eyes that seemed to look right through you. “You’re interested in renewable energy?”
“Very much so. I’m interested in anything that’s important to our future.” Diana stepped toward me, tilting her head slightly as she inspected me. “So far I haven’t come across that many women in your field. Not that there aren’t any. It’s just very male dominated.”
“Engineering tends to be.” I shrugged as if to say, “What can you do?”
“True. I was telling Jackson I’ve been looking to invest with a renewable energy company but I’m very cautious about where I put my money and my own energy.” She gave me a cool smile. “I don’t like male-dominated companies. I like diversification. I like passion. I like to know that a company hires the best because they are the best and not because they have a dick.”
Blinking at her blunt language, I felt a bubble of laughter on my lips as I wished Rhys were over here. He’d like her forthright manner.
This time I blinked because, whoa.
When did Rhys become part of my equations?
“I almost passed over Horus when I saw there were no women on their roster. But then you showed up and not only that, according to Jackson here, you’ve shown up impressively. There are no other companies using a model like yours. Which is why you’re gaining the traction you are abroad.”
I nodded, knowing all this but wondering where Diana was going with it.
“I have a real passion for green energy, Parker.”
Excited to hear that, my nervousness melted away and I found myself conversing with Diana Crichton Jones about our model, about the urgent need we had as a world, not just a nation, to introduce the right infrastructure to institute electric-only vehicles, about corruption, about the true effectiveness of wind energy, solar panels … we even talked about my little hybrid bike. She was thinking about buying one.
Diana. Crichton. Jones.
If I could convert one billionaire at a time in this country to go green, I might save the planet.
Okay, that was melodramatic, but this was exciting stuff!
“You were right.” Diana smiled at Jackson, whom I’d almost forgotten was there with Camille. “Parker is everything you said she was.”
Jackson grinned. “Yes, she is.”
Diana sobered. “I’m interested. Leave it with me.”
My boss turned serious too. “Excellent.” He raised his glass to her.
She nodded at him, then Camille, and then turned to shake my hand. “It was nice to meet you, Parker. We’ll hopefully speak again soon.”
“Yes.” I was suspicious about what had just passed between her and my boss, and those suspicions meant I hoped I’d speak with her again soon too. “I’d like that.”
With that, she departed, crossing the lawn to stop at the side of a tall, distinguished-looking gentleman who slid his arm around her waist and leaned down to whisper intimately in her ear. I turned to Jackson.
“What was that?”
Jackson was beaming from ear to ear. “I was glad I hired you when you made those changes to the model. Now, I thank fuck I hired you, Parker.”
Camille laughed at his side as my eyes widened at his effusive cursing.
“I don’t understand.”
“Hopefully, you will. Very soon.”
Suspicions formed in my head, a little glimmer in the back of my consciousness that clung to the hope that Jackson was working on replacing Fairchild. He could just be attempting to bring in a new investor alongside Fairchild so there was no point getting my hopes up.
But it was hard for a girl not to dream.
Jackson and Camille wandered off, leaving me speculating over our interaction with Diana. I searched the lawn for Rhys. He was no longer out there with Fairchild. Thankfully, I couldn’t see my parents either.
Or maybe not so thankfully.
Anxiety ripped through me at the idea they might have hunted Rhys down and were “interrogating” him. Hurrying across the lawn back to the house, relief flooded me when I saw Rhys step outside. I knew he’d been watching for me by the way he strode deliberately toward me.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, a little breathlessly. “I got caught up with Diana Crichton Jones, who is a billionaire with a passion for green energy. I think I convinced her to buy a hybrid electric bike. Can you believe that? Diana Crichton Jones on an electric bike.”
Rhys’s lips twitched as he studied my face. “Converting people to green really gets you going, huh?”
I shrugged, glancing at the party behind me. “It’s more fun than talking about terrible nannies, investments, and where I plan to summer.” I turned