Unbreak My Heart (Rough Riders Legacy #1)(69)

“Exactly.” She glanced at her watch. “For all the excitement, we adjourned early. Do you have time to grab a cup of coffee or a drink?”

I still found it hard to fathom that Dr. Mackerley now considered me her colleague, not her student. “I would love a margarita.”

“I’m leaning more toward wine. Shall we meet at Emmaline’s? In fifteen? I have a quick call to make.”

“Sounds great. See you there.”

Tamarin offered to close up after she and Karene finished their workshop proposal guidelines. I waved goodbye and gathered my things, dumping all but my planner in the back of my SUV. Emmaline’s, an upscale wine and craft-cocktail bar, was only a five-minute drive, but I had a few thoughts I wanted to jot down while they were still fresh.

Emmaline’s had the New York edgy vibe, with brightly colored walls, small clusters of lounge areas, low-slung chairs upholstered in obnoxious patterns that didn’t match each other or anything else, all centered around a coffee table crafted from pallets. The lighting imbued the space with a bluish glow that managed to be relaxing and flattering. So I noticed couples cozied up everywhere.

That made me think of Boone. Shoot. I wasn’t sure when it came to this whole couple thing…was I supposed to let him know I’d be home late? I’d checked my messages right after the meeting and I hadn’t heard from him, so I probably didn’t need to worry.

The waitress seated me in a cozy corner. Two sides of the lounging area were floor-to-ceiling bookcases. Dinged up, scarred, the finish wearing thin, but it added warmth to the space. I was an interior design junkie; interior design had been my second career choice after business.

I ordered a margarita and flipped open my planner. In the notes section, I listed the comments from the members during and after the presentation. Their reactions and questions showed me where I needed to tweak certain aspects or expand on topics.

“I’d think the diligence was for my benefit,” Phyllis said as she slid into the seat opposite mine, “but since you’re no longer my student and don’t need to impress me with your work ethic…the notes must be for your benefit alone?”

I grinned at her. “I hope for the members’ benefits. If I don’t write this down right away, I forget.”

“I’m happy to see that is not just an age thing,” she said dryly.

She ordered a glass of pinot and I set my planner aside.

The drinks came and we toasted. I sipped and sighed. “That might be the best margarita I’ve ever tasted.”

“‘Handcrafted cocktails’ is not just an advertising slogan here. I’m afraid tequila in any form is off my drink menu. Which I blame on a week in Mexico and extremely poor judgment.”

I laughed. “Someday I’d like to have stories like that, that I’ll never tell.”

“You’re young. You have time.”

Unlike my male colleagues, Phyllis never made my age sound like a drawback.

“You said you spoke to the personnel manager at your day job about weeding through the application process for a fulltime director?”

“Yes. I didn’t lead the conversation, I hit on some of the points you and I discussed to gauge his first response. When I brought up hiring a headhunter, he strongly discouraged it.”

“Why?”

“Since PCE is nonprofit, we’d be better off hiring a firm that specializes in that. The downside is the employee pool we’d be recruiting from is used to extra incentives during the recruitment process.”

Phyllis rolled her eyes. “Potential employees want extra perks for even considering a position?”

“Yep. It’s the norm and not the exception. As is the list of requirements some recruits demand before starting negotiations. I don’t see that kind of…entitled attitude being a good fit for PCE. We definitely don’t want to bring in someone that has a vastly different vision.”

“I was afraid of that.”

I blinked at her. “You were?”

“Yes. That’s why it’s best to do an informal poll with industry professionals before taking the next step.” She swirled the wine around in her glass. “What was his advice?”

“Hire from within.”

“Precisely.”

“Which is great in theory…?”

“It’s great in reality too. I can think of half a dozen qualified candidates right now. Can’t you?”

I swallowed a mouthful of margarita, allowing a moment to appreciate the blend of orange and lemon with the smoky flavor of tequila. What had they put in this to get those ratios so perfect?

“Sierra?”

“Sorry. Having a margarita-utopia moment.” I shot her a quick grin. “To answer your question…I can think of two people that might be contenders. Tamarin and Jessica.”

“They’re both on my list too.” Phyllis studied me over her wineglass. “Who do you think is on the top of my list?”

“Alexis?” I guessed.

“No.” She paused. “You are on the top.”

“Me? Seriously? But I already have a fulltime job. I didn’t give you the impression—”

“No, dear, you haven’t.” She patted my arm. “And that’s the real shame. You are everything PCE needs in a director, Sierra.”