“Pleasant woman,” I say out loud to the empty room. Then again, I’m not being fair. Compared to Claudia, Bethany is an angel.
“We have a problem.” Paul Fryman looks like someone stole his lunch money. “I received this in the mail from Ms. Weaver’s lawyer.” He pushes a manila envelope across the counter.
I open it, and half-a-dozen glossy black-and-white photos spill out. In the first one, Claudia is on the floor, her arms tied behind her back, her legs bound together, a ball-gag in her mouth. In the second, I’m kneeling next to her, a whip in my hands. In the third, she’s flinching away from the kiss of the leather.
“Oliver, this is bad. You should have told me about these photos.”
“I didn’t know about these photos,” I reply, tamping down my anger. There’s no point yelling at Paul. “Claudia took them without my consent.”
He gives me a frank look. “As your lawyer, I need to ask the question, Oliver. Was this activity consensual? Claudia’s implying it wasn’t. She’s implying that she was coerced into this.”
“It was her idea,” I reply flatly. “Our marriage hit a rough spot, and she suggested BDSM. She thought it might spice up our sex life.”
It didn’t. Two months later, I came back home from a business trip to find out she was cheating on me.
I take a deep breath. “I assume she’s trying to blackmail me with these pictures. How much does she want?”
“She doesn’t want money,” Paul replies carefully, collecting the photos and sliding them back into the envelope. “She wants half your Imperium stock, and she’s made it clear that she won’t negotiate. If you don’t play ball, these photos leak.”
Of course. Imperium is on the verge of going public, and there’s a lot of money at stake. And Claudia was always greedy.
But this time, she’s gone too far. Had she wanted money, I might have complied, but I’m never going to give her half of my company.
I get to my feet. “I’m not playing ball,” I tell my lawyer. “The photos can leak.”
Paul shakes his head. “Oliver, Imperium is about to go public. The last thing the IPO needs is compromising photos of its CEO. It casts doubt on your judgment.”
He’s right. I’m sure that I’ll be hearing the same thing from the board of directors, and possibly from my co-founder Finn. But my mind is made up. I’m not going to budge on this.
“I’m not giving her a portion of Imperium. That’s a non-starter.”
He nods, unsurprised. “I figured I’d give it a shot. You should alert your PR team. They’re going to need to manage the fallout.”
“I’ll see them tonight at the party,” I reply. “I’ll give them a heads-up. Are you going to be there? Janine should have put you on the guest list.”
“Oh no,” he replies at once. “I’ve been married for fourteen years, Oliver. If I work on Valentine’s Day, I won’t make it to fifteen. Laura and I have dinner reservations at Masa.”
I’ve met Paul’s wife, Laura. A more good-natured woman would be hard to find. Paul’s a lucky guy. “Fair enough.”
I’m just showing him out when my phone rings. It’s Sam, my building’s doorman. “Mr. Sanders is here, Sir,” he says. “Should I send him up?”
Finn? I frown in confusion. I was supposed to meet him at the office this morning, and Finn never deviates from the plan. “Sure.” What else is this day going to bring?
Finn:
As I ride the elevator up to Oliver’s penthouse, I check my phone, but Miki isn’t online yet.
When we’d chatted a week ago, she’d mentioned that her neck had been bothering her. We probed a bit and learned that her friend’s apartment doesn’t have a desk or a chair, and Miki’s been spending long hours on the couch, hunched over her laptop.
That won’t do.
Miki doesn’t talk about it very much, but she’s got to be hurting for money. Top flight divorce lawyers don’t come cheap, and she’s been out of work for three months.
I almost want to hire her at Imperium, but every time I resolve to broach the subject with Oliver, I chicken out. Miki’s smart. If we work with her on a daily basis, our identities as Lancelot and Merlin won’t remain hidden for long, and when she finds out—
We shouldn’t have done it. Miki trusts Lancelot and Merlin, her friends on the DefCon forums. If she finds out the reason we befriended her was to keep an eye on her and make sure she didn’t hack into our company, we’re going to lose more than her trust. We’re going to lose her friendship.
