Chapter 5

Evelyn

I should have known, from the moment I saw him walk into the conference room, that this might be a big mistake. Knowing he is my neighbor who seems a bit immature with the loud parties, and then not willing to keep things quiet after a certain hour should have been the first couple of red flags,

But I need the job.

Not because of the money.

I mean...the money is really good, but the project was what called out to me. The intricacies of it, the benefits to society and the environment when unveiled, and the potential for upgrading after it launches.

My job might be to make sure that StoneTech's information doesn't get into the wrong hands, but my interest lies with the project as a whole.

I am looking to work with a company that will consider my suggestions and input and be open-minded.

But, Connor Everest is the furthest thing from open-minded.

In the one week that has passed since I started working here, I have gone home with a brewing migraine.

Even now, as I pinch the bridge of my nose, I feel another one coming on.

"If you would just—," I try to explain the situation.

"I have made up my mind, Miss Lockhart," he says dismissively, "and I don't think this is something you should concern yourself with."

"But there are uncertainties with the prototype," I say, trying to let my frustration show because when I'm here, he's my boss, not my annoying neighbor.

He's annoying either way, though. And insufferable.

Connor ignores me, making notes on the screen on his desk. I hear the ping every time he corrects something, and I shut my eyes, praying the sound doesn't drive me to madness.

"I wouldn't bring this to you if it wasn't important," I say, trying again.

I shouldn't care so much about whether the prototype that will go into developing a comprehensive energy optimization system for large industrial complexes, helping them reduce energy consumption and minimize carbon emission, should work as it is meant to, but I do.

He sighs and looks at me.

"I have handled it, Miss Lockhart."

I frown. "Have you? I only brought it to your attention a couple of minutes ago."

He shrugs noncommittally. "You aren't the only one keeping an eye on the prototype, Miss Lockhart. However, I wonder why you would do that, as it is not your area of expertise or concern. When did you become an engineer?'

I bite my tongue from saying something cheeky.

"I am not an engineer, sir. I know a bit about everything I am working on. This is not my first time working on these protocols."

The ping sound goes off again, and then the screen goes blank. He leans back and puts his hands behind his head, giving me a half-interested look. I know that I shouldn't trust his change in attitude, so I don't relax.

He smiles.

I falter a tiny bit.

"A bit of everything you say. So, business analytics? Research? Legal regulations? Management? Finance? Human Resources? You know every department you can think of has a representative working on this project?"

I nod. "I do, sir. And I didn't mean every one of them. I meant..."

I don't know what to say.

"The ones affiliated with cybersecurity?"

I decide to backtrack. "If you have handled it, there is no need for this conversation, sir."

Connor shows he is unwilling to let me off the hook so quickly when he shakes his head. "Oh, no. Isn't there something else you'd like to point out? After all, you were demanding my attention minutes ago."

My tongue bears the brunt of my self-control as I clamp down harder, shaking my head. "Not at all," I say when I feel relatively levelheaded. "I should go ahead and run some more tests on the protocols in development," I begin to move toward the door. "A summary of my schedule for the next three months should be on your desk before the end of the day."

When he says nothing, I dismiss myself, standing up.

The whole way to the door, I feel his eyes boring holes into the back of my head. It takes everything for me to keep it together, but I do until I'm out of his office.

"Why I should have put my fist through his—," I mutter under my breath.

"He can be hard to deal with sometimes, can't he?"

A voice interrupts my ranting, and my head snaps in the other direction to see a dark-haired, round-face, and pleasant-looking man coming towards me. I don't want to assume that he means Connor because I have not seen him before, so I don't respond.

When he gets to me, he stretches out his hand.

"Hi. I'm Ken Bennett."

It takes a second for the name to click, and then I'm smiling. "Hi!"

"Hi. We haven't met in person, but we talked over the phone," he says as I take his hand.

"Yes, very nice to meet you in person."

He is the person who reached out to me with an offer I couldn't refuse. I didn't care that we didn't meet in person, as I had decided before he was done talking that I wanted to be on this project.

"I'm glad you didn't change your mind. I told you I am the VP for StoneTech, right?"

"You did," I reply.

His smile brightens. "Good. I'd hate myself if I didn't give you enough information, seeing as Connor barely offers any info. I have to make up for his shortcomings, you know," he whispers.

I glance at Connor's door, and Ken chuckles. "Don't worry. He knows. But he must be giving you a hard time if you want to put your fist through any part of his body."

"I won't tell," he adds, waving both hands, "so you don't need to worry about it getting back to him. To tell you the truth, I like it when people speak their mind."

As much as I want to believe him because he looks friendly and it would be nice to have someone to rant to about how insufferable Gabiel is, I stifle the urge.

He nods. "Issues trusting people, I see. I should note that for future reference."

"You mean strangers," I quip.

"What?"

"You said I have issues trusting people. I corrected you. I'm not in the habit of trusting strangers. People I don't know. Like friends of the boss."

When he laughs, a ghost of a smile touches my lips.

"I see. I should have thought about that before I told you my secret because you're a stranger, too," he says.

The difference between Connor and Ken, close as they might be, is that one is annoying, and the other is rather charming.

"You can pretend like you never told me about it, and I'll act like I forgot," I tell him. "How does that sound?"

Ken shakes his head. "No can do, I'm afraid."

Please don't turn out to be another Connor in hiding.

I'm caught off guard when he takes my hand and shakes it.

"That was a friendship handshake. Now we're no longer strangers but friends, and you don't need to forget about my secret," he says with a smile.

"I'm not telling you mine," I remind him.

He shrugs. "Sure. I can work with the suspense. I have to go now—" he gestures to Connor's office, "but I know I'll see you around. Please let me know if you need anything."

I offer a curt nod, but for some reason, I wait for him to walk into Connor's office. He leaves the door slightly open.

"You hired her," I hear Connor say, "you deal with her."

And my mood deflates.

"Oh?" I murmur. "He's passing me off to someone else now?"

I'm stewing in my brewing anger, and I don't see Ken until he taps me on the shoulder.

"You okay?"

I nod briskly. The look on his face tells me he knows I heard Connor's comment. Which I wouldn't have if I had taken my ass down to my office instead of hanging around.

"Yeah. I am. I should—get back to work," I reply.

He nods. "Okay. Uhm, please don't take whatever Connor says to heart. He's a grumpy thirty-year-old man going through a midlife crisis. We can't help but love him. That's why I'm still by his side."

The corner of my mouth lifts slightly. "Okay."