THIRTY-FOUR
LEAVING HIM WAS hard. Really hard. He’d been there—in sweats he’d retrieved from a duffel bag she didn’t remember seeing on opening the door—wishing her a good day at the office. How good would it be knowing he was at home? Okay, so she might envy the furniture he sat on, but at least the prospect of him hung on her horizon. He’d be there. He’d promised to be there; they’d have dinner together. One of another string of many, she hoped.
On the island, he’d been home and they’d worked even though she’d technically been on vacation. There in her apartment, was he on vacation? Was that how he saw it? Not as glamorous or luxe as his island, but so long as he was there, that was all she needed. Hopefully, maybe, he’d feel the same way about her. They really had to talk, to look at their relationship seriously and figure it out… or give it up. The latter was definitely option B, maybe option Y or Z because it sure wasn’t high on her list of desired outcomes.
Their offices were on the sixth floor of a building in the center of town. From the outside, it all looked the same. Inside was another story. The elevator doors opened and she stepped out. Everything was different. The carpet on the floor, the paint on the walls and, huh, there was security standing by the door. Had they had their own security agents before?
A new hip-height flapping glass gate by the reception desk stood in the way of the back office. Running her employee-pass over the scanner light… klaxon. Louder than it needed to be too. Try again. What else could she do? Anika hadn’t warned her about any new security system. On the third try, a pause with no klaxon gave hope and—an alarm blared in the air. On instinct, she ducked, like what the hell? Suddenly security was on her, two of them from somewhere, each with hold of an arm.
“What’s your name?” the first guy asked.
The intrusive alarm changed pitch to something akin to a siren.
“Shouldn’t we… turn that noise off?” she screamed over the sound just as it stopped. Huh. Okay. Clearing her throat, she tried to recover from yelling into the silent room. “Thea. My name is Thea Florin and I’ve worked here for—”
“Thea!” Anika’s voice turned her on the spot. “She’s okay. Let her through.”
The guards did and Anika beeped her through from the other side.
“What’s going on?” she asked on reaching her supervisor. “I knew we were getting a remodel but—”
“Oh, it’s the stupid new security system. They installed it ten days ago and we just can’t get the hang of it. IT say they’re on it, but they’ve been saying that for a week, so…”
“Where do we—”
A lot of previously open plan space had been shuttered up into smaller chunks. Still open plan, just with tall glass partitions. Could be for privacy, or fear of some crazy virus taking over the world. Given society today and its hangups, she’d pick door number one.
On coming to work, her main goal was to be seen by Anika to prove she’d shown up. Now that was done, goal two came into play: explain her less than high spec presentation. Would hooking up with a crazy-hot billionaire count as a good reason? An excuse? Maybe. Reason might be a stretch too far.
“We’re in here.”
We…?
Anika swung a right and they entered a boardroom, glass walls again, though all but the external view were opaque.
The dozen people around the table looked pleased to see her. Extra pleased, which was super weird.
“What’s going on?”
“So the contract we won that was meant to pay for these upgrades…” Anika said, leaving her by the door to go to the table. “Yeah, it’s maybe not as guaranteed as we thought.”
“Oh my God, what happened to…?”
“He decided to throw it out for bids.”
Shit. Who’d been stupid enough to…? “Revland did this? Started writing checks before the ink was on paper. That’s insane! He told us it was a done deal. Doesn’t that mean the deal is actually done? God, what an idiot.” Maybe not something she’d have said allowed before her vacation, as the faces around the table suggested. “Sorry, that’s not helpful, I’m still in vacation mode.”
“Who were you calling an idiot on vacation?” Sandreen asked.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“We have to pivot, away from the specifics and out to volumes. We have to show we can handle every project, not just this one. We want to take a holistic view. Talk in broad strokes. Future proofing.”
“While still sounding it and now.”
“Hip and groovy.”
“Okay, the quickest way to do none of those things is to use those words. Enticing the younger generation is something most companies strive for. The difference here is we’re upselling, all the time. If you want to be ready to teach the next big thing, you have to know what it is. A Plus is a telecommunications company, right?”
