Chapter 4 - Quinn
FOUR - Quinn
The inside of Olivia’s office is expansive.
Her walls are the color of eggshells with numerous pictures of her father spread throughout.
His age ranges from the time he was clearly in his twenties, all the way up to what looks like just a couple of years ago.
It’s clear that Olivia loved him dearly, and now that she is occupying the office he used to sit in every single day, she wants to make sure that his essence never leaves.
I can almost feel his presence as I tiptoe in and make my way to the brown leather chair in front of her oversized desk.
If one thing is clear, it’s that Olivia is driven by her father's memory. He is everywhere she turns, and I can only imagine how hard it must have been for her to even walk in here after the accident. But he's with her now, strengthening her every move, and this office makes it obvious why she’s so headstrong. She’s not worried about what the good ole boys down the hall are saying about her, because she's doing this for Diego.
The room smells of masculine cologne up until the moment I reach Olivia’s desk and sit down in the leather office chair.
When she sits across from me, I get a waft of her delicious perfume and it hits me like a magic spell sucked in through my nose.
It’s intoxicating, but I don't allow myself to react outwardly to it. I have no idea what this meeting is about, so I stiffen my spine and try to remain professional. This is Obsidian’s CEO.
One slip up and I can kiss my promotion goodbye.
Olivia makes herself comfortable in her seat, leaning back and locking eyes with me.
She is definitely not the kind of person who is afraid to look someone in the eye.
Her gaze is sharp and focused, making it more intense the longer it lingers.
If I were a weaker man, I’d look away. But I'm not a weaker man, so we stare at each other and let the intensity build like a bassline before a beat drops.
When it finally does, I'm surprised by what Olivia says.
“I appreciate what you did in there.”
My eyebrows jump to the top of my forehead. “Huh?”
She smirks. “Since I got here, it has been like pulling teeth trying to get answers out of people.
They clearly resent the fact that I'm not my father, and that I didn't step aside and let Jon take over the company. So it’s been hard.
Today was the first time I've had even a slightly successful meeting. I appreciate that, and I wanted to thank you.”
Shocked by her graciousness, I let out a nervous chuckle that makes me feel like an idiot, but her stern face softens a little.
“Wow. Umm, yeah it’s no problem. Today is literally my first day in this position, and I didn't know I was walking into a revolt until the meeting started.
I can't speak on what’s going on with them, but I know I don't get down like that.
Their issue is not my issue. I'm going to do my job and I'm going to do it well, and I don't care what any of them think.
Plus, a group of men ganging up on a woman in a meeting doesn't sit right with me. Excuse my French, but I find it very fucking lame. So Jon may regret promoting me in the end, because if that’s how they plan on acting, I'm going to be a thorn in his side until I'm fired.”
Olivia keeps my gaze, nodding in silent approval before saying, “That’s good to hear. So, tell me a little about yourself, Quinn King.”
Now that I know I'm not being fired for insubordination, I get comfortable in my seat and let out a relaxing sigh.
“Well, I've been working here for six years and have made my way up fairly quickly in that timespan. Before here, I graduated summa cum laude from Wilmington University. I learned a lot there. My father was big into computers and coding, too, and I definitely picked up a lot from him.”
Finally, Olivia blesses me with a full smile.
It’s awe-inspiring and makes me suck in a breath like it might be my last. I don't know anything about her or her background, but I wonder if she knows how gorgeous she is.
I also wonder why this is what I'm thinking about when I know she’s the boss …
and why the fact that she's the boss makes me even more interested.
“Really?” she says, intrigue seeping through her hardened shell. “What did your father do for a living?”
I hold my breath. I didn't mention my father for her to start asking questions. There are plenty of things about him that I don't want to get into. Hell, if she knew who he was, she might look at me and my job with suspicious eyes. So, I do what I always have when people ask about my dad. I lie.
“He was in information technology,” I answer, which is only a partial lie.
“I see,” Olivia says. “Is that how you knew about the virus with so little information?”
“Well, a DAV is pretty standard,” I explain after letting out a sigh of relief that she moved on from the topic of my dad.
“The way you described what happened made it clear what you were talking about.
I was more confused by how such a simple thing could do so much damage.
Something like that should've never gotten past the protocol.”
She nods her head and leans forward, putting both forearms on her desk. “My thoughts exactly, which is the second reason why I wanted to speak to you privately.”
I mirror her and lean forward, loving that it makes us closer.
“This company was my father's life’s work,” Olivia says.
“He built this place from scratch and took pride in being a Spanish man who came to America and founded a successful business of his own, especially one that requires so much brain power.
He shined in the face of racism and doubt, and he did it as a widow and single dad in the heart of a place as tough as Wilmington, Delaware.
