FIREFLY:I’m on a video call with someone else.Supposed to be anyway.don’t think your SIT shortlist would appreciate a show.
HOTSHOT:You’re in that SIT thing with Leon?
FIREFLY:I’m not really in it.I’m just in it.I’m not doing anything.I did an intro and Leon’s been talking since.I’m just art on the wall.
HOTSHOT:Everyone appreciates naked art.
FIREFLY:Might liven things up.I’ll give it another five minutes then “lose my connection.”
HOTSHOT:Should you be telling the boss that?
FIREFLY:Is the boss here?Oh!I get it.You still think you’re in charge.Ha.Funny.
HOTSHOT:I am in charge.
FIREFLY:Yeah, and I’m celibate.
Except she kind of was while Rourke was so far away.
“Ms.Radley!”
Yanked from her conversation, the expectant faces on the screen were all aimed at her.“Yes, sorry.”
“If you’re busy with something else…”
“Not at all,” she said, trying on a modest smile.That was personable, right?No one would know she’d been talking about sex with the man kidding himself that he was in charge.“I’m sorry, was there a question?”
“You’re running Huddle Hope,” one of the fresh, eager faces asked.They were all grouped together in rows.From her angle, it wasn’t immediately obvious which one had spoken.“You pitched it for SIT and now you’re running your own department.Your own company within Mosaic.”
None of these statements were questions.“I am working hard to bring it to fruition, yes.Me and my team.”
“How did you do it?”That voice was female, different from the first.“How did you convince Mr.Rourke to go all in on your idea?Was your pitch amazing?”
“Everyone here pitched well or they wouldn’t be here.”Was that an obvious diversion?“Your focus has to be your idea.See it as a reality, as a possibility, or you’ll never give it the full attention it deserves.Is there anyone here who doesn’t believe in their idea?”
Mumbles in the negative trickled then cascaded around the room.Only one of these teams would be successful.Giving it their all would be the only hope of moving on in the process.
“Huddle Hope is the exception,” Leon said.“Mr.Rourke has his own interests, his own passions.When a chance to fulfill one of those passions arises, he grabs on with both hands.”
A laugh sneaked from her lips.When everyone was on her again, she cleared her throat and straightened her smile.“Yes, absolutely, he’s a both hands kinda guy.”
What he grabbed varied.Mostly, it was her ass.Sometimes her breasts or her hair, but mostly her ass.
“Do you think that’s a possibility for the rest of us?”the same female voice asked.“That maybe if we show him we’re committed that he’ll give us our own divisions?”
“Mr.Rourke doesn’t—”
“Doesn’t what?”Rourke asked.
On a collective gasp, everyone fixated on something she couldn’t see.The something was obviously their boss.
“I didn’t realize you were joining us,” Leon said.
“Just wandering by,” Rourke said and came into shot, though he walked past, giving her only the rearview.Not bad.“So this is our hope for the future?”
“Would you like to meet everyone?”Leon asked.
“No, I don’t care.Only one of them makes it through anyway, right?I don’t need to know the failures.”
