Page 43 of Matteo

“Why cybersecurity?” Sonny asks. “And why did you set up your own firm instead of going to work for someone? You're obviously smart, not just from what we've seen but you clearly impressed Paul Knight.”

“I had some experience,” I say, carefully, struggling to come up with a coherent story. Why didn't I think of this before? I should have been prepared.

“But where did you work before, to get that experience?” Sonny is like a pitbull with a bone he doesn't want to give up, and suddenly I feel like I’m being interrogated all over again. “Nobody just sets up a cybersecurity firm for no reason.”

Sonny’s watching me diligently now, a sharpness and curiosity in his gaze that suddenly feels too intense. So many questions. I was hoping this would be a getting-to-know-you lunch, but it feels more like an interrogation.

I find Joel’s questioning easier to deal with, even though he seems more interested in discovering whether I have a boyfriend or not. And Alex… Alex is just smiling and watching. He reminds me a little of Vlad, in how he is around me.

“Will you guys quit harassing her so much? Let the poor girl eat her lunch in peace,” he says.

I exhale quietly, grateful for his interjection.

“I did freelance work,” I say, keeping it vague but steady. “Pen-testing, mostly, and reviewing cybersecurity and testing for vulnerabilities. I worked for small businesses, startups mostly. People who couldn’t afford the big firms but still needed to know where they were exposed.”

That part, at least, isn’t a lie.

“And what are your hobbies?” Joel asks. “What do you like to do after work?”

“I don’t really have many hobbies. I like coding and baking.” I relax a little with the questioning moving away from my work experience. I remind myself that they’re just being friendly. It’s something I'm not used to, and I tend to always think of the worst-case scenario.

“Coding and baking?” Joel cocks his head, like he doesn’t understand.

“The tech lab must feel like home, with the coding part, at least,” adds Sonny.

I laugh. “I don’t have a basement. I live in an apartment, and sometimes I help at a local senior center.”

“A senior center?” Alex asks, suddenly perking up.

“A what?” says Joel, like he misheard.

“It’s not a nursing home,” I say quickly. “It’s a senior center. People come in during the day and have coffee, play cards, get out of the house for a while. I bake sometimes and bring things in.”

I smile to myself remembering how Arthur likes the blueberry muffins and how Irene forgets she’s already had one and asks for another.

“Don’t you two need to be in a meeting?” Alex glances at his watch.

Sonny bolts to standing. “Damn it, yes.”

“Now?” Joel wails, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

They both scramble up, gathering their things. The moment they’re gone, it turns quiet. I dig into my egg salad sandwich with vigor.

“Hungry, huh?” Alex leans back slightly, studying me.

“I left home without having breakfast.”

Again.

Because I tend not to eat well, I’ve tried to force myself to have porridge first thing, with nuts and blueberries. Healthier fuel.

“So,” he says lightly, “how’s the audit going?”

I take a sip of my water, buying myself a second. What I say matters. What I don’t say matters more.

“It’s early,” I reply. “I'm still mapping things out.”

“Sure. It takes a while to get used to a new place.”