“You don't stop a deal because some mechanic heard a weird sentence.”
“No.”
She looked toward him.
“You stop because the mechanic heard the same thing your internal audit team flagged yesterday.”
Jake turned.
“What?”
“Thermal events.”
“Not operator error?”
“They weren't convinced.”
“Graham assured everyone the issue was fixed.”
Jake looked back through the windows.
Graham laughed with investors.
“It's not fixed.”
“You can't know.”
“No.”
Jake looked at Claire.
“But neither can he.”
Claire’s expression changed.
The sentence landed.
Jake remembered his own words.
Never pretend something is fine when it isn't.
Claire asked:
“What would you do?”
“Not my company.”
“Pretend it is.”
“Still not my company.”
She stepped closer.
“What would you do?”
Jake thought.
“Delay.”
“The sellers could walk.”
“Then they walk.”
“My board would riot.”
“Boards recover.”
“A bad factory can kill people.”
Claire stared.
“You always this cheerful?”
“Only at galas.”
She laughed.
Then grew quiet.
“Jake.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you for coming.”
He looked toward her.
“Despite the lie?”
“Despite the omission.”
Jake sighed.
“I’m still deciding.”
Claire smiled.
“Fair.”
She turned toward the skyline.
Jake studied her profile.
“Claire.”
“Yes?”
“You really wanted me here?”
She looked toward him.
“Yes.”
“Not because I might diagnose a billion-dollar factory?”
“I didn't know you'd do that.”
“Good.”
“What?”
“That would've been weird.”
She laughed.
Jake stepped closer.
Her eyes moved toward him.
Distance disappeared.
The gala noise became faint behind the glass.
Claire’s voice softened.
“You still think I used you?”
“Less.”
“How much less?”
“Enough that I'm considering kissing you.”
Her breath caught.
“That sounds dangerously conditional.”
“It is.”
“What condition?”
“Don't lie to me again.”
Claire held his gaze.
“I won't.”
Jake leaned in.
Stopped.
Close.
“Sure?”
“Yes.”
He kissed her.
Gentle first.
Claire’s fingers touched his shirt.
Then the kiss deepened just enough to make Jake forget entirely that several billionaires were probably twenty feet away.
When they separated, Claire smiled.
“That was worth hiding my title for.”
Jake laughed.
“Careful.”
“What?”
“I can still leave.”
She slipped her arm through his.
“No.”
“You can't.”
“CEO order?”
“Date order.”
He shook his head.
“Dangerous woman.”
The next morning, Claire called at 6:12.
Jake answered half asleep.
“If this is about breakfast, no.”