Mesmerized

by Sahara Kelly

  “Someone took out the server. It’s completely wiped and while we do have everything we need on my laptop, we don’t have any cloning software and I need my laptop for one of our most important meetings in about an hour.”

  “Well this just sucks,” Jack said wryly. And for once, everyone was in complete agreement with Jack.

  * * * * *

  Elaine stayed on the main floor, checking for any other computer issues as everyone else filtered into the central room, ideas flying fast and furiously on how they could get around this problem. She wanted to make sure nothing else would impede them today…not to mention she needed some time alone to think about Mark.

  When she’d left him sleeping in his bed early this morning, she’d returned to her room to do some serious thinking. And she’d come to a decision.

  Elaine didn’t want their relationship to end. No matter how she looked at it, the idea of returning to her normal life next week held no appeal. They’d have to be careful, figure out how to keep their work life and love life separate, but she wanted to try because she couldn’t imagine a life without Mark in it.

  She sighed and walked over to terminal one to make sure that it had been left untouched. The browser was still intact. It still knew it was networked. She checked the rest of the terminals. They were all intact. It appeared that the only thing the saboteur had done was erase the hard drive of the server.

  And keep her from telling Mark how she really felt.

  She’d rushed downstairs this morning, desperate to tell him her decision before the show started, but the damn sabotage had gotten in the way. She’d started to tell him again, only to be interrupted by the arrival of the team. A tiny, uncomfortable feeling filled her that she wouldn’t get the chance to tell Mark how she really felt. That thought bothered her more than the sabotage did.

  With that thought in mind, Elaine looked at her watch. She still had time to talk to Mark before the show started. She rushed toward the central room just as Bryan, Larry, and Jack exited with their hands full of USB cables. “What are you guys doing? Did you come up with a plan?”

  Bryan grinned at her. “We got it figured out. Mark set up terminal one as the new gateway, but we have to network manually in order to make it work. It’s going to be just fine, Elaine.” He gave her a knowing look. “Everything’s going to be just fine.” The three of them moved over to the computers and began daisy-chaining them together with long runs of USB cable.

  She continued toward the central room when Tom appeared at her side, seeming to come out of nowhere. She jumped as he placed a clammy hand on her arm. “Elaine, I need to talk to you.”

  She peeled his hand off her arm and looked at him. His eyes were full of regret and sorrow…and suddenly Elaine knew who had sabotaged Greenlight.

  Her voice was quiet as she spoke. “Just tell me why you did it, Tom, because I can’t understand it.”

  He looked down at his feet. “I didn’t know exactly what I was doing.”

  Elaine couldn’t hide her confusion. “How could you not know what you were doing? You sabotaged us everyday. Dammit, Tom! You’ve worked with me on this project for months! Why would you do this to me? You’re as much a part of this team as everyone else.”

  Tom backed a step away and ran a shaking hand down his face. “I know I’m not an asset here, Elaine. I suck at sales, at graphic design…I shouldn’t have lasted so long at Greenlight. I knew my time was numbered so when Hanson—“

  “Fucking Hanson,” Mark growled as he stepped out of the central room and up next to Elaine. Fury rose from him in potent waves.

  Elaine placed a hand on his arm. Mark looked like he was ready to kill.

  Tom took another step back, fearfully looking at Mark. “H-Hanson offered me a promotion if I did him a few favors while I was here. It wasn’t supposed to go this far. He just wanted you to look incapable so that the project would be scrapped. But then last night when I told him what I’d overheard going on between you two in the central room…” Tom blushed.

  Tom wasn’t the only one blushing. Elaine felt the heat fill her cheeks. Mark’s arm grew tenser under her hand and she pulled away. She couldn’t look at Mark, wondering how he felt.

  “Finish the story, Tom,” Mark said roughly.

  Tom’s voice warbled. “Hanson went crazy, screaming and cursing. I’ve never heard him lose it like that before. Then he told me word for word what to type in. God, Elaine, Mark, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I didn’t know what he was having me do until it was already done.”

  “You know you can’t stay, Tom,” Elaine said quietly. She didn’t know what else to say.

  “I know. And I’ll testify against Hanson if you need me to. It’s the only good thing left I can do.” Tom walked away, his shoulders slumped. He picked up his briefcase and left the booth.

  Elaine stood there, watching Tom leave, the betrayal raw and bitter in her soul. She felt Mark leave her side, but still she stood there, needing to be alone.

  And there it was. She’d had a relationship with a co-worker, and look where it had gotten her. Somehow she’d survived this fiasco, but what about the next time?

  Mark stepped into her line of sight. “Elaine? The guys got the terminals networked and Greenlight’s back in business. I’ll call New York and inform them about Hanson and Tom before I go see Ambient Medium. I promise, it’s all going to be okay now.”

  His eyes sought hers, full of sincerity and love. She wanted to go to him, to let him make everything better again.

  Elaine turned away. It would never be okay again.

  Chapter Five

  The Following Friday

  Elaine pushed the pasta around on her plate, not interested in actually taking a bite. She hadn’t had an appetite since last weekend. There wasn’t room for anything else but the dull ache burning inside of her. Turning her attention to her salad, she speared a cherry tomato on the end of her fork then deposited the whole thing in her mouth. Ha! She would eat something. She punctured the tangy tomato between her teeth, relishing her small victory.

  “You’re an idiot.”

  Elaine choked as the tomato seeds shot down her throat, then quickly grabbed her iced tea to wash everything down. She looked at her friend Jen glaring at her from across the table. What had she done now? The only stupid thing Elaine had done lately was walk away from Mark—but she hadn’t even told Jen about him. It still hurt too much. So what was Jen in an uproar about? “Well, I look like an idiot now that you made me choke on my tomato.”

  Jen narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “No. You were an idiot before that.”

  Elaine sighed, put her iced tea back on the table and picked up her fork. She needed something to keep her hands busy. “So what did I do now? Is Bryan pissed at me because I wasn’t careful enough and Hanson screwed up Greenlight’s premiere?”

  Jen scowled. “You are dense, dense, dense. How stupid do you think we are?”

  Elaine felt her eyes widening. “What are you talking about?”

  “You fell in love with him, didn’t you? It’s obvious. And you didn’t even tell me about him! I had to hear about Mark from Bryan. Bryan! You’re my best friend, Elaine! You’re supposed to tell me when you’re screwing an incredibly hot guy! I shouldn’t hear this stuff from my husband!”

  Elaine’s jaw dropped as Jen turned and motioned the waiter over. “We’re going to need two Saucy, Sinful Chocolate Delights and two coffees. And bring us extra fudge sauce to pour over the top of the cake, please.” Jen sat back in her seat and met Elaine’s astonished stare dead on. “Talk. Now. And maybe I’ll forgive you.”

  Elaine took a deep breath and gave Jen a half-smile. “I’m an idiot. I know I am. I fell in love with my boss—“

  Jen threw up her hands in frustration. “Falling in love with him isn’t why you’re an idiot.” She shook her head. “Walking away from him was your mistake. I always thought you were supposed to be the smart one of the two of us, but I’m begin
ning to realize that your brain is about the size of the tomato you choked on.”

  Elaine smirked. “Thanks for the compliment.”

  “You’re welcome. It’s true you know.” The waiter came and poured their coffee and Jen angrily stirred in her cream and sweetener. Then she inhaled the aroma of her brew. “You know I love you, right? You know I always want you to be happy. And you haven’t been really, truly happy for a long time.”

  “I’ve been working. And I’m not unhappy…or, well, I wasn’t unhappy…I mean, I love my job.” Elaine stared down at her plate, flustered.

  “Look, sweetie…Bryan told me about last weekend. About you and Mark. About the glow in your eyes when you looked at him. And according to Bryan, Mark never took his eyes off you, as though he was staking his claim.”

  Elaine looked up miserably. “Was it that obvious? I thought we were pretty sly.”

  Jen snorted. “Not even. Bryan actually called me last weekend to ask if you’d talked to me about Mark. I was rather miffed that you hadn’t.”

  “I’m sorry, Jen. I—I think I was having a hard time believing it was happening.” Elaine let her mind wander back to the wonders she’d experienced with Mark. Her voice grew soft as the memories overtook her. “It was so intense, Jen. I can’t even explain it. Mark is…was…no is amazing. I’ve never felt anything like that before.” She met Jen’s steady gaze, swallowing the tears welling up in her throat. “He really loved me.”

  Jen reached across the table, placing her hand over Elaine’s. “I know he did, hon.”

  She briskly shook her head to wipe the memories and the haze of unshed tears before they fell from her eyes. “Doesn’t matter. I ended it. Mark has barely even glanced my way this week.”

  Jen shook her head. “You know, every time you start to redeem your stupidity, you delve right back into it again. Mark’s not glancing your way because he’s trying to respect your decision. He probably just wants to fuck you against the copy machine or something whenever he sees you.”

  “Or he could just hate me.”

  “Damn, Elaine. When did you become so pathetic? And why are you letting the mistake of a relationship with Hanson rule your entire life?”

  They were interrupted again as the waiter returned with their chocolate dessert that came with its own warning label. Jen dove right in.

  Elaine frowned at the chocolate then took a tentative bite. “Well, Hanson did sabotage my whole existence from the moment I told him I wouldn’t marry him. He’s made my life miserable for the last year.”

  “Oh, and of course every guy is just like Hanson and is going to fuck you over.” Jen rolled her eyes and took another bite. “Look. Love doesn’t magically show up on your doorstep, wrapped in a bow when you’re ready for it. You have to take it when you find it, no matter how impossible it is. People who wait for the perfect moment die alone.”

  “So when did you become so damn smart?” Elaine asked as she took another small bite of her dessert.

  “When I stopped overanalyzing my life and just started living it,” Jen said with a wink.

  “I can take a hint. You know, I don’t even know if it matters. I may not have a job after I get back to AdLive today.”

  “What are you talking about? Bryan said Greenlight was an amazing success.”

  Elaine shrugged. “Seemed like it at the show, even through all the problems. But there have been a lot of closed door meetings this week and no one’s clued me in to what’s going on. It worries me.” She checked her watch. “But I’ll know in about 25 minutes. The bosses called a meeting to ‘discuss the future of Greenlight’ and demanded my attendance.” She motioned the waiter over and paid the bill.

  “And Mark?”

  Elaine turned to Jen. “Unless I’m fired, he’s still my boss. Any relationship is forbidden.”

  “So I should hope you get fired?” Jen asked with a grin.

  Elaine grabbed her purse, stood up and gave Jen a hug. “Just hope for a miracle. Because I don’t think I can live without Mark.”

  Jen just smiled as Elaine walked away. “Good. Because you shouldn’t have to.”

  * * * * *

  Elaine took a deep breath and tried to calm the nerves bubbling away in her stomach like a boiling teapot. The few bites of lunch she’d managed to swallow earlier were haunting her now. She didn’t know what she was more nervous about; finding out if she still had a future with AdLive, or sitting for a prolonged period of time with the man who hadn’t left her thoughts since she’d shared a cab with him last week.

  Elaine sighed, squared her shoulders, and walked into the boardroom, taking the first available seat. A few more people filtered in, but Elaine kept her gaze lowered, going through her Creative Solutions notes. She mentally added in other non-Greenlight related details to the daily show statistics, figuring the bosses really weren’t interested in the number of times she and Mark had reached new heights together.

  Someone sat down across from her and she glanced up, right into those familiar hazel eyes she’d been trying all week to get out of her head. Her hands clutched at the table to keep from reaching out to him. God, she missed touching him, being touched by him.

  Then came his million-dollar smile as he spoke. “I hope you’re ready for this.”

  Other than a few non-committal phrases and generic hellos and goodbyes this week, Mark hadn’t spoken to her. She cocked her head to the side, studying him. Just what, exactly, was he up to? “Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”

  His eyes sparkled and he winked. “Me too, Elaine. I don’t want to wait anymore.”

