Page 79 of Not Bad for a Girl

“Melvin Hammer was not involved with the creation or implementation of this project. And maybe it’s time we stop promoting him and throwing him from department to department until he floats. Just sayin’.” I paused for a second, then looked out into the darkness until I found Shane’s face.

“I don’t regret the way this all went down, but I do regret that it hurtmy friend Shane Dalton. I’m very thankful that you’ve forgiven me. And I’d love it if you would go out on another date with me. That’s all.”

I gave the mic to Evan and jumped down from the stage but had a last-minute thought and scrambled back up. I pulled the mic, still in Evan’s hand, over to my face and added, “And by the way, I quit.” Then I jumped back down and went off to find my table.

I didn’t get too far before there was another voice, one I vaguely recognized, calling me back to the stage. I grumbled under my breath because I didn’t want to go back, but I turned around anyway and found the guy from this morning (David, was it?) holding the microphone and looking from me to Melvin expectantly.

Uh-oh. Team Poseidon had seemed a bit cliché, given the Greek god theme Apollo had going on, but you never knew. I climbed back up on the stage and crossed my arms. “What?” I asked.

Instead, David turned to Melvin. “You’ve worked closely with S.J. on this project, correct?”

Melvin nodded, but his eyes were wider than usual. I wondered if he was sweating. I wasn’t. At this point, I couldn’t care less what these people thought of me.

“What does S.J. stand for?” David asked Melvin, then put the mic in his face.

“Um…Sharpe? Sharpe…Jabs?” he whispered.

“Sharp Jabs,” David repeated. “Is that your final answer?”

“No?” Melvin said.

“What does S.J. Sharpe look like?”

“Uh, he’s athletic, graying hair, a little like me, actually,” Melvin said, gaining steam as he spoke.

David turned to me. “What does S.J. stand for?”

“Sharp Jabs,” I deadpanned, then couldn’t control the giggles.

David narrowed his eyes at me.

“Sorry, that’s way funnier than it should be. Who names their kid Jabs?” I tried to tamp down the giggles. “Her name is Sara Jean. She uses initials to combat misogyny in the workforce. Like, you know, when she might have to deal with people like Melvin. She tried to introduce herself to him, but he dismissed her. Sound familiar?” I asked the audience.

Quite a few visible nods.

“So you never met S.J. in person,” David said to Melvin.

“Oh, he did,” I interjected. “And he didn’t make a very good impression. By the way, who are you?” I asked.

“I’m David Olsen, CEO of Apollo IT.”

I felt like someone had splashed cold water over me. Saying “Sharp Jabs” was no longer as funny as it had been. “I really wish you’d introduced yourself earlier,” I muttered to him off mic.

“You wouldn’t have been as honest if I had, would you?” he murmured back.

“Eh, probably still would have.”

“I think, under the circumstances, Indiana should continue the presentation. I know you’re all very interested to know exactly how this interface works and what went into making the dream a reality.” David handed the microphone to me and leaned over. “But maybe less long-winded this time?” he muttered. Then he made eye contact with Melvin. “You’re fired.”

Melvin sputtered and grabbed at David’s shoulder. “You and I should go somewhere and talk. I can explain everything. This young lady—”

I looked at the mic in my hand, a little stunned, and turned back tothe crowd. “Get up here, Mike, Allen, and Bruce,” I said. “Well, maybe not Bruce.” He wasn’t looking so good. They made their way through the crowd and joined Evan and me onstage. Then I happily took the audience through the innovation and hard work that had led to the product, giving credit at each point where credit was due.

Chapter 20

That evening, I found myself sitting at the edge of a fountain outside the ballroom, my shoes off, feeling a little tipsy and content. Shane had draped his suit jacket over my shoulders, which I loved, and I leaned into him as I relaxed. Nothing about this trip had gone as expected, and now that it was coming to an end, I didn’t want it to end. I knew Hopper needed me back at home, but—

I sat up straight, suddenly feeling very sober.

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