“Me too.” Someone had irrevocably altered two lives. “It wouldn’t have changed much for Olivia and me, but some justice would’ve been nice.”
“You just keep doing what you’re doing,” Maxwell said. “The more settled and rehabbed our CEO appears, the more it calms stockholders.”
This is what my life had come down to. Life decisions for the sake of financial success.
Maxwell looked scornfully at the sawdust that now covered the toes of his dress shoes. “And how is this wife of yours?”
“Olivia’s okay,” I said. “If you like the vapid, shrewish type.”
“She’s also quite pretty.”
I led us out of Max’s office. “Hadn’t noticed.”
He gave a snort. “Right.”
I glanced at my watch. “We have two minutes until the meeting. You know I can’t stand to be late.” Ignoring Maxwell’s eye roll, I escorted my favorite grumpy CFO to a room three doors down. We settled in at a conference table the previous occupants had left and fired up our laptops.
“Thanks again for being here.” I clicked a link that would begin our remote meeting. “I don’t care what your wife and kids say, Maxwell. You’re a nice man. Even moderately tolerable on occasion.”
“My family will like me even better when I get out of their hair and work in Arkansas half the year.” He pulled a water bottle out of his messenger bag. “Don’t get too attached to my face,” Maxwell said as he joined the virtual meeting. “I’m headed back to San Francisco this evening.”
“There goes my idea for a slumber party.” I smiled toward my laptop screen and greeted my design team. “Good morning, God’s gift to gaming. Let’s get started.”
We had a full agenda and wasted no time. I met with each department once a week and made sure my hand was always in the mix. Even though I did very little of the design these days beyond initial plotting and illustration, no detail went to production that wasn’t approved by me.
“How’s the new game going?” Zinna, one of my senior designers asked me. “How long until we see the concept map?”
“Still noodling on some things,” I told her. “The characters are locked in. I’ll get those ideas to you soon.” Digital characters I understood. Their wants and needs were obvious and so gloriously basic. InMars Wars, Captain Triton aimed to save the world and rescue Princess Serafina. Easy stuff. The good captain should try figuring outrealpeople. Now that was where things got difficult.
“Let’s shoot for Friday on the concept map,” Zinna said.
“Leave him alone,” Reggie Benson told her. “Boss in still on his honeymoon.”
“Maybe next time you can invite us to the wedding,” Kalpesh said. “Or at least the after-party.”
“Everything happened very quickly.” I stared at the tiles of faces I depended on daily. “And unfortunately, no reception.”
“That’s a real shame,” said Maxwell with zero conviction. “But your team decided to bring the reception to you.” Stoic old Max stepped into the hall for a few moments, and when he returned, darned if he wasn’t carrying a cake.
“He shipped cake to all of us,” said Zinna. “From your favorite bakery in the Valley.”
All twenty designers held up a slice of cake. Some donned party hats while others blew into obnoxious noisemakers that I knew drove Maxwell nuts. “This is amazing, guys. I can’t thank you enough. Raises for everyone.”
“Really?” Kalpesh asked.
“Definitely not.” Maxwell handed me a plate. “But, Lachlan, we wish you and Olivia well.”
“To a long and happy marriage!” Reggie shouted.
Maxwell crossed his arms over his suit jacket and found one of his rare grins. “Looks like Captain Triton finally got his princess.”
ChapterFifteen
OLIVIA
“I see you’re alive.”
These were the first words that greeted me as I entered Lachlan’s kitchen that night. I’d had to repeat our story all day, and after work I’d driven to my apartment on autopilot before realizing that was no longer where I lived. Had I shed a few angry, hot tears on the way to Lachlan’s? Only the dark of my car and a box of tissues stuffed in my console knew.
