“We’re not quite on the same level as Google,” I said, “but there’s nothing wrong with the system. I’ve run a few reports, and it’s almost too good.”
“No such thing, man. I’m happy with perfection. It helps me sleep at night.”
“Every program is bound to have glitches when there are multiple users. We keep a small team, so anything of concern is easy to fix, but apart from general maintenance, we’ve just carried out a few updates to the system.”
“Let’s keep it that way.”
I scratched my failed attempt at a short scruff.
“This really worries you?” he asked.
“No. Every programmer’s dream is the perfect low-maintenance software.”
“And still, you’re worried.”
“No, it’s just…I have a client. A big one, and I don’t know anything about them. I’m worried about that. For the safety of our employees. How can we send someone out there to meet someone they know nothing about?”
He leaned back in the leather chair. We used to work from our apartment kitchen when we started out. Now, we were renting a whole floor in the building where his dad ran his own multi-billion-dollar company.
“We’ve made provisions for that though. Someone in this office always knows the client’s identity and has conducted extensive research. Why are you taking a client anyway? I know I haven’t got time to take a shit between running Elite and taking classes.”
I laughed. “TMI, man. It seems I’m a victim of our own success. Everyone local to us was already busy, so Veronika sent me the case.”
“I guess it pays to sleep with the client relations manager. She didn’t give me the case.”
I scrunched my face. “Please, I don’t want to know about yourrelations. She owes me big time.”
“I’ll make sure to put you down as her dude of honor.”
I did a double-take. “You what?”
Marco opened a drawer on his desk and took out a small velvet box.
“You’re not.” I gasped.
“I certainly am. We’re graduating in a few months, and once we’re free, I’m going out there and enjoying life with my girl.”
I got up and rounded the desk to give him a congratulatory hug.
“I’m happy for you, man. If anyone deserves to ride off into the sunset together, it’s you and Veronika.”
He put the box away and locked the drawer. “It’s been a hell of a ride, huh?” he asked wistfully.
I went over to the window and looked down at the street outside and the people going about their days, ignorant to what was happening in the offices they walked past. Some of them could even be current or former clients. They’d never know. “It’s going to be the end of an era. Sometimes, I’m not sure I’m ready for it.”
“I know what you mean. Our plan was always to build Elite, sell, and take the money, but some days I wonder if we could stay.”
“Elite is not compatible with our dreams, Marco.”
He let out a sigh. “Do you remember when we first met?” he asked.
“Yeah. I thought you were just another spoiled rich kid whose dad was teaching a life lesson by making you slum with the rest of us in the dorms.”
“I was trying to fit in while you stood out just because you didn’t care what other people thought. It takes guts being like that when you don’t have daddy’s money to fall back on.”
“Don’t knock daddy’s money. I’m glad we paid the start-up loan back, and some, but I certainly couldn’t have started Elite from an idea and some computer code.”
We’d never wanted to take this beyond graduating. Marco had wanted to find someone, get married, and start a family, but he’d wanted to do it with his own money. He wanted to be a present father like his hadn’t been, no matter how much he’d supported our business.
