by Leslie North
“I’m sorry?”
She sighed tersely. “I asked if you had the P&L.” She shook her head, jaw working back and forth. “You need to get your head in the game. Come on.”
Her tone was an indictment, but he couldn’t argue with her. He did need to get his head in the game. He tapped out a fast response: “Keep me updated.”
Over the next half hour, they finalized the details of their presentation, and then they waited. If the presentation today went well…this would be the deal to push him over the billion-dollar mark. Of course, his company’s acquisition of Felicia’s would still need to be finalized, but those were just small details. If this foreign client liked what they saw and wanted to see this record-breaking, cutting-edge AI technology of theirs, they’d only be able to do it by signing on with Brian and Felicia’s joint company.
In all his years of wheeling, dealing, and presenting, he knew this deal was a sure bet. It had to be. For what Felicia was bringing to the table with all the checks and balances put forth by his own team…they were in. At this point, he just saw the meeting as a formality.
Even so, when the Hakuru Corporation representatives showed up, Brian couldn’t rid himself of the knot of apprehension. With his mind still distantly fixed on Connie, he could only assume it was worries about her getting in the way of his job. Which was precisely what he needed to eradicate.
While the board room was full of stiff introductions and glazed-over grins, Brian’s phone buzzed.
Connie was calling.
He swallowed a knot in his throat, staring at the screen, debating whether to answer it or not. Across the table, Felicia’s face tightened. She could sense his drifting attention. He stood, offering an apologetic smile to the table.
“Just a moment please. I can’t miss this call.” He grimaced, sidling out from behind the table. Daggers followed him from Felicia’s eyes. He slipped out of the board room quickly and took the call.
“Connie, what’s wrong?”
She sounded breathless. Scared, even. “They’re sending me to the hospital. It might be serious.”
His eyes fluttered shut. “Wait, why? What’s going on?”
“There was some bleeding—”
“Connie.”
“I don’t know why, they just want me to get checked out. I thought you should know.”
Brian stared at the closed door of the board room, where the largest deal of his life waited. He paused for a long time before speaking. “I can’t come with you. The meeting with Hakuru is today. It’s important.”
The words sounded hollow—painfully so. Every bit of him wanted to rush away and be with her. Console her. Make sure she knew just how fine this was going to be. He pinched the bridge of his nose, waiting for her disappointment.
He’d never promised to be an emotional support system. He’d only ever promised money. So why was it so hard to stick to that?
“Okay. That’s…yeah. I’d forgotten it was today. That’s fine. Do what you need to do.” Her tone didn’t reflect what her words said. “I’m going to call my sister. I think she’ll be able to come with me.”
“I’ll call when I’m free,” he said, squeezing the phone in his hand. “I’ve gotta go now.”
He hung up before he could think better of it and hurried back into the room. Felicia’s eyes found his immediately, her plasticized smile growing even thinner.
“There’s the man himself,” Felicia said. He took his seat across the table from her, offering a smile to the attendees.
It was time to focus. It was time to schmooze. It was time to win.
Because that’s what the goal was. Money.
Nothing else.
And he’d do well to remember that.
14
The thumping of bass was an uncommon feature inside the halls of O Developments.
But tonight, it was a metronome to Connie’s work. She was the only one in the developer’s area, choosing to work late instead of join in the festivities in the big employee lounge. O Developments had gotten the biggest deal in history, which meant the formal acquisition of Fake Felicia’s company was officially moving forward.
Everyone was partying.
Except for Connie.
She was stewing.
She’d stayed at her desk in an effort to be present without actually participating. She wanted to support the good news—or at least look like she did—without seeing Brian or Felicia. So she’d chosen to remain behind, taking a final look at the programming language Felicia’s AI developments utilized. A once-over, to make sure things were as neat and tidy as everyone thought.
Because over the past few weeks, something had been sticking out to her about the programs, but she couldn’t put her finger on what. Part of her thought it was the simple fact that it was linked to Felicia. Maybe that was off-putting enough to stain the entire project. But at this point, she needed to shit or get off the pot. And then she’d shelve the program. Shelve her obsession with Brian and Felicia’s marriage of convenience. Shelve her hopes and dreams that Brian might actually feel even an ounce of what she felt for him.
It was the last part that made all the rest of it unbearable. A month ago, after their sweet night at her apartment, she’d been convinced that there was hope for him. For them. But Brian had doubled down on his decision after that night, basically disappearing despite being within a stone’s throw from her desk each workday.
The man valued money and achieving his goals more than anything else. Nothing wrong with that. Connie just had to find the resolve to be okay with it.
Connie rubbed at her cheek, running one final test on the AI program. After this, she should go play the supportive, happy employee and make an appearance at the party and then get the hell out of dodge. She was so over this façade. So over this pregnancy, too. At eight months, she was ready for it to be over. Just like this non-affair with Brian.
She’d probably quit O Developments, too. Not like she’d be able to stomach a lifetime of Brian and Felicia while she harbored Brian’s child like a state secret. She sighed, covering her face with her hands. How did you get into this mess?
