She didn’t know how the roughened pads of his fingers felt grazing the cusp of my ear as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind it. She didn’t know how soft his lips were when they pressed against my forehead. She didn’t know the safety in feeling his hand on my lower back as he guided me in a room.
She also didn’t know that we could never be together. But I did. And I needed to tell him that. I needed to make it clear to him that there was no future for us, only a past. Tonight would be the closure we both needed.
And tomorrow, and for every day for the rest of my life, I’d love him forever from afar.
19
MADDOX
“I’ve always wantedto work in cyber security. Ever since I was a kid and watched The Net. You know, with Sandra Bullock.”
“I do know.” I nodded.
About half the prospective interns that sat in the chair Kyle was sitting in now mentionedThe Net. I was never sure if it was because they had actually watched the movie and it had inspired them, or if they’d read the article in which I had said that it was the movie that had piqued my interest in computers.
Either way, it was a mark in their favor. If it had been the movie that had inspired them, then we had it in common. If not, they’d taken the time to research the CEO of the company they were applying for.
“Where did you grow up? Do you have family close?” I always tried to get a feel for a potential employees homelife. Not that it had any bearing on whether or not they were chosen, I just liked to get to know the people who worked for me.
“Um, it’s just my grandma, who raised me. She’s still back in Georgia. When I can, I’m going to move her out here.”
I nodded. I’d known, of course, that Kyle had been raised by his grandmother. Every candidate we considered was thoroughly vetted. Once they got to the point that they were seated across from me, they were practically as good as hired, but I liked to have a face to face.
Our internship was extremely sought after. I didn’t believe in not paying people who worked for me. I believed that people worked harder if they didn’t have to stress about finances, so I paid a fair wage, which in San Francisco was a starting salary of $120k. That might sound like a lot, but the cost of living here was astronomical.
I believed in promoting in house. I prided myself on finding quality talent and then creating a working environment where they could fulfill their potential. I wanted to hire people that would grow with my company.
To that end, I’d instituted a policy that after being employed for five years, each employee was given shares in the company. I worked with highly intelligent people who were often approached by other companies trying to poach them. It rarely happened.
We talked for ten more minutes about where he saw himself in ten years, what he thought he could offer the company, and then finally what his favorite video game was. I was old schoolDungeons and Dragons; he was intoMinecraft.
When the bubble appeared on my screen from Samara letting me know that my next appointment was here, I checked the time. It was seven fifteen. In less than an hour, I was going to be sitting at Full Moon, a restaurant I’d never gone to because it held so much meaning.
The question was, would I be sitting alone, or would Peyton join me?
I stood, indicating the end of the interview. “Thanks for coming in, Kyle.”
“Thank you, Mr. Cruz.”
“It’s just Maddox.”
“Maddox, right.” I reached out and shook Kyle’s hand, it was sweaty so I knew his enthusiasm was not put on. It was real. “TTT Security Solutions is my first choice. I just want to put that out there.”
“Noted. You’ll hear either way by the end of the week.”
I knew then that he was going to be hired, but I’d stopped telling people that after I’d been kissed on the lips with gratitude. It had happened completely by accident. The kid was trying to hug me, and it took me by surprise. I turned my head and his lips were on mine.
Chris and I laugh about it now that he’s worked here for eight years. But it was uncomfortable, and I decided after that day to let Samara handle being the bearer of the good news over the phone.
As Kyle exited, I took a seat at my desk and checked my phone. I’d been expecting a call or text from Peyton, but still hadn’t received one. I knew that she had to be home by now. Nonna said she was expecting her around this time.
I’d wanted so badly to stay and wait for her. For reasons I couldn’t explain, I’d wanted her to meet Hannah. It made no sense. I never introduced women to Hannah. Not that I’d dated often. But when I did, none had ever been serious enough for Hannah to meet.
Peyton and I weren’t serious. We weren’t anything. She’d ghosted me. Twice.
So why had I been so fucking disappointed leaving Nonna’s house knowing that the opportunity for her to meet the most important person in my life had slipped away?
To find the answer, all I had to do was look at the context clue in the question. Hannah was the most important person in the world to me now, and Peyton had been the most important person to me before her. It made sense that I’d want those two people to meet.