I don’t want that to happen.
I type out a message to her. Lancelot and I have a present for you, mouse, but since you won’t tell us where you live, you’ll have to pick it up yourself.
An Aeron chair and a desk might not be exciting presents, but they’re useful ones.
That bastard Hickman did a number on Miki. Every once in a while, I see a flash of the laughing woman that sat between Oliver and me on the plane, drinking vodka and having a passionate debate with us on whether Peter Capaldi made a better Doctor than Matt Smith. But mostly, she’s gloomy, withdrawn and isolated.
My phone rings just as I knock on Oliver’s front door. It’s my grandmother. “Hello, Nana.”
“Finn, a lovely young woman just delivered two dozen baby pink roses,” she says. I can hear the pleasure in her voice. “Thank you so much, honey.”
The corners of my mouth tug up. I send my grandmother the flowers every year for Valentine’s Day, and every single year, she has the same note of pleased surprise in her voice when she thanks me. “You’re welcome, Nana.”
“Are you going on a date tonight?” she asks slyly.
“You aren’t even trying to be subtle anymore,” I chide. “No, I’m not. Oliver and I have a work party to go to.”
“A work party.” She sounds disgusted. “Of course. One day, I would like to hear you mention a woman, Finn. Not just work. Even Oliver was married once.”
“He was married to Claudia, who you loathed,” I point out.
Oliver opens his door and overhears my last sentence. “Is that Nana?” he guesses. “Tell her I wouldn’t wish Claudia on my worst enemy.”
“You heard that, Nana?”
“Yes, I heard him.” She sighs into the phone. “You’re busy with work all the time, Finn. Life is for more than that. Life is for living. I want to see you find a woman to care about, to grow old with.”
An image of Miki laughing on the plane flashes before my eyes. I blink it away. “I promise, Nana,” I reassure her. “As soon as Imperium goes public, I’ll make time for other things.”
I hang up, and Oliver quirks his eyebrow at me. “Weren’t we meeting in the office?”
I take a deep breath. Claudia and Oliver were married for two years, a rocky, contentious marriage that was marked by unhappiness. He’s not going to like what I’ve found.
“Yeah,” I say. I walk past him and pour myself a cup of coffee. “It’s about Claudia…”
“How did you find out already?” he asks, running his hands through his hair, a frustrated expression on his face. “I thought I’d have a couple of months before the shit hit the fan.”
I give him a puzzled look. “What are you talking about, Oliver? I came to tell you that Claudia has been dating Seb Fitzgerald for the last two months.”
Sebastian Fitzgerald was a classmate of ours in college. He’s always had an unhealthy competitive streak, and he’s obsessed with besting Oliver. When Oliver and I announced the formation of a data security firm, Fitzgerald did the same thing. When Oliver started dating Claudia, Sebastian found himself a blonde, blue-eyed girlfriend who looked so much like Claudia I was embarrassed for him.
But now, Fitzgerald’s upped the ante.
Kliedara, Fitzgerald’s company, is Imperium’s biggest competitor. They were never a major threat, but they’ve upped their game in the last six months. I suspect that Fitzgerald’s stealing our technology, but though I’ve looked long and hard for the source of the leak, I
He inhales sharply. “She’s dating Fitzgerald? Of course she is. It all makes sense.”
He fills me in on his conversation with Paul, and I suck in a breath. “Claudia’s not interested in Imperium, just money. This isn’t her idea. It’s Fitzgerald’s.”
Oliver nods in agreement. “Sebastian Fitzgerald would love for me to be publicly discredited,” he says grimly. “He’s been wanting me to fail since college, and this could be his best chance.”
Oliver’s right. If the board decides that Oliver is a distraction ahead of the IPO, they have the authority to fire him. He’ll still own half of the company, but he won’t have any say in the day-to-day decisions.
“Still,” he continues, “they might make you CEO.”
“Not for all the money in the world, Oliver,” I say at once. “I’m terrible at motivational speeches.”