Getting knocked up was reminder enough of Brian. Working so close to him had been pure torture. It had to end soon.
Connie rubbed at her eyes and started the final skim of the program. And then it jumped out at her.
The tiny line of programming that had been there the whole time. The line that was just off enough to trick her into missing it.
The flaw in the AI program.
Heart racing, she checked and re-checked the programming language, working it up, down, and sideways to confirm. Because if this was truly flawed, then the whole deal they’d made would crumble. It was all predicated upon this cutting-edge AI technology…which was looking bunk.
Thud thud thud. Connie stared at the shared wall with the employee lounge. She had to say something. It was now or never. Otherwise, this would come back to bite her in the ass. Somehow, it would. Even if Brian resented the discovery, better now than later when his company came crumbling down.
She pushed to her feet, hands immediately cupping the large roundness of her belly. It was getting more difficult to walk, and her little babe was kicking nearly constantly. She’d opted not to find out the sex, but she had a sneaking suspicion little babe was a girl. Only a month left to find out. Connie sighed, waddling down the hallway.
The glass door of the employee lounge was a window into the party. Inside, a full buffet spread with plenty of alcohol lined the wall. Streamers dangled from the ceiling and from the edges of tables. Basically every coworker was in attendance, availing themselves of the amazing food and free drinks. Connie tugged open the door, beelining for Brian standing at the far wall and holding a flute of champagne while he chatted with a colleague. When he saw her, a flash of emotion crossed his face. Something pure…and raw. Connie swallowed her pride and offered a polite smile.
“Hey, Brian. Sorry to interrupt. Can we talk for a
quick second?”
He hesitated, looking back at the colleague. “Do you mind?”
Connie waited as the two wrapped up their conversation. She led the way out of the lounge, trying not to look at Felicia, who stood rigid and perfect across the room. She could feel the questions in the air as Brian followed her. Once the door thudded shut behind them, Brian walked alongside her.
“What’s going on?”
“I need to show you something.” Heat rolled off of him, reminding her of all the things she needed to forget about.
Brian was quiet for a few moments, adjusting his cuffs as they walked. “Now?”
She gritted her teeth, measuring her response. “It’s work related. Don’t worry.”
Suddenly the rift between them opened into a gulf. Yawning, expansive, and most of all, cold. The man who’d spent all evening in her bed laughing about puns was now as foreign and distant as a stranger. She pushed into the development area, leading the way to her desk. Brian followed quietly.
“I was reviewing the programming language like you wanted,” she said, easing into her chair. She could feel Brian’s eyes on her. Despite the way he acted distant, she knew he cared. Deep down. “I found something that is very concerning.”
“Concerning?” He rested his palms on her desk, hunched over, as she scrolled through screens. The tang of his cologne reached her, making her momentarily fuzzy. It was hard to concentrate with him so near. How would Felicia run a business with him and his intoxicating smell?
“Concerning, and for lack of a better word…totally fucked up.” She sighed, clicking to the piece of code that she’d found. “Look at this.”
Connie explained the interactions of this code with the rest of the program. How it was a flaw. And how she suspected it had been purposefully planted.
“It’s probably a mistake,” Brian said at last.
“I really don’t think it was,” Connie said, nibbling on her lip. “It looks deliberate to me. In all the code—”
“Listen, I know Felicia. She’s a businesswoman, okay? She’s not a cheat.”
“I’m not saying she is,” Connie rushed to say, her heart rate accelerating. Already, this was going poorly. “This isn’t necessarily her fault, but it is a serious flaw in the program that will totally topple everything that you guys are gunning for.”
Brian scoffed, pushing up to standing. He paced the carpet for a bit, his palms behind his head.
“It’s gotta be a bug,” he said at last.
“It’s not.”
“Well, I think other developers need to take a look at this.”
The finality in his voice made her stiffen. She could read between the lines. He didn’t believe her, and he never would. This had everything to do with his investment in a future with Felicia, and almost nothing to do with the fact that a talented developer was telling him there was a problem.
Connie clicked out of her screens, clenching and unclenching her teeth. “Okay.”
Tense silence ballooned between them, and Brian left the developers area without her. She nibbled at her lip, tears pressing at the corners of her eyes.
A sense of loss. That was what she felt over everything else. But it didn’t make any damn sense. Brian had never been hers. That was more than clear.
He would never be hers, either.
He’d always, always, choose Felicia and his money.
Connie’s revelation gnawed at Brian’s composure as he rejoined the party. Now, everything felt forced. Fake. Questionable. Felicia’s glittering smiles and dainty laughter rang hollower than ever.
Was he being duped?
He wasn’t one to jump to conclusions. He needed time with this concept. And more than that, he needed to bring it up to Felicia.
He waited until the party cleared out and the two of them were on their way back to his penthouse. The car ride was quiet, and Felicia held his hand in her lap the whole ride home. As if reminding him: you’re mine.
Upstairs in his apartment, he headed straight for the liquor cabinet.
