Dr. Herrera crossed one leg over the other and leaned forward, her tone quiet, comforting. “Were you two a couple when you first came here?”
I shook my head.
She nodded, like that had answered some of her questions. “There was a lot of information about you in the media. I don’t need to ask questions, and you didn’t come here for therapy. I’ll just get right to it. My son is an addict. How do you feel about that?”
“Not the same as I did a few months ago. But I think that instead of focusing on keeping my reputation spotless, I should change my focus to highlighting the technical talents and abilities of others. If your son uses again, King Tech won’t drop his program. If your son uses again, honestly, it’s none of my business. I’m buying his program, I’m not employing him. You two will still be independent designers who can query and sell your apps to any company you want. But if something were to happen and your son relapsed, it doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t have King Tech’s support. I would rather highlight his successes than concentrate on his problems.”
Dr. Herrera considered my words, studying me the entire time. “That’s quite a change of heart to have in such a short time. I want to be thrilled. Attracting the interest of your company was the biggest compliment for us. To go from zero to the top in such a short time, it was quite liberating. But your rejection didn’t stop us. We pushed forward, and everything you said was true. I didn’t have the capital to launch the app and make it become the next big thing, but we’re trudging along, and we’re learning a lot. So you’ll need to tell me what you can do for me.”
I smiled. She was proving to be as competent in this business as she was in her own, and I had no reason to think that she wouldn’t hit her goals with the app just like she had with this big beautiful building and the waiting room outside.
“I can’t imagine it’s easy for a guy like you to admit that you were wrong,” she said quietly, circling back to my change of heart.
“What do you mean?” Was I a masochist? I knew what she meant. A rich bastard like me that thought everyone else was beneath him.
“It was part of your identity, stemming from childhood trauma. Those changes, through gradual realizations, or…” She lifted a shoulder, her lips curving up, softening her claim. “A sudden and hard lesson. Like losing someone you love because of what you’ve done to protect yourself from that happening.”
She’d exposed me with her last sentence. Left me raw and aching. I had claimed I wasn’t at fault, but I hadn’t had to lose Eva. We could’ve talked and smiled at the cameras and moved on. Then, like it wasn’t enough to sever the connection between us, I’d cost her a job.
I could prove I wasn’t a complete bastard. “Let me take over your app. I’ll triple the money you put into it within weeks.”
“And updates? My son and I would like to control any and all updates to include a payout with each delivery.”
She was going to be a delight to deal with. I often bought apps from people like… Adam Dickerson. Designers who didn’t realize the profit potential of a well-marketed app, but with a fire in their belly that told them it could be great, if only…
I was the “if only.” Dr. Herrera had done her research and thanks to my withdrawal she had experience. She wasn’t going to turn control over to my people and take her one payout. She also knew that it’d keep her son in the game. If I’d truly had a change of heart, then that wouldn’t bother me. And it didn’t.
“What sort of updates do you have in mind?”
The corner of her mouth ticked up. We were in business. “The first is multiple languages. Then we have an outline to keep expanding it for all cultures, gender identities, and sexual preferences.”
“Let’s talk numbers.”
The flight home was quick enough. I spent the time sending Taylor information on my deal with Dr. Herrera. He’d get all the paperwork ready and send it to her. I was confident that her app would make its money back and then some, just like I was confident that her son would come up with another. Whether he wanted to pitch that one to me or not didn’t matter. This deal hadn’t been just about business. It was the beginning of my amends.
Rick picked me up. After dropping Eva off at home for the last time, he’d been quiet. The last couple of weeks he’d gotten chattier again, helping me feel less like a loser that had given away his dog when he was at school.
Not a dog. I had six cats. Lois had tentatively mentioned that they were old enough to find homes for, but I hadn’t given her the go-ahead. Eva hadn’t seen how big they’d grown and if I gave them away, she never would.
And I’d spent some time figuring out what that meant.
Since Rick was concentrating on traffic, I pulled up the couples app. Switching the answers from my demo ones to what it was like between me and Eva, my finger hovered over a selection.
Relationship status. I chose terminated.
Relationship wish. I chose to reconcile.
Waiting for the summary of advice, I gazed out the window.
Hearts exploded across my screen. The advice was to have an honest talk but that doing something that’d show her that I understood what was important to her would go a long way toward repairing the relationship. All this followed by a disclaimer. I shook my head. Dr. Herrera thought of everything.
Taylor was waiting for me. He owned the space so well that it made it easier to enter without seeing Eva behind the desk, her head bent, concentration etched into her face.
“Hey, boss.” Taylor swirled in his chair, tablet in hand. “Can I hit you right away?”
I’d stuck to the typical workday and had backed off on traveling for the winter.
“Lay it on me.”
He followed me back to my office, waiting until I took my jacket off before he started in. That gave me a clue to how pertinent his information was. Full attention only.
I sat and held my arms out. “Ready.”
“There’s been talk.” His pinched features told me I wouldn’t like the subject.
