Ethan thought before answering.
“The excellent teams are less interested in proving what they know.”
The moderator asked what they were interested in instead.
Ethan replied:
“Finding what they missed.”
Victoria paused the video.
Then replayed that sentence.
Finding what they missed.
It described the helicopter.
It also described her.
The next morning, Victoria arrived at 6:29.
Her assistant had noticed the calendar change and asked whether something urgent had happened.
Victoria answered yes.
Technically true.
She found Ethan in Hangar Four at 6:37.
He was examining an access panel on a charter aircraft.
No audience.
No manufacturer engineers.
No dramatic context.
Just work.
“Morning,” he said.
Victoria stopped.
“You’re not surprised to see me?”
“A little.”
“You don’t look surprised.”
“My father said surprise is expensive around aircraft.”
Victoria almost smiled.
“I want to make you a proposal.”
That did make Ethan look concerned.
“I already have a job.”
“I know.”
“I like it.”
“I know.”
“My schedule matters.”
“I know.”
He looked at her.
“You’ve been asking people about me.”
“Yes.”
“At least you admit it.”
Victoria stood beside the workbench.
“I want you as an aviation systems advisor.”
“No management.”
“No.”
“No executive travel expectation.”
“Unless you voluntarily agree to something unusual.”
“Meetings?”
“Minimum necessary.”
“Define necessary.”
“That sounds like something lawyers will fight over.”
Ethan nodded.
“Good answer.”
Victoria continued.
“Hartwell owns six aircraft directly and manages twelve more through affiliated entities. We are expanding.”
Ethan listened.
“I need someone who can review maintenance patterns, acquisition decisions, reliability issues, and system anomalies at a deeper technical level.”
“You already employ engineers.”
“I employ good engineers.”
“That sounded dangerous.”
“It wasn’t an insult.”
Victoria paused.
“I need someone who thinks differently.”
Ethan leaned against the bench.
“You’re reacting to yesterday.”
“Yes.”
“That isn’t always a good reason to create a position.”
Victoria liked that he challenged the premise immediately.
“I thought about that.”
“And?”
“The position should have existed before yesterday.”
Ethan said nothing.
Victoria continued.
“The helicopter exposed the absence.”
That sentence interested him.
“How much time?”
“Eight to ten hours a week initially.”
“Flexible?”
“Yes.”
“School pickup at three fifteen.”
Victoria smiled.
“Non-negotiable?”
“Extremely.”
“Then non-negotiable.”
Ethan looked toward the aircraft.
He was genuinely considering it now.
Victoria saw the exact moment the proposal shifted from something he planned to reject into something he might redesign.
“I have a condition.”
Victoria folded her arms.
“Of course you do.”
“Paid apprenticeship program.”
She had not expected that.
“For whom?”
“Local students.”
“Aviation students?”
“No.”