“Hear me out,” I say. “Edge Gear was always a tongue-in-cheek name, but we’re working on things that are downright revolutionary. I bought VI because I want to integrate your technology with what we’re doing at Edge. I plan to integrate the dev teams. I’m going after a contract worth tens of millions, possibly more, and I think we have a solid shot at it.”
Her eyes widen. “Tens of millions? Contract with who?”
“It’s a government contract,” I say. “Military.”
“Military?” she asks. “You don’t want to weaponize VI’s technology somehow, do you?”
“No,” I say, putting up a hand. “The opposite, actually. We’re developing state of the art protection gear—body armor, without the armor. I’m having some of the latest samples sent up and, honestly, it’s going to blow your mind. If we integrate that with VI’s data capture technology…” My mind swirls with the possibilities, and I get a jolt of adrenaline running through my veins. “Think of what that could do for soldiers in the field. State-of-the art protective gear with data about their physical state being constantly fed to a central location. This is sci-fi shit we’re talking about here.”
She keeps her eyes on me as she sips her drink. I can tell she’s not sure—but she’s not arguing with me, either. I’ll take that as a win.
“This isn’t about toys,” I say. “It’s not about athletic gear. This is a new direction for both companies, but you have to see the potential. Edge and VI are a perfect match for each other. And this contract…” I take a sip of my drink before the adrenaline overtakes me and I start talking too fast. “This contract could be the first of many. There are applications in all branches of the military, not to mention law enforcement and private security. This is going to be huge, Selene.”
“If you’re taking all our resources away from our current projects—”
“No, this would represent an expansion. We’ll still move forward with the next VI product, although of course the timeline to market might have to change.”
“So why are you telling me?” Selene asks.
“Because I need your support,” I say, meeting her eyes. “I need someone from VI on my side. I know the dev team is going to balk, but they respect you. They’ll listen to you.”
“I’m going to need more details before you can expect me to get on board with this,” she says.
“Absolutely,” I say. “When we get back to the office we can go over everything. I’m an open book when it comes to this. I’ll be totally transparent.”
“That’s refreshing,” she says.
I smile. I really do like working with Selene, and not just because I enjoy fantasizing about her. Granted, I do that all the time—all the fucking time, because god, it’s a special kind of torture to spend so much time with this woman and have no access to her in the way I really want. But I feel like I can rely on her, and the list of people I can say that about is very short.
14: Selene
Things are quiet for a while after the conference in Denver. I’m busy acting as go-between for the marketing department and the sales managers, as well as keeping the dev team on track. I fall into a routine of meeting with Ronan over dinner more nights than not. Unless I have a time-sensitive issue, it’s easier to wait and go over everything at once. I try not to think about what Kylie said about office dating. We’ve simply found an efficient way to work together, and if that means we enjoy each other’s company while we eat several nights a week, there’s no harm in that.
Friday night, we finish up our meeting, and some very good Italian food. I’m anxious to get home. Sunday is my birthday, so tonight Braxton, Kylie, and I are meeting up with a bunch of friends for drinks.
I close my laptop and grab my phone. “Thanks for dinner. Again. I’m going to head out.”
“Do you have plans tonight?” Ronan asks.
I pause, suddenly wondering if I should invite him. “I do. It’s my birthday on Sunday, so I’m meeting some friends for drinks tonight. It’s just a casual thing, and the place is a little bit of a dive. But … you could meet us there, if you want.”
He lifts an eyebrow and his dimple puckers. “You want me to come out for drinks with you tonight?”
“It’s a group thing,” I say.
“Sounds kinky, but I’d like to keep you to myself,” he says with a wink.
I roll my eyes and stand. “Well, if you want to come, we’ll be at the Phinney Tavern around nine.”
“Is it really your birthday?” he asks. “How did I not know that?”
“Why would you know my birth date?” I ask. “And yes, it really is. On Sunday, anyway.”
He smiles, sending tingles down my spine. “I’ll be there.”
***