My 5 Bosses
By: Penny Wylder
I can do this. I got the job, they like my stuff, so why am I so nervous?
Standing outside the Tap Company office, my stomach starts to flip-flop. I check myself in the reflective window. Everything looks like it’s in place. Makeup and hair are good. Clothes are working. No toilet paper stuck to my shoe; always a plus. I take a deep breath and walk inside.
The inside of the office isn’t exactly what I imagined a start-up app company would look like. It looks more like an adult daycare center. There’s a big screen TV on one of the walls and colorful beanbag chairs below it. There’s a video gaming area, nerf basketball hoop, and a foosball table.
Am I in the right place? When I heard about the app the Tap Company was making, it sounded like the next big thing—it organizes the apps on your phone based on the ones you use most. There’s chatter that a giant company like Google will buy it. Getting in on the ground floor of a company like that after beating out hundreds of other applicants is a dream come true. But looking at this place, it feels more like a geeked-out frat house than a company about to explode.
Doesn’t matter. I can handle a few frat-nerds. In my head I’m picturing the stereotypical smart guys: thick glasses, bad haircuts, looking like their moms dressed them, amped up on Mountain Dew while screaming profanities at teens on Xbox live.
But as I venture further into the room, five perfectly handsome men approach me. They are not at all what I expected.
“You must be Anya,” one of them says. He’s crisply dressed in a plaid shirt and chinos. The way they fit his body, it’s easy to tell there’s something special underneath all that fabric. His dark hair is just as meticulous as the rest of his appearance except a stray lock that hangs down in his eyes. He reaches out to shake my hand and I get excited at just the thought of touching him. “I’m Beck. It’s good to have you on the team,” he says.
I swallow the lump in my throat and try to calm myself as I admire each of the equally sexy men he introduces next. There’s Jason, who has a fair complexion with light hair and light blue eyes and looks like a Swedish model. He’s the main programmer, and according to Beck, is pure genius and the backbone of the company. Jason gives me a flirty smile and a wink, causing my face to turn fifty shades of red.
Winston is a bit more reserved. Instead of a smile, he gives me a head-nod when he’s introduced. He’s quite possibly the sexiest ginger in the world, has a close-cropped beard and kind, yet questioning green eyes. I’ve always had a thing for redheads.
Derrick is the networker, an extrovert through and through. He’s tall and slim with sharp angles and an absolutely adorable face. The way he shakes my hand and his huge smile make me feel instantly welcome.
Then there’s Trey. He seems less refined than the others in his hoody, torn jeans, and Chucks. He’s flirty like Jason, but in a different way. There’s something more sensual about him, and maybe even a little dangerous. He has dark bedroom eyes and a confident way about him as he slides his hand across my fingers when we shake hands.
They are all a little older than me, around twenty-seven years old, and each and every one of them is sexy as hell. It’s a bit intimidating having five bosses that I’m physically attracted to. This should make for an interesting work environment. I know nothing can ever happen with any of them, but it doesn’t hurt to look. And you better believe I plan to look. Who knew tech guys could look like this? I wonder if they have girlfriends. I don’t see any rings on their fingers, so there are no wives involved. Starting a business doesn’t give a person much time out of the office to socialize. I guess that’s why I’m single too. Work has been my life and I don’t see that changing any time soon. If I ever wanted to date, it would have to be someone in-house, someone who understands what it’s like to try to break into the tech business and knows the kind of long hours I have to put in to make it work.
“Your portfolio on LinkedIn is quite impressive,” Beck says. “I was honestly surprised when you were available for hire. A talent like yours doesn’t come around too often. We’re lucky to have you.”
