From his kneeling position on the floor, he looks at me with a cute frown. “Sorry about this.” He puts the pieces together and smiles at the writing on the side of the mug: Yoda the best boss in the galaxy.

  “Don’t worry,” I say. “Maria got me that; she’d be proud of the way it met its end.”

  Thomas throws the shards into the bin, and just like that, the office is back in shape. Almost. The desk is still slightly crooked, but there’s nothing to be done. My desk may not be level ever again, and I’m okay with that. Worth it.

  I catch Thomas’s eye just as he looks away from the desk. We burst out laughing. Then he drops an arm on my shoulders and steers me out of the office.

  K-2P is outside. He wheels past us sputtering. “If you’re done sating your base human instincts, I’d like to plug in for the night.”

  “Good night.” I lean in for a kiss to the dome but he wheezes past me, indignantly muttering, “You think you can kiss your droid with that mouth?”

  I stare up at Thomas, beaming and blushing. “Fair enough.”

  He drops a kiss on top of my head. “Come, Campbell, I’m driving you home.”

  Because of the late hour and all the extracurricular activities, I almost fall asleep in the car. But as we stop in front of my building, I’m suddenly wide awake again.

  “Do you want to come up?” I ask.

  Thomas turns to me, hands still on the wheel, his expression positively ravenous. “I’d love nothing more, babe…”

  “But?”

  “But I have to see my dad early tomorrow morning and I’d better show up with at least a few hours of sleep under my belt and in a clean suit.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.”

  Still, I unbuckle my seatbelt and shave at least another half hour of sleep from under him. That’s how long our goodnight kiss takes.

  “See you tomorrow,” I whisper, biting my swollen lips, and before I can change my mind, I hop out of the car and run the few steps up to my building.

  When I get back into bed, many hours later than I’d initially planned, I fall asleep the moment my face hits the pillow.

  35

  THOMAS

  The following morning, I strut into Mercer Industries’ headquarters not nearly rested enough but still feeling on top of the world. Reese loves me. The smartest, most beautiful woman on the planet has chosen me. Is in love with me. I stroll past the entrance, parading myself like a king.

  The extra spring in my gait, however, comes to a screeching halt the second I push past the turnstiles, and my father’s personal assistant zeros in on me from across the lobby. Monica’s heels clack loudly on the marble floors as she marches toward me and, not so gently, grabs me by the elbow to steer me toward the elevators. “Your father wants to see you in his office.”

  I check my watch. “Our appointment isn’t for another half an hour.”

  “This cannot wait, Thomas.”

  Uh-oh. If Monica is using my first name, then something terrible must’ve happened.

  The ride up to the fiftieth floor is silent and tension-ridden.

  When I can no longer bear suspense, I mouth, “A heads-up would be nice.”

  Monica stares up at me and blushes, subtly shaking her head.

  Okay, I should be in for an interesting meeting, then.

  When we get to my father’s office, the door is open.

  Monica signals for me to go in then she bolts for the safety of her desk.

  I knock on the open door to make my presence known and step into the office.

  The head of Human Resources is sitting in a chair, back ramrod straight while my dad is standing, shoulders tense as he faces the wall-wide windows.

  Keeping his back turned, he speaks. “Imagine my surprise this morning, son, when the head of security called me saying we had a situation that needed my attention.”

  I know better than to ask what the situation is; he’s going to tell me.

  Instead of speaking, my dad turns and with a remote in his hand, points at a flat screen mounted on a transportable cart.

  As soon as he pushes play, the screen lights up on black and white footage of the robotics R&D lab.

  Initially, K-2P and I are the only ones in the frame, then Reese joins us and I wince, knowing what comes next.

  The footage is muted, but if there ever was no need for sound in a motion picture, this is it.

  “Do we have to watch the whole thing?” I ask, gritting my teeth.

  “Both Grant and I”—he gestures at the HR director—“the security guards on duty last night, and the head of security have already watched it. I thought a replay might bring you up to speed on the delicacy of my conundrum.”

  “If you really need a father-son teachable moment.”

  I have mixed feelings as I watch Reese on the screen as she removes her hoodie. On one side, damn, she’s sexy, and she’s mine. On the other, I really don’t appreciate how many people have seen this.

  After Reese and I barrel into the office, my dad pushes the fast-forward button and keeps it pressed. For. A. Long. Time.

  He raises an eyebrow. “At least you did the Mercer stamina justice.”

  The recording ends with Reese and I walking out of the lab.

  Another push of a button and the screen goes dark.

  My dad drops the remote on his desk with a loud clunk. He’s still standing, and that doesn’t bode well.

  “While fraternization among employees who are not in a direct reporting line to each other isn’t forbidden, you’ll be Dr. Campbell’s supervisor soon. Regardless, the usage of office facilities for dalliances is highly proscribed. A fireable offense.”

  Dread creeps down my spine like a stream of molten lava. “Dad⁠—”

  He raises a hand to silence me.