  What did he mean by that? Elaine’s stomach clenched again, this time not from nerves, but the desperate need to climb over the table and into Mark’s arms. His grin widened, then he slowly turned away as several more people entered the boardroom. It was time for the meeting to begin.

  Michael Reynolds and Briana St. James sat down at the head of the table and a tremor of excitement shot through Elaine. This had to be an important meeting if the New York VPs had been flown in for it. She couldn’t imagine they would have flown out here if Greenlight had bombed.

  The boardroom door was closed and the bi-coastal AdLive meeting began.

  Briana smiled, her bright eyes shining with enthusiasm. Last time Elaine had been in contact with her was through email. They’d always had a great camaraderie in the communications they had shared and it was wonderful to finally see her face in person. And even better that the face was beaming with a huge smile. “I’m not going to beat around the bush here. The response we’ve received from the Creative Solutions show about Greenlight has been phenomenal. So good in fact, AdLive’s Board of Directors has decided to launch Greenlight as its own independent division. Greenlight has been given the green light. Owned by AdLive, run by our very own Elaine Ridgley—if she accepts the position of Vice-President that is?”

  Elaine was stunned for all of three seconds and then she swallowed back her shout of glee. But she couldn’t hide her smile. “Yes. Absolutely yes. Thank you.”

  She glanced at Mark and he smiled, mouthing, “Congratulations, Elaine.” Her heart racing, she returned his smile.

  Briana’s announcement meant so many things. Not only had she succeeded with Greenlight, which was a dream in and of itself, but if Mark wasn’t her direct boss anymore, did that mean they could make a relationship work?

  Elaine turned back as Briana continued speaking. “There’s also been some other important personnel changes in the company. Ronald Hanson has resigned, and Mark Ranzetti has agreed to take his place as Executive VP AdLive Web Technologies Los Angeles.” Her excitement was contagious. The room filled with an odd happiness never before felt when Hanson had been at the head of the table. A few people clapped at the announcements.

  Briana held up her hands to quiet everyone down. “I can see this meets with everyone’s approval. Good.” She smiled again. “Elaine, we’ll be meeting next week to see who you’d like to bring over to Greenlight
with you.”

  “Congratulations, Elaine, Mark. You both deserve it.” Mike stood up, picking up his notebook. “Okay, that’s it, everyone. I mean, if you want me to, I can tack on some of that boring stuff about making AdLive the best it can be, but everyone in this room is already on the same page, so let’s just leave it at that. Besides, it’s a Friday at the end of a long week. And I, for one, couldn’t sit through another long meeting even if you tied me to a chair.” The room filled with relieved laughter and the scraping of chairs as everyone pushed back from the table. “Have a great weekend. I’ll see you all on Monday to settle the details.”

  Everyone stood up to leave, including Elaine. Briana approached with that sweet grin of hers. It was nice to see another woman in a place of power. “Just between you and me, I’m glad Hanson is gone. He was always such a creep. Mark will do a much better job than Hanson ever did.” The tone of her voice changed, lowered, becoming almost conspiratorial. “I’ve worked with Mark in the New York office for years, Elaine…there isn’t a better guy out there. I couldn’t be happier for the both of you.” She smiled and winked then resumed her normal tone of voice. “I think there are going to be a lot more positive changes around here. I’ll be spending next week here as we organize the new business structure. See you on Monday.”

  “Thanks, Briana. Thank you for everything.”

  Elaine swallowed her shock. Not only did Briana know about Elaine’s relationship with Mark, but she approved of it. Elaine’s head was spinning, on cloud nine at least, but still spinning nonetheless. They shook hands and there was an understood camaraderie. Women who play with the big dogs need to stick together.

  “Don’t mention it.” Briana quickly glanced over Elaine’s shoulder and grinned, then turned and left the room, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

  The room was empty. Everyone had left in a rush…except for Mark. Elaine could feel his presence behind her, just inches away, and the need to wrap herself in his arms became too strong to deny.