That draws a chuckle from him.
I straighten my shoulders. Oliver’s my best friend. He’s an excellent CEO. He’s strategic. He’s a great leader, charming and personable. Imperium can’t afford to lose him. “The next few weeks are going to be rocky,” I say firmly. “But we’ll survive it.”
We’ve been dreaming of taking Imperium public from the day we founded the company five years ago. I’ve worked too hard to let anything or anyone screw it up.
3
Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.
Confucius
Miki:
What on Earth does one wear to a themed ball?
Bailey wouldn’t have a clue, neither would Piper nor Katie. Wendy might, but she’s swamped with work, and I don’t want to bother her.
Gabby.
I dial her number, and she picks up on the first ring. “I’m sorry about this morning,” she blurts out before I have a chance to tell her what I’m calling about. “The Miki I knew was friendly and spontaneous, and Aaron’s ruined all of that. I don’t want him to win, Miki, but I still shouldn’t have been so harsh. I’m really sorry. I feel like a complete jerk.”
“No,” I rush to reassure her. “The intervention was necessary. I needed to hear it. I’ve been pouting about Aaron too long. I didn’t call about that though. I’m going to a super-fancy party at the Waldorf Astoria tonight, and I have no idea what to wear. Help me?”
“You’re going to a party?” Her voice rises to an excited squeak. “Whoa. When you decide to get out of a funk, you don’t do it in half-measures, do you? Okay, we’re going shopping. I’ll be right over.”
She hangs up before I tell her I can’t afford much. Think of it as an investment in your career, Miki. But though I can try and fool myself, I doubt the Visa people are going to be that understanding.
Gabby looks at the electronic invitation. “The theme is ‘Pretty in Pink’?” She wrinkles her nose in disgust. “Ugh.”
“Tell me about it. I’m going to look like I’m going to prom.”
She chuckles. “Don’t worry. Friends don’t let friends buy ugly dresses.” She gives me a curious look. “I didn’t know you were going to a party tonight.”
“It’s for work,” I admit. “A prospective job opportunity.”
The two of us leave Wendy’s apartment and get on the subway, heading to a boutique in SoHo that Gabby swears by. “Is this connected to your forum buddies?” she asks me. “You know, the Knights of the Round Table ones?”
I laugh. “Lancelot and Merlin? Nah, this has nothing to do with them.”
“Just as well,” she replies. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t think they’re good for you. You’re up all hours of the night chatting with them, and you’re substituting online friendship for real life social interaction.”
“I know.” I bite my lower lip. “I realize I’m avoiding people, but it’s been hard. My parents think I’m a failure because I’m thirty and single. They keep telling me how perfect Leah is, and what a mess I am.”
“And it doesn’t help that your friends are in relationships,” Gabby adds. “I can relate. When Bailey got together with Daniel and Sebastian, I’m not ashamed to admit I was a little envious.” She squeezes my hand. “I’m here for you,” she says. “Whenever you need me, you just have to call.” She grins widely. “Now, let’s go find you a dress for this party.”
“Frothy.”
“I’m not a ballerina.”
“Prom hell.”
“Too much pastel.”
Okay, finding a pink dress isn’t easy. We’ve been to three different boutiques, and so far, we’ve turned up empty-handed. It’s four in the afternoon, and time’s running out. So much for my hopes of researching Imperium before the party. I would have liked to have spent some time learning about the company, but it’s looking increasingly unlikely.
“Look, I give up,” I sigh after the third boutique. “Let’s just pick one of the ugly ones. Nobody’s going to be looking at me anyway.”
“Nope.” Gabby shakes her head firmly. “It’s your birthday, and you’re going to find an amazing dress, and you’re going to look fantastic.”
“And at midnight, I’ll still turn into a pumpkin, fairy godmother.”
She rolls her eyes. “Your ball starts at eight,” she says. “The party will be in full swing at midnight. You better not leave early, or I will kick your ass. Okay, let’s try Valentina’s.”