  “Now, I can’t very well fire you, nor Dr. Campbell it seems, at least if I don’t want to leave this company open to several potential lawsuits⁠—”

  “Reese would never⁠—”

  “You don’t know what she would or wouldn’t do.” He’s not shouting, but the deadly calm in his voice is far worse. “When I assigned you to her division a month ago, I didn’t imagine her foolhardy enough to become involved with my son. Or to have sex with him in her office.

  “Now, Grant assures me that as long as you both sign a module saying the relations were consensual and no harassment has taken place, we should be covered from the brunt of potential legal repercussions.

  “The head of security has already wiped the company drives of all recordings, the phones of the security guards on duty last night were checked for eventual second-hand footage, and they both came out clean. I’m confident we can keep the video from being leaked to the press. The tabloids would surely have a field day with such material.”

  My dad nods at the head of HR, and Grant stands up, handing me two sheets of paper. “Please sign one, and have Dr. Campbell sign the other.”

  “Thank you, Grant.” My dad dismisses him. “Please close the door on the way out.”

  Once my dad and I are alone, there’s a long beat of silence before he sighs and finally sits at his desk. “I expected better from you.” He lets the words sink in, lets them hurt a little before he continues, “I get it, you’re young and hot-blooded, Thomas, but she’s an employee. And you have responsibilities, or you will have them soon once you sit in this chair. You can’t keep on acting like an unruly teenager whose actions have no consequences.”

  I take the chair opposite him. “Dad, this is not what it looks like.”

  “No? Then what is it, Thomas?” His voice is hard, but there’s a glimmer of sadness in his eyes. “Didn’t you just get caught on camera having sex with an employee? How do you suppose anyone is going to respect you—or her—if news gets around? Already getting the heads of production and sales at Mercer Robotics to accept you as the new CEO was going to be hard, now it’s going to be near damn impossible.”

  “Good.”

  His eyes narrow. “What do you mean good?”

  “I don’t want to be CEO of Mercer Robotics.”

  He leans back in his chair. “Let me guess, something to do with Dr. Campbell.”

  “She won’t date me if I’m her boss.”

  “I have substantial video evidence to the contrary.”

  I wince again. “Last night was a lapse in judgment, I’ll give you that, but it wasn’t just sex. I’m in love with her, Dad. That’s why I wanted to see you this morning because I can’t be at Mercer Robotics. I want to move to a different division.”

  “You’ve just been announced to the board.”

  “Then unannounce me.”

  Dad massages his temples. “Have you any idea how immature that sounds? I can’t present a succession plan to the board and then call them a month later and say I’ve changed my mind. That’s no way of conducting business, it’d make me—us—look ridiculous.”

  I take a deep breath and steady my nerves. “Dad, I understand that, but a board of crusty old men is not my priority right now. I love Reese, and I can’t lose her.”

  My dad leans back in his chair; I can practically see the cogs whirring furiously in his head. He thought he’d brought me here for a scolding and instead, I’m the one dishing out the medicine.

  “Okay,” he finally concedes. “But you can’t leave right away.”

  “Why not?”

  “I need to come up with a presentable alternative before you switch divisions.”

  “How long are we talking here? How much time do you need?”

  “Give me six months.”

  36

  REESE

  When I walk into the lab the next morning, my belly flutters as I remember what happened here last night. I shake my head in an effort to chase the memories away, and head straight for Ari’s station. I want to share with her the idea of switching to torque control.

  But as I approach her desk, it’s hard not to be reminded of how I kissed Thomas for the first time against her worktable, or how he flipped me onto the tooling bench next door.

  My flashbacks aren’t the only unusuality today. There also seems to be an odd amount of chatting around the lab. My normally quiet, introverted engineers are buzzing with a weird energy.

  Or maybe I’m just projecting my over-excited mental state onto them.

  I reach Ari and attempt to concentrate on work and nothing else.

  “Hey, Ari,” I greet her.

  “Morning, boss.”

  “Listen, I had an idea last night to solve our calibration problem. What if we switched to a predictive method based on torque control?”

  “You mean instead of using sensors?”

  “Exactly. Use the dynamic and friction models coupled with the motor current to predetermine the user intentions.”

  “Why?”

  “So that the inertia of the operator will stop messing our readings?”

  “The operator.” Ari’s eyes widen. “The inertia, of course.”

  I’m about to ask how long it will take us to develop the new model when a burst of chuckling explodes at the nearby station. I didn’t make that up. That’s definitely abnormal behavior.

  “Hey, what’s going on?” I ask Ari. “Did something happen?”

  Ari shrugs. “There’s gossip going around that someone made a sex tape in the lab last night.”

  My cheeks drain of color while also flaming up at the same time.

  “A-a s-sex tape?” My eyes dart to the ceiling where, sure enough, tiny dome security cameras dot the corners. Oh. My. Gosh! How did I never notice those?

  “Yeah, someone heard from someone who overheard it from the security guards on duty last night talking at the vending machines. They’ve been trying to bribe K-2P all morning to tell them who it was, but so far, he hasn’t budged.”

  They don’t know it was me. Or Thomas. Or me with Thomas. Still, I panic. But I can’t have a meltdown in front of the entire floor.

