The title by itself is enough to freak a man out, but with the added weight of impressing someone who could ultimately determine the trajectory of this company, we’ve entered a whole new ballpark.
Hence, the meeting with Everett Staines, a legendary aerospace engineer and the newly appointed CEO of SkyWay Airlines.
Driven by his belief that aviation must shrink its carbon footprint, he’s set out to fund and partner with a leading aerospace engineering firm to design a new generation of eco-friendly airplanes.
That’s where all the stress comes from—I want it to be us.
“My apologies for interrupting.” Melanie snaps me out of my stress-induced spiral. “Ihadto get that off my chest. Now what was this valid explanation of yours?”
“I was saving a damsel in distress,” I answer seriously.
The arch of Melanie’s brow tells me she’s not buying it. “Let me guess, you saved her from getting run over by traffic?”
I stop short. “How do you know this already?”
“Get out of here with your excuses! And go make your best first impression. I’ll make sure to get you a new suit and shoes in time for the showcase…And a razor while I’m at it. It’s about time you shave, mate.”
A hand darts up to my cheek, fingers running down the coarse stubble.
Another thing that’s slipped my mind from the stress.
Without a word, I glide past the black curtains and into the showcase space. The sight unfolding before me borders on chaos, and I freeze, trying to make sense of it all.
Dozens of Archer Aviation’s aircraft models are being rolled into the hangar and strategically positioned across the concrete floors. The information panels and their corresponding blueprints are still in the corner of the room, waiting to be placed in front of their respective planes.
The place was coming together slowly but surely.From fuel-powered to hybrid aircraft, nothing was left out. Well, that’s with the exception of our fully electric design—and the star of tonight’s show.
A large streak of gray hair among darker brown strands grabs my attention. I turn to find Everett Staines in the eye of the storm, gaze sweeping across the room in admiration. He doesn’t look upset about being kept waiting. No, he wears a look of wonder as he tries to keep up with each new addition.
“Mr. Staines, how are you doing this fine evening?” I say when I finally work up the courage to approach him.
We ran in the same circles, so we obviously knew of each other’s existence, but this was our first time meeting face-to-face.
The man turns at the sound of his name, the corners of his eyes crinkling as his lips curl into a smile. “If it isn’t the infamous Nate Archer!” He stretches out a hand toward me.
I follow through on his greeting—firm and confident.
“I must say, you and your team have outdone yourselves. The place already looks fabulous, and I’m sure it’ll only get better with the finishing touches.”
Pride swells in my chest at the compliment. Hearing such high praise from a man as well-versed as he is in this industry is the accolade of a lifetime.
“That’s very kind of you, Sir. It means a lot coming from such a legend in the field.”
He waves a hand dismissively, brushing off the words like they mean nothing. But you don’t get named one of the few billionaires in the world without earning it.
“You’re too kind, but it’s completely unnecessary. Sucking up to the boss won’t make you more likely to land the job.”
The color drains from my face, and my heart drops to the pit of my stomach before the man dissolves into a fit of laughter.
“I’m just messing with you, kid.” Staines gives me a hard pat on the shoulder. “You’ve got nothing to worry about in that department.” He scans the room over, taking a step forward as he lowers his voice. “Between you and me, you’re one of our top contenders for the deal. The work you’ve done and the impact it’s had on the aviation industry speaks for itself.”
My jaw goes slack, and every coherent sentence and thought I once had vanishes somewhere in the stratosphere. I’m internally freaking out, but I try my hardest to stay casual.
“I can’t take all the credit for the company’s success. We have an outstanding team of dedicatedengineers.”
Staines mulls over my face for a few beats, lips pursing before nodding in approval. “Now, this is interesting.”
“In what way?” I chuckle nervously.
