“I’ll tell him I was late.”
“Also true.”
The doors closed.
Luke drove home in silence.
Rachel’s car was in the driveway.
He entered.
Noah ran from the living room.
“How’d it go?”
Luke removed his wet shoes.
“Complicated.”
“That means bad?”
“Not exactly.”
Rachel appeared from the kitchen.
She was thirty-eight, had Luke’s dark hair and none of his patience.
“What happened to you?”
“Rain.”
“Inside your pants?”
“Long story.”
Noah grabbed his hand.
“Did you get the job?”
“I don’t know.”
“What happened?”
Luke told them.
Halfway through, Rachel stopped him.
“Wait.”
She pointed.
“The woman with the tire was the CEO?”
“Yes.”
Rachel stared.
Then slapped both hands over her mouth.
Noah shouted, “That’s awesome!”
Luke frowned.
“I missed the scheduled interview.”
“But you helped your boss.”
“Potential boss.”
Rachel laughed.
“This is literally one of those inspirational internet stories you hate.”
Luke pointed at her.
“Do not post anything.”
“I’m already thinking of the caption.”
“No.”
Noah climbed onto the sofa.
“So did she hire you?”
“I told you. I don’t know.”
“She will.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you fixed her tire.”
Luke sat beside him.
“Jobs don’t work like rewards for good deeds.”
“Why not?”
“Because the world would be easier.”
Noah thought.
“Maybe she saw you’re good.”
Luke smiled.
“Maybe.”
His phone rang at 8:12.
Unknown number.
Luke answered.
“Hello?”
“Luke?”
Evelyn.
He sat straighter.
“Hi.”
“Bad time?”
“No.”
Noah immediately leaned closer.
Luke pushed him gently away.
Evelyn continued.
“We finished the finalist interviews.”
Luke’s chest tightened.
“That quickly?”
“They were already scheduled.”
“Right.”
She paused.
Luke hated pauses.
“I wanted to call personally.”
That sounded bad.
Nobody important called personally with good news.
They delegated happiness and delivered disappointment themselves.
Luke prepared.
Evelyn said, “Robert wants you.”
Luke blinked.
“What?”
“He says you challenged him without becoming defensive, which he considers rare.”
Luke looked at Rachel.
She mouthed, What?
He raised one finger.
Evelyn continued.
“Melissa wants you because your employee retention numbers at Morton are exceptional.”
“How did she know that?”
“References.”
“Already?”
“We work fast.”