Chapter 1
ELLA
I was sitting in the Human Resource office suite on the 25th floor of the Kraken Tech building. Waiting for my interview with their HR head.
Maxine at Washington State’s WorkSourceWA had called me yesterday about an “amazing opportunity.”
“They’ll pay an incredible signing bonus. You must stay the full year to get the bonus however.”
The next day I went to Max’s office for more information. I asked the obvious question.
“Why, with this salary, has no one else applied for this ‘amazing opportunity.’ Clearly there’s a catch. Why would Kraken pay $120,000 for a PA? Not to mention a $50,000 signing bonus?”
Maxine looked a little uncomfortable. “I’ve actually sent four potential PAs there and all of them have either quit or been sacked by the boss. It’s been a tough job to fill. He wants a person who codes AND can handle paperwork too. And frankly, you’re the only candidate I know who has coding abilities.”
I am in the final stages of getting my PhD from Stanford in a double major of Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering. All that is left is my dissertation and orals.
In the meantime because I got my BS two years ago, my student loans are now due. I borrowed $100,000 to pay for books, computers and various other expenses and the government had come calling.
My barista job wasn’t cutting it. It was great as far as giving me time to work on my dissertation—an app I’d had in the works for a few years. But it wasn’t enough to pay for my rent AND my loan.
So, I’d gone back to Maxine. My fairy godmother. She’d found me jobs for 10 years, since I was 14.
When I was 9 my father left, leaving my mom, my older brother Ben and me basically destitute. Ben and I started working young to help mom out with mortgage payments and for basics like food.
I somehow made it through high school with a perfect GPA and a full scholarship to the University of Washington, while working my way up from registers to barista full time at Starbucks.
Between work and school I missed every high school ‘moment’. My prom. My Homecoming. I didn’t even go to any football games. No parties.
My best friends were fellow nerds. Biggs, Lena and Bobby were my rocks and I missed them when I moved to Palo Alto. Biggs went to Brown and got a BA in philosophy. He helps run a shelter program for homeless kids. Lena and Bobby are fellow techies. They both work for small start ups.
After two long years I was back. Working on finishing my dissertation and studying for orals.
So when Maxine told me about this opportunity I was excited. I’d get to use my coding skills, and, if I lasted a year, I could pay off my loan! Who wouldn’t want this job? Right?
Turns out four people before me didn’t.
“Well Ms. Brown you’re certainly qualified for the coding aspect of this job. Where you’re lacking is in the secretarial department. As Mr. Pedersen’s PA you’ll have to handle reviewing coding from his teams, maintaining his calendar, correspondence and attending conferences and even galas for the nonprofits he supports.”
“Excuse me, but did you say Mr. Pedersen? The CEO of Kraken?”
Kraken is THE tech company today, worth more than all the other tech companies combined.
And Pedersen has a reputation for being ruthless. He’s basically the bad boy of billionaires and has been responsible for destroying hundreds of startups by buying them then shutting them down.
I was willing to work for the head of his coding team. I know. I’m a hypocrite. But I would not work for Pedersen. He’d screwed a friend out of a startup that had potential.
Jon, a buddy from the University of Washington, thought Pedersen would be his salvation. Instead he gave him a couple hundred thousand and fired everyone on his team. He stole his photo app and put it into the newest version of Kraken Phones.
There was no way I’d work for this creep. Besides I heard he was a bit of a tyrant and I knew he was a sexist so I stood up and said “I’m sorry but you’re correct, I’m not right for this job.”
“I thought it’d be 9-5 and I could focus on my dissertation for my PhD. Plus I’m not sure why Mr Pedersen would need someone familiar with coding when he has hundreds of people with coding skills in this building.
It sounds like he needs a secretary, preferably of the arm candy sort. That is most certainly not me. I’m sorry to have wasted your time.”
With that, I walked to the door, opening it while looking in my backpack for my metro pass, and ran straight into a wall.
