He slid the mug across to me, then moved around the table, assembling a small plate of finger sandwiches and fruit before placing it in front of me. He prepared a similar plate for himself, then settled into the chair adjacent to mine.
I opened my laptop, grateful for the distraction of work. “Where should we start?”
“That’s your call.” Jack booted up his own computer. “This is your system.”
I tapped my fingers against the table, considering. “Well, if it were truly my system, the entire company’s processes would be digitized by now. Half of our inefficiencies come from outdated systems.”
“Fuck yes.” Jack’s tone was so emphatic, it surprised a laugh out of me.
The sound seemed to catch him off guard. His eyes fixed on my face, his expression shifting to something intense and almost... wondering? For a moment, he just stared, and I felt heat crawl up my neck.
“What?” I was suddenly feeling very self-conscious.
He blinked, as if pulling himself back from somewhere far away. “Nothing. You were saying about digitization?”
I cleared my throat, trying to regain my professional footing. “It’s overdue.”
“So why hasn’t it been implemented already?”
I hesitated, choosing my words carefully. “Some people in leadership feel that the current systems work perfectly fine asthey are. They believe there’s no need to change something that isn’t broken.”
“Which people?” His tone made it clear he already knew the answer.
I hesitated again, not wanting to throw anyone under the bus. Professional loyalty ran deep, even when it came to Porter.
His eyes were locked on mine. “Porter?”
My expression must have given me away because he nodded, question answered.
“He’s been... resistant to technological updates,” I admitted, keeping my voice neutral. “He’s concerned about disrupting established workflows, since everything is already going so well.”
“If they were working perfectly well,” Jack said dryly, “the company wouldn’t be on the brink of financial collapse and there would be no need for me to be here.”
“Exactly!” I gestured emphatically with my coffee cup. “Anyway, he’s always been like that, so it’s not going to change any time soon.”
Jack nodded, but his focus had shifted to my untouched plate. “You don’t like the food?” His voice held a note of concern that made my chest tighten.
“Oh, no, it looks great,” I said quickly. “I just got distracted.” Well, that was a bare faced lie. But I couldn’t tell him the truth, because the truth was fucking embarrassing. I hated eating in front of people and that’s all there was to it.
But Jack was watching me with a doubtful expression that bordered on worry.
Huffing out a breath, I reached for a small sandwich just to set his mind at ease.
I took a bite, hyper-aware of his eyes on me. The sandwich was actually delicious, cucumber and cream cheese on soft bread, and I realized how hungry I actually was.
Jack watched me for a moment, then satisfaction flickered in his hazel eyes.
Only when I reached for a second sandwich did he pick up his own plate and take a bite.
“Okay,” he said, his tone shifting back to business, “Let’s get into it.”
Gathering my hair in my hands, I pulled it over my shoulder. “Yes, let’s.”
We fell into a rhythm, leaning over spreadsheets, comparing notes, and building a framework for company-wide implementation. The minutes slipped into hours as we worked, and I was startled when Jack glanced at his watch and frowned.
“It’s after ten. We should call it a night.”
I blinked, surprised by how quickly the time had passed. “Already?”
