Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78149 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78149 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
She looked out the window for a while, a soft smile on her lips. “I love working for you, Derek.” She turned back to me. “I wouldn’t put in these long hours if I didn’t love what I do. I never thought I could leave publishing and be happy, but this is even more fulfilling.”
Two
Emerson
I worked in his corporate office for most of the day, organizing his paperwork. The majority of the stuff up here wasn’t related to his work at the other compound. It was material pertaining to the business, so it seemed even more important. At least I could read it and understand what it was, so it was easier for me to organize.
I had a couple filing cabinets put in place, but I decided to scan these documents into his computer, organizing them in digital folders so if he wanted to go back and look at something that happened years into the past, it would be easy for him to find. He could even access the server from his laptop at home if he wasn’t in the office. Doing everything remotely, with firewalls, seemed to be the best option for him, since he never wanted to enter this office.
When it was lunchtime, Ronnie took me somewhere to grab food. I always got lunch for him and myself too, as Derek insisted. I thought it was a good way to make Ronnie feel appreciated, since Derek wasn’t much of a talker.
When I returned to Kelvin Industries, I drove the golf cart to the lab building and walked inside.
Pierre spotted me. “Yes, she’s here.”
“I was about to eat this electron displacer,” Jerome said.
I smiled and carried everything to the table. “It’s interesting that you’re so hungry when you guys used to skip lunch altogether…”
“Now we have something to look forward to.” Pierre winked as he grabbed his food.
I looked past both of them to Derek, who was on the other side of the lab, his arms crossed over his chest in that sexy way, where his elbow rested on his other arm so his fingers could brush across his lips as he remained deep in thought. It always showed how hard and tight his body was, how he was just muscle with some skin on top. He must have shaved that morning because his jaw was nothing but smooth, the hard lines of his jawbone noticeable, but he still looked handsome as hell, especially with those eyes—
Okay, knock it off.
He’s your boss, Emmy.
I took a deep breath and then let it all out.
Good…like it never happened.
I didn’t try to get Derek’s attention because he was obviously deep in thought, and I didn’t want to interrupt him.
He continued to stand there and stare at the piece of machinery he was working on. He started to pace back and forth as he looked at it, his brows furrowed, his eyes focused. It was fascinating to watch him think, so that’s what I did.
Pierre glanced over his shoulder and watched him. “He’ll probably skip lunch today. We’ve been having a lot of problems with this prototype. That’s what you get for pushing innovation to the limit. Fucking nerd…”
My eyes moved back to his. “Excuse me? What did you just call him?”
“What?” Pierre asked playfully. “I’m a nerd too.”
“He’s not a nerd—and neither are you. You guys are working hard to change the future for everyone on this earth. You should show yourself more respect, and if you can’t, then you better show Derek that respect, because he’s the one working his ass off every hour of the clock while you’re home living your lives.”
Pierre had the humility to bow his head as he ate. “Sorry…just a joke.”
Jerome chuckled. “Man, she ripped you to pieces. I like that.”
I grabbed my food. “You guys are all really special people who do something ninety-nine percent of humanity can’t do. Maybe you were called nerds when you were young, but you’re badass now. So just remember that.”
Jerome nodded. “I like it.”
“I’ve never heard a beautiful woman talk about us like that before.” Pierre nudged Jerome in the side. “Imagine if the rest of them were like that.”
“Oh man.” Jerome shook his head. “I wish…”
Derek eventually came to the table and grabbed his food. “Thanks for picking up lunch, Emerson.”
“No problem.” I was afraid he would skip it because he was so focused. I’d rather see him eat, if only for his health. Part of my job, which wasn’t advertised, was taking care of him on a personal level, like making sure he had food in his stomach.
“You’ve got a loyal girl here,” Jerome said. “Pierre was talking shit, and she stepped up.”
I felt my cheeks grow warm.
“I talk so much shit about Pierre, so we’re even.” Derek grabbed his sandwich and took a bite, making a joke instead of taking it seriously.