“There’s always talk.”
“This is coming fast. It’s a gaming app that could be adapted to most platforms. There’s excitement and there’s even a bidding war. And get this, it’s not even complete. The designers laid tread getting the concept nailed and haven’t wasted time building buzz.”
“Sounds good. Send me the info and I’ll take a look.” I wasn’t as confident as I usually was when it came to coming out on top, but that was okay. It forced me to default to the skills I’d built up to get to this position. No one could claim I was relying on family money.
Speaking of which, I needed to call Dad.
“The thing is, the designers…”
Taylor watched me, his body tense like he was setting a bomb, not defusing it. “The name of their company is Chase Dickerson Against the World.”
The only sound I heard was my heartbeat slamming between my ears. My brain struggled to catch up to what my body understood. Chase Dickerson Against the World. Chase and Dickerson.
Eva Chase. Adam Dickerson.
She was working with her brother.
They’d built buzz. She’d used what she’d learned from my own marketing people and was gunning hard with her brother. A game? I didn’t realize she played games, much less designed them.
She didn’t. She worked hard for people she cared about. For people she loved.
Taylor continued, his tone cautious. “They’ve managed to recruit top-rated fans to beta test and leave reviews. Hell, they’re alpha testing and leaving reviews. One of them said, ‘A gaming app that combines the imagination of Minecraft and the universal appeal of Fortnite in its own unique and inclusive world.’ ”
“That’s high praise,” I mumbled.
He rattled off more reviews that would ordinarily stoke my interest until I approached the company with a bid. It was high praise for the designers when a company sought them out, but in this case…
Taylor crossed his arms. “She hit
up your pool of reviewers and knew exactly what to say.”
I barked out a laugh. “Yeah she did.”
Taylor leaned back in his chair as if he needed to get a better view of me. “You do realize this is the next game they’re going to make tournaments out of, the kind where some kid wins three million dollars. It’s going to slip through our fingers.” He made a choking sound. “We won’t get close. I hated to even bring it up, but it’s not my job to decide what you bid on. But Chase Dickerson Against the World are going to show you their backs if you approach with an offer.”
A smile played over my lips. “Depends on the offer.”
Chapter 25
Eva
Adam was sleeping in and I could run into his room and bounce on his bed.
Three offers. He hadn’t even finished the game, much less worked the bugs out of it, and we had three offers.
These last few weeks had been long and grueling, but we’d splurged and ordered in groceries and designed our little hearts out until well into the night. During the day I made calls and inquiries. Those first few had left me nauseous and swearing that I had an ulcer. But not all my attempts had been rebuffed and I hadn’t been laughed off the phone.
Three offers. And we were in negotiations for the Organize You app. It had taken less than twenty-four hours for Adam to catch up with the market, current apps, and what changes he had to make, and another twenty-four to get Organize You upgraded.
I’d have to let him sleep.
Wandering away from his door and into the kitchen, I opened the fridge and marveled at the sight. The fridge hadn’t been this full since Mom and Dad’s accident. Grabbing a yogurt, I returned to the kitchen table, our new workplace. Adam was adamant that we work somewhere other than the couch and bed. It was our makeshift office with notes neatly arranged over the surface and our computers sitting side by side.
Refreshing my email, I took a bite. My gaze landed on a new message. I read the sender’s name and inhaled some of my mouthful. Coughing and covering my mouth to keep from destroying our new equipment, I went to the sink. I cupped water in my hand to drink and swallowed, then wiped my chin off.
Had I read that correctly?
It had to be a mistake.
He wasn’t… He knew… The CEO of King Tech had to know that Chase Dickerson Against the World was me and Adam. He had to.
So why was a message sitting in my inbox that read, Let’s talk about an offer?
Going back to the table, I didn’t sit down. I stared at the computer like it was a cobra ready to strike.
What the hell, Beckett?
I slid into my chair and opened the message. It provided no more detail. The same email template that Wilma had designed popped onto my screen. No more than two lines took up the body of the message, followed by Beckett’s signature block. Beckett King, King Tech CEO.
When I sent emails to prospective clients, I used my own signature block. Surely he had a new assistant.
If he didn’t, my nightmares that he’d found true love with his next executive assistant were unfounded and a waste of nights spent tossing and turning.
I closed my laptop lid.
It had to be a mistake. He was fuming in his office because he had figured it out and couldn’t go back in time to rectify his mistake.
Whatever. I was going to ignore it.
Minutes went by as I stared at the screen.
Okay, think about this logically. Professionally.
Beckett had heard the buzz. He knew a good thing when he saw it. Or he wanted to get back at me and offer a big-ass deal that we couldn’t refuse.
Worst-case scenario: he was serious.
Oh God, what if he was? He’d offer more than the other three and we’d be kicking ourselves if we didn’t accept.
Or…he could offer more than everyone else and then pull it like he had before. I didn’t take him for a vengeful prick, but then I was single because I’d misread him, so…
I should tell Adam.
