t even consider either of those offers because you’re coming to work for me.”
She stared at him in shocked surprise. “Just like that? I mean, don’t you have to think about it for awhile? Or – or discuss it with your business partner or something?”
“Yes, just like that. No, I knew almost before you walked in the door that I would hire you. And, no. Nate and I don’t interfere with who the other hires. So, if you’ll do us the honor, Ms. McKinnon, Atwood Headley would very much like you to be their newest interior designer.”
Julia smiled, really smiled, for the first time in months and couldn’t contain her happiness, almost giggling in reaction. “I would absolutely adore working here with you, Travis. Given our connection through Gerard, this feels like the perfect fit for me. I know I’m going to be very happy here.”
Travis stood and extended his hand to her. “Welcome aboard, honey. Now, give your new boss a hug, why don’t you? You know with me it’s not going to be any form of sexual harassment if I touch you.”
She did giggle then as she gave him a quick, affectionate hug. “Thank you, Travis,” she told him, suddenly serious. “You don’t know how much this means to me. I was afraid for awhile that I’d never be able to get a decent job again.”
“Vanessa’s influence isn’t as far reaching as she’d like to believe with that overinflated ego of hers, “declared Travis. “And from what I hear her business isn’t going so well these days. A lot of clients were very loyal to Gerard – and also to you – so with the two of you gone things are drying up. Plus, Gerard is so pissed over what happened to you that he’s working on damaging her professional reputation with as many people as he can.”
She nodded. “He told me that. It really isn’t necessary, you know. I’m just glad to be out of that awful situation. Ever since Gerard left it was hell for me to work there.”
Travis’s mouth tightened. “Having interned there for a year and seeing how Vanessa operates, I can certainly empathize. But that’s all in the past now. You’re going to love working here and I’m going to start throwing stuff at you right away. How soon can you start?”
“Hmm. Today is Tuesday, Would next Monday be okay? I think I can sign the lease on the flat today – the landlord is holding it for me until Thursday – and then convince my dad to haul all my stuff up this weekend.”
He grinned. “A woman of action. I like that. It will serve you very well here because things move fast. Monday would be sensational. Let’s take you over to Personnel so you can fill out mounds of boring paperwork. I’ll introduce you along the way to as many people as I can. You’ll never remember names, of course, but I guarantee they’ll all remember
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