My mom died giving birth to me, and all I ever knew my dad to do was work and take care of me.
So, now that he's gone, the last thing I want is to watch everything he worked for sink beneath the waves he did such an incredible job of navigating while he was alive.
“People expect us to fail now, and having a breach like this as soon as I come onboard is an incredibly bad look. We’re going to lose clients, and if we lose too many without replacing them, Obsidian will tank.
I can't let that happen. So, I have a new mission as the leader of this company. We have to find out what the fuck happened with Judge Knight’s server and build our fortress bigger and stronger than ever.
Then, we have to start bringing in new, more lucrative clientele.
We need contracts in the millions, because I want to build Obsidian into the empire my father dreamed it could be … and I need your help to do it.”
My eyebrows elevate again. “My help? I'm brand new up here.”
“I know, and that’s why I trust you,” Olivia says.
“Well, that, and the fact that you went against the grain in the meeting. Jon has a lot of support up here, so making him an enemy means having the entire executive wing against you. It was a bold move, and it’s that kind of boldness that I need in my corner. ”
“So what exactly do you want me to do?” I ask, truly intrigued by where this conversation is going.
“I want you to quietly find out what the hell happened with the judge’s server,” she answers.
“Tell me what happened and how we can prevent it from happening again, and then I want you to use your expertise to help me bring in new companies.
The fact that you've been promoted into the position of CSE at just twenty-seven years old is not lost upon me, Quinn.
You're smart, you're fearless, and you're not afraid to speak up in the face of adversity.
Those are qualities this company needs. Plus, you're a man.
Being a woman in this industry doesn't work in my favor because misogyny is rampant at this level. The other CEOs are even worse than Jon and his band of merry men down the hall.”
“Well, with all due respect, I’m a Black man in a heavily white industry, and you're a Hispanic woman. The top dogs in this industry won't want to rock with either one of us.”
Olivia grins. “Maybe that’s true, which is why I want us to do it together.”
“Ah. Are we stronger with our powers combined?” I ask with a smile.
“Well, this isn't Captain Planet, but I think we could be,” she answers, giggling to herself. “If we work together, I think all the hate in the world wouldn't be able to stop us.”
“But Jon is the CISO. Wouldn't I be stepping on his toes by doing this?”
Olivia scoffs. “Fuck Jon. The only two people I trust right now are you and Eden. Everyone else has work to do as far as I'm concerned. So, what do you say, Quinn? You want to be my secret partner in crime?”
The idea is crazy. If Jon found out I was bypassing him and working directly for the CEO, he’d lose his shit and I’d probably be fired.
But how do you turn down the CEO of your company?
Jon is my boss, but Olivia is Jon’s boss.
She’s everybody’s boss. So, I don't even have a choice.
Plus, there's something about the idea of working closely with Olivia that makes my insides tingle. I want to be near her even though I know nothing can happen between us. It’s all good to me because I want to get to know her more.
I want to protect her from the motherfuckers down the hall. So I'm down. One hundred percent.
“I got you,” I reply, smiling.
Olivia flashes a second full-faced smile, and I'm just as floored by it as I was the first time.
“Good,” she says. “I'm so glad to hear that, and I’ll owe you one, Quinn. If you need anything, just ask.”
I nod my head. “Understood. Thanks for having faith in me, Miss Lucero.”
She raises a hand as if to stop me. “Just call me Olivia.”
It takes tightening my entire body to keep from smiling. “Okay. Thanks for having faith in me, Olivia. I appreciate you.”
“It’s my pleasure,” she replies. “We’ll talk soon.”
“Okay.”
I lift myself out of the chair and turn my back to Olivia, and I feel like my entire world just began to shine brighter. I can't believe all of this has happened on the first day. I may have made an enemy out of Jon and the good ole boys, but I have the backing of the CEO. I'm untouchable now.
I step over the threshold of Olivia’s office and walk past her assistant’s desk, who’s smiling at me with a satisfied look on her face.
“Welcome aboard, Quinn,” she says, nodding her head.
We make eye contact and it’s like I can tell from the look in her eyes what she's thinking. She and Olivia have probably had countless conversations about what it has been like working with Jon and his minions. Olivia tragically lost her father, then she had to come here and swim in a dark sea of resentment and toxic masculinity. The two of them have had to deal with the ridiculous fact that even if a woman is the CEO of a company, some men still won’t respect her simply because she's a woman.
I'm the first guy to walk in here with no ego to stroke—a man who respects women no matter what position they're in, and doesn't let my so-called manhood keep me from being a good person. The men here have set the bar so low that simply being decent makes me exceptional. It’s sad, but I'm glad to be on the right side of it all. So I nod at Eden and return a smile.
“Thanks, Eden,” I say. “Glad to be here.”