Chapter 6
Six
Theo is gone the full following week putting out a fire in Amsterdam.
Literally. One of the London office’s prototypes for Windmill Farms overheated, and flames broke out during a test run.
Nobody was injured, thank goodness, but the scorch marks on Excelsior’s reputation are apparently harder to scrub.
Rumor is Windmill Farms is now threatening to pull out of their contract.
Which is why they sent Theo. In Leon’s words, he’s an excellent negotiator and problem solver. Personally, I’m having a hard time imagining him charming anyone, but then again, I’m just the new kid. I’ve only crossed paths with him a handful of times.
Then Tuesday arrives. When I step into the conference room for our morning huddle, Theo is sitting at the head of the table, looking engaged in a staring contest with the blue light of a computer screen.
His eyes are bloodshot, and if it’s even possible, his cheekbones appear even sharper.
His dark suit jacket has fallen off the back of the chair onto the floor.
“Hi, Riverton,” I say.
“Don’t bother, Kaori, it’s like talking to a wall,” Leon quips.
I frown. What’s that supposed to mean?
“Riverton, we didn’t expect you back until tomorrow,” Anya says as she enters and finds a seat next to me.
He doesn’t move or acknowledge her presence.
“Riverton,” she tries again. Still nothing. “How long has he been like this?” she asks Leon.
“At least fifteen minutes. I tried putting a coffee next to him, but even the smell of fresh caffeine didn’t do anything to perk him up. Figured I’d better wait for backup.”
“I guess that means we’re doing this the hard way.” Anya sighs, rolling up her sleeves with maternal authority.
Leon chuckles. “I’ll take care of the computer, if you tackle Theo.”
“Deal.” Anya shakes Leon’s hand with a grim nod.
They move in like a tactical unit. Leon slides behind the chair while Anya flanks him. Leon catches my eye, mouths a silent “one, two, three,” and slams the laptop shut.
Theo jumps. “Bloody hell, what are you doing? I was in the middle of an email to Mr. Harris.”
“Not anymore.” Anya nods to Leon, who deftly scoops up the laptop and holds it just out of Theo’s reach. “Since I’m nice, I’ll allow you to stay for the morning huddle,” she says, her tone brooking no argument. “But as soon as it’s over, you’re going home. No office, no emails, no Amsterdam talk.”
“Excuse me?” Theo blinks, his bloodshot eyes struggling to focus on her. “You can’t do that. I have a project deadline.”
“Actually, I can. Officially, you’re out of the office until tomorrow morning. By your own instructions, I’m in charge until midnight. You shouldn’t have given me the power if you didn’t want me to use it.”
My love for Anya reaches a whole new level. She’s the type of woman I want to be when I grow up.
Theo closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose, looking utterly defeated by his own logic. “Fine,” he mutters.
“You can have your laptop back when we’re done. Not a second sooner.” Anya clears her throat, turning to the rest of the room as if she hadn’t just staged a corporate coup. “All right, let’s begin. Kaori, why don’t you start us off?”
Fantastic. Not only am I the sacrificial lamb, but we’re also back to having a grump. I inhale deeply. Let’s just get this over with. “Sure.” I square my shoulders and switch into presentation mode.
Anya gives me a small, reassuring smile. Across the table, Leon catches my eye and mouths, “You’ve got this.” Warmth loosens the knot between my neck and shoulder blades. Okay. I can do this. I’m not alone. I have my work dad and my mentor at my back.
I take another deep breath, exhaling slowly.
“Since last week’s review, I reran the Quantum Leap stress model with additional scenarios.
” I tick them off on my fingers. “Different rider-weight distributions, extended run-time fatigue, and variable loading conditions. Structurally, the frame still holds within safety limits.”
I swipe to the diagram on my tablet, trying to keep my voice even. Theo is already squinting at the graph, wondering where I’m going with this. Patience, Your Frostiness.
“But I did catch one thing. At a certain frequency range, the capsule hits a vibration mode that could cause noticeable ride roughness.” I zoom in on the graph.
“It’s not a structural failure. It’s just for the passengers’ comfort.
The high-frequency oscillation could translate as a harsh jolt during descent.
Think less roller-coaster thrill and more washing machine on spin cycle. ”
A few engineers snort into their coffees.
“So I flagged it as a UX concern and noted a few possible geometry adjustments to dampen the vibration amplitude.”
Theo’s gaze sharpens. “Shaking? You mean resonance?”
“Yes.” The muscles around my eyes twitch.
“Think of it like when you’re in a car and it hits just the wrong speed, and suddenly the dashboard starts rattling.
