Will shrugged helplessly. With his neatly trimmed sideburns and subtly quirky-patterned shirts, he was the sort of affable and easy-natured guy who was hard to dislike.
“Eva.” Mark stuck his head in the door. “I’ve got news.”
My boss’s bright eyes told me he was excited about something. “I’m all ears. Coffee?”
“Sure. Thanks. See you in my office.” He ducked back out again.
Will grabbed his mug off the counter. “Have a good one.”
He left. I hurried to get the coffee ready, then went to Mark’s office. He’d taken his jacket off and was studying something on his monitor. He looked up, smiling when he saw me.
“We’ve got a new RFP request.” His smile widened. “And they asked for me specifically.”
I tensed. Setting his coffee down, I asked warily, “Is it another Cross Industries product?”
As much as I loved Gideon and admired all that he’d accomplished, I didn’t want to be totally overshadowed by his world. Part of who we were as a couple was two people who had separate working lives. I enjoyed riding to work with my husband, but I needed to say good-bye to him, too. I needed those few hours when he didn’t consume me.
“No, it’s bigger.”
My brows rose. I couldn’t think of anything or anyone bigger than Cross Industries.
Mark slid a picture of a silver-and-red box across the desk to me. “It’s the new PhazeOne gaming system from LanCorp.”
I settled into the seat in front of his desk with an inner sigh of relief. “Sweet. Sounds fun.”
—
IT was a little after eleven when Megumi called to see if I was free for lunch.
“Of course,” I told her.
“Someplace quiet.”
I considered our options. “I’ve got an idea. Leave it to me.”
“Great. Thanks.”
I sat at my desk. “How’s your morning been?”
“Busy. I have to get caught up.”
“Let me know if I can help with anything.”
“Thank you, Eva.” She took a deep, shaky breath, her composure slipping. “I appreciate you.”
We hung up. I called Gideon’s office, and his secretary answered.
“Hey, Scott. It’s Eva. How are you?”
“I’m good.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “What can I do for you?”
My feet tapped restlessly. I couldn’t help but be worried about my friend. “Could you ask Gideon to give me a call when he has a free minute?”
“I’ll put you through now.”
“Oh. Okay, great. Thanks.”
“Hang on.”