The shop she’s standing in front of looks expensive. “Gabby,” I gulp, looking at the designer gowns in the front window, “I don’t want to be all Pretty Woman, but this place isn’t in my budget.”
She’s not listening; she’s pushed open the door and walked in. Sighing, I follow her into the fancy boutique, feeling awkward and out of place. This is the kind of boutique my mother and sister would shop at. Not me. My tastes are too weird for them.
“This one.” Gabby swoops in and picks out a layered magenta chiffon dress. “It’s perfect for you, Miki. You have an edge, and so does this dress. Try it on.”
I catch a glimpse of the price tag and almost faint. “Gabby, this dress is nearly three thousand bucks.”
She holds up a black credit card. “You’re not paying for it,” she replies with a sly grin. “Happy birthday.”
I’m seriously horrified. “Gabby, I can’t let you do this,” I stammer. “It’s too much.”
“Stop telling me how to spend my money,” she replies, pushing me toward the changing room. “This is the dress. Now, try it on so I can see if I’m right.”
I slip out of my jeans and t-shirt and try on the dress. When I look in the mirror, I’m torn between shock and awe. The gown has a black vee-shaped yoke, and the neckline plunges almost to my belly button. The chiffon in the bodice is ruched, and the skirt has seven layers of delicate fabric.
It’s a princess gown, and I don’t recognize myself.
“Come out.” Gabby knocks on my dressing room door. “I want to see.”
I open the door and step out, and she inhales sharply. “God I’m good,” she says. “Miki, if you tell me you don’t like this dress, I might have to smack you. You look amazing.”
She’s right. “You’re an excellent fairy godmother,” I admit. I can’t tear my eyes away from the mirrors. The deep pink flatters my coloring in a way that the black t-shirts I live in don’t. The dress makes my small boobs appear gently curved, not inadequate. I feel transformed. Gabby might as well have waved a magic wand and said ‘Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo.' It is, in short, the perfect dress. Cinderella has nothing on me.
I can’t let Gabby pay for it; I’ll have to figure out a way to pay her back. But one thing is clear. Even if I’m going to eat ramen for the next five years, I’m buying this dress.
Oliver:
My day starts out horribly and doesn’t get much better. Our new virus scanner needs work, and the team that’s built it is overwhelmed and dispirited. We need fresh talent, but that’s not an easy task. Imperium hires only the best, and good software engineers are hard to come by.
At lunch, I swing by Mary MacDonald’s office. Mary heads up Human Resources. She’s eating a salad at her desk, but when she sees me, she puts down her fork and waves me in. “Don’t stop eating,” I say, sitting down across from her.
I wonder if Miki’s figured out what we got her for her birthday. Probably not. The furniture store is in Brooklyn. We’d have picked one closer to her, but since both Finn and I need to keep our identities secret, our choices were limited to places that would let us pay in cash without asking any questions.
With effort, I pull my mind back to work. “We need to get some talent in here for Block,” I tell Mary. “Dmitri’s overwhelmed.”
She raises an eyebrow. “You told me to freeze all hiring until the IPO,” she replies. “You were afraid of a security breach.” She picks a slice of cucumber out of her salad with a disgusted look and sets it on the plastic lid. “You have no idea how much grief I’ve had to take for that decision.”
“Trust me, I’ve heard.” I grab the slice of cucumber and take a bite. “Once the executives are done bitching to you, they complain to Finn. When that doesn’t get them anywhere, they bug Janine, get on my calendar and whine to me.”
She holds out another piece of cucumber, and I nab it. “Who’s the whiniest?” she asks wickedly. “I’m willing to bet it’s Larry.”
I roll my eyes. Until the company goes public, we can’t make major executive changes, so we’re stuck with Lawrence Kent, our Chief Financial Officer. Hiring him was not my best decision, and I’ve regretted it since the day I made it two years ago. “What kind of bet is that? Of course, it’s Larry.”
Mary grins in satisfaction. “You’re the boss,” she says candidly. “If you want to hire someone for the Block project, I’m not going to stop you.”
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