“Yeah.”
“So what markets are they aiming for next? What’s the next big thing on their agenda?”
“Holographics,” Mitchum called out.
“Next as in next week, next month, next year, not in fifty years.”
“No, they are, we’re right on the cusp.”
“Of holographic technology?” Sandreen sounded as convinced as her, which, hint, was not in the slightest. “Of us having that ability in our pocket?”
And, oh, inspiration. “One sec.”
Dumping her purse and laptop to the table, she fished out her phone.
And Zane picked up on the second ring, not bad.
“How far away are we from having holographic abilities on our phones?”
“Won’t be out for Christmas, I’ll tell you that. If you want me to prioritize—”
“No,” she said, internally rolling her eyes at him, though her lips reacted with a laugh. “What is next? If we wanted to concentrate on—”
“Solar technology,” he said, “self-charging ability, as per Roxie’s request. Chiplets, think smaller, more efficient. Graphene will help with that, as it’s thinner and lighter than traditional materials. With increased demand of simultaneous processing, it’s smaller, it’s faster. Microfluidics will bring back tactile keyboards and SIM cards will soon be a thing of the past.”
Grabbing a pen, she started writing on the back of a folder. “How soon?”
“You want things you’ll get by next Christmas? Expect an increase in foldable phones. Pressure sensitive screens, improved voice interaction, oh, and uh, mixed reality will come down the line not too long after that. Are we interviewing for something?”
“Trying to impress a client.”
“Want my business? You know how to impress me.”
“Where’s the challenge in that?” Flirting reminded her of their office in the sun. “We’re not equipped for business like yours.”
“You’ve been doing just fine so far.”
“The business I handle alone, in private, doesn’t count.”
“I don’t mind if we do it in public,” he said, provoking another laugh. “Want me to come down there for lunch?”
“You know how it goes. If we eat together at lunchtime…”
“Yeah, but there are other people in your office. Puts a dampener on the seduction.”
“All you have to do is show up and it’s mission accomplished.”
“Is that a yes? I’ll bring something with me, or I’ll take you out.”
Being with him was always tempting. “We’re having a slight security meltdown here at the minute, even I couldn’t get in.”
“A security meltdown?” Suddenly, he was serious. “Are you in danger? Has a threat been made to—”
“No, Drift, be calm. They’re trying to set up a new security system and it keeps freaking out for no reason.”
“Which system?”
“Sorry?”
“Which system is it?”
“I have no earthly idea.” Everyone was looking at her. “Uh, I’ve got to go.”
“Every company worth anything has a Dysaic system. Is it a Dysaic system?”
“Is it a—I don’t know.” How would she know that? She lowered the phone to address Anika. “Is our new security system Dysaic?”
“Yes, why what does—”
“Yes,” she said into the phone. “What does that—”
“Give me twenty minutes.”
And the line cut off. Huh, okay. Twenty minutes for what?
“What did he say?” Anika asked like she’d known who was on the line. “Who were you talking to?”
Okay, so maybe she didn’t.
“My boyfriend, he’s into this tech stuff.” Slight—not-so-slight—understatement. “Foldable phones, improved voice interaction, and we’ll want to research miniaturization and self-charging.”
“All of this is good.” Anika nodded at the others until they got their laptops up and going. “See what you can find out. Look for anything we might use to impress the client. Slap it all together in a five-minute presentation. We’ll piece together the highlights. Revland wants progress and to see something by the end of business.”
Not asking much, was he?
“When is the meeting?” she asked. “With the client?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know. We’ll find out more later.”
And she’d been stressing Anika might be unimpressed with her work? The woman hadn’t even looked at any of it. Okay, not something to stress about. Putting aside what had been to focus on what would be was much easier.
They worked for a while, she didn’t know how long until her phone chimed. A message.
His way up? That was Zane. Wait, twenty minutes, had he meant…?
She leaped up. “Uh, I have to nip out for just a second.”
