“Yes, he used to put us in charge,” Oliver confirms.
“Good. For now, would you two be okay with co-managing the dev team in an official capacity?”
“Sure, but I have my three-month leave coming up, so maybe I’m not the best fit right now,” Steven reminds him. Right, we’ve all heard about his trip to Australia in a couple of weeks, where he’ll meet his girlfriend’s family and tour the country.
“Ah, I see… Then we can keep that in mind for when you return. Oliver, can you handle it alone?”
Oli gives it a thought and says, “Like you said, Lex did a lot of work around here. I can try, but I’m not sure I’ll be enough.”
Kevin’s attention then turns to me, and before I can shake my head to stop him, he suggests, “Since the biggest project right now is Andy’s application, maybe she can co-manage with you until Steven returns. I know she’s the most recent hire on the team, but would you guys be okay with that?”
“Yeah, I’m good with it,” Mason says without missing a beat.
“Me too,” Brian concurs.
The guys all agree, and I stare at Kevin, unsure if I want this added responsibility. As if he can sense my reluctance, he adds, “It’s only until Steven comes back. Then he and Oli can be in charge until we find a better solution.”
Hm… I guess I can handle three months of that. And it might actually serve as a nice distraction. “Okay,” I reluctantly agree.
Kev gives me a small smile. “Thank you. Listen, guys, losing Lex is going to be hard on everyone, especially this team. He isn’t great with compliments, but I know he was incredibly proud of his ‘dream team,’ as he called you, and how well you all work. The best thing we can do is keep on going like he’d want us to and make him proud.”
Again, everyone nods in agreement, and Kevin pushes himself away from his desk. “Alright, I’ve kept you for long enough. Enjoy your lunch. Oli and Andy, if you could come back afterward so we can hash out the details of your new responsibilities…”
“Sure thing,” Oli answers for us both.
On our way out, I can’t help but feel like a fraud. I’m barely out of the new-girl stage, but I now have to co-manage this team? What even is my life right now?
Probably noticing my silence, Oli bends toward me to whisper, “Do you wanna get out of here, co-manager? Burger and fries, my treat.”
While the food isn’t as appealing as it should be, the idea of eating out is. Word of Lex resigning will spread during lunchtime, and I don’t want to be here while it happens. Everyone knows about the situation and his not being able to work, of course, but this is the first official announcement. And it’ll feel very definitive.
“Yes, let’s go,” I tell Oli with feigned enthusiasm.
There’s nothing but talk about the weather and cold temperatures as we walk out of the building and toward the food truck parked just outside. Once we have our burgers and sit down, though, Oli asks, “So, how have you been doing, really?”
I slowly unwrap my burger, using it as an excuse to think of what to say. “I try to stay positive, but to be very honest, I fail on most days.”
“I’d imagine… Have you had any news about Lex?”
“I went to visit him this weekend with Kev. He’s doing as well as he can given the circumstances. Can’t wait to get out.”
“There still isn’t a date for the trial, right?”
“Not yet, no. The prosecution is pushing to delay it so they can find more evidence, and Lex’s lawyers are trying to have it as soon as possible.”
Oli nods before taking a bite of his burger, and I turn mine around, looking for a better entry point. I’m biting down into it when he asks, “Do you… do you know what kind of evidence they have so far?”
Again, chewing gives me time to think of what I’ll say next. He’s probably read the articles from the trial, so he knows what transpired then. I have had no news about additional evidence, but as long as they haven’t found the hidden room, I don’t see what else they could find.
“It’s all very far-fetched,” I pretend. “It’s like they decided Lex was Nammota, so they did everything they could to link him to the hacker. It doesn’t make much sense, so I’m sure it’ll fall apart during the trial.”
It’s Oli’s turn to take a moment to gather his thoughts, silently eating for a while. “Do you really believe that?”
Slightly taken aback, I frown and say, “Of course.”
He seems almost angry as he puts his burger down. I watch, a little disconcerted, as he wipes his hands together to get rid of the crumbs and sesame seeds. “You truly think everything they found is far-fetched?” he asks again.
“Why are you pissed at me right now?” I defend myself.
