“Yes, could you please come forward?” He softly said. I came close enough to see his smooth face shine resplendently against the backdrop of the scenery. It was glorious.
“I think this is enough distance; you don’t have to stay so far away.” He said.
“Alright, sir.” I agreed. I actually didn’t want to stand so far away from him, either. I was merely being polite.
“Yes, thank you. Here, have it.” He handed a flash drive to me. “There is certain data that needs to be sorted and organized there. I hope to get a report by...” He glanced at his expensive silver wristwatch. “Eleven am.” He ended.
“Definitely.” I prepared to leave.
“And I need a cappuccino.” He added.
“I’ll get that right away.”
“Thank you.”
A few minutes later, when I returned with the coffee, he was already on a call and out of his desk.
“Thank you.” He mouthed and continued talking on the phone.
He was so calm, yet he looked disturbed and irritated. I found myself lingering on the spot. Suddenly, he turned to me, and our eyes locked. I panicked and quickly walked out of the room. When I was behind my desk, I wondered if I had crossed a line. His gaze had been rather sharp. However, I tried to put my mind at rest.
I inserted the flash drive into the computer system and immediately began the task. I was not used to it, but it was quite simple.
This whole experience would be a breeze.
Chapter Two
Christian
In a life I was trying to forget, I told a girl that her entire personality blew my mind. And even though I wasn’t asked to elaborate, I mentioned persistence as being one of my favorite characteristics.
I didn’t know what it was like to be on the receiving end of this attention. I wouldn’t have mentioned it if I had known that Aurora couldn’t take a hint. She was insistent as they came; she wore me down with the constant calls and requests to meet.
Yes, it was true that everyone in our family thought we were going to get married. The marriage would have benefitted both families, but it still didn’t explain why she wanted to be with me. She broke up with me in the first place, not like it was the first time, but I didn’t want to make up with her this time.
I was done being thrown around like a yoyo.
If only I knew a way to communicate this information to her, in a way that she would get it because it was apparent that she didn’t understand a single word that came out of my mouth.
The doorbell rang. I raised my head to find Fiona coming into the room with a smile. I offered one back to her, all thoughts of Aurora and her persistence moving to the back of my head to focus on Fiona.
I thought it was amazing how I, the CEO of one the leading tech companies in the country, seemed to be taken in by Fiona. Our relationship was easy, and I’d attribute it to the years we spent together as children.
She used to be my younger sister’s best friend and nothing else. The five-year difference in our age was glaring as kids, and I made sure I brought it up at every given opportunity. But these days, I only thought about how much she has grown as a woman.
Allison should have warned me about how hot her best friend had become through the years.
“Good morning, Mr. Carr.” She saluted, her eyes smiling brightly against the morose background of dawn.
“Good morning,” I responded, and she walked in, her steps coordinated like a model’s.
I liked the finesse that could always be spotted in the way she did things, and now, thinking of it, she had been like that since we were kids. Her box of toys had been very intact, while Allison had made a mess of her own. Even her books had been so neat, you would have hardly spotted a wrinkle.
So yeah, Fiona Reece was still the same. Nothing had changed in her save for the body.
“I hope you had a good night’s rest.” She said when she was in front of me.
“Ah, not really.” I sat on the nearby sofa. “Take a seat, please.”
“Are you okay?” She grimaced, taking her seat next to me.
It would be easy to answer her question, but I wanted to stick to the work relationship we had between us. “Yes, I’m alright. What do I have planned today?”
Fiona swiftly pulled out her iPad as if she had been anticipating the question. “A meeting at two pm, and the email from the German company regarding the possible testing of a new drug using the AI we developed is still pending.”
I nodded; it had completely skipped my memory. “What else?”
“Mr. Yoon is launching his book on the benefits of AI to society. You’re an esteemed invited guest.”
“I’ll not be able to attend. Send an email to the organizer, some flowers, and a congratulatory card to Mr. Yoon.”
“Noted.” She tapped on her iPad. “You also have a game of golf. It’s Tuesday.”
And Tuesdays really were the bane of my existence. It wasn’t one of the meetings I could afford to miss; the people I met at these golf games liked to do the long dance before they decided if they wanted to throw their support behind you. I also needed their support, especially if the AI managed to reach a peak state where it could diagnose a patient and tailor the drugs to meet their specific problems.
“You have a business meeting with K and Q Enterprise at three.”
“I’ll speak to them on the phone.”