No, dammit. His head would be whirring with all the same thoughts, only he’d have flashbacks. I wasn’t going to let Beckett sabotage Adam’s recovery. My brother was back. That was the only good thing that had come out of my time with Beckett King.
That and the money I’d made.
But he wielded the power. He knew it. What I had predicted was right. He was back in the game something fierce, outbidding competitors and still the apple of the independent designers’ eyes.
I wouldn’t know that if I hadn’t been following all things King Tech.
I went back to the computer and opened it. My email flashed back. I hit reply.
What should I write? Kindly fuck off. Guess who? Do you regret it yet? Are you fucking serious because if you’re not you’re the cruelest human being alive? How are the cats? Had he given them away?
Every time I went outside, I looked for Kitty as if she’d be there like before. No new strays had popped up.
I closed my reply.
Staring at the computer as if it’d tell me what to do, I sat there. I don’t know how many minutes ticked by before I grabbed my phone. Be back soon, had to run an errand. I sent it to Adam.
I shouldn’t shut Adam out of a business decision, but this one I might keep from him. Beckett wanted to make an offer? I’d tell him exactly what he could do with it.
The after-lunch crowd rushed around me. I stared up at the building I didn’t have the guts to enter. It had seemed a righteous decision to charge over here and get answers. But I was here.
What now?
The place looked the same. Colder. Was that just me or the winter weather? I stuffed my hands into my old thrift-store parka, but new snow boots were on my feet. Well, new in the discount bin, which was much more fun to go through when it wasn’t my only option. Like the first time, I was wearing faded skinny jeans and a fitted hoodie underneath my coat.
How could he? He had to have an idea what his email would do to us. Was it eating away at him, my and Adam’s success? He had to interfere. I didn’t think that was like him, but again, I had misread him before.
“Well, don’t just stand there. Come inside and get to work.”
A jolt tumbled through my body. That voice. He’d said the same thing all those months ago.
Spinning on my heel, I tried to prepare myself, but it was useless. Nothing could prepare me for seeing him again. He had on a long black jacket that was belted around the middle. His hair was slicked to the side like it always was when he was working. Air puffed out of his mouth as he watched me.
“I didn’t think I was welcome.”
“I wouldn’t have proposed an offer if you weren’t.”
That answered one question. He knew exactly who was behind the company. My patience snapped. I’d read his email less than an hour ago but I hadn’t taken a full breath since. “What the fuck was that about?”
“Shall we talk inside?”
I didn’t want to go in that building. Walking down that hallway to his suite was too akin to a walk of shame. Everyone would recognize me. Then once I got inside, I’d remember how he perched on the edge of my desk. And how we’d had sex on his.
But his offer was serious, though I had my doubts. He didn’t look upset to see me. The humor in his eyes was forced, hiding a stark sadness that matched my own.
I needed to get this over with.
“Fine.” Unlike the day we’d met, I took the lead, charging through the doors and down the wide hallway. I didn’t turn my head, didn’t see anyone, didn’t care to. When I reached his door, I whipped it open and almost stopped. A man sat at my desk. A sharply dressed older guy who would’ve given me back several nights of sleep if I’d known about him.
It had been a stupid worry anyway. Beckett could sleep with eighteen assistants and marry in two days and it was none of my damn business. I shouldn’t care.
But I did.
The man glanced up at me. His brows rose as his gaze slid to Beckett. Then his mouth forme
d an O and he made a few clicks on his keyboard. Rising, he said, “Look at that. It’s time for lunch.”
Beckett walked up next to me. “Taylor, this is Eva Chase with Chase Dickerson Against the World.”
Taylor power walked to us, his suit as sharp as Beckett’s but more colorful. His shirt was pink, his tie had baby-blue polka dots, and the suit itself was pewter. He stuck his hand out. “Nice to meet you.”
I gave him a perfunctory handshake while he assessed me, but I couldn’t tell what conclusion he came to.
He released my hand and turned to Beckett. “Send me the details when you’re done.”
Code for “Tell me when it’s safe to come back.”
I liked Taylor. He seemed protective of Beckett.
Taylor left and it hit me that I was alone with Beckett. “Well, at least I can’t get fired talking to you today,” I muttered.
“You shouldn’t have gotten fired last time.” His vehement response gave me pause. He knew about that? He saw my expression and said, “I tried to find you after the speaker was done.”
“Why?”
“Because I had to.”
“So we could argue again?”
“I don’t want to argue with you, Eva.” His voice was quiet. Soft. It was how he used to talk at night. In bed.
“Okay, so the offer.” My rapid subject change was pure cowardice but I didn’t care. “Why the hell would you be interested?”
He lifted his chin toward his office. “Let’s go somewhere where we’re not on display.”
I peered into the hallway. It seemed a few more people than normal were roaming the halls. I stormed into his office. His scent wrapped around me as soon as I stepped through the door. I kept my eyes off his desk and sat in the chair across from it.
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