I thought about Rainer, trying to brush past all the physical traits he had that distracted me: long legs, flat stomach, broad shoulders, strong jaw, that devil-may-care smile, those blue eyes. . . I cleared my throat. "I thought he was just in it for the money. Maybe a little glory."
"Exactly," Stan said. "So, stop thinking of him as the competition. He's on your side."
Stan's phone rang and he pressed the speaker button with a flourish. "Send him in, Jean."
Rainer thanked Stan's secretary and sauntered into his office. He was surprised to see me already there, but he masked it well. "Mr. Eastman, I hope I'm not late. Here is that report you wanted, Ms. Nichols."
Stan studied each of us in turn as Rainer handed me the tight packet of papers, smiled at me, then sat down. "Seems to me we're all in the same foxhole here, so let's dispense with the formalities and stick with first names. Shall we?" Stan asked.
I suppressed a groan as the men shook on it. It made me edgy to see my mentor so friendly with Rainer. And why did Stan keep smiling like that?
"Well, Stan," Rainer said, "let me start by assuring you that I am all caught up on the latest reports. Tasha here was nice enough to suggest I start with the timeline of media statements. See when they really started turning on us."
"Excellent place to start," Stan said.
My head buzzed as Rainer discussed the accusations surrounding our GroGreen app. I had sent him off to his office only minutes ago and yet he was referencing the reports with ease. Had he really sped through all of them before joining us? I studied Rainer. He didn't seem like the type of man who would pretend to know less than he did, but the truth was I didn't know him all that well. All I knew were snap-judgements and rumors.
"What do you think, Tasha? Is our man here is on the right track?" Stan asked.
Our man. I almost rolled my eyes. "Product placement is a good idea, but it will be a struggle to find a venue that wants to be associated with us right now. Celebrity spokespeople are expensive and unreliable. Whatever we choose has to be immediate and under-budget."
"Very practical." Stan sighed and settled back in his leather chair. He steepled his fingers together and studied us for a moment. "I think the real solution is somewhere in the middle. You'll keep working on this together and report back to me daily."
"Together?" My breath caught in my throat. "We're not exactly on the same page."
Stan smiled. "You'll get there. It's the board's decision. I'm just the chaperone."
I didn't like the way Rainer chuckled. I shot out of my chair, shook Stan's hand first, and marched out of his impressive office first. Still, I had to glance back. Stan was the one person at Hyperion who I trusted to tell me the truth, and here he was shaking Rainer's hand and telling him something in confidence. The only comfort I had was the speed with which Rainer's smile fled his face. He even looked a little pale as he joined me at the elevator.
"More bad news?" I asked.
Rainer fiddled with his tie. "He's a sharp old man, isn't he?"
I caught Rainer's guarded glance and had to laugh. "He can read people better than anyone I know. Why?"
Rainer's eyes roved over my face, and I felt his gaze like hot sunlight. It felt as if he was searching for something in me and when he found it, he smiled. "It wasn't bad news. Might be really good. But first, we have to save this project."
We rode the elevator down to our floor in silence. I kept my eyes on the tips of my shoes, but I could feel Rainer's curious looks. He glanced at me like we'd only first met and it made my stomach do giddy turns. When the elevator doors opened, I couldn't help myself. I grabbed his arm and had to ask.
"What did Stan say to you?"
Rainer stepped out into our lobby, pulling me with him. "No. No way. I don't know how you do it, but you always know more than me. So, this one thing, I'm going to keep it to myself."
Somehow, my other hand had found his and we stood face to face, inches apart. "You really don't know how teams work, do you?" I asked.
"Maybe I'm more of a partner guy. Just us." Rainer's grip on my hand was warm, inviting. "What do you say, partner? Brainstorming lunch? I know a great place."
Another elevator opened and I knew I should pull away from Rainer, but it was a distant, nagging thought. Being near him was like finding the one hill that hadn't been caught in the fog. Everything else just faded away.
"Tasha?" Ivy stepped off the elevator, leaving behind a cluster of awed admirers. They stumbled out behind my rich and royally fashionable friend, breaking the spell between Rainer and me.
"Ivy! You didn't need to come all the way up here. You should have just called me," I said.
Ivy switched her Italian-leather clutch from one hand to the other. "I'm glad I came up. Getting a glimpse of you at work, with your co-workers, was worth the trip." Her soft brown eyes sparkled as she held out a hand to Rainer. "Nice to meet you. I'm Ivy Madison."
"Suddenly, you’re friends with Ivy Madison?" Rainer asked me. He shook Ivy's elegant hand then settled his gaze back on me.
Ivy's smile widened. "We were friends long before my last name had such meaning."