Page 53 of The Deception: Hercules Valentine and I
Say Yes, Say No, SayOh…
Paisley Grove
At the end of a long day, I’m on my way home. After dodging a bullet over hot dogs with Hercules, I decided to be extra careful. I directed all my energy into gettingShop-a-Lotup and running as fast as possible. Success will provide a cushion for my fall from grace when Hercules learns who I really am.
Tinsley, in marketing, was able to get our sample version pushed to the one hundred thousand gamers who already used our products, and eighty-three percent of them preordered the game. Even though Mason looked pale and kept coughing, his bloodshot eyes danced with excitement. “That’s the highest percentage point we ever hit.”
He then asked if I could come up with a product that would propel us closer to the top. I knew what he meant. He wanted to catch up with my family. He wanted to be a real competitor with GIT.
I already showed him how our compression technology can enhance an RLHI, but I almost told him about Pro-Guide, the idea that I came up with a few nights ago. It’s at the top of my list. What I like most about Pro-Guide is that if I can get VTI and GIT working together on a winner, then it can probably end the silly feud between our families. I’m still confused about why the Groves and Valentines don’t like each other anyway. I’ve heard Grandfather say that all is fair in business and war. I’ve known him to forgive other companies who tried to get around our licensing agreement, hack our infrastructure, and circumvent our copyrights.If we could forgive them, why not extend the same grace to the Valentines?Deep down, the bad blood between us just never made any sense to me.
However, GIT engineers have always had a problem getting their RLHI, or real-light-human-image, to move within the average range of motion without a one-second pause. I identified the problem, but I could never fix it—that is, not until I applied the VSC chip. There’s no way I would play dirty and steal VTI’s technology. That’s why I never briefed Max about what I’ve been working on. He would insist I send him the code and then have one of his guys figure out a work-around. Treasure was right about Max. Sometimes his actions can be just plain old evil.
But I’ve been thinking that if I can convince Mason to approach Killian Masters, captain of products and technology at GIT, then the two of them could possibly work together to marry VSC and RLHI. Only Killian can convince Max to work with Mason.I hope.And I think that I can convince Hercules to work with Killian.
By the end of the day, my whole team was so wiped that everyone went home, canceling their regular Friday happy hour at In2It Bar and Grill, which is a few blocks away from the building.
So now I’ve reached my building. As soon as I walk into my apartment, I hear my cellphone ring. It’s not my personal device—it’s my work phone, which means the call is for Lark Davenport.
I dig the phone out of my coat pocket and put it against my ear. “Hello.”
“Hey,” a sexy voice croons.
“Hercules?”
“What are you doing?”
My chest tightens.Say you’re busy.“Nothing.”
“I want to see you.”
“Um…” I look around my living room, confused.
“My driver’s gone home for the day. How about I pick you up and bring you over to my place for dinner?”
Say no.“Okay. Sure.”
Not only was that the wrong answer, but I didn’t even pause before agreeing to do something I know I shouldn’t do. I'm playing with fire. But what the hell—I'm already burning.
* * *
I raceto my bedroom to strip out of my clothes and then run into the bathroom. Hercules is supposed to call when he’s in front of my building. I’ve turned the volume up on my cellphone so that I can hear it ring.
I soap all the parts that might get touched by Hercules tonight.This is a dangerous move, Paisley.The closer he and I are for long periods of time, the more I risk him figuring out my identity. But I can’t stay away from him.
Max can never know Hercules and I are involved. However, a small part of me wants to hear from my brother. Only he could shake some sense into me and make me step out of the flames. I’m surprised he hasn’t reached out to me—especially after our last conversation.
Well… I’m sure as hell not going to call him.
I get out of the shower and rub a sweet-scented body cream on my skin. Treasure gifted the stuff to me on one of my birthdays. I can’t remember which. Since it has pheromones in it, she said I should use it wisely.
“There’s no such thing as pheromones,” I said to her.
“Oh yes, there is. Wear this shit, and you’ll see.”
Tonight, I shall see.
After moisturizing my skin, I grab a pair of jeans but then change my mind. A dress gives Hercules easy access to my underworld.But is that what he wants from me—sex?Of course it is. It’s what I want too. But I also want more. I want his heart and his soul.
