Club Destiny 1 Conviction Page 2

  Knowing the conversation needed to remain on the serious side, Sam pondered what James was telling her. “Ok. So by process of elimination, I end up being a candidate. I love my job. Why would I want to give that up? What does this position offer that I don’t already have?”

  James had always been forthcoming with information when he had it, and she knew he relied on her heavily when it came to running the projects that came out of his office.

  What was surprising was the fact that he was pushing her in this direction so quickly. What was the motivation behind that?

  Her forehead wrinkled at the negative thought, and she consciously blanked her expression. She didn’t want to believe someone else was doing this for their own personal gain, least of all James, but through experience, it was something she had come to expect.

  “How does this sound?” James paused as he pushed his chair back from his desk. “Samantha Kielty, Vice President of Project Operations.”

  It sounded like a load of crap, she thought to herself. Sam just stared at him for a moment.

  Vice President of Project Operations.

  Wow.

  How in the world do people come up with titles that actually encompass everything and nothing at the same time? She had learned that titles didn’t mean a whole lot, except for the amount of work the job would require.

  Regardless, vice president had definite appeal to it. But the bigger question was the part about the operations. That term encompassed a lot of things.

  “Ok, I’ll bite. What project operations would I be vice presidenting?” Sam asked with restrained sarcasm.

  James laughed and the sound reverberated through his spacious office. “Well, I have the offer letter directly from Logan McCoy. This is a relatively quick relocation offer. He wants you up there by the end of the month. At the very latest three weeks from Monday.”

  Damn, that certainly was quick. Three weeks didn’t sound like a sufficient amount of time to get anything transferred, but she was definitely interested in hearing more.

  She leaned back further in the comfortable guest chair, crossing her jean clad legs at the knees. “Does this offer letter give me a job description? I would at least like to know what I’m considering. Vice President sounds terrific, but along with the title comes a lot of responsibility, and I need to ensure this is the best fit for me and for the company.”

  “Understood. And I’m not asking you to take this lightly. I have scheduled a video conference for you and Logan this afternoon at his request. He would like to introduce himself and provide you with more details to consider.” James said coolly.

  He stood from his seat, walked around to the front of the desk and perched on the edge. Once situated, he simply stared back at her as though waiting for her rebuttal. “Sam, you’re a tremendous asset to this company, especially to this office, but this is an opportunity for you to take on more of the leadership aspect for one of the largest projects in this company’s history.”

  Sam noted the fatherly tone in his voice. During the ten years she had worked for him, they’d become close. He respected her and her work and in turn, she had a tremendous amount of respect for him. Over the years, James had offered some thought provoking advice, and to this day, his direction had never led her astray.

  After all, she had been young and inexperienced when she joined the company, but through years of blood, sweat, and yes, a few tears, she’d managed to make a name for herself.

  Sam was confident in one thing – if James said this was an opportunity she shouldn’t pass up, well, then she had to pursue it further.

  Sam’s stomach churned, both with excitement and nerves. She was extremely flattered she had been requested for the position, but her sheer nature didn’t allow her to jump at opportunities just because she was offered them.

  She was content in her current role. Both challenged and stimulated by her work, not to mention, she’d developed a strong rapport with the people who worked for her. However, this was the chance to oversee from a different perspective and she felt her heart flutter from the curiosity.

  “Ok, so say this position is perfectly suited for me, and I accept it. Where does that leave the current projects I have here? What about my team?”

  “We have some potential candidates for your backfill directly from your team. Obviously we would want you involved in hiring your replacement. It may require some travel back and forth between here and Dallas for a couple of weeks, but I think that should be manageable.”

  James continued to speak, but his expression softened somewhat. “I’m looking for your input on your team, and I’d like you to review a couple of external candidates that we have. Either way, we will need to hire from the outside, either to replace you or to replace the person who replaces you.”

  Sam couldn’t help but smile at the fact that he was so sure she would take the position. She wished that she could be as sure as he was.

  “So, what time is this vid-con and can you send me the job description so I can review it?” It didn’t get past her that he still hadn’t given her the information she wanted most.

  “Conference call is at one o’clock. Logan’s assistant will call you a few minutes before to set it up. And, just to clarify, this isn’t an interview for the job. He wants you for the position. I discussed this with him several times over the last few weeks.”

  “Well then, I guess I’ll just have to wait for his call.” Sam stood up, grabbing her backpack and coffee. “Oh, and I hope he’s a better salesman than you are.” She said with a smile.

  Chapter Two

  ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~

  Logan McCoy stared at the resume and employee record that sat on his desk. This candidate undoubtedly had the background to get the job done. He didn’t doubt that at all.

  Especially not after talking to James Banten.

  The man seemed like a proud father doting on his daughter when it came to Samantha Kielty, and since Logan and James had known each other for quite some time, Logan knew he wouldn’t be given the run around.

  What he didn’t know was how everyone would react to bringing Samantha onboard. She had been with XTX for approximately ten years, but Logan had experienced what happened when he recruited people from the smaller branches.

