Case sets a hand on the corner of the desk, and the other on the back of the chair so he can lean closer to me. “Did he tell you he was using your idea?”
I shake my head. “No.”
“Fuck,” slips from between his lips.
“I don’t mind,” I try and smooth out his anger. “He’s my brother. It’s fine. I got him to help me with an English paper when I was in high school.”
His jaw tenses. “This isn’t the same, Emma.”
“It is to me.”
He crouches to look me directly in the eyes. “Did you come up with the concept for this game on your own?”
“I’m not sure,” I answer tentatively because I have no idea what’s running through his head. “I thought a snake was a great idea, but obviously, Drake thinks a frog is better.”
“You need a lawyer, Emma.”
Panic shoots through me. A lawyer? What the hell do I need a lawyer for?
In the scramble to rush to my feet, I almost knock Case flat on his ass. He stands, giving me room to do the same.
“What’s going on?” I knit my shaking hands together in a fist in front of my stomach. I feel nauseous. “Drake told me about people pitching ideas to Cabbott that were replicas of apps that belong to other tech companies. Do you think that’s what I did? You think I stole the idea for this app from someone?”
Case reaches for my hands. He quiets them immediately by drawing them to his chest. “I think your brother stole the idea from you.”
I laugh. “That’s not what happened. I suggested an idea, and he developed it.”
Case exhales sharply. “You are the creative mind behind Letter Leap. You’re entitled to compensation and recognition for that.”
I try to wrap my brain around what he’s saying. “What kind of compensation?”
He brings my hands to his face to skim his lips over one of my palms. “A royalty. We’ll work that out. You need to get alawyer to negotiate terms, Emma, but Cabbott will be generous. I promise we’ll be more than generous for this idea and the development of Vary Tales.”
My head is spinning as I take it all in. “You’re going to develop Vary Tales?”
His eyes lock on mine. “I’d like you to consider joining the development team as a narrative designer for that project and others in our educational division.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means a full-time job at Cabbott.” He glances at the tablet before he levels his gaze back on me. “I’ll explain more if you’re interested.”
I’m interested. How could I not be, but... “I don’t know anything about coding or software development or the other terms Drake is always talking about.”
“You don’t need to be skilled in any of that.” He squeezes my hands. “Essentially, you envision the concept of the game or program and our software developers will help you bring it to life. It’s what we’ve done with Letter Leap. Your vision is now a reality.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know. I became a teacher because I want to help kids learn. It’s what I love to do.”
His hands move to cup my cheeks. “You will be helping millions of kids learn through these apps, Emma. You can make a difference in so many lives.”
Biting my lower lip, I suck in a deep breath. “Will I make as much as I do teaching?”
He cracks a wide smile. “The salary for a narrative designer is substantial, but you should know in terms of royalties on these games, you’re looking well into seven figures, if not higher the first year of release.”
My knees go weak for the second time today.
Case is there to catch me again. He circles his arms around me. “Are you okay?”
I shake my head. “No, I am… seven figures… that’s in the millions, right?”
