Rhys, a teddy bear of a guy, grinned at her as he leaned back in his fancy chrome and leather chair. ‘Anna… We’ve missed you!’
‘Likewise. It looks like you’ve got an amazing set-up here,’ she said, smiling as she looked across the modern office space to where a team of what seemed like very young and very edgy employees were all busy ‘blue sky thinking’ or whatever they did in these sort of places. ‘It’s a far cry from where you started.’
‘From wherewestarted.’ Vijay sat down opposite her and passed her a cup of coffee that smelled rich and fragrant. ‘Remember those late-night meetings we used to have around your dining room table, dreaming up our plans for world domination?’
Anna laughed. ‘I definitely remember all the pizza boxes lying around the next morning!’
‘We still have those pizza-fuelled meetings,’ Rhys admitted with a grin, ‘but now I make Vijay clear away the boxes.’
Vijay shot Rhys a dirty look, then turned his attention back to Anna. ‘We wouldn’t be where we are now without you, Anna.’
Anna blushed a little. ‘Without Spencer, you mean…’
Rhys leaned forwards and rested his elbows on the desk. ‘Well, yes. But also because of you.’
‘Me?’
‘I think you’re forgetting that one of our most popular features – the completely customizable interface – was your brainchild,’ Vijay said.
Anna looked at him, confused. She didn’t remember having anything to do with that. All she’d done was sit at a desk in the corner and add up the numbers, keep on top of the paperwork.
Vijay’s mouth hooked up at one corner as he took in Anna’s consternation. ‘When we came to you and asked you what you thought of our six brilliant and stylish colour schemes, you said you hated every one of them.’
‘Well, that was more personal taste than a business decision,’ Anna said uncertainly.
‘Yes, but it got us thinking about how different people’s tastes are, and how best we could cater to a wide range.’
Anna shrugged again. They were giving her more credit than she was due, but she wasn’t going to make a fuss about that.
Rhys leaned back again and sipped his mug of coffee. ‘I can see you’re not convinced.’
Anna gave him a crooked smile and a half-shrug.
‘Surely you remember coming up with the name?’ he added. ‘BlockTime wouldn’t be BlockTime without you.’
‘Well, I suppose there is that. But I always thought it was kind of unimaginative and basic. I never really understood why you went with that rather than one of the other ideas.’
Vijay gave Rhys a withering look. ‘This muppet wanted to call it Avocado.’
Rhys lifted his chin. ‘I happen to like avocados.’
This remark led to a bickering session about whose proposed name was the stupidest. It made Anna smile because, for all the edgy staff and high-tech office equipment, these were still the same two fellow geeks of Spencer’s who’d planned to start a company sitting around her dining table, surrounded by boxes of meat feast and stuffed crust pepperoni pizzas.
‘So, what are you up to next?’ she asked, mostly to distract them.
Vijay turned to her. ‘More interestingly, what areyoudoing now?’
‘Me?’ Anna looked between the two men.
Rhys nodded. ‘We like your idea. We think it might have legs – especially if we can forge links with a charity or nonprofit organization that supports people who are grieving. Early days yet, but we’re putting out feelers, seeing if there’s interest, that kind of thing.’
Anna beamed at him. ‘Oh, I’m so pleased you want to do something with it. Having someone to talk to really kind of saved my life, or at the very least, set it on a healthier track.’
‘Good,’ Vijay said. ‘And we’re glad to see you doing so well, but I wasn’t kidding when I asked what you were doing now. Where are you working?’
‘Oh,’ Anna said, a little taken aback, but she filled them in on Sundridge Plumbing and Heating, the joys of invoices for taps and bits of piping she still didn’t know how to identify. ‘I think I’m ready to move on, though,’ she added.
‘Yes, do,’ Vijay said. ‘Ditch it.’
