Chapter Twenty-Five
Bernie
Apparently, engineers really like wine. Like a lot of wine. And appetizers plus dessert. Basically, every possible thing that can draw a dinner out longer. The Petersons were in love with the pitch, specifically the increased diversity slide I added. I noticed looking through their firm’s team page they didn’t have a lot of racial or gender diversity. I suggested to Ash and Mike that we hold at least fifty percent of the spots in the program for women or BIPOC students. Less than ten percent of our engineering undergraduate students identified as BIPOC and a little over a quarter were women. Historically, these are the students most likely to change majors by the end of their freshman year.
Mike had initially pushed back on including the slide, but I reminded him that only thirteen percent of engineers in the United States are women and that the point of this grant was to create pipelines for students to better serve the community through their STEM degrees. Ash had mentioned it was an oversight in the pilot and definitely could add something to the project overall. It felt like he amplified my voice.
“Bernie’s idea is a great one. We didn’t consider this in our pilot, and it was a major oversight.”
I push around my uneaten cake crumbles and try not to look at him. He sat next to Mike, and just like he did for me, he was helping put the spotlight on the other man. It’s becoming clear that Ashish Mishra is the kind of man who likes to bring out the best in people. He understands his role as a liaison in this project is to set the institution faculty up as the subject matter expert and point for the grant.
I watch as he cleverly redirects the Petersons and their staff’s questions back to Mike to answer. Why is good leadership so damn sexy?
He catches me staring and winks across the table. I steal a surreptitious glance at my watch; we’ve been at the restaurant for hours. We started at the bar when our meeting went over and more of the firm’s associates had been invited into the conference room to talk about the project. They suggested we continue the conversation over drinks while we waited for a table to become available. Since our party had grown to ten people, it was a long wait. We didn’t sit for dinner until seven, and now it’s almost ten. I try to hide a yawn by raising my water glass. I don’t want to be the party crasher, but I’ve been up since six. I rode fifteen fast miles before picking up Mike and then driving to the city. Even my blazer is starting to wilt a little.
The table erupts into laughter, and I look around. This party certainly doesn’t seem to be winding down. Don’t these people have freaking kids? Our waiter circles around to check on everyone, and I flag her down and ask her to separate out the food and alcohol into two separate bills. I’m done, and there has to be an end to the wining and dining or we’ll be here forever.
One of the younger engineers notices the waiter handing me the checks, and I dig out the two different cards to pay. “Ahh, night’s over?” he asks, teasing in his voice.
“Well, you all are welcome to stay as long as you want, but tomorrow, we have to be on the Northeast side of the city by 9 a.m.”
The table groans in sympathy, and I shrug like it can’t be helped. After the check is paid, the party breaks up pretty quickly, and the three of us walk to my car.
I type in our hotel’s address, focusing on the road while Ash and Mike talk through their impressions of the group. Ash’s forearm comes to rest on the center console, and I’m almost too aware of it brushing against mine.
Pulling into the hotel entrance, I let the car idle so Ash and Mike can take the luggage out of the trunk.
“Are you sure you want to park alone?” Ash asks again. I can tell he doesn’t want to split up.
“It's fine, you guys go ahead. I’ll be right behind.” I wonder if it’s obvious to Mike we’re together. “In case you guys are done before I get inside, we’re still on for tomorrow morning, breakfast at 7:30 before we drive over to Sunrise?”
“Yep, works for me,” Mike calls, already turning away to go into the lobby to check in. Ash raises an eyebrow at me, telling me exactly how smooth I’m not. I wiggle my fingers at him and then shift back into drive to park.
He’s waiting for me in the lobby, my weekend bag slung over his shoulder while he rolls his suitcase absently back and forth.
“Sorry, they wouldn’t let me check in for you.”
I sure as hell hope not , I think to myself before stepping up to the front desk to do it myself. We walk side by side to the elevator and then down the hall to the room I booked like we’ve done it our whole lives. He threads his fingers through mine, and I unlock the room.
Nothing special, just a big bed, TV, desk, and an armchair. I can hear Ash close the door behind me as I walk forward to close the curtains. I’m equal parts excited for this moment and tired. My pulse wooshes in my ears as I stare at the bed.
When I turn, he’s leaning against the hallway entrance watching me.
“You were brilliant today, Bernie.” His voice is husky and sexy. Sometime tonight, he’d take off his suit jacket and folded his shirt up his forearms.
“I just do the project management.”
“Hmm,” he says and walks toward me, sliding his hands up my arms, along my shoulders. He holds my gaze as his fingers seek out the pins holding my hair in place before sliding his fingers into it to massage my scalp. “I don’t think you should use ‘just’ to describe your work. Do you?”
My scalp tingles, and Ash’s chest brushes against mine as he steps closer.
“Why?”
“Because you’re fucking brilliant. There is no ‘just’ about what you do.” He digs his thumbs lightly into the hollow at the base of my neck, and I lean into the touch.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“You’re welcome, sunshine.” He brushes his lips against mine, and I notice the dark smudges under his eyes. “I’m going to take a shower, okay? I smell like airplane and bar.”
I wait for him to ask me to join him, but he doesn’t, and I don’t feel brave enough to follow him. Instead, I wait for him to go into the bathroom before changing into my pajamas. I wanted to be sexy but didn’t have a lot of options, so I settled on a short jersey night dress with lace along the edges. At the last minute, I slide off my panties and tuck them into my bag.
Carrying my toiletry bag into the bathroom, I try not to be caught ogling Ash in the mirror. I wash my face and brush my teeth, the tension in my body as thick as the steam in the shower.
“I’m almost done,” he calls as I leave the bathroom. I turn off the overhead lights and slide under the cool covers. The surprisingly soft mattress and sheets slowly drain the adrenaline from my body, and I can feel myself drifting. I don’t even hear the shower turn off before I’m asleep.