"I should—uh, I just remembered something… I have a meeting." She winced. "Anyway. Nice to meet you."
Before he could respond, she turned and hustled out, like she was missing the last train home.
Noah let out a breath and murmured, "Okay, then."
He was so screwed.
Claire strode briskly to the end of the hall, then practically ran once she turned the corner. When she reached her office, she closed the door and leaned against it, breathing heavily.
"Good gravy! What in the world was that?" she asked aloud.
She'd been looking forward to meeting Noah in person. So far, even with time zone differences and the difficulties of communicating via email, he'd been the best source in helping her get up to speed. His knowledge of how each plant worked and how their processes differed from one another was invaluable in understanding how flexible the system needed to be. With him being local for the next two months, she figured her integration into the company would go faster.
What she hadn't expected was that intense reaction. She'd only meant to double-check her notes against the diagram they'd sketched on the whiteboard in the war room—the nickname for the MADS project's conference room—before her next meeting. But when she heard Noah's voice coming from Larry's office, she'd stepped in. He'd stood up and turned. One look and Claire's mind vacated the building.
Tall, dark, and handsome popped into her head—the cliché calling to mind Lucinda's favorite rom-com movie. She'd blinked a few times to get her thoughts back in line.
They'd exchanged pleasantries, but for the life of her, Claire couldn't recall a single thing they'd said. When Larry left them alone, she'd frozen. Not knowing what to say, she'd gone to examine the sticky notes on the wall, acutely aware of Noah sitting behind her. Her senses screamed into overdrive and flared a warning when he stood and walked over. She'd felt her body temperature rise when he stopped beside her, as if he were a portable radiator giving off heat.
There'd been a brief discussion on the notes, then an awkward silence. Still focused on her bizarre sensitivity to his presence, Claire had clenched her hands together, fighting some undefinable urge to… touch him? Feel the muscles under his designer shirt? She'd fled before she did anything stupid. And now, she stood here wondering what in the Sam Hill had just happened. It was like an out-of-body experience.
Was she afraid of him? Did he remind her of The Jerkwad from NanoTechwise? No, the man had been abrupt and short with her, but never aggressive or mean.
Was she intimidated by him? Maybe a little. Seeing someone on a video screen didn't give a true sense of their physicality in real life. The man stood almost a foot taller and was built like an athlete. Noah was slender, with broad shoulders that tapered to a slim waist. His face wasn't model-pretty, but rugged and interesting. And he was certainly confident. He moved like someone who knew who he was. She could picture those long legs eating up distances as he strode down a hallway in determination.
Claire shook herself. How did she pick up on all that when she could barely look him in the eye? Okay, putting a checkmark by the "intimidated by him" point. But they had to work together, so she needed to get over herself.
The clock on the wall caught her attention, and she squeaked. She was going to be late to her meeting. She gathered her laptop, notepad, and pen, then stopped and went through her "I am woman" routine to settle her nerves. This was a trick she'd picked up in college. She stood still, inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly, then threw her shoulders back and stated, "I am woman. Hear me roar."
Feeling better, she grabbed her things and walked calmly to her next meeting.
Chapter 9
Complications
Following the shock of meeting Claire, Noah had made himself scarce all last week. Which wasn't easy, given that his temporary office was around the corner and Claire continued to pepper him with questions about their internal processes.
He'd just signed his name on the new product line code proposal for the project when Rick walked in.
"You ready for lunch?" he asked.
"Yes." Noah stood and reached for his jacket. Even the sublime weather of Houston in October was subject to the temperamental changes Texas was known for. Yesterday had been t-shirt weather and today was chilly enough that his jumper wasn't enough. Quite the weather change in one day.
"Hey, before we go, I wanted to ask you something." Rick took his glasses off and wiped them on a cloth he'd pulled from his pocket. "Larry's kind of an ass."
Noah laughed. "Is that a question?"
"Nah, I just… He's always pushing your buttons about women. What he said last night at the poker game… Why do you put up with that?"
Noah opened his mouth to deny it, then shrugged. Last night, Larry had made another comment about Noah's alleged bevy of women. "People in this company have long memories. Larry still thinks of me as the twenty-year-old kid he first met. You know the one… the guy with the raging hormones who chased every skirt in sight?"
Rick chuckled. "Yeah, I remember that kid. He lived at my house, too."
Noah snorted. "Well, Larry's at least a decade older than us, and I'm not sure he ever outgrew that kid." They shared a chuckle before he added, "It's easier to ignore him than to correct his overactive imagination. Pick your battles, you know? And honestly, I'd rather him imagine my personal life than actually know about it. The man's the worst gossip you'll ever meet." He donned his jacket and shrugged at the shoulders to settle it into place.
"Yeah, okay. I get it. I also think he's projecting the life he wants to lead onto you. He's jealous. Even so, he doesn't have to be a jerk about it."
Noah swallowed past the lump in his throat. "Hey, thanks for standing up for me. And don't worry about it. He's harmless and never says anything insulting." He and Rick were friends, but that didn't mean they shared their feelings with each other. "Now, where are we going for lunch?"