“Oof! Sorry,” I said, looking up at the face of that wall.
Oh my God, it was Kristian freaking Pedersen himself and he had a smirk on his face that infuriated me.
“So you wasted OUR time with an interview at KRAKEN but are not willing to work for the CEO of KRAKEN? Who’d you think you’d be working for with that high of a salary?
I actually think, based on your academic record, you’d be a perfect fit for this job. We’ll have to fix your look and provide you with appropriate clothing, but otherwise, I think you’re the best of the idiots the state has sent our way so far. Of course you’ll have to make it through the probationary period.”
I pushed off him and removed his arms from my waist. First, I’d never work for him. Second, his comment about my ‘look’ pissed me off.
I know I wasn’t a model or anything special. But he implied I was a mess. Granted my dark brown hair had a habit of curling where it shouldn’t. And my dark blue eyes tended to surprise people. My mama calls them my sapphires.
I’m short at least compared to the models Pedersen was photographed with regularly. And I was a whole lot curvier. I like food. What can I say!
But I did Pilates mat classes 3 mornings a week and ran 6-10 miles five days a week. I was also taking a hip hop dance class that frankly whipped my butt once a week so him implying I was some kind of weirdly dressed slug offended me.
Let’s face it, the guy was one of the richest men in the world and he was smart. But he also had a reputation for being extremely rude and he was undoubtedly a sexist and a misogynist.
I heard him give a TED Talk once at Stanford. He basically implied women weren’t equipped to be good at coding. Asshole!
I have this habit when disagreeable people irritate me. I jut my chin out and let fly. Which is exactly what I did to the chagrin of his HR Vice President. Not to mention really infuriating Kraken’s dear leader.
“I’m SO sorry my ‘look’ doesn’t appeal to you. As for my clothing, this is what I like AND can afford.
And since you already seem to have such a low regard for me and the other ‘idiots’ the state has sent your way, maybe you should try a headhunter next time.
Tell them you need a 5’8 blonde with large tits (did I really say that?!), who wears 6 inch heels, types 80 wpm, codes, and is more than happy to serve as arm candy for a guy who has got to be the most arrogant and sexist man ever born.”
With that I marched out of the conference room and raced to the bank of elevators. I got in and sighed with relief as the doors began to close. Until a well manicured hand reached in and stopped the doors from closing. A VERY angry looking Kristian Pedersen stood glaring at me.
He got into the elevator and when the doors closed turned towards me. “You will never address me like that again! Is that clear Ms. Brown? And you WILL work here. I’ve decided you’re a perfect fit. Or at least worth trying you out to see if your skills are as sharp as your tongue. I’ll see you bright and early—7:00 am—Monday.”
The elevator doors opened on floor 3, he moved to get out and said quietly, “don’t be late!”
KRISTIAN
I was bored and we were interviewing another applicant for the job of my special PA position. God help me was there no one out there who had half a brain?!
I preferred a male PA after several ‘missteps’ on my part with female assistants. I also don’t believe women can code as well as men but that’s just me. Only one man was interviewed and he lasted less than a week.
I really wanted a guy. Less drama. Women are just too emotional. And then there’s the sex thing. Oh well.
I yawned, tired from yet another night with, what was her name again? Miranda! She was the flavor of the month. A good fuck but not great for conversation. Which suited me fine.
This was the fifth applicant and Susan, VP of HR for Kraken, warned me this was probably it. “You’ve gone through four relatively qualified applicants sir. I know you want a coder as well as an executive assistant but I don’t think that person exists.”
I knew she was right but this next applicant, Ella Brown, interested me. On paper, she looked perfect. She seemed more than capable as far as coding—on paper. But she’d also be accompanying me to various events and while it shouldn’t matter, I had to admit that I was arrogant enough to want someone who would turn heads.
We set up the conference room with a hidden camera so I could virtually sit in on the interviews. Susan, had an earpiece and I was able to direct specific questions.
