Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 61657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
I picked up the card and looked at it again thinking about this man who’d taken over my life in one week. How could this be happening? I hadn’t even known of his existence until recently. Well, I knew Theo existed, but only through the pages of magazines and gossip columns. But now, my days were filled with images of the man, my curvy form tingling at the thought of being with him again. It was amazing, and slowly, my defenses began to crumble.
“Maybe,” I mumbled. “We’ll see.”
“Maybe?” exclaimed my friend. “That’s all? You should join Pictogram. Seriously, Mia, I’m kinda excited about what he might send next, but don’t let the poor guy suffer like this. Besides, he’s offering you so much money and a car. We could use it to explore, instead of always being stuck on campus.”
I frowned. Money and perks aside, I wanted Pictogram to make changes, and it would be easier to do that if I worked there. Plus, there were some security tactics I’d like to try out anyway. The whole point of the hacking attack as Anonimo was to protect Pictogram users. I could do that as one of their engineers.
I held the card close to my chest and smiled at my friend. “I guess I could try it out.”
Jill jumped up. “Yes!” She ran over to me hugging me. “Just give it a go. You never know, you might enjoy it.”
And so week later, I started at Pictogram as a consultant. Driving my brand new Tesla over to Mountain View, I told myself that I was only working at Pictogram strictly because of my talent. That was why Theo had recruited me so fiercely, and not because of our romantic interlude. In fact, I hadn’t seen him in weeks now. Knowing the alpha, he’d probably already moved on to some other girl. Our one night of hot and heavy sex was one and done, I was sure.
But my brain kept roiling because despite my desperate efforts at self control, Theo was all I could think about. That flashing white smile. The funny quips. The way he gripped my shoulder, eyes intense while pounding me from above.
Oh yes, my billionaire. The man who’d seized my heart after one short encounter.
And now my boss too. Or more accurately, my boss’s boss’s boss’s boss, if that was even accurate. He was the king on his throne, whereas I was merely a lowly consultant, a paid gun.
But I put the thoughts out of my mind because driving on Pictogram’s campus, I was stunned by how vibrant it was. I turned onto Picto Way, which brought me right through a mini town made just for employees. To the right, there was a large expanse of green grass where people sat at picnic tables or sprawled on blankets with their laptops. A game of Ultimate Frisbee was underway while another group of people practiced Tai Chi.
Parking my car in the lot, I mused over all that I’d seen from the short drive through Picto Town: restaurants, a beauty salon, a café, and a movie theater. Pictogram employees rode around on pink and red striped bicycles. It was a small community, incredibly insular.
And frankly, I was excited to be a part of it. The hairs on my arm rose, breath coming fast. This was paradise for engineers, filled with eggheads who knew how to code speak.
And I was one of them.
With quick steps, I reported to the main building walking uneasily to the front desk. The entrance had a high ceiling with a skylight open to the bright blue sky above. To the left, a receptionist sat across from a large screen flipping through the recent trending Pictogram images. As I walked to the expansive counter, I felt like cringing as my Picto-famous photo scrolled past. Apparently, I was still trending.
Oh god. So embarrassing.
But different rules applied here in Picto-land. The woman looked up, greeting me with a radiant smile. “Mia Smith?” she chirped.
I nodded, trying for a smile. “Yes, that’s me.”
The bubbly receptionist couldn’t get enough. She jumped up and walked around the desk with her arm extended. “Oh wow! The Mia! My name is Amanda. I’m a big fan!”
She jerked her head to the large screen with the trending photos. “I’m not a programmer yet, but you’re my hero,” she confided. Her voice dropped an octave. “I’m learning on my own, but totally love your message. Fuck brogrammers, fuck ‘em right and left.”
I smiled carefully, looking around. We were in Picto-land with thousands brogrammers walking around campus. It paid to be careful, even if Amanda and I were alone at the moment.
“Um, thanks,” I said halfheartedly. “It was more of a game than anything else.”
But the young woman was unstoppable, nodding happily.
“Well, your photo was inspirational. So thank you! And I almost forgot.” She glided back to her desk and reached over for something, presenting it to me with exuberant flair, “Tada!”