Page 13 of True Colors

“I’m afraid I made the team…you…look bad.”

She smiles softly at me, her eyes kind. “You didn’t.”

That’s decent of her to say, but I have a feeling Luther Grant probably wanted to can my bony ass, and she convinced him to keep me.

How she strong-armed him into having me work on the most prestigious project at the company, I don’t know, but I’m grateful, and I’m going to work hard to make her proud.

I leave her office feeling like I’m walking a tightrope.

One slip and I fall.

One step and I soar.

When I get back to my cubicle, Mila peeks over the divider. “Well? What happened?”

I sit, exhale, and whisper, “I…th-think I’m on N-Novagene.”

Her mouth drops open. “Holy shit. That’s incredible!”

Kathleen’s head pops up two rows over, eyes narrowing.

Pallavi jumps out of her cubicle and pumps her fist. “You go, girl!”

I can all but imagine the chatter now.

You know the analyst who couldn’t speak in front of the CEO? Well, she’s going to work on the biggest project in the building.

I pull my headphones on, fingers trembling as they hover over my keyboard.

This could ruin me.

Or…it could save me.

I don’t know which scares me more, but I do know one thing—I’m going to build the best damn model Luther Grant has ever seen, and this time I’m going to present it like a champ.

CHAPTER 4

Luther

San Francisco is colder than I remember. It’s like that old saying that’s misappropriated to Mark Twain, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.”

The perennial fog rolling over the bay at dusk as I walk to my temporary home at the Four Seasons isn’t winning any points.

It’s April, and there is no sign of spring.

I miss New York. I miss the weather, the sounds, and the change of the season. I miss my apartment there, which is my home. And as comfortable as the serviced residence at the Four Seasons is, it’s not mine, even if it’s convenient.

It’s close to the office, in the center of the city. Someone makes sure my clothes are dry-cleaned and laundered. The apartment is spic and span every evening when I walk in, and the fridge is stocked the way I like it.

It’s modern.

Floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook Market Street and the bay beyond.

Scandinavian design furniture.

The kitchen is chef standard. As much as I like going to a restaurant, I enjoy cooking, even if it’s just for myself. It soothes me after a long day at the office and is one of the times when my mind stops chewing on work.

It gives me respite as I watch a ball game and make myself something I like to eat.