“She said she didn’t mind. It’s been a while since she’s had her hands in that part of the process. She misses it at times, I think,” he said. “Also, on Saturday, my wife Sofia and I would like to invite you over for dinner. Nothing formal. Very casual.”
“Oh, that is very kind of you. Thank you so much. Please let me know if I can bring anything.” I was anxious about accepting, but didn’t want to decline because Leyla had mentioned being friendlier. Besides, hewasmy boss.
He waved dismissively. “Nah, just bring yourself. Sofia, being from Italy, will be cooking more food than we could possibly eat in a week.” Even I could hear the love he felt for her in his voice.
“Great. Please send me the details. I look forward to it.”
He took a step out of the office, then leaned back inside, causing me to lift my head again.
“Oh, Niko? If you need any advice on how to, um,dealwith Leyla, just ask. I’ve known her most of my life. And also, never give Jaz ammo she can use against you.” He winked as my stomach dropped, my heart following close behind. I groaned as he chuckled and left.
Kindred spirits, my foot, Jaz Lopez.
CHAPTER TEN
Nikolas
For the past several days,I watched Leyla closely for any sign that Luke or Jaz had revealed my humiliating Siri experience. If they had, either she didn’t care or whatever was going on with her took precedence.
Even after I shared my high school experiences, she remained distant, interacting only when necessary. Our leadership meetings were less tense, but still uncomfortable.
I may not be the best at interpreting body language, but as I continued to observe her from afar, there was no denying that Leyla was not her usual outgoing self from college. She rarely laughed or even smiled unless the occasion forced her to put on a plastic-looking one that was so far from her dazzling, real smile.
At first, I could explain it as my sudden presence at her company. But I noticed it wasn’t only when we were in the same room. I tried not to be what my sister Defne would call a creeper, but there was something about Leyla’s demeanor that gave me pause. I couldn’t help watching to see if maybe therewas something else wrong. Not that she’d ever let me help her, but I cared.
Like a scientific hypothesis that made me dig deeper and observe more closely, I concluded that there was sadness in her eyes, and I wanted to discover why. Her shoulders hunched over as if she had the weight of the world balanced on them.
My next conclusion was the fact that it had been ten years, and in that time, she’d become CEO of a multi-million-dollar company. Of course, she wasn’t going to be the carefree girl I knew.
Except for one important variable. The kind of joy Leyla exuded in college wasn’t just because she was young. It was evident to me that it was sewn into the fabric of her being. This wasn’t fleeting happiness. It was joy. Her personality wasn’t dictated by the environment around her, which could be called happiness. No, what she gave to those around her was joy,purejoy. It emanated from within and shouldn’t have changed with the passage of time.
There was one conversation we’d had about God and faith back in college. I was thrilled to learn that she shared my beliefs. We didn’t dig deep, but it was enough to know that she and I had something in common besides science.
Realizing I had spent too much time on this, I let it go and put my focus back on work, where it belonged. It was unnerving how Leyla still had the power to pull me off track.
And then, as if on cue, she walked into the lab, looking around until she found my executive assistant, Marshall. I stood up from my desk and walked toward the door, but stayed in the office, ready to assist.
Leyla wore a deep frown, her shoulders hunched more than usual. Why I missed cues in other people's body language but recognized at least some of hers was still a mystery to me.
“Do you have a fix for why the pumps are clogging yet, Marshall?” she asked, tablet in one hand and a bar of some type in the other.
“The tech team said it’s a viscosity issue. They’re working on how to fix it without affecting the lotion’s efficacy,” he answered, his hands shoved into his white lab coat. “We could always change the pump to a higher-yielding one.”
Leyla shook her head, tapping her tablet while juggling the bar. “No, that would wipe out almost 6% of our profit.”
I walked up to them, hoping she wouldn’t get angry that I was interrupting, but this was exactly why I was hired as head of the department. It was part of my job to develop alternative solutions.
“I have a thought about that,” I said, sidling up to Marshall, purposefully putting space between Leyla and me.
She didn’t look up or berate me for eavesdropping. I figured she must have either been desperate for a solution or hadn’t realized yet it was me. “I’m listening.”
“Have you tried a small pH adjustment? Reading the report reminded me I’d tried something similar before on another product a few years ago.”
Marshall scratched his head. “We did try that initially, but it caused other issues.”
“The optimal viscosity range is 5.5-6.5. The report indicated you used carbomer. That range should work,” I said confidently.
Leyla raised her eyebrows when she finally looked at me, questioning my solution. I nodded my confirmation. “Let’s try that, then, and report back to me, please. I’d like to get this figured out by the end of the week so production isn’t held up.” I liked that she trusted my suggestion. Maybe now was the time to check in with her.
