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Now it all just seemed so pointless. His signature app was crashing and burning, and he’d pretty much put all his eggs in that basket. Sure, TravTech had other apps, but none were as popular as Homework Helper. Yet, Tutor2Tutor was taking off in app stores, as well as getting coverage everywhere, no doubt thanks to an ace marketing team the company had hired to drop some money for some sponsored reviews that the public wouldn’t notice were sponsored.
All stuff he’d once done, but now, he just felt defeated.
Summoning as much energy as he could, he stood and headed to the conference room. Charlie led the way. She was heading back to her own office, she said. He made small talk with her, pretending everything was normal, until they stepped into the elevator and the doors closed.
“Okay, what’s going on with you?” Charlie asked as he pressed the button for the second floor.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re down. I can see it. Anyone could see it. This isn’t like you.”
Justin stared straight ahead, noting his blurred reflection in the elevator doors in front of him. Yeah, his posture did seem a bit slumped. He deliberately forced his shoulders into a more confident position, but that wouldn’t help the puffiness around his eyes and drawn mouth that gave away he’d gotten very little sleep the past few days.
“I think it’s over.”
It had to get pretty bad for him to admit that to Charlie. She hadn’t exactly been his close confidante at any point before. Typically, the last thing he’d want any employee to know was that the company could be on its way to closing its doors, but it had gotten bad enough that he didn’t think it was worth covering up anymore.
The doors slid open, and Charlie grabbed his arm, pulling him into a now-empty work area and closing the door. “What are you talking about?”
“Another company swiped our idea. We can’t compete with them. We don’t have the team or the resources anymore. We’re in survival mode. I could pour my own money into legal fees to sue, but by the time it comes to anything, our app will be so low in the rankings, nobody will even be able to find us out there.”
It was…a lot. Justin could admit that much. He’d dumped all his thoughts and worries of the past few days right on Charlie’s shoulders. He wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d panicked. But she didn’t panic. Instead, she took a step forward, lifted her arms, and hugged him.
Hugged him.
Justin’s initial response was to shake off the offer of a hug. After all, she was his employee, and keeping a professional distance was wise. But within seconds, he realized just how much this was exactly what he needed right now. A big, warm hug. Just sharing the burden he’d been carrying around alone was enough, but the hug was a reminder that he wasn’t in this alone. There were people here who cared about this company and wanted to make sure it succeeded.
Only when he pulled back from the embrace did he remember that the walls in this room—and pretty much every room in the entire building—were glass. And outside that room stood Brooke, staring at both of them with an expression he never wanted to see on her face.
Pain. Hurt. Sadness.
Anger he could have handled, but sadness was gut-wrenching. He reached for the door, intending to explain everything to her. But that sad look quickly turned to an expression of steel. Her eyes shot daggers at him as she spoke the next words, then turned and walked in the direction of the conference room.
“We’re late.”
9
Brooke forced a smile as she approached the conference room. The man waiting there had called yesterday afternoon to say he wanted to interview Justin first thing this morning. She’d been so nervous about the whole thing, she’d asked someone else to escort him to the conference room while she gathered her professionalism. She’d been all ready to go…
And then she saw Justin and Charlie together.
It had confirmed her suspicions all along. Not that they were having an affair—that had been a surprise. But that Charlie was more Justin’s type. Kissing her had been…what? A mistake? She shook her head as she walked. She’d sort all that out later. Right now, they had an interview.
“Brooke…wait!” Justin called from behind her, and she quickened her pace. Ahead, she saw someone sitting at the conference table. Darn these glass walls. The last thing she needed was for one of the top tech reporters in the country to see Justin and Brooke having what looked like a lover’s spat right in front of him.
But thankgoodnessfor the glass walls. Otherwise, she might not have found out about Charlie and Justin.
“Later!” Brooke called back.
She reached for the door handle, jerked it back, and entered the room with a smile so forced, it probably looked cartoonish to the man standing at the table. But she came to an abrupt halt, smile frozen in place, when she saw the man seated there.
“You?”
The word came out on the whoosh of air she’d been holding in as she entered. Her smile fell, and she looked at the skinny, extremely tall—she saw as he rose to his feet—man as though he’d just stepped out of a spaceship.
“Ben Eisenberg.” He held out his hand. “Senior columnist forBusiness News Today.”
At some point, Justin had slipped into the room, and he was now standing next to Brooke. He looked over at her, and she saw that he seemed to be struggling to catch his breath as she was.
