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She leans against her dresser, sliding the earrings through the holes, then folds her arms. “I don’t know, honestly. I’ve met this kid a handful of times, and I have a weird read on the guy. Matthias is not just worth millions with his own company; he’ll take over Hennessy Tech one day. I worry he’s being taken advantage of, and his grandfather is very concerned. This has driven a divide between the grandfather and grandson, and I don’t know where they’ll land.”
“I assume Sherman Hennessy has the resources to do a background check.”
She gives me a shrug of her shoulders. “Yes, though he hasn’t found a lot, except that Nate Williams is a bit of a con man. Matthias and I have had words about the timing of their little union. He’d mentioned he was going to propose, but I told him it was all suspect, the timing, with the new game and how it will catapult the company to the next level. He has been very professional with me since, whereas usually he’s more playful. He doesn’t joke with me anymore or pop in for roastings or such.”
“You have a wicked sixth sense about people. Just keep your eyes and ears peeled. There’s a reason Mr. Hennessy trusts you with his grandson’s future.”
Something in my words make her smile. “Thanks, babe. I needed that.” She sits on the edge of the bed, facing Otis and me. “What are my two guys doing today? Hanging out?” she asks.
“I have to run to work and check on the progress of our upcoming projects. I tell you what, this weather will set us back a week, maybe two, on all our future jobs. Do you think Mr. Grumpy Pants would like to hang out with me at the office, or should I take him to Mrs. Winslow?”
She moves her attention to Otis. “I think he’d love to be with you. Just be sure to bring some treats and a bowl for water. And put a sweater on him too.”
This catches me off guard. “You mean you want me to put clothes on your dog?” I tease as a question, and I’m sure I heard her wrong.
“Yeah, all his clothes are in his drawer below where I keep his harness and leash. I only do this when it’s very cold outside.”
She leans over to kiss the dog, and as she pulls back, I bring her closer to me again. “I love you, Sandra. Don’t you forget that.”
She pauses at my declaration and drops her head to mine. “I love you too, Dom.”
She leaves, and I’m not ashamed when I watch her fine as fuck ass swaying in her dress.
twenty-seven
SANDRA
The press conference is scheduled for ten this morning. I have just enough time to go over my notes. I pop my head up when someone knocks on my door. I’m surprised to see Reggie, the resident tech genius and the man responsible for fixing all the software bugs in every game. He rarely comes my way. He’s typically locked in his cave, gaming for a living.
“Sandra?” he asks. The red of his hair is almost a cross between copper and a strawberry blond. He’s very nervous, never looking at me in the eye. He isn’t one for a lot of human contact, but he’s great at his job, and a loyal friend.
“Reggie, come on in. Are you part of the press conference today?” I ask.
“Oh, fuck no. You know I’d rather take a knife to the back, or jump in Lake Michigan during the winter. Do you want me to break out in hives?” he asks, and even the thought has his voice a bit shaky.
“Very descriptive. And not at all overly concerning,” I tease, “especially the part about a knife to the back.”
He shrugs his shoulders. “What can I say, I’m an overachiever.”
We both laugh at his remark.
“So, what can I do for you, Reg?”
He slides his fingers through his copper curls. He’s nervous, more nervous than just a second ago.
“He’d kill me if he knew I was here.”
I let out a chuckle, because sometimes these men are as dramatic as teenage girls. “There’s more than oneheyou could be referring to. Want to narrow it down?”
He shifts his eyes to the outside of the office. I push to my feet and shut the blinds that expose us to everyone else.
“Matthias. I’m worried about him. He’s changed since Nate has appeared in his life, and when I say appear, it’s like one day the asshole didn’t exist and the next day, he was up Matthias’s ass and into the day-to-day operation of our company. It’s weird.Nate is fucking weird, possessive of Matthias’s time, and I’m not the only one who thinks so. Matthias wants Nate at the press conference today. We’ve all dated here and there, since the beginning of the company, but it’s like he forgot we were all best friends at one time. He’s no longer humble or sweet. Matt didn’t even come to Caleb’s birthday party. We do the same thing each year, a weekend at his cabin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We love it. It’s off the grid, and you know the one thing we don’t do?”
I have no clue.
“We don’t game. We just hang out. It’s Caleb’s thing, and Matthias fucking missed it. We don’t miss each other’s things.We’ve been best friends from the beginning, and it was like he just forgot we existed. Even through the debacle with Trace, we all ended up on the best side of it. And good riddance to Trace.”
This breaks my heart. And Caleb wears his heart on his sleeve, so it must have been hard on everyone.