“You want anything?” he called over his shoulder.
“Yeah. How about a good fuck?”
Something in her tone felt acidic, but he wasn’t sure if it was his imagination or not. He turned, looking over his shoulder, and she was lounging on the couch watching him with a sly grin. Her dress was pulled down over her shoulder. Not a single thing about her turned him on.
“No drink?”
She sighed, flopping back. “I already told you what I want.”
He poured himself a finger of whiskey and then joined her on the couches. He loosened his tie, prepping himself to say the words he’d been dreading. It shouldn’t be so hard. It shouldn’t have made his stomach twist so badly. But here he was.
“There’s something I want to talk to you about,” he finally said, sipping from his tumbler.
Felicia sighed, draping an arm over her eyes. “Go on.”
“One of our developers found a serious flaw with the AI program.”
She lay there for a long time, unmoving, quiet. So long that he grew worried.
“Say something,” he finally said.
She whipped her arm from her face and sat up, her face flushed. There was something wild in her eyes. “So what? What are you gonna do about it? It’s too late to back out now. We signed everything. It’s done.”
Brian blinked a few times. He’d not been expecting that reaction. No, maybe something more along the lines of What are you talking about? That’s impossible. Instead, this was an implicit admission of guilt. He didn’t know where to begin.
“I’m not suggesting we back out,” he said slowly. Carefully. “But you should know about this. A developer found a very concerning line of code. One that makes the AI program…basically useless.”
Her nostrils flared. “So the program doesn’t work. But if you even think about backing out now—just think how bad that’ll look for your company. We’re already in this, Brian. You can’t leave now.”
He rubbed his hands together. He had to ask it. He had to know. “Did you know about this flaw before I suggested buying you out?”
She sighed testily, kicking her feet off the couch. She stood, tugging her earrings out of her ears. “Why do you think I would?”
“Did you know?”
“It doesn’t matter if I did.” She spun on her heel, squaring off in front of him. “So, what do we do from here? You either stick with it—stick with me—or you cough up the money to leave. Either way, I get my money.”
She was referring to the escape clause, the only way they could break off the engagement and the acquisition. Brian would cough up a frightening sum of money to make this all disappear. It would take him even further away from the billion-dollar mark than when he started. It was a non-option. At least with Felicia at his side, they could rectify the code. Figure out the solution. Move onward and upward.
“I’m in no hurry to expose this flaw,” Brian finally said, his stomach tightening. What a clusterfuck. All that celebrating he’d done today…it was for nothing. He had nothing to celebrate except hiring more developers to do the work that Felicia’s company hadn’t delivered.
He had a billion-dollar venture riding on a program that didn’t exist.
Fuck.
“I’m tired,” Felicia said suddenly. “Let’s just go to bed.”
“Yeah.” Brian sipped at his whiskey, unable to look at Felicia. He couldn’t have fallen asleep now if his life depended on it. “I’ll be in in a minute.”
Felicia stormed down the hallway toward the bedroom, leaving Brian in a thick silence. The warmth of the whiskey helped lubricate his thoughts, and they all led to the same place:
Get the fuck out of this arrangement.
He tried to quash the idea, but it was hard. The rational side of him wanted to preserve the business deal. Their businesses could stay together…but he needed to get Felicia out of his personal life. The door slammed from the back of the penthouse,
making his skin crawl.
Did he really want to spend the next ten or twenty years of his life with this pretty monster in his personal space?
Brian’s head dropped to his hands, and he groaned low.
This felt like more of a mess than anything ever before.
In fact, the only thing that made sense anymore was Connie and her pregnancy. She was the one solid, stable point in his life. The only thing that made him feel good. The only woman who made him feel.
Brian downed the rest of his whiskey and laid himself out on the couch.
He’d spend the night out here.
15
Brian woke up the next morning, bleary and disoriented. Sunshine shone through the windows on the east wall, filling the penthouse with glorious light. Felicia moved around in the kitchen, pots clanking. The smell of coffee reached him a moment later.
“Oh, honey! You’re up!”
Felicia’s perfectly done-up face peeked out from the kitchen, a bright smile ready for him. He scowled, pushing to sitting. He rolled his neck in a slow circle, assessing the aches and pains from spending the night on the couch. Not so bad. If he got married to Felicia, he’d have to prepare himself to sleep there nightly.
“I’m making you some coffee and pancakes before we go,” she chirped, then disappeared into the kitchen again. As friendly and domestic as June Cleaver. Now this was a new side of her. Probably trying to make up for their shit show the night before.
“Before we go?” Brian grunted, stretching as he stood. He tugged off his tie, draping it over the back of the couch.
“To your Mom’s house,” she said with a duh tone. “We’ve had this lunch scheduled with your family for weeks.” When he didn’t say anything else, she added, “We’re going to make the announcement today, remember?”
Realization crashed over him and he groaned. He clutched the edge of the counter, pinching his eyes shut. “Can we reschedule?”
“Why, are you hungover or something?”