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"Don't forget, Giuseppe is planning to stop by around one to catch you up on a few things."
"Got it! Thanks."
As I walked toward the building, I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had crept up on me. The bike had seemed insignificant at first, but now it felt like a puzzle piece that didn't fit. I wondered what other clues I might have missed and what they could mean for our company's future and our safety. The uncertainty of it all made me feel powerless, and I had to find a way to regain control. As I entered the lobby, I made a mental note to focus on what Icouldcontrol and trust my instincts. After all, sometimes, the best way to move forward was to step back and reassess the situation with a clear head.
As I made my way to the breakroom following my departure from the elevator, I was excited for the usual Monday morning assortment of pastries and drinks that Courtney reliably set up for us. Typically, the basket next to the Keurig machine would be brimming with all of our preferred coffee and tea options. However, as I strode along the hallway, I detected no aroma of fresh coffee and encountered a group of individuals with somber expressions when I rounded the corner.
As Brad sat at the table with his head in his hands, Chase and Guy ignored me when I entered. Chase was seated next to Brad, gazing at the floor, and Guy was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, looking out the window. Sensing the gloomy atmosphere, I asked, "What's the matter?"
"Courtney has tendered her resignation. She left a letter on my desk," Chase said.
"What? What happened?" I asked, stunned.
Brad shook his head and sighed, "Her father insisted she come home to Wyoming. He's afraid for her safety, and he's up in years." Brad raised his head to look at me. "I think she was secretly feeling guilty that his worry over her would cause health issues."
"I'm sorry, bud!" I whispered and placed my hand on his shoulder.
Brad shrugged. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out I'm next, and since she and I have been dating, that probably means the psycho will come after her too!"
"Did you know she was leaving?" Chase asked Brad.
"Yes, and no. When she called her father to check on him using the flip phone and had to explain why she was afraid to use her own phone, I figured it was only a matter of time."
As a new dad, I suddenly thought of Ava and had a newfound understanding of why Courtney's father had wanted her to come home so he could protect her. Clearly, we had not been offering the required level of protection our staff needed. All the extra counseling, extra paid days off, and paid security was only a band-aide of sorts.
"We've been very selfish," Guy muttered. "Has anyone else resigned that you know of, Chase?
"No, but the day is young...."
"Well!" Brad stood. "Sitting around here moping isn't going to change anything. It's true we've been dealt a shitty hand, but we also have been doing our best. Courtney and I worked our asses off while we were holed-up inside the tent witnessing the first rain Palm Springs had in months and losing two backpacks full of food to a hungry bear.”
We chuckled and nodded, heartened by Brad's dry humor.
"What's the name of that place that Courtney usually gets our Monday morning pastries from?" Chase asked. I pointed at the sticker on the fridge. "The Donut Hole? How original." Chase called the number and barked. "This is Chase Stratford from Rosedale Technologies. Send us our usual Monday morning order and put it on our tab. And give yourselves a fifty-dollar tip."
Chase's quick flip from being a jerk to a generous guy acted as shock therapy to our brains for some reason. Soon, we had our coffees going, and not long after, the delivery guy brought the goodies. Today, though, instead of going to our individual offices, we huddled around Brad's computer while he showed us the progress he and Courtney had made on the new app's design.
Everyone seemed excited about the possibilities as we looked over the new app. Chase leaned forward and pointed at the screen, "I really like the new user interface. It looks sleek and modern. But what about the backend? How is the data going to be managed?"
Brad furrowed his brows, "That's a good question. We could use a cloud-based solution to store the data. It would be scalable, and we could easily manage it."
Guy nodded in agreement, "That's a good idea. We could use Amazon Web Services. They have a good reputation, and they're reliable."
Chase leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, "But what about the security of the data? We've been dealing with security issues, and we can't afford to have another breach."
Brad looked up from his computer, "I was thinking about that. We could use encryption to secure the data. And we could implement two-factor authentication for the users. That should make it more secure."
Before we realized it, all the food was gone, and the Keurig had been refilled with water numerous times. The crushed water bottles beside it were evidence. "Jeez, it's almost one o'clock. Giuseppe should be here any minute with an update on his team's progress," I remarked.
"Let's get this place cleaned up," Guy suggested, grabbing some paper towels and disinfectant spray to wipe down the table and counters.
"I got the trash," I said. Then turning to Brad, I continued, "Why don't you head for your office to put away your computer, then meet us in the conference room for our meeting with Russo."
"Nope, I'm not letting this baby out of my sight. It seems these walls have eyes, you know."
I simply shook my head and chuckled. "Yep, good idea."
At straight up one o'clock, Giuseppe strode into the conference room with Bob right behind him. We all exchanged pleasantries and then got right down to business. The Russo's had made some progress in the last few days, and Giuseppe was excited to share. Opening his laptop, he asked, "How do I hook this up to your overhead projector?"