  Aside from that, he was intimately familiar with the interworking of company gossip. The situation was a delicate one at best, but it wasn’t up to him to put it off any longer.

  Tapping the mouse so his computer screen would come to life, Logan waited so he could review his schedule. Skimming through the back to back meetings, he noticed the conference call with Samantha was scheduled for one o’clock. That gave him half an hour to grab lunch and get back to his desk.

  Some days he didn’t even have the chance to make it out of his office, much less down to the cafeteria on the first floor for food. There was generally a long list of issues he needed to address.

  For example he had to hire someone to replace his current VP of project operations. At this point, Samantha was certainly the most qualified and the most highly recommended. He only hoped she would be strong enough to work through the obstacles that would arise from transferring into the larger branch.

  Not only was being in a larger office different in the physical sense, it was much more distracting. There was a constant push and pull in one direction or another, making it difficult to focus on the most pressing items. On top of that, there were office politics to contend with that generally didn’t rear their ugly head as often in smaller offices.

  Granted, for the most part, Logan had been lucky with his staff, they were courteous and professional, and over the course of the three years he’d been in the role, they’d learned to work well together. He’d be the first to admit, he wasn’t the easiest man to work with. He had high expectations and a short fuse.

  Hopefully Samantha would fit in well.

  Logan would find out all he needed to know when he had the opportunity to talk to her. After all, he
was proficient at reading people. Most people at least. And after the call was complete, he needed to go to the board meeting to give them the news.

  The timeline had been pushed as far as he could push it and now they were down to the wire. This project had to get underway, and since he was losing an employee he didn’t have much of a choice. The choice hadn’t been his to make, so when he’d been backed into a corner, Logan had reached out like he always did. Now, he had a potential candidate, who could quite frankly take this project to the next level. Now they needed to get down to business.

  Overwhelmed with his thoughts, and not paying attention, Logan nearly collided with a group of people coming out of the cafeteria doors. Startled into the present, he stopped abruptly and took a second to reorient himself with his surroundings. Realizing he knew one of the men he had nearly run into, Logan took the opportunity to apologize.

  “Sorry. I wasn’t… Hey Alex. Sorry man, I wasn’t paying any attention.”

  “What’s up, Logan? Planning for the weekend already?” Alex McDermott stopped a foot away, grinning from ear to ear.

  “No. Nothing that exciting. Actually, I have a meeting this afternoon with a candidate for the VP position to replace Jeff.”

  “Oh yea? Who is it? Maybe I know him.” Alex asked as he leaned casually against the wall, crossing his arms across his broad chest.

  Logan stared back at XTX’s director of security and smiled. It was only logical for the other man to assume his prospect was a man. After all, most of the executive positions at XTX were, in fact, held by men. It hadn’t been an intentional decision by anyone; it was just how the cards had been dealt.

  “Not a ‘him’, actually. Her name is Samantha Kielty. She’s currently located in the San Antonio office.”

  “Sam Kielty? I know her. We had an incident with one of her employees a few years ago. Great girl.” Alex smiled a knowing smile. “Great legs too.”

  “Interesting feedback, Alex, but I’m pretty sure her legs aren’t going to get her the job.” Logan smirked back at the younger man.

  Logan and Alex had been friends for years; the two of them had actually partied on weekends a few years back.

  It wasn’t a secret that Alex had a profound hang-up for Xavier Thomas’s granddaughter, but the guy couldn’t seem to get past the age difference. So, Logan, good friend that he was, sat idly by for years, watching as Alex attempted to replace her repeatedly with different women. Unsuccessfully.

  “Didn’t figure it would, but have you seen her yet?” Alex smirked.

  Knowing Alex, Logan figured Samantha was probably easy on the eyes. The man might not discriminate in the number of women he chose to fill his spare time with, but he was rather particular about their physical appearance.

  “Not yet. I have a vid-con this afternoon to talk to her about the position. Heard some excellent things about her though.”

  “Well, I can tell you, aside from her physical appeal, she’s one smart woman. Talkative too. I think she’ll give you a run for your money, old man.”

  “Well, it only matters that she can handle the job as well as I hear she can. The rest I’ll let you deal with. How’s that?”

  “I’ve got my hands full at the moment, but to be honest, I think you’re on the right track. I know Xavier’s had his eye on her for years. Says she’s an up and comer.” Alex nodded a greeting to a group of passing women before turning his attention back to Logan. “Don’t think you’ll get any arguments from him on your selection.”

  “At this point, I think the only choice is going to be hers. After talking to Banten, it seems like she might be a tough sell.” Logan responded as he gestured toward the cafeteria. “Have you had lunch yet?”

  “Not yet. I was making my way there when Charles stopped me.”

  “Care to join me? I have a few minutes.” Logan glanced at his watch and continued on his path toward the cafeteria.

  “Sure.” Alex fell into step beside Logan, and the two men made their way through the crowded lunch tables toward an open area where the food lines were.