When Ella entered the room I was stunned. Even though she was wearing some weird baggy thing over leggings she was beautiful and she was completely unaware of it.
When the interview began I was surprised to see she was also very intelligent. I’d given Susan a few pages of code with several mistakes. So far no one had been able to pass this test. She whipped through the pages and quickly made several changes. I moved the camera in and realized immediately that she knew her stuff.
“Ask her if she’d be able to travel on short notice,” I said to Susan. Ella looked a little concerned and asked if there was a lot of travel involved in the job.
“Yes, actually there is going to be quite a bit of travel included in this position. Do you think you’d be able to go on just a day’s notice?”
Emma hesitated and I leaned forward. “Well I’d like to know what kind of events I’ll be expected to attend. I’d also like to confirm I’ll have my own hotel room. And that I’ll be paid extra for trips since it’ll mean I’m unable to work on my dissertation if I’m not at home.”
“Tell her she’ll be attending both tech conferences and formal functions like the galas and auctions I have to go to way too often.”
Susan relayed my answer and I choked on my coffee at Ella’s response. “I can see needing me for the business related meetings but why would I need to attend private parties, galas or whatever? I would think he would want to take a wife or girlfriend.”
“Tell her it’s not negotiable but I’ll pay her more for the private gigs. And yes, she’ll have her own hotel room.”
Susan was starting to look hopeful. I hadn’t asked the last four candidates any questions and only one of them could read code…supposedly… since he looked at the sheets in front of him and declared them “all good.”
Susan was starting the wind down; “Well Ms. Brown you’re certainly qualified for the coding aspect of this job. Where you’re lacking is in the secretarial department.
As Mr. Pedersen’s PA you’ll have to handle both reviewing coding from his teams, maintaining his calendar, correspondence and attending conferences and even galas for the nonprofits he supports.”
I told Susan to stop with the secretarial bullshit. “Tell her she’s got the fucking job. I’ll get Mary, my social secretary to do the stuff Ms. Brown can’t.”
Susan smiled at Ella then and told her she’d been approved.
Just as I was getting up to go meet her, I heard her say “excuse me, but did you say Mr. Pedersen? The CEO of Kraken?
Sorry, I wasn’t aware the job was for him. I’m not interested. I’m really sorry I wasted your time. Besides, why does Kristian Pedersen, god’s gift to the coding world and boss to hundreds of coders right here in this building need an assistant who codes?”
She got up then and waltzed to the door.
I was infuriated. Finally! Finally a capable candidate, And just maybe, someone able to keep up with me. And, she wasn’t bad to look at either with some tweaks here and there.
I walked quickly to the door as she opened it. She was looking in her backpack—good god, she still carries a backpack—and she walked right into me.
I grabbed her waist to keep her from falling. And ZAP I felt a surge of electricity hit my lower body like a freight train. I was angry. Too angry to be speaking to anyone. Susan gave me a warning look and shook her head.
“So you wasted our time, my time, with this interview if you weren’t interested in working for me? Why the hell did you think the pay was so high?”
“Maxine at the employment office never said your name. And why would the vaunted Kristian Pedersen need a coder? Not to mention a FEMALE coder.
I was at your TED talk at Stanford where you basically said women can’t code. So why then would you want to hire me?”
She said a few more choice comments before telling me to go to hell which only made me more determined to hire her.
Her last words were that I was an arrogant and sexist guy and I should hire arm candy instead of someone with a brain, or words to that effect. No one has ever spoken to me like that, at least not in the past 10 years. To be honest I liked it.
I followed her to the elevators, got on and told her she WOULD work for me or else. My last words were “be here at 7 on Monday and don’t be late.”
I then had Susan call the state office that gave us Ella’s information and told her to tell the case manager to make it clear to Ella, if she didn’t work for me, I’d make it impossible for her to find a job anywhere else.
