Cristal(6)
The grimace reappeared on her face, as she said, “Call me Shelley. No need for formalities. We’re all one family here.”
Beaver nodded his head like a bobble-head doll.
“Yes, one happy family,” he said.
Beaver started to say more when Lionheart raised her hand.
She tilted her head slightly and said, “Okay, that is a fair observation. What you propose is exactly what we need here. If you take the job, you can hire three people for your team.” She paused for a moment. “By the way, you seemed to have impressed George Beaver in your interview. Lucky for you that he will be your senior manager, and you are to report to him directly.”
Beaver said with disdain in his voice, “We normally don’t offer positions right after the interview. Now you want to create three more staff positions out of thin air? I guess that you must think you’re really somebody special.”
Beaver looked over at Lionheart and stopped smiling when he met her glare. Harry almost laughed. Lionheart put Beaver’s panties in a wad with one look. Classic.
Lionheart continued, “We checked your references, Harry. Your professors all gave you shining recommendations. It seems that your father’s genius has rubbed off on you.” Her eyes seemed to drill into his.
He wasn’t sure if this was a compliment or her way of testing him. It’s now or never.
He took a deep breath and finally said, “My last request is that you let me be the one to interview and hire the programmers for my team. I need the best of the best, and since I’m responsible for this team’s success, I want to be the one to choose who we hire.”
Beaver glowered at him and turned to Lionheart to see her reaction. She was expressionless, which to Harry was a good thing. It meant that she was considering his request.
“The sacrificial lamb, so to speak,” she mumbled to herself. Lionheart drummed her nails on the table.
After an uncomfortable silence, she said, “Very well, then. You will get to hire who you want for your team.”
She waved to Beaver to get up. “We have concluded this conversation. Beaver will get HR to get your paperwork in order and arrange for your plane ticket. Make sure you check into our health services office to get your vaccinations and meds in order before you fly. We don’t want our shining new Manager of IT Operations to get sick on his first assignment.”
She stood up and walked out of the room, or to be accurate, she levitated out of her chair and glided out of the room. Very strange woman, Harry thought to himself.
“Let’s go, Harry. There’s a lot of stuff you have to do to get ready for your trip,” Beaver said in a bossy tone.
Harry followed him out of the room.
Mission one accomplished. The next challenge was bringing in online gamers to join him on his crusade. How was he going to convince online gamers to leave the privacy of their virtual world to work with others in the real world?
Chapter 4
Serena (alias Lioness)
SERENA BENT OVER TO KISS her father good night. He barely moved, his eyes glued to his iPad, reviewing his notes from his consular meetings that day.
“Good night, Father.”
He mumbled something that resembled “Good night,” kissed the top of her head, and returned to his notes. She straightened herself, turned, and walked out of the sitting room. Ever since the riot that devastated downtown Manila and the reports of hundreds of people who went missing a few weeks ago, her father had stayed past office hours at the consulate every night.
Her thoughts raced as she walked down the long dark corridor. Due to the blackouts in the city, everyone had to conserve electricity by keeping the lights off as much as possible. The huge three-story house was intimidating in the daytime but even spookier at nighttime. Built in 1926, the maids said that the house was one of the oldest in Quezon City, which, according to legend, the ghosts of the Filipino prisoners who were tortured and killed in the rooms throughout the house during the Japanese occupation, still wandered the hallways.
Suddenly, Serena felt a hand on her left shoulder. Parts of her wanted to start running, but instead, she froze in her tracks. The spicy scent of “Gucci pour Homme” cologne enveloped her nostrils. She must have sprayed that scent on thousands of male customers last summer at her part-time job during the “Shangri-la Plaza’s Back to School” promotion. Definitely, not a ghost.
“Don’t be scared, Serena. We need to talk,” a deep, strong voice whispered in her ear.
This clown was about to learn he was messing with the wrong girl. All she needed was an opening and her training would kick in. She continued walking down the hall. The stranger pressed his hand into the small of her back.