  Logan turned his attention to grabbing something that would carry him through the rest of the afternoon. His meetings would last until well after dinner, so he figured he’d better make this meal last. The assortment of delicious smells emanating from the area made his stomach growl.

  As he walked through the lines, glancing to see what the special of the day was, Logan felt eyes on him. Without making a spectacle of himself, he looked around to see who might be looking. He caught the gazes of several people who apparently had stopped what they were doing to see what he was doing. Or rather, what they were doing. Alex was still close behind him, and as always, they seemed to draw attention to themselves without even trying.

  Especially when they were together.

  At six feet five, Logan wasn’t a small man, so his mere presence had a tendency to make heads turn. When he and Alex got together, it seemed to get worse.

  Alex was about an inch or two shorter, but with his massive bulk – all muscle – he seemed larger than life. A few times, usually after a few beers, they’d even joked that they could likely be a popular circus show act just from their sizes alone.

  Shaking off the distraction, Logan managed to grab two premade sandwiches and a bag of chips before heading to the cash register. After paying for both his and Alex’s meals, the two men made their way to one of the empty tables near the windows in the back.

  They ate in silence for a couple of minutes before Logan glanced over at Alex. “So, tell me what you know about Samantha, besides the fact that you like her legs.”

  “Oh, it isn’t just her legs man. The woman’s a firecracker.” Alex smirked as he forked mashed potatoes into his mouth.

  “Is that right? And here I was thinking you only had eyes for Ashleigh Thomas.” Logan watched his friend closely, and the pained expression that flashed briefly across Alex’s face did not go unnoticed.

  “So, when did you plan on bringing Sam up here? Is she single?” Alex asked, purposely ignoring the comment.

  “I need to get her here like yesterday. Jeff gave his two week notice a week ago. That doesn’t give me much time. I think I can convince him to stay a bit longer, but how long, I don’t know.” The question about her relationship status wasn’t something Logan wanted to think about.

  “Think she’ll take the offer?” Alex asked as he went back to devouring his food.

  Logan didn’t know what his underlying motive was, but he was reluctant to give Alex too much information. His sudden desire to hide Samantha from the roaming hands of the playboy sitting across from him took him a little by surprise. Hell, he hadn’t even met the woman yet.

  “Don’t know for sure. Banten seems to think she will, but he told me it isn’t going to be easy.”

  “I think he’s probably right on that one. I don’t know Sam all that well, but what I do know is that she knows her stuff. She isn’t the type just to rush into something without a little security.” Pushing his chair back from the table, apparently finished now that his plate was empty, Alex leaned back before he finished his train of thought. “I’ll tell you that I’m personally looking forward to her coming up here.”

  Logan could tell Alex was baiting him. It’d been a long time since the two of them had hung out, but Logan knew Alex well. The man was trying to touch a nerve, and he was getting damn close.

  For as long as Logan could remember, Alex had been attempting to set him up with one or another of his female friends. After Logan finally managed to kick his scheming ex- girlfriend to the curb, Alex seemed to have doubled his efforts. It wasn’t that he had difficulty meeting women. He didn’t. But, unlike Alex, the type of woman he was after didn’t seem to be running in the same circles he was. Other than a couple of one night stands, Logan left the relationships to those who had the patience for it. He didn’t.

  Pushing his chair back, Logan stood. “I’ve got to get back to my office. I’ll let you know how it go
es with her. If you’re right, I have a feeling I better get my notes out before I get on the call.”

  Alex grabbed his empty plate and weaved through the tables alongside Logan. “Well, I trust you’ll keep me in the loop. I wouldn’t mind seeing her again.”

  Logan glanced sideways at his friend and wondered what the hell had actually happened between Samantha and Alex. The way the other man talked, they actually knew each other a little better than he let on.

  “Talk to you later.” Logan said over his shoulder, dismissing his curiosity, as he headed down the narrow corridor that would lead back to his side of the building.

  “Sure thing, boss.”

  Chapter Three

  ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~

  After spending the last two hours walking the floor, talking to her direct reports and getting her Friday morning project updates, Sam managed to work off some of her nervousness.

  Like usual, things appeared to be running smoothly, and her projects were on schedule, but her projects were always on schedule.

  Her team might have to put in some extra hours in order to figure out a few defects, or overcome a couple of obstacles, but they always seemed to stay on target. Being on time was one of her pet peeves and she’d managed to instill the sense of timeliness in those who worked for her as well.

  Armed with the information she needed to schedule the rest of her day, Samantha managed to get through most of her unanswered emails before opting to step out of the office for a quick bite.

  There was a great Vietnamese restaurant just two blocks away that she and Liza liked to frequent. For the last few months, they’d managed to escape the nonstop shuffle of the office and go to lunch. Today she welcomed the chance to get her mind off of work.

  After they’d eaten more than their fair share, Liza convinced her to run through the coffee shop for an afternoon caffeine fix. As she sat at her desk, drumming her fingers on the keyboard in front of her, Sam wondered if she should have bypassed the extra espresso shot.