The ride itself would be safe, but guests would feel it.
Over time, that could wear the system down faster too.
So I’ve identified reinforcement points that should dampen the oscillation. ”
Theo leans back in his chair, arms folding across his chest. “So you’ve discovered a rattle.
” His voice is smooth, but the edge in it cuts deep.
“That’s engineering 101. I’d expect a first-year university student to catch that.
” He regards me for a long beat. “We’ll see if it holds up in review.
In the meantime, come up with another solution.
We’re the world’s leading attraction-design firm. Should isn’t good enough.”
Dismissed. Just like that.
I turn my gaze back to my laptop, any sympathy I felt for this man curdling into pure, concentrated annoyance. Leon was wrong. Theo isn’t just in a bad mood when he comes back from London. Or I guess in this case, Amsterdam. What he has is a personality defect.
He pivots to the rest of the table. “I’m gone for a week, and this is what I come back to? A proposal that’s utter crap?”
A ripple of tension runs through the room.
“And you’re done.” Anya pushes back her chair, her eyes flashing.
“Kaori worked hard on her revisions and gave you exactly what you asked for. If I let you continue as you are, you’ll just antagonize your team.
You’re exhausted, jet-lagged, and acting like a spoiled brat who didn’t get any ice cream.
Nobody, including myself wants to work with you when you’re like this. ”
A beat. The room holds its breath.
“So I’ll say this like I would to my kids—If you can’t be professional, you don’t stay in the room. Go home.”
A muscle ticks in Theo’s jaw, but he doesn’t argue. He just stalks toward the door, not even stopping for his laptop.
“Anya, I didn’t think you had it in you,” Leon says.
A faint flush warms her cheeks. “I almost didn’t. But I didn’t feel like dealing with his attitude today. He needs to remember we’re his team and on his side. Not his personal punching bag.”
“What’s the deal with Mr. Harris?” I ask.
“Cuthbert Harris is the Excelsior Parks Chief Operating Officer.”
“That, I already knew. What else can you tell me about him? Why does he always sound like a jerk?”
“Let’s just say he’s a man with a massive ego who is used to always getting his way. No matter what,” Anya says.
A knock sounds on the conference room’s door. It opens and one of the team members from the children’s attraction division team pokes their head in. “Sharma, do you have a moment?”
“I’m gonna pop over to Lina’s. Can I get you anything?” Leon asks, already halfway to the door.
I glance at my watch. “Leon, it’s nine-twenty a.m. She won’t be open for another two hours.”
“The restaurant won’t be, but Lina will be in her office,” he says with a breezy confidence that’s frankly alarming. “She always reconciles her books first thing in the morning.”
I cock my head to the side, studying him. “You have her schedule memorized? I don’t know whether to be impressed or call security.”
He just shrugs, unbothered. “Last chance. Want anything?”
“No, I’m good. I’m heading there for lunch anyway,” I say, thinking of the quiet corner booth and the mountain of pasta I’m going to need to survive this day.
I watch Leon go, a small smile tugging at my mouth despite my lingering annoyance with Theo. I wonder if he’s actually asked her out yet. There’s no way she’ll say no.
I gather my belongings and slowly make my way out of the room toward the elevator, slipping in, I press fifteen. The doors start to shut.
“Hold the lift!” Theo’s voice shouts.
I wave my hand in front of the sensors, and the doors reopen.
He steps inside and mutters, “Thanks.”
There’s no music or any other sound to fill the silence. My brain chants don’t make it weird, don’t make it weird. I stare straight ahead, counting the seconds by the floor numbers.
“Glad I could meet the bare minimum of your expectations.” The sarcasm slips out.
And I’ve done it again. Foot in mouth. Darn it.
“I’m sorry.” He hangs his head. “Again. I didn’t mean to offend you,” he whispers.
“Save your apologies. They obviously mean nothing.” I don’t bother looking at him.
The elevator dings. I stride out, heels clicking far too loudly on the polished concrete floor. The sound of Theo’s shoes follows. Weird. I was positive he pressed the lobby button. My pulse spikes. I stop short and pivot, nearly smacking into his chest. “Is there a reason you’re following me?”
His brow arches. “My office is this way. Before I go home, I need my bag and my tablet since Leon’s disappeared with my laptop.”
Right. The glass-walled corner office across from the copy room. The one nobody wants because it’s like being inside a human fish tank. There’s zero privacy. Everybody can see exactly what you’re doing at all times. Heat crawls up the back of my neck. I refuse to let it reach my face.