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Val

I sit in the plush waiting room with four other people that look exactly like ain, for the fiftieth tiht now, but the answer hasn’t changed

“Valerie Cotter?” The young, pretty receptionist looks at me “They’re ready for you”

“Oh, okay” I stand up and brush uy with perfect hair and straight white teeth glances up He looks athe stepped on in the subway and I s back

I’ve been dealing withI’m a woman in finance, whichI’m dumb because I’m a woman I’ So faces

But I don’t, of course I just smile politely and move on with my life

The receptionist takes h a short back hall that leads into an open floor plan The inside of Ficino and Lofthouse Fund Management, or FLFM to most people, is pretty sparse The Philadelphia office is brand new and there aren’t even desks or cubes set up yet Thearound on the floor

“We plan on having more cubes ready by next week,” the receptionist says “Really these interviews are lances back at le hair out of place “I’ain?”

I clench o “Call me Val,” I say

“Wonderful So, Val, the offices are for the upper-level ement position You’ll handle so in a feith you if you can, that sort of thing I believe there’s roorow, but Jacob can talk about that”

I frown a little bit “I’ with Jacob Lofthouse?”

She looks surprised “Of course”

“I thought… I thought I was er”

She laughs a little “Oh, no Jacob is very hands on He’s opening this branch and setting it all up himself” She sht in there”

She gestures at a conference room Inside is the e table with papers surrounding hi with this perfect look of pure concentration on his face He’s wearing a navy-blue suit that fits his muscular frame perfectly His hair is short and pushed to the side, and his eyes are a sparkling green There’s just the right amount of stubble and, for a second, I can feel it in ainst my cheek

“Go on in,” she says to me

“Right Thanks” I set your name?”

“My name is Aimee Messina Nice to meet you, Val” She turns on her expensive heels and walks back up front, flowing gracefully like water