This one-pager begins with Sam, my primary partner in a mission to populate Bingo cards with every low-hanging fruit buzzword used to socialize ideas during meetings.

Sam was in the weeds as a new mom, eventually deciding to sunset her corporate role to prioritize her family and her Peloton. Even after she exited the organization, I’d often ping her about my dating life, specifically Paul. He possessed enough corporate-speak to fill an entire Bingo board on his own.

I was bummed to look for Sam’s backfill while still supporting several hiring loops across the org. I was pulled in to do your phone screen, and you blew me away.

I felt guilty about attempting to capture Jamie’s headcount, but I decided to make a move and split the loop anyway. Ironically, Sam eventually grew bored of stay-at-home deliverables and Desperate Housewives, deciding to re-enter the marketplace. She ended up being the perfect value-add for Jamie’s team so it worked out.

If you believed in romcoms, you could say it seems the universe managed the logistics perfectly just so our paths would intersect. I still think you’re a bar-raising hire; I only wish I could apply those same high standards to the men on dating apps. We’ve gone through a few re-orgs.

Our dynamic has evolved from manager/employee to mentor/mentee and finally into work-BFFs. My professional boundaries are high. You know firsthand my ability to have backbone, disagree and commit. Yet, you disrupted the status quo this morning by sending red roses, chocolates, and wine from several time zones away for my birthday.

So I request clarity on your intent and if you are attempting to take this offline. Because if you’re looking to deep-dive into something more, that’s a calculated risk I might be willing to take.