I step off the T a little after 7:00 a.m. Noah and I have a meeting with the legal department of one of the largest insurance agencies in New England at ten, and my technical presentation needs to be perfect. If this goes well, we’ll have letters of agreement signed with every major insurance company in the United States by the end of the week.
As I walk the last four blocks to the office, I mentally run through my slides. Alfie’s origins. Her safety features. How she’ll give the elderly—and their families—peace of mind. On the corner, I stop and let a group of early morning runners pass, and the longing hits me. Back in California, I used to run every day. Maybe…once we launch, I’ll have time to start up again. Glancing down at the box of doughnuts in my hand, I stifle a snort. No exercise, doughnuts for breakfast, pizza for lunch…no wonder I’ve put on thirty pounds since I moved back to Boston.
“Evianna!” The angry shout startles me enough to send coffee sloshing over the rim of my travel mug. Kyle stumbles as he passes the last of the running group, and his eyes are bloodshot and half-focused. “We nnnneed to t-talk.”
“Oh God, Kyle. You smell like the bottom of a tequila bottle. Go home. There’s nothing to talk about.” I try to sidestep him, but he grabs my arm and squeezes, hard. “Ow! Let go.”
I’m not a tiny slip of a thing. Hell, I outweigh the kid. But his fingers dig in tighter, and tears spring to my eyes unbidden from the pain. “Kyle. This is getting dangerously close to assault,” I say, trying to keep my tone low and measured—the exact opposite of how I feel. “Let go of me. Now.”
“You’re gonna…lisssten to me, Evianna. Or I’m gonna go public. Alfie’s…broken and when people…find out…” He’s dragging me towards the building now, and I scan the street, searching for someone—anyone—to help me.
Balancing my briefcase, travel mug, and a box of doughnuts for the bullpen, I’m not exactly in a position to wrench my arm free. With my stellar grace, I’d probably land on my ass with coffee all down my white silk blouse.
“If you break your non-disclosure agreement, Beacon Hill will sue you for everything you’re worth. Alfie’s not broken. She’s perfect. Leave. Get the hell out of here, and I’ll forget this ever happened. Please, Kyle. You’re…a good kid who made a mistake. Don’t let it ruin your whole life.”
The box of doughnuts tumbles to the ground, followed by my coffee, and I claw at Kyle’s fingers, prying them loose so I can take two quick steps back.
When Kyle lurches for me again, the building’s security guard shouts a warning. “Hey! Leave the lady alone.” He races over and puts himself between the two of us. “Ma’am? Is everything all right here?”
“Fine,” I say, forcing strength I don’t feel into my tone. “Minor disagreement with a former employee. Kyle was just leaving.”
The security guard puffs out his chest as he turns to face Kyle. “Sir? I think you want to listen to the lady.”
With a muttered curse, Kyle backs off. “You’re gonna regret this, Evianna.”
I don’t know how I manage to hold it together until our meeting with Revere Insurance Services is over, but as their lawyers rise and the lead council offers me his hand, I plaster a wide smile on my face.
“Thank you, Mr. Carter. Alfie launches in ten days, and your customers will have an exclusive opportunity to pre-order their units five days in advance. I’ll be sure to send over test units for you, Mr. Limet, and your executive team this afternoon. Any problems, just give me a call.”
The thin lawyer gives me a nod and a smile, but his grip is a lot like a wet noodle. Mr. Limet does a little better with the handshake, thankfully, but addressed all of his technical questions to Noah. My boss—and majority owner of the company—may be a great guy, but he doesn’t know the tech like I do. And even after he corrected the lawyers twice, they kept addressing him and him alone.
Assholes.
“Evianna is the heart and soul of Beacon Hill Technologies,” Noah says as he comes up behind me and slings his arm around my shoulders.
Great. Thanks for making me look like a token pair of breasts, Noah.
He continues as I grit my teeth. “Alfie’s success is one hundred percent her doing, and we look forward to a long, and successful partnership, gentlemen.”
As the two lawyers head for the elevator, I duck out from under Noah’s arm, the headache brewing behind my eyes tapping an incessant drum beat only I can hear. “The ‘heart and soul of Beacon Hill Technologies’? Where the hell did that come from?”
“It’s true.” He shrugs and holds the conference room door open for me. “Look, I know you don’t want anyone to ‘protect’ you in this industry, Evianna. But those two were not respecting your talent. When we launch, it might be my name on the letterhead, but this is your baby. And I want to make sure you get all the credit.”
“Then next time, don’t call me the ‘heart and soul’ while you’re treating me like your arm candy.” I’m so over this day.
While Noah’s right, Alfie is my project and my passion, he’s never been so…complimentary before. Especially not in front of people. But then he had to go ruin it with that little gesture.
Dropping into my ergonomic chair, I set the meditation app on my phone, close my eyes, and try for five minutes of relaxation. But two minutes in, I shift, and my arm presses against the side of the chair.
“Ow! Son of a bitch.” Any hope of meditating long gone, I shut off the peaceful music and shed my jacket. Oh my God. Four distinct finger bruises mar my upper arm.
Ulysses knocks as he enters, and I hurriedly shove my arm back into the sleeve. “Yes?” I ask, trying to force some calm I don’t feel into my voice. “I was meditating.”
“I heard you swear, Evianna. I know you weren’t meditating. Not any longer. Is something wrong?” Ulysses braces his hands on the edge of my desk, leaning forward to give me the once over.
Flopping back in my chair, I shake my head. “Nothing a little time and some arnica won’t fix.”
“Explain.”