  I do my best to keep my voice steady as I say, “Please, work out some projections on what it’d take to switch to torque control.”

  Ari eyes me sideways. “Are you okay, boss?”

  I don’t know what distress signals I’m sending, but it must be something if she’s picked up on it. I’d better hide and not show my face around for the rest of eternity.

  “Yeah, I’m super.” I force a fake smile that I hope doesn’t make me look like I’m having a stroke. “I’ll be in my office if you need me.”

  I speed-walk across the lab and shut myself into the private space of my office. In a panic, I check the ceiling. No cameras here, thank goodness. Next, I take in the crooked desk that seemed so romantic last night and that now only screams reckless and stupid at me. Its helpless listing incriminating me all by itself.

  How could I have let myself be so careless? I could lose my job, my reputation, everything I’ve worked for. My heart pounds in my chest as I attempt to come up with a plan to cover our tracks.

  Does Thomas know? Who knows? Who’s seen the video? Were our faces recognizable?

  Oh gosh, oh gosh. I stripped right in the middle of the lab.

  I’m pacing the office, hands in my hair, when the door bangs open and Garrett, face red, contorted in rage, accuses, “It was you, wasn’t it? With him.” The way he says “him” drips with hatred.

  I play dumb. “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “The sex tape. It was you. I’ve seen the way you look at him, like a bitch in heat.”

  The violence of the words shocks me. “D-Don’t be ridiculous,” I stutter.

  Garrett slams his fist on the door, making the glass rattle in its frame. “I’m not an idiot, Reese. Everyone is whispering about it.”

  The reaction is so unexpected I don’t know how to react. I’m full-on panicking when Maria appears next to Garrett.

  She takes in Garrett’s angry stance, my shocked one, and asks, “What’s going on here? Are you okay?”

  I think she’s talking to me, but Garrett answers her, spewing more venom, “No, I’m not okay. Unless you think our boss sleeping her way to the top is okay.”

  My jaw drops in shock as I stare at Garrett in disbelief.

  Maria’s eyes widen at his accusation before she glares at him and chides, “That’s enough, Garrett. You have no right to make such accusations.”

  He scoffs and storms out of the room, leaving me reeling from his outburst.

  “Reese, are you okay?” Maria asks as she steps into my office fully.

  “I don’t know,” I reply. “Please close the door.”

  Maria does as I ask, and then she studies me, leaning against the closed door with her back.

  I look at her. “What are the chances no one heard him say I’m the one who made the sex tape?”

  Her jaw slacks. “Oh my gosh, it was you?”

  I nod.

  “Thomas?”

  Another nod.

  I’m expecting judgment, or scorn, or at least a disapproving look. But Maria’s face breaks out into a huge grin. “Well, good for you.”

  “What?” I ask incredulously.

  “I mean, it’s not like you did it during work hours or anything. It’s your personal life. And if I had a chance to nail such a hot piece of manly ass, I would.” She waves at the surrounding space. “I wouldn’t care much about the premises either. Sometimes passion can’t be contained.”

  I’m floored. “But what about the implications for my job? My reputation? Everyone will say I’m a slut trying to sleep her way to the top. Garrett already did.”

  “Garrett’s a jealous idiot.” Maria shrugs. “Honestly, if people want to talk, they’ll talk no matter what. And if you’re good at your job, that’s what matters in the end.”

  I stare at her, still reeling from Garrett’s accusation but also comforted by her unexpected response. For a second, I even let myself believe everything will be all right.

  But then there’s another knock on the door and Lizzie comes in.

  “What can I do for you?”

  She hardly meets my gaze. “I need your signature on these mechanic parts orders.” When she’s done talking, her lips press into a hard, disapproving line.

  I sign the purchase order and hand the documents back to her. “Thanks, boss,” she says, the word “boss” definitely dripping with condescension.

  “Did you hear that?” I ask Maria once Lizzie is gone.

  “Hear what?”

  “The way she said boss, like she despises me.”

  Maria tilts her head. “I didn’t notice anything. You’re projecting.”

  I’m about to reply when another knock resounds on the door, and I might very well lose it.

  I definitely lose it when I say, “Come in,” and Thomas walks into the room in a light-gray suit, looking like salvation and damnation all at once.

  A bunch of contrasting emotions explode inside me: solace and despair, want and rejection, regret and longing, and a need to simultaneously claim and deny. I can’t believe that everything has turned so upside-down in the few hours since we said goodnight.

  Maria takes this opportunity to make things a thousand times more awkward by saying, “I’ll leave you two to it.”

  She scoots out of the office and is about to close the door when K-2P angrily whizzes in. “Those nerds tried to hack me to show them my recordings from last night.”

  Thomas tilts his head. “I take it the cat is out of the bag?”

  I point a finger at him, rage finally overpowering all other emotions. “Don’t you dare make a joke about this.”

  He raises his hands, one of which is holding papers. “I wasn’t about to.”

  “What’s that?” I say, pointing at the documents.

  Thomas closes the door before answering me. “HR forms, stating our relations of last night were—uh—consensual.”

 

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