CHAPTER 12 #2
“Not a bad idea,” Violet replied. “I’ll run it by them and see what our options are. In the meantime, don’t start working on anything just yet, please. We don’t want any timing concerns if you start working on it before anything is signed.”
“I have been so busy moving and getting started at my new job that I haven’t had the time anyway,” Gabi replied.
“I’ll talk to them tomorrow to see what their thoughts are, but speaking of that job… Is there anything in your handbook or anything else you might have signed that would prevent this?”
“No. I re-read all that stuff to double-check after I mentioned the idea to Sarai, but I don’t make hardware for them, only working on the software since they don’t have hardware anyway.
I’m even allowed to freelance on the side as long as it doesn’t interfere with my job.
I didn’t sign a non-compete, and I’m pretty sure those are illegal now, too, even if I did, but I’d have to look into it. ”
“Can you get me those docs just in case?” Violet requested. “I’d like the lawyer to review them.”
“I can send them over today. I have the PDFs I signed on my computer.”
“Okay. Great. I’ll talk to the board and the lawyer tomorrow. I’m going to go check on Arlowe. Where did Enya go?”
Gabi turned around and shook her head.
“The garage,” Sarai said.
“You’re coming to our housewarming party tonight, yeah?” Violet asked.
Gabi waited for Sarai’s answer, but when she didn’t hear it, she turned to see both of them looking at her expectantly.
“Oh. Me?”
“Yeah, you. Sarai’s attendance is obligatory,” Violet said.
“I didn’t get you a gift,” Sarai replied.
“Um… Yeah, I’ll be there. Should I have gotten you a gift? I didn’t even know there was a housewarming party until Sarai told me last night.”
“We don’t need gifts,” Violet replied, standing up. “Just come as you are. Well, maybe put on jeans or something.”
Gabi looked down at herself and nodded because she was wearing a pair of her old, red cheerleading shorts.
She’d never been a cheerleader herself; they hadn’t had cheerleaders at her school, but she’d stolen them from an old girlfriend of hers and hadn’t given them back after the breakup.
When Gabi looked up, she saw Violet heading into the garage, but Sarai’s eyes were on her bare legs.
“Sarai, are you coming?” Violet half-yelled from the garage.
“No. Why would I? I can’t code.”
“We’ll need copy for an email and social to address the bug situation,” Violet said.
Sarai sighed and asked, “Do you need anything? I have to go work on a Sunday morning.”
“No, I’m fine. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes,” Gabi replied.
“I’ll come back to help you put it all together since this shouldn’t take long. I’ll just copy and paste from the last time this happened.”
When Sarai went out to the garage, Gabi continued making pancakes, and soon, she had a couple dozen silver-dollar-sized pancakes on a plate that she’d set in the middle of the table.
The whole time, though, she could hear them all talking in the garage about what had happened with the software, and she felt a little left out all of a sudden.
Surprised that that feeling hadn’t hit her much earlier, with how close all four of these women were, Gabi found the bottle of syrup in the fridge and set it out, too.
Then, she grabbed some plates from the cabinet and set the table.
By the time she was pulling forks out of the cutlery drawer, Sarai was walking in with an extra chair.
Gabi smiled at her thoughtfulness when she put it next to the one Sarai normally sat in.
“Should I make more? If Arlowe eats eight, that only leaves sixteen for the rest of us. That’s four apiece, but they’re pretty small.”
“It’s fine. If they want more, they can make their own damn pancakes. Sit. I’ll get them in here and make them do the rest of the work. Coffee?”
“I should’ve made some.”
“No, you shouldn’t have. You’ve done enough already.” Sarai turned to the garage. “Get in here and thank Gabi for making you all breakfast.”
“Did you thank Gabi for making you breakfast?” Violet asked.
“Yes!” Sarai yelled in response. “Thanks, by the way,” she added softly to Gabi, who smiled.
Minutes later, Gabi had coffee in hand, made by Sarai, and they’d all forked pancakes onto their plates. The four best friends talked business a bit, but then, the conversation turned to more small talk, catching up with Violet, who no longer lived there, and discussion about the party that night.
“You’re going, right?” Arlowe asked her. “I should’ve thought to invite you.”
“Sarai did,” Gabi said. “And yeah, I’ll be there.”
“Is Gabi going to design our hardware?” Enya asked.
“We’ve got some legalities to work out before I can definitively say yes to that,” Violet replied.
“I have some ideas,” Enya revealed then. “I don’t build things, but I was thinking about user experience and how to make it simple and intuitive. I can share that stuff with you.”
“After we sign the paperwork, Enya,” Violet said. “Assuming we can. Then, share it with her.”
“She’s worried I’ll sue you all later,” Gabi joked. “Like I’m running a long con or something.”
“Please, you don’t have a con man’s bone in your body,” Sarai said.
“Or con woman’s?” Arlowe added.
“That either,” Sarai said.
“Thanks. I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Do we have any chocolate syrup?” Violet asked.
“No, you took it all with you when you moved. You’ve asked, like, six times since you left, too,” Arlowe replied.
“Yeah, that was supposed to be a hint for you to buy some so that it’s here when I am.”
“I think you know where the grocery store is, Vi,” Arlowe replied.