Page 25 of Work with Me

“You have plans for lunch?” That was Cooper. His anger went from zero to sixty faster than my Lamborghini Aventador, but it evaporated just as quickly.

“Yeah. Some fucker’s making me work through lunch to fix the goddamn code.”

“Not today. Today your best friend wants to take you out. Then you can fix the goddamn code.”

“Fine.” For the first time that day, I smiled. “I’ll meet you in the lobby in ten.”

On the way back to our work area to tell the team I was leaving for lunch, I heard familiar voices coming from the conference room where we’d had our asses handed to us earlier.

“I’m sorry. So fucking sorry. Sorry, sofreakingsorry. And now Jay’s getting his a— his behind chewed out, and it’s my fault. I guess he was mad at you, too.” Tyler’s voice broke.

“It’s not your fault,” Alicia said so gently even I felt better. “Like I said in the review, it’s mine. I let you guys think you could break our process. I took the easy way out. I won’t do it again. And you won’t go all Lone Ranger on me again, will you?”

“No. Promise.”

Fuck. These were things I should’ve said to him. But here was Alicia, being a leader. Not like Cooper with his flashfire anger or like me with my jokes, but with gentle words that actually made Tyler feel better. She was a pro. I patted my pockets for a notepad.

“You’re a good programmer.” Behind the frosted glass, Alicia’s form moved closer to Tyler. Was she touching his back? I wished I could see what she was doing. So I could take notes on her coaching methods. Not because I wished she’d rub my back and make it all better. “You’ve got a lot of potential. You just need to work on your discipline. I’d like you to partner up with Amit again next sprint. He’s steady and careful, and he can teach you a lot.”

Unlike me. I was a fuckup who couldn’t teach anyone anything. I’d tried to turn it all around—the project, myself—and still failed. Shoving my hands in my pockets, I shuffled to our workspace, told Kevin I was headed to lunch, and walked back toward the stairs, keeping my eyes on the hardwood planks to avoid checking out the conference room where Alicia was making Tyler a better programmer, no expensive certification or thick coding guides required.

“Jay!” Before I had a chance to look up, I was enveloped in Jamila’s jasmine scent and crushed by her embrace. I hugged her back.

“What are you doing here?” I stepped back, taking in her perfectly pressed, plum-colored business suit and cherry-red silk blouse. The colors blazed against her dark skin.

She grinned. “I told you I was coming to check on you.”

“You didn’t come all the way from California to check on me.” God, I hoped not. If so, I was in deeper shit than I’d thought.

“Looks like I needed to. Those boots? Just no, honey.” She shook her head.

I glanced down at them. If only I could give them up. But Cooper hadn’t gotten the message yet. “When in Austin, do as the Austonians do, right?”

“Austinites, Jay.”

“Whatever. Whyareyou here?”

“I’m giving a talk tomorrow at the Texas Women Engineers’ Association. I flew out with Cooper a day early so I could check in with Alicia. And you. You treating her right?”

“Um—”

“Jamila!” Alicia jogged up to us, arms wide.For Jamila. What would it be like to have her look at me like that, open her arms to me? Heaven. I scowled and shoved my hands into my pockets.

The women hugged, and then Jamila stepped back. “This one’s behaving himself, then?”

Alicia’s eyebrows shot up her forehead. “Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t think you’ve met. This is Jackson Jones.”

Jamila roared out a laugh. “She’s got your number, Jay.” Hooking her elbow through Alicia’s, she pivoted in her red-soled heels and strode toward the stairs. “Now, tell me everything.”

I watched the tops of their heads, one blond, one black, disappear down the stairs. Two smart, successful women. One liked me—or at least fondly indulged me—and the other despised me. Especially after my role in today’s disaster. And after being reamed out by Cooper.

I scratched my beard. Alicia had known me for only two weeks, and she already knew what a fuckup I was. She’d categorized me as an obstacle to be dealt with and corrected. Not an equal or a partner. And she was right: she’d stepped up as the leader today, not me. I could learn a lot from her.

I needed to keep my head down, do what I was told, do the fucking work. Act like her teammate, not a rival. Maybe she’d still hate me, but at least I wouldn’t fuck up anything else.

10

ALICIA

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