Chapter Twenty-Nine
Noah
I wasn’t very often nervous when it came to business, but today was bigger than usual. It was the launch of our subscription service and software. After that, we would have a meeting with the investors, and how well that would go depended solely on the numbers after the launch.
I was nervous because this was the turning point in my career, the product that would ultimately make or break my business. When Elena had suggested the subscription service, everything added up. It had made sense. We had a run with it because it had been such a good idea. Still, there was a small chance that it wouldn’t succeed, and I was anxious to find out which way things would go.
“Everything is going to be okay,” Elena said. We were in my office, waiting for the launch. Any minute now, the numbers were going to climb as the product was released and people started to subscribe.
“Are you using my line on me?” I asked. I told Elena that everything was going to be okay, