Page 17 of Statler

Despite the contentious relationship Eliza had with her father, and the underlying knowledge that the activity below wasn’t the extent of what was going on in William Flazer’s factory, Eliza always felt pride surveying the facility; worker bees, high-tech, spotless equipment, and the efficiency with which the business’s specialized components were churned out.

“What do you think?” Eliza asked Blue, before they headed back into her office.

“Very impressive,” Blue stated. “I’m kind of surprised. From the antiquated appearance on the outside of this old brick building, I guess I expected to see the same signs of aging in here. But that’s not the case at all. This place is top notch.” She scrunched up her nose. “I guess I’m confused as to why Mr. Flazer feels he needs a new facility.”

Eliza had pondered the same thing when it had first been mentioned.

Deep down, however, she finally figured out that the new build had more to do with what she didn’t know, rather than what she did. Still, she wasn’t about to stir that pot with someone who was just here to do their job, then leave.

“Oh, Mr. Flazer says the business is doing so well, he needs to expand. And automate,” Eliza added.

That last part wasn’t a lie.

Their present equipment—while state-of-the-art several years back when they’d invested in it—was still dependent on the many workers her father employed. And since that number consisted of roughly sixty percent of the townspeople, there were no new “townies” to hire. Which meant an additional facility would be manned by only a few, trusted souls, while the majority of the work was done by robots.

That coming change didn’t necessarily make Eliza happy, but when her father got his teeth into something, there was no talking him out of it.

“How do your people feel about their jobs being filled by bots?” Blue asked, following Eliza into the office.

“Oh, they won’t be affected. What they do here in this building is still important, so they’ll all retain their positions.”

Was she worried that if the new facility generated cheaper and faster production, people here would get laid off? Of course. But she wasn’t about to borrow trouble.

And hopefully, by that time, she’d be long gone.

“Food!” Tonka immediately came forward, snagged three packages of crackers, and two of the coffee cakes off the tray.

“Hey. Save some for the rest of us.” Hazard stepped close and elbowed the big man out of the way before picking up the large coffee that Eliza had labeled with his name, along with one snack.

It didn’t take long for the tray to empty, and after they were all happily ensconced with food and drink, Eliza sat back down at her desk.

“If you don’t mind,” she told them, “I’m just going to finish up a few more things before I bring you to your temporary homes.”

Right. Work.

That’s if she could keep her mind on her tasks, and off the compelling man who was sitting just beyond the door at her back.

CHAPTER FOUR

What a pompous ass.

Statler somehow managed to keep a bland, yet interested look on his face as the man in front of him prattled on.

If this were a simple factory build, Statler would have immediately asserted himself when meeting Flazer in person for the first time. But since construction was the just tip of his current job-iceberg, Stat magnanimously sucked up all the attitude the man dished out, pretending obsequiousness while…

Yup. Throwing up slightly in his mouth.

As the ass droned on, Statler switched his brain to automatic pilot for his own preservation.

Besides, it was a far better use of his time to think about the interesting young woman behind the desk out front than to listen to this guy ramble.

He wondered what Eliza’s story was?

And her age.

She’d certainly caught his attention with her unfashionable, buttoned-up demeanor. Not that he knew much about fashion. But her hair in its tight bun? Her thick framed glasses? A dress that looked like it belonged back in the nineteen-fifties? It seemed almost too…intentional.

Because of the bland, outside package she’d first presented, Stat had almost missed the odd spark in her bright blue eyes that had appeared when she’d caught sight of him.