The Countdown

Joshua watched her shift on her seat from the window, then he strode back to his mahogany desk, his eyes never leaving her as he sat down. The silence was almost unbearable.

“You look like you’re ready to bolt.”

Jane blinked. “I-what?”

He gestured to the door with his chin, then back at her. “The way you’re sitting. You’re also gripping the armrest.”

Jane’s mouth fell open. Am I that obvious?

 Jane placed her hands quietly on her lap. “I’m not planning anything…I’m just focused.”

“Good.” He leaned back in his chair. He was relaxed like he had no care in the world, or didn’t put people in a tough position some minutes ago. “Because I don’t have all day, Miss Carter. Yes or no?”

“To what, exactly?” Jane asked, her voice was calmer than she felt. “You haven’t told me what the project is. Or what my role would be. Or-” Jane’s blue eyes widened, she had expected him to cut her off. Should I really be questioning the CEO right now…

A corner of his mouth twitched. “You’re stalling.”

“How? I‘m just asking valid questions.”      

“Same thing.”  

Jane licked her lips. The sudden thirst made her more uncomfortable. The man in front of her was not the same one from the conference who’d addressed the company like he was delivering a verdict.

“Our project,” he said. “It’s a complete overhaul of the usual company’s technology system. I don’t need to say too much unless you’ve agreed to join me.” A thick black folder slid across the table. “All I need is someone who understands how things actually work. Not how the executives think they work, and I don’t need fake know-it-alls.”

“And you think that’s me?” Jane pointed at herself.

“I know it is.” His finger tapped on the metal binding on the folder. “I reviewed your work performance history, your project history. The way you handled the Henderson account-.”

Jane flinched at the name. She faced a corner of his office as she took note of the three-tier wooden shelf filled with books, trying to make out some of the words on the spines. 

“Hmm. Although you’ve been removed from such responsibility due to some circumstances.” He flipped each page to the next as he went on. “I also reviewed your department’s workflow. The way tasks are assigned. Who gets credit for what?” He paused. “Your manager, Marcus Webb, has been with the company for about eight years. His performance, on the other hand, is... inconsistent.”

Jane quietly cleaned the sweat off her palm on her slacks. “They are?”

“In some quarters, his numbers are excellent. Others are below average. His numbers and calculations are all over the place.” He glanced at her, his gaze was sharp. “It’s almost as if someone else is doing his work for him.”

 I guess being nosy really does come with the job…

“I’m not asking you to accuse anyone, Miss Carter.” Joshua’s voice was calm. “I’m asking you to join my team. What you choose after that is up to you. Though I am expecting a certain answer.”

The folder sat between them. She glared at it like it was its fault she was there.

“What happens if I say no?”

“Nothing,” he shrugged. “You return to your desk. You continue your work and go about your day like this never happened.”

“That’s it?” she raised a brow.

“That’s it.”

Jane barely held back a scoff; she glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. A man of Joshua’s caliber didn’t offer something without plans to get anything in return and accept rejection gracefully. But he was giving her an option out or an illusion of one. 

Just what is he scheming?

“And if I say yes?” 

“Then you report directly to me. I’ll give you access to information most employees don’t.” he leaned forward, his chin resting on his fingers. “And I protect you.”

She heard her heart beat loudly in her ears at the word ‘protect’. His words sounded like he was going to hand her a puppy. She remembered the ache of Marcus’s fingers digging into her skin. She remembered the documents hidden away in his desk. The way he’d threatened her career, her future. 

Jane locked eyes with him. This was the same man she met in the elevator—the one who had told her not to let anyone lay a hand on her.

“Why?” she asked.

“Why what?”

“Why me? There are dozens of people in the same department who are far more skilled than I am. People with more experience.” She tried to hold her gaze, but her eyes still wavered. Jane wanted answers; he could’ve chosen anyone with the right skills, anyone but her.

Joshua was quiet for a moment. “Because you’re afraid.” Then, he smirked. “You were expecting someone else that night, weren’t you? You were terrified, and you still talked back to me.” 

“It’s not rare, but it’s not, nothing either. I need people who don’t break easily, people who see something wrong and can’t look away.” Joshua took small, steady steps around his table. Before Jane could move, he grabbed her hand and pulled up her sleeves over her wrist from behind her. The crease on his brows deepened, the red marks now faint; they were barely visible, but she still hid them.

Jane made an attempt to pull her hand from his. Her fists clenched, and her voice rose as she hastily pulled down her sleeves. “What are you doing?” 

 Is he crazy?

His thumb brushed her wrist gently before letting go. He strode to the door and held it open. “I’ll give you twenty-four hours to make your choice. My assistant will give you the details. If I don’t hear from you by tomorrow noon, I’ll assume you’re not interested.”

Each step Jane took came with a headache; the grip on her bag was the only thing keeping her grounded. When she reached the door, she stopped. Her voice barely came out as a whisper, “The marks, you saw them in the elevator.”

“I did.”

“You didn’t ask who did it.” 

Joshua’s expression didn’t change. “I didn’t need to. I already know.” 

“You-how?”

“I make it a habit to know everything that goes on in my company. Especially if it involves my people.”

Jane’s mouth opened and closed. She wanted to ask more. But she couldn’t bring herself to ask.

As she moved past him, his towering height over her reminded her of a bear that was about to attack its prey in a documentary she watched once. She held onto the side of the door the moment she heard a gentle click and lost sight of him. Not knowing how long she had held her breath, she took in long gasps of air.

He knew all along.