The Safety Dance – Part 2

The Safety Dance – Part 1

Jim Locke was on the 10:30 commuter train headed into Manhattan.  Of course, at that hour it was a local and stopping at every empty platform on the line.  Which suited Jim to a tee.  He was trying to make up his mind whether he should apologize for even setting up this meeting or hear them out.  Last night when he broke the bad news to Judy, she had looked truly scared.  And when he told her about the possible job offer in Missouri she had cried.  It was all happening too fast for her.  Too many things changing at once.  Of course, nothing had been mentioned to the kids but somehow, they seemed nervous, as if they sensed something was wrong.  Or was it his imagination?

By the time they rolled into Penn Station he had made up his mind.  He would listen to the spiel and then “decide” that the job wasn’t for him.  Maybe if he could impress the hiring manager that he was a strong candidate they might remember him for another opening closer to home.  Entering the office building lobby, he found the elevator bank for his floor and headed up to the fortieth floor.

When he got off, he was in a reception area and he announced himself and asked for Dave.  Five minutes later he saw his two hosts walking toward him.  “Jim, how the hell are you?  You look like you haven’t aged a day.  In fact, I think that’s the same suit you were wearing the last time I saw you five years ago.  This is Milo Faber.  He’s the hiring manager for that job I mentioned.  Milo, this is Jim Locke, the guy I told you about who called me out of nowhere yesterday.”  Jim and Milo shook hands and waited for Dave to subside before exchanging a few words of greeting.  “Well, Mr. Locke why don’t we head out for lunch.  I know Dave only has an hour before a meeting but I have a good long opening in my schedule and I’d like to talk with you a good bit about the position I’m looking to fill.  If you’re hungry there’s a very good new restaurant that’s opened up on Park Avenue that everyone says is pretty great.”  Jim was actually pretty hungry because he had missed breakfast while trying to calm his wife’s nerves that morning.  All he’d had was coffee.

During lunch Dave did most of the talking, filling up the silence with somewhat embarrassing stories from his time working with Jim.  In fact, Jim was beginning to think that Dave was somehow intent on sabotaging his chances with Milo.  But there was nothing he could do to end the babbling short of physical violence so he concentrated on the very good plate of food in front of him and chalked up the whole interview as a mistake.  Eventually the lunch hour expired and Dave excused himself to head off to his meeting and told Jim he’d talk to him later and then left.

Milo waited a few minutes while they finished their entrees, then asked if Jim wanted dessert or coffee.  “Milo I’m stuffed but I’ll take a coffee.  He signaled the waiter and gave him their orders and then looked at Jim carefully and said, “Were you and Dave close friends?”  The question caught Jim off balance but he decided for some reason to answer it candidly.  “No, we were casually friendly but Dave and I have somewhat different personalities.  I was somewhat surprised when he recommended me for this interview.”

Milo continued to peer into Jim’s face and said, “So were we.  Dave’s responsibilities with the company are decidedly unrelated to the kind of work involved in the position we have in Missouri.  I’m pretty sure he doesn’t understand the scope of work involved.  And that’s mostly because he isn’t the right fit for that kind of work.  So, if your temperament aligns with Dave’s, the job we’re discussing probably wouldn’t be for you either.”

Now Jim was becoming both confused and intrigued.  This was the strangest interview he’d ever sat for.  What was next?  A scavenger hunt?

“Well Milo, I haven’t a clue as to what kind of job we’re discussing but you’ve got my attention anyway.  What would you like to know?”

During the interval, their coffees had arrived.  Milo took a sip from his coffee and sat back and shifted his gaze back at his guest and asked, “What do you want out of life?  What is most important to you?”

“Alright,” said Jim, “I’ll play along.  First of all, I’ll tell you that “the good of the company” is not my highest priority.  So, if that’s what you want to hear then it’s game over.  My highest priority is keeping my little family in groceries and school tuitions.  My wife and kids are the reason I work.  So, moving them down to Springfield Missouri would require it to be the best environment I can afford to give them which seems kind of unlikely to me.

Faber nodded slightly and displayed the faintest hint of a smile.  “Do you have family connections that would preclude relocating permanently away from the Northeast?”  Jim shook his head.  “No, neither my wife nor I have any close family left.  Our ties to New York are at this point just our personal history.  We’ve been thinking of moving out of the metropolitan area for some time but I haven’t found the right job and location to make it worthwhile yet.”

Faber pushed his coffee away and leaned slightly across the table toward Jim and speaking in a low voice asked, “What do you think is the biggest threat to you family’s long-term well-being?”  Locke tilted his head to one side, opened his mouth slightly and blinked, “Mr. Faber you ask the strangest questions I’ve ever heard from an interviewer.  You sure you’re not recruiting for the CIA?”

Milo looked down at the table and said, “Of that I’m very sure.  But it’s an interesting analogy.  Let’s say secrecy is involved.  But humor me.  What’s the biggest threat to your family’s long-term well-being?”  Jim thought about it for a few seconds and said, “Our own government.”