Faster

by Alex Schuler

  “Ted will be representing DSU,” Rusty continued. “He will be here full-time, completely dedicated to making this work. My people back east are just as busy as you, Sam. But they will make themselves available as needed. Ted? Ted’s got nothing else to do.”

  “Thanks,” Ted said flatly. He was now sitting in the chair next to Sam’s monitor. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re the lead, Sam. We’ll do everything your way.”

  “My way?” She surprised herself by laughing out loud. “As in slow and steady? You?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Ted stood up and folded his arms defensively.

  Vin shook his head and clapped his hands together three times. Sam knew this was Vin indicating he’d reached his limit. He was a man of few words and fewer emotions.

  “Everyone back to my office,” Vin said calmly. “Now.”

  Vin turned and walked to the main exit. He did not bother to hold the door open and instead headed down the hallway to his office. He stood at the open doorway, his arm pointing inside. Sam entered first, followed by Ted. Vin thrust his arm in front of Rusty to prevent him from stepping inside.

  “You two need to settle this,” Vin said before slamming the door shut, leaving him and Rusty in the hallway.

  Sam and Ted stood alone inside Vin’s office. She glanced at Ted, trying her best to ignore the piercing stare from his deep blue eyes. She looked around, debating what to say. She wasn’t sure if she should sit or stand, finally deciding to take a seat at the small circular conference table. Ted immediately sat next to her.

  “We can’t do this without you,” he said. “Rusty’s right. Athena is your baby.”

  She clasped her hands in her lap and stared at her silver gloves. She thought again how ridiculous she must look. There was no way she could have a serious conversation with Ted dressed like this. She struggled to yank her gloves off, tossing them on the table, then flung her tiara on top of the gloves and removed her black choker.

  “I honestly don’t know what to say, Ted.”

  “Let’s start with the project. You mentioned some of your concerns in the lab. What else? Are you genuinely concerned about running Athena on public roads?”

  “Yes. Well, no. Not yet. We always planned to take her out into San Carlos to start city-level mapping. That’s been on our project plan for quite some time, but it’s not scheduled to start until January.”

  “Still the planner. Aren’t you?”

  “Of course.”

  She smiled and looked into his eyes, this time forcing herself not to turn away. She thought he looked the same as he did a year ago, other than the stubble covering his jawline. She had so much she wanted to say to him, but didn’t know where to begin.

  “It would be nice to work together again, Sam. I thought we made a good team in Detroit.”

  “We did. It just didn’t . . . didn’t turn out as we’d hoped.”

  “Look, Sam, I’m here to work. If you don’t want to talk about the past, we don’t have to. This pizza challenge will be a public showing of what self-driving cars can do. This won’t be us using dozens of slides to try and explain things to a bunch of auto execs. The radio show plans to have the local television stations broadcast this. We are bound to attract attention. Remember, there’s that mystery donor, too.”

  “Right?” She perked up. “What’s that about?”

  “No clue.” He rolled his chair closer to her. “I just know this is our chance to make a splash. With the world watching. I . . . I brought the spinning lidar with me.”

  “What spinning lidar? The one you and Kevin were building? Out at the shop in Nevada?”

  “I’ve worked on it over the past year and I think it’s about ready, though I haven’t tested it yet. Maybe we could try to integrate it into Athena and use it for the challenge?”

  “I don’t know, Ted. That might be too much change.”

  “Maybe not. The data stream the system produces isn’t that different from most other lidar units. We could try.”

  “Four months isn’t much time. The integration alone would be at least a month. Figure another two months for initial static testing.”

  Ted leaned back in his chair and laughed loudly. He then bent forward and rolled even closer to her, resting his hands on top of hers.

  “My little tortoise,” he said softly. “Slow and steady, until the end.”

  Sam felt her cheeks blush. She couldn’t deny that she was still intensely attracted to him. She felt her stomach turn sitting so close to him, holding his hands. So familiar and . . . comfortable. Then the image of her leaving the hotel room in Detroit flashed in her mind. She slid her hands out from Ted’s and pushed her chair back a few inches. Slowly, delicately, she ran a finger along the heart on the chain around her neck.

  “I see you got the necklace,” he said

  “I’m . . . I’m sorry, Ted. I should have called.”

  “It’s okay, Sam. I’m just glad you got it.”

  “Not about the necklace. I mean, yes, thank you for sending it. I was already at the airport when I realized I’d lost it. I was so happy when it arrived in the mail.” She felt herself welling up with tears. She bit her lip and slid her chair forward, taking Ted’s hands in hers. “I’m sorry for not calling. For disappearing.”

  “It’s okay, Sam.”

  “No. No, it’s not. I . . . I trusted someone once. Many years ago. He lived far away and made a bunch of promises.” She squeezed her eyes shut in a failed attempt to stop her tears from falling. “He hurt me, okay? It was the kind of betrayal that leaves a scar.”

  “Did I do something similar in Detroit? Was it something I said?”

  “No, you didn’t. I just wasn’t ready, Ted. It was so much easier just to shut you out and focus on my work and my family. You were so far away.”

  “Did my endless phone calls drive you crazy?” He grinned as he wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I thought I might have come across as a bit of a stalker.”

  “Just a tad.” Sam started to chuckle. She held his hands and allowed her heart to open a bit as she looked into his eyes. “If I’m being honest, it was nice to hear your voice every week. I remember the week you stopped calling.”

  “I eventually gave up.”

  “I almost called to see if you were okay. But . . .” She shook her head in disappointment. “I’m sorry, Ted.”

  “Look, Sam. We have a chance now just to move forward. We can keep things professional, if you prefer that. I thought we had something special. You didn’t. Or if you did, you weren’t ready. Everything in life comes down to timing. You’re talking to the guy that went from Nevada to DSU to a GM factory. I never could have predicted or planned for any of that to happen.”

  “It almost sounds like you’re talking about fate.” She grinned as she studied his eyes. “Are you getting all spiritual on me, Ted Wolff with two ‘F’s?”

  “Me?” He laughed and shook his head. “All I’m saying, Sam, is that last November wasn’t our time.”

  “Ted, I . . . I—”

  “I’m not saying now is our time. In fact, I think it would probably be best to focus on the work, okay? This pizza thing could open doors. I’ll admit, though, the thought of seeing you again and working with you again was exciting. Correction, it is exciting! But, if all we do is win a million dollars, and then go our separate ways, so be it.”

  She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, letting her thoughts drift back to the weeks spent working with Ted to prepare for their meetings with the auto companies in Michigan. She knew they worked well together. They pushed and challenged each other. She missed that feeling she had working with him. She missed Ted.

  “Just one thing,” she said. “This isn’t just about the money, okay?”

  “Of course. There’s also the fame and publicity.” He grinned and winke
d at her.

  “Bigger than that. I was talking about the free pizza. Ralph is insisting we win.”

  They both laughed. Ted leaned forward and ran his fingers across her chin. “You . . . you look good, Sam. You haven’t changed a bit.”

  “Other than being a princess,” she replied mockingly as she ran her hands across her gown.

  “Other than that.” He sat back in his chair and smiled. “So, are we good? Are we doing this?”

  Sam looked straight into Ted’s blue eyes and wondered if she was ready for the challenge. This would be a four-month commitment. Was she ready for what might happen? Would they be able to keep their relationship professional? She thought back to the conversation she’d had with Ralph earlier. How long was she going to keep hiding in her shell?

  “Yes.” She exhaled, releasing what felt like a year’s worth of tension. “But remember, I’m in charge.”

  “Of course. I’m hare to serve you.”

  She winced and shook her head, laughing loudly at his horrible attempt at humor.

  “Still as dorky as ever, aren’t you?”

  “You tend to bring it out in me.”

  She gently pushed his hair back with her fingers. Then she stood up, collected the rest of her costume from the conference table, and walked over to the closed door and stopped.

  “Let’s take it day by day, okay?” She asked.

  “You’re the boss.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  She flung the door open to find Vin and Rusty standing mere inches away from the opening. Vin smiled broadly as he looked at Sam and Ted.

  “So, we’re good?” Vin asked.

  “I’m in,” Sam replied. “When do we start?”

  26

  The only sounds in Ashton’s robotics lab on a Friday just past 8:00 p.m. were the hum and whir of the computers. Most of the students had left long ago. Some wanted to get Christmas shopping done. Others had parties to attend. Sam rubbed her red sore eyes as she stared at the screen in front of her. Row after row of computations scrolled by, most of it a blur. She checked a second monitor, displaying the project plan for what was needed to complete Athena’s upgrades before they could start their test runs for the pizza challenge. They were on track, thanks to the insanely long hours everyone had been putting in. Ted’s hand rested gently on her shoulder.

  “Hey,” Sam said. She turned around and glanced around the lab. “Is . . . is it just us?”

  “Didn’t you hear Ralph say goodbye?” he replied.

  “When was that?”

  “Like, an hour ago.”

  “Shit.”

  “How’s our girl?” he asked, pointing to the Prius, parked in the middle of the lab. “Is she ready for bed?”

  “I was just about to put her to sleep.” She activated the system’s DReaM mode, leaned back in her chair, and sighed. “Sweet dreams.”

  Ted spun Sam’s chair around and took both of her hands. She smiled and began to caress his knuckles with her thumbs. She flipped his hands over and dragged a finger across the scar near his thumb.

  “Well?” He rolled his chair closer to hers until the chairs touched. “What are you thinking?”

  “I’m thinking we’re on track.” She said, nodding toward the screen with the project plan. “We can do our first dry run across the Bay Bridge next week. That depends on—”

  “I wasn’t talking about the challenge.”

  “Oh, right. You mean, the, um, closet.”

  “Yes, Sam. An hour ago, we were making out like teenagers in high school.”

  She burst out laughing and shook her head. “I never did that in high school,” she said.

  “Me neither.” He kissed her fingertips. “But it was nice.”

  “It . . . it was.” She stood up and walked over to Athena. The rear door was open, and the backseat was covered in papers. She could feel Ted staring at her, still sitting in his chair. “I . . . I don’t have any regrets, Ted.”

  “Me neither. I know we both said we’d keep this professional, but I can’t help how I feel.”

  She spun around just as he stood up. Her heart raced as he approached her, stopping beside her. He wrapped his arms around her, and she tilted her head back and kissed him. The gentle pecks almost instantly turned more urgent. Sam felt Ted guiding her into the backseat. She grabbed him by his shoulders and pulled him inside the Prius.

  “We’re not doing it here,” she said. “I’m not that kind of girl.”

  “I never said you were.” He kissed her again. “But I certainly wouldn’t judge you if you changed your mind.”

  She laughed and held him close. Her mind and heart argued as she looked into his deep blue eyes. Was she ready to take this chance again? To risk getting hurt? Deep down, she knew he was different. She knew she was the one who kept pushing him away. She was the one hiding. She wiggled away from him and sat upright.

  “Ted, if we’re going to go down this road again, then we have to both be on board.” She began to fidget with the pendant around her neck. “I . . . I care about you too much to make this something casual.”

  “Sam, that’s not me. I’ve told you that before.”

  “I know.” She took his hand in hers. “I’ve . . . I’ve got a daughter, Ted. She’s my world. For you to be a part of that world, at some point, you’re going to need to meet her.”

  “Of course.”

  “And my mother.”

  “Sure, Sam.” He put his arm around her and pulled her close. “Whenever you’re ready.”

  She nodded and said, “I’m . . . I’m surprised it took us this long to reconnect.”

  “Hey, I’ve been doing my best to be a perfect gentleman and respect your wishes to keep it all business. These past several weeks haven’t been easy for me.”

  “You showed great restraint, Mr. Wolff. That’s why I pulled you into the utility closet to kiss you.”

  In their embrace, both laughed. She felt so at peace in his arms. The endless weeks of flirtations and quiet moments were finally behind them. They could be back together again.

  “There’s no rush to meet them,” she said. “But, I’ve told you that my mom can be a bit, well, overprotective.”

  “I’ll just have to turn on that Wolff charm of mine.”

  “Good luck with that.”

  “What? It worked on you?”

  “Oh, Ted.” She laughed as she brushed a lock of hair from his eyes. “I’m not my mother.”

  ***

  Like the rest of her mother’s house, the dining room table was opulently decorated for Christmas. Sam hastily adjusted the centerpiece—a three-foot-wide red marble bowl filled with gold and silver glass ornaments. Two solid crystal candlesticks flanked the bowl, each with a towering evergreen candle. There were place settings for four, yet Sam’s mother insisted the table be expanded to its full length. Sam thought it a bit ridiculous but knew this was her mother’s way of showing Ted that this was her home and she was in charge.

  She left the dining room and made her way into the kitchen. Dani was hard at work, frosting freshly baked sugar cookies. Her mother was basting an insanely large turkey, freshly pulled from one of the three ovens. The aroma of rosemary, thyme, and apple pie brought a smile to Sam’s face. Christmas music played softly from the overhead speakers.

  “Are you planning to make ten gallons of turkey soup with the leftovers?” Sam asked.

  Catherine, despite her 5’8” stature and slim figure, always commanded any room, honed by decades of building and running her business. Even when preparing a holiday meal, she was the boss of the kitchen.

  “Nonsense,” Catherine replied. “I’m going to send half home with you and then freeze the rest.”

  “Half?” Sam laughed as she joined her daughter at the island filled with desserts. She kissed
Dani on the head and dipped her finger into the bowl of frosting. “Everything smells great, Mom. You’ve outdone yourself as always.”

  “It’s not every day I get to meet my daughter’s new boyfriend.” Catherine slid the turkey back into the oven and adjusted the timer. “I want to make a good impression.”

  Sam walked over to her mother and gave her a peck on the cheek and said, “Just behave yourself, okay?”

  “You’ve gotten very serious with this man very quickly.” Catherine gave her a piercing glance. Sam knew the look all too well and folded her arms defensively. Catherine turned her attention to the potatoes simmering on the stove. “You’re my only daughter. My only child. There’s nothing wrong with me wanting what’s best for you.”

  “Wanting what’s best doesn’t mean you have to be—”

  The doorbell chimes rang out, startling everyone. Sam felt a flutter of both nervousness and relief and left the kitchen, making her way toward the front door. As she entered the hallway, she suddenly had second thoughts about choosing Christmas Eve dinner as the time to introduce Ted to Dani and her mom. But, as always, her mother had had the final say. When Sam had told Catherine that Ted had spent Thanksgiving alone and had no plans to fly home to be with his family for the holidays, his fate was sealed.

  Catherine’s home in Fremont was immense and impeccably furnished. Two living rooms flanked the front foyer, both decked out with Christmas trees. The smaller room had a fire burning in the stacked-stone fireplace. Stockings for her, Dani, and her mom hung from the walnut mantle. Sam continued down the hallway, her nerves taking over. When she reached the front, she stopped and took a deep breath as she opened the door.

  “Hey,” Ted said. He held up a bottle of wine and handed it to Sam. “Merry Christmas.”

  “Hi.” Sam said, kissing him and welcoming him inside. “Merry Christmas.”

  “When you told me your mom’s place was big, I had no idea.” He looked back and forth between the two living rooms and shook his head. “This is a palace,” he said with a nervous smile.

  “The riches of being the boss of your own company. Everyone’s in the kitchen.”