“You said you were in the neighborhood. Where did you go?”
The line was quiet for so long, I was beginning to think he’d hung up. But then I heard his chair creak. “One of the analysts who was going to be part of the team that tests the new algorithm has the flu. So there’s an open spot if you want to spend a week at the whiteboard.”
My eyes flared. “Really? Notwatchthem do the testing, but be an actual part of it?”
“If you feel you’re up for it. I recommended you to Will Twible who heads up the algorithm-engineering division, so you have the spot, if you want to participate.”
I nodded my head fast. “Yes, yes. I definitely want to. I’m so excited.”
“I can see that.” I heard the smile in his voice. “You’ll have to sign a mountain of legal papers that promise your first-born child if you violate our NDA since you’ll be working with proprietary information. But they’re starting at eight, so you should get going. Testing is being done in the quant lab, down on the seventh floor.”
“Okay!”
“I’ll have legal meet you there with the paperwork so you can get started.”
“Perfect.”
“And I’ll make sure to send someoneotherthan your new friend. He seems to know where you are at all times better than my eye in the sky.”
I smiled. “Thank you for the opportunity.”
“You’re welcome.”
I was about to hang up when I remembered he’d never answered my question. I lifted the phone back to my ear. “Jagger?”
“Yes?”
“Where were you going on Saturday when you stopped by my apartment?”
He was quiet for a few beats. “You’re winning, Ms. Holland. But don’t push your luck.”
CHAPTER 14
Sutton
The testing team worked through lunch. And dinner, every day.
By the time Friday afternoon arrived, I had probably worked eighty hours. The whole algo team had, and I was in my glory. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been so full of energy, so full of passion. It made me realize how incredibly down I’d been for the last year and a half. I’d let everything that happened with Brendan really take its toll, and it felt good to take back control.
Will, the senior director of the algorithm-engineering team, was currently at the whiteboard doing manual calculations, and I was combing through layers of code, trying to find an error that had been eluding the team.
I raised my hand. “I think I found it!”
Will came over and crouched to look over my shoulder. I pointed. “It looks like there’s a duplicate data name. If you run the math again but use this variable, we’ll know for sure, but I think this is the issue that’s causing the problem.”
“It’s like finding a needle in a haystack.” He stood and patted my shoulder. “Good job. I raked over that code five times and missed it.”
“Beginner’s luck.”
Will smiled. “Now you’re just patronizing me. But thanks. My ego appreciates it. As does my wife, who is going to be very happy if I don’t have to work all weekend. We’re both in our forties with a colicky two-month-old. She needs a break.”
He’d returned to the whiteboard and begun replacing numbers and re-rerunning the math when Jagger walked in. Everyone turned.
The boss raised his hand. “Keep doing what you’re doing. I’m just checking on how things are going.”
“Better now,” Will said. “Thanks to Sutton.” He shook his head and chuckled. “She might rival the processor speed in your head, boss. I haven’t seen anyone fly through equations like she does in a while.”
Jagger lifted a brow and looked to me. It had been four days since I’d seen him. Though I felt certain he’d seen me, through the cameras, at least.
