I pull up one of the lines of code I identified.
She looks across and begins tapping away again.
If she has knowledge of how this was carried out, maybe she can help identify the pattern.
“I’m writing a program to filter and group the changes. See if there are any patterns or links.”
Her fingers continue to type as she speaks.
“When did you last make actual code changes?” she asks.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “About five years ago.”
Pen stops. I sense her gaze on me.
“What?” I ask, looking up.
“I’m surprised. You always loved coding.”
I shrug.
But my stomach tightens in defensiveness. It’s true what Pen says. I loved coding when she and I were in the lab together. She made me want to be better, challenged me. It was always that way with us. She filled that competitive streak I have. After our initial spat, our partnership took off. I was determined to prove to her she was wrong about me. I wasn’t some lazy, rich kid. Even though it meant I was working double time in the beginning.
It was why, when my Olympic dream ended, I hadn’t felt like my world had come crashing down. She had given me anotherfocus, something else to fall back on. By the time we reached our final year, I wanted Pen by my side. Wanted her as my business partner. We had big plans for the future until one day she walked away.
“I did. I do. However, being CEO, the paperwork and the politics have taken precedence. I admit I’m a little rusty. My day-to-day job is more about the management.” I stare at her. “Are you telling me you’re still coding?”
Pen turns and looks at me, grinning.
“Nothing would stop me coding. It’s why my company hasn’t expanded to the size of yours. I’m a control freak—you should remember that.”
Her eyes sparkle with amusement, and the feeling is almost electrical when our eyes meet. I find myself smiling in response.
“You were. I assumed you let go of the reins a little.”
She lets out a deep sigh.
“It’s something I’m going to have to learn to do. Especially when Kris and I have children. I can’t keep up my current rate of work, lifestyle, and raise a family. It wouldn’t be fair.”
My heart stops as her words sink in. For a moment, I’d got lost in the moment. Forgot Pen is about to get married, and of course, she’s thinking of having children with Kris. Pressure builds in my chest, and bile burns the back of my throat.
“You want children?” The words sound stupid as soon as they leave my mouth.
“You sound surprised.” Pen’s gaze softens as it moves to mine. “I guess it’s catching. Gabriel and Leah have Callum. You and Darra have Lottie, not to mention some of my other friends. They’ve all settled down and are starting families. In striving to build my business, I’ve put that part of my life on hold. Let my personal life slide.” She shrugs and lets out a sigh. “I’m not getting any younger. As a woman, I’m unfortunately bound by my biological clock, and I don’t want to be too old to enjoy achild or children. Like your mum, I’d prefer not to have them raised by a team of nannies.”
I get it, however much it irks me. Pen’s the same age as my sister Kat. A year older than Leah. It’s the exact reason Leah and Gabriel got together.
“None of us are getting any younger,” I admit.
Some days, I wonder where the time has gone. I was twenty-three when I married Darra. Lottie arrived a few months later. Finding myself married with a child, I smothered my own wants and dreams. Shut out the rest of the world, concentrating instead on building a future for my new wife and daughter.
Pen finally hits return and leans back, stretching out her back, her spine making a satisfying crack.
“What now?” I say when she gets up and moves away.
“Now we wait for my program to run and for Tiffany to collate the parameters I have set her.”
I sit back and stare at her.
