Earning money from Dylan was a breeze.
Once back in her car, Clara quickly tracked down some students from Center College. After a few questions, she had the name she was after.
When she finally met him, sitting quietly absorbed in a book, something clicked in her mind.
“Justin?” she called out.
Justin looked up from his book, blinked at her, then went right back to reading.
Right then, Clara wished she could drag Ryan, her brother, out for another stern talking-to. Who would have guessed the genius Ryan used to pick on was this very whiz in artificial intelligence?
She walked over and sat down next to him. “Is this seat free? I’d love to chat.”
Justin’s face was calm, and it seemed he wasn’t the chatty type. “Yeah, it’s free.”
Clara jumped right in. “You’re graduating in a year. Got any plans?”
Justin didn’t beat around the bush. “You want me to join your company?”
Clearly, he’d been keeping up with the news online. He wasn’t as shy as he seemed.
Clara felt a bit awkward but quickly got back on track. “Yeah, I bet lots of companies are hitting you up. I might not be as big as those guys, but I can offer you company shares.”
That was a huge deal. No other company would hand out shares to a student, no matter how talented.
Justin’s eyes flickered with interest as he looked at her. “Ms. Clara, you’re making a bold move.”
Although they’d met before, they hadn’t really talked. But from these few moments, she could tell he wasn’t your average student.
His demeanor was anything but student-like. Even when facing a prospective boss, he was cool and collected.
“If I’m reaching out, I’ve got to bring my best offer. Why else would you pick me?”
Nobody else would come out with such a bold proposal.
Offering shares was something reserved for employees with at least fifteen years at other companies.
Justin paused for a moment before he said, “Alright.”
Clara hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly. She was taken aback for a second.
Justin smiled. “I said alright.”
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