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“They all impressed me,” Drew said reflectively. “The whole damn thing impressed me. Your techniques, your team, your tech, your lab. Even my sister impressed me today. Just don’t ever tell her I said so.”
Jenna laughed. “I won’t. And thanks, that’s good to hear. Now I just need to make the techniques affordable for everyone who needs them.”
The waiter arrived, and they gave him their order. After the wine had been served, Jenna asked Drew a question she’d wondered about ever since she first met him. “I’m curious about something,” she said. “How did you end up joining the Marines? It’s not an obvious choice. Being a Maddox and all.”
Drew’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he considered his reply. “Long story.”
“We’re not in a hurry,” she remarked.
He sipped his wine. “I don’t know how much Ava told you,” he said. “But after my parents were killed in that plane accident, I went sort of wild.”
Sort of? Ha. That was a massive understatement.
“Ava did mention that,” she murmured.
“That was my way of coping. I was pissed at my folks for dying. I didn’t care about consequences. So I got into a lot of trouble. It was lucky I was a juvenile offender, and that I never actually hurt anyone. But Uncle Malcolm was beside himself. You saw how he is. He got in my face, made threats and ultimatums. He got my back up, to the point that I wasn’t in the mood to trot off to college like a good boy, study hard and make him proud. I wanted to raise hell. So I joined the Marines. First Division, First Battalion. Ended up in Iraq. I learned some very important things there.”
“Such as?”
He was silent for a long moment. “No need to raise hell,” he said simply. “I was already there.”
Jenna nodded and stayed quiet, waiting for him to go on.
“I saw a lot of bad things,” he said slowly. “Things I can’t forget. But it’s not like it was all a nightmare. I worked hard, grew up, learned a lot. Made good friends in my platoon. Two of them work with me right here at Maddox Hill. Vann’s my CFO. He’s freakishly good with numbers, and Zack is our CSO. Those guys are solid as a rock. I’ve trusted them both with my life and they have never let me down. In the end, I’d say it was worth it just to have found them.”
“You’re fortunate to have friends like that,” she said. “So after you got wounded, you decided to follow the family architecture tradition?”
“I always knew I’d get there eventually,” he admitted. “It was destiny. I grew up around architects. My dad was one, and when I was a kid, he always talked like it was a given that I would be, too. Then after I got shot, I had all these long empty hours to think about my future. By the time I recovered and got to architecture school, I was maniacally focused. I made up for all the lost time.”
“I bet Uncle Malcolm was relieved,” she said.
“He couldn’t believe his luck,” Drew said. “Back then, anyway. Now he’s changed his tune. Decided that I’m more trouble than I’m worth.”
Jenna shook her head. “No. This is all just a blip on your screen. It won’t hurt you in the long run.”
“I hope you’re right,” he said. “I had some projects in the works that I was really attached to.”
“Anything I might have heard of?”
“We haven’t landed them yet, but Maddox Hill is in the running for the Beyond Earth project. I thought a lot about Mars when I was in the Al Anbar Province. Lots of time to stare at the rocks and sand and think about the unique problems inherent in building in environments inhospitable to man. It would involve robotics and three-D printing with local building materials. It’s a long shot, with lots of competition, but I have my fingers crossed.”
“Wow.” She was silent for a moment, digesting it. “That’s huge.”
“Yeah, it is for me. My dad used to read science fiction stories to me to put me to sleep when I was small. We always said we’d build houses on Mars together someday.”
That made her throat tighten up. She couldn’t reply.
“I’d hate to miss out on that chance,” he said. “He would have gotten such a kick out of that. If I ever do manage to pull it off, it’ll be in his honor.”
Fortunately for her, the lobster ravioli arrived, and food took center stage for a while. The ravioli were tender and plump and fabulous, the wine was excellent, and Drew was great company. By the time dessert and coffee arrived, the elements of the evening had combined into a magical alchemy that made her relaxed and giggly and mellow.
Then Drew glanced outside at the walkway. “Persistent bastards,” he murmured. “I was kind of hoping they’d get bored and go home, but there they still are. Hanging in there.”
Jenna looked out the window, realizing that she’d completely forgotten about the photographers. Which was to say, she’d forgotten the whole reason they’d come to this restaurant in the first place.
She laughed to cover her embarrassment. “Want me to do something crazy and dramatic to entertain them? I could throw a glass of wine in your face.”
He grinned. “It’s a little early in our relationship for that.”
“I could feed you a bite of my sporcamuss,” she said, spooning up a bite of the delicious, goopy puff pastry with cream. “That fits the narrative, as Ava would say.”
He accepted the bite, and savored it. “Mmm. Wow. Good.”
Whew. That smile of sensual promise unraveled something inside her. She felt like she was teetering on the brink of something dangerous and wonderful in equal measures.
Oh, boy. This was bad. She’d been prepared to be dazzled by his looks, impressed by his smarts, wowed by his talent, allured by his seductive charm. Those reactions were all foreseen and adjusted for. She was being smart. Taking care of herself, like a grown-up.
But she hadn’t expected to like him this much.
That was a dirty trick.
