For the first time since I came in, our eyes meet as he takes the documents. I stare at my booting screen, listening to him write on the papers. The scratchy noise of his ballpoint pen is abnormally loud in the quiet room. There’s only silence for several seconds, then the clicking of his pen. The deed is done. Too late to back out.
“This one’s for you,” he says, slipping one of the copies under my screen. I take it and put it safely in my bag. It feels very official, and the reality of the upcoming sale sinks in.
“Is there something I should do first?” I ask, not bothering to look over my screen.
“Since several people will soon work on your scripts, you can clean them up and make everything as clear as possible,” he recommends. Yes, of course, that makes sense. “I’ve dug up the ones we came up with a few years ago, and I’m trying to see if any of them can be added to your work.”
I nod, which is useless because he can’t see me. Motivated to find a distraction, I open a script and start working on it. For the entirety of the afternoon, I’m hyperaware of his presence, so close to me. Every time he types, moves, or stretches, my mind leaves whatever I’m doing to focus on him. Several times, he pauses his work to methodically crack his knuckles, one after the other, and I find myself counting each joint that pops.
Whenever he needs me to check something, I do my best not to come in physical contact with him, bending weirdly to read whatever is on his screen. I’ll most definitely have back issues by the end of the month. And not because it got blown out by him.
Yes, my mind now lives in the gutter.
As soon as we reach five-thirty, I stand up, ready to bolt out. He doesn’t seem ready to leave anytime soon, but there’s no way I’m staying. “Good evening,” I tell him, hoisting my bag onto my shoulder.
“Good evening, Andrea,” he responds. I’m about to turn to the door when he adds, “Kevin wants to sign the official sale before theweekend. Friday afternoon will be devoted to the negotiations and reaching an agreement.”
“Do you think it might take some of the evening, too?”
“No, it normally shouldn’t.” Okay, phew… I have my rescheduled date with Oli that evening.
“I advise you to have a legal counselor accompanying you for your comfort and ours,” Lex continues.
“Alright, will do.”
On my bus ride home with Tami and Oli, I explain how things are going and take a moment to text my blonde best friend. I don’t know any lawyers in Seattle, but she might, even though she specializes in intellectual property and not corporate law. Since I don’t really have a choice, I tell her I might be selling my app before the week ends.
The minute we get home, she calls back. “Hi, blondie,” I greet her.
“Oh, my God! You’re so sneaky. I can’t believe you’re selling your app! I didn’t even know you were showing it to people.”
“I’m sorry, K. It all happened very fast, and I didn’t want to jinx it, so I didn’t tell anyone. The sale isn’t effective yet, but we signed a binding agreement.”
“It’s pretty much the same, then. When are you signing?”
“We’re negotiating Friday afternoon and signing then if we settle on a price.”
“And you want me to recommend a lawyer to you?”
“Yes, Le—Alexander advised me to get one.”
“Well, I have someone in mind, but they aren’t exactly corporate law,” she explains, a little hesitant.
“At this point, I’ll take anything.”
“Okay, then! Just a fair warning, you’ll have to sleep with them as a payment.”
The way my jaw drops is almost comical, even to me. “Kate, what the—”
“Don’t worry, she’s hot as hell. Blonde, 5’10”, amazing tits…”
Then, it all makes sense. “Oh my God, are you serious?! You really want to come to help me out?” I ask with enthusiasm.
“Yes, if you’ll have me! I’ll take Friday off and spend the whole weekend with you before heading back to Portland.”
“Of course I’ll have you, you moron! Wait, fuck.”
“What?”