Why would he come all the way there? Hurrying from the room, she didn’t have a clue how to get him through security if her pass didn’t work. He didn’t need to be there, unless he meant…
She got to the reception the same second the elevator doors opened to reveal her guy in cargo board shorts and a rumpled shirt over a tee-shirt.
Pausing there, memory warmed her lips. “You look a little out of place without the ocean behind you.”
“Reliving the good times,” he said, bypassing security and the reception desk to head straight for the glass entrance.
If he expected her to beep him through… Without any contact or specific movement, the scanner beeped and let him through without hesitating for a beat. He didn’t even do anything, he just… walked.
“How did you do that?” she asked when he stooped to kiss her.
“It’s my system, babe.”
“It’s your—oh…” Now she got it. And that clarity brought her joy. “Will you fix it?”
“Shouldn’t take long if it’s correctly installed.” He glanced back at the security gates. “This is not the newest model.”
“Yeah, Mr. Revland never springs for the most up to date anything. He waits until the old models are on sale.”
“Do you want the newest model?”
“No, we already won’t be able to afford this. The deal that was supposed to be done apparently isn’t, so it’s panic stations. Everything I did on the island is useless, until we get the deal, I guess. Maybe it will be relevant after—”
“There!” Anika exclaimed. “There! He’s there!”
Turning around, Anika had an arm outstretched, pointing to her guy. Their boss, Revland, stood right there by her side.
“Oh my—Mr. Dyce!”
“I just saw him beep through and everything. It’s really him.”
Really him who she hadn’t recognized, but the rest of her office knew instantly.
“Where’s your security hub?” he asked, draping an arm around her.
Fully comfortable in his ownership, Zane’s nonchalance about the public displays of affection was a turn on. Huh, she was learning new things about herself.
“Mr. Dyce, we can—I can—it’s an honor.”
He squeezed her opposite arm. “Do you know where it is, Wanderer?”
“Up a floor,” was the sum total of her knowledge on the subject.
“Your server room nearby?” he asked, scanning every nook and corner. “I’ll increase your energy efficiency while I’m at it because this is just… offensive.”
“Is this why you came to mine?” she teased. “To play with security and server rooms?”
“Anything to be under the same roof as you.”
“Can we get you anything?” Revland asked.
The rest of her colleagues crowded and craned in doorways just to get a look. Guaranteed not every one of them would’ve recognized him. Word traveled fast. All it needed was one person to whisper his name. From there it would carry in roars through every wall and window.
“Just directions.”
“We’d be honored if you’d allow us to assess your company, Dyce Technologies, new and ongoing training processes with—”
“Thea makes all those decisions,” he said and pointed to a door. “This is a stairwell, right? I’ll follow the tech and find it.” He tipped up her chin to kiss her lips and lingered there a second. “Even with people watching.” He winked. “Come find me for lunch.”
“I’m avoiding stairs with my boot,” she called out, as he went into the stairwell.
“Call me and I’ll find you,” he replied just as the door swung shut.
Revland and Anika stood there, fixated on her.
“What?”
“You make decisions about Dyce Technologies—”
“He was kidding.” And that was enough to send Revland hurrying after Zane. Her boss would probably stalk him all day. “Don’t we need to get back to work?”
“Let’s talk for one second about him kissing you,” Anika said in almost awe-struck disbelief. “You’re dating Zane Dyce? You’re dating a billionaire with—what the hell are you doing here?”
“Not what I’m supposed to be doing.” She pointed toward their boardroom. “Should we get back to work?”
Getting everyone back on track shouldn’t really be her job. It was a better one than spilling all to her gossip-hungry colleagues. Her guy was there, he’d do his thing. She’d never really understood it, but he was good at it and seemed to enjoy it, which was enough for her.
His happiness, her happiness, she couldn’t find hers without knowing he held his. What did it mean when one person’s joy came from just knowing their other half was whole? On the island, on the mainland, every part of her yearned to be close to him. They had to talk, they really did, but what was the rush when there was a chance that conversation would shatter both of their illusions? Forever? Maybe. Was she ready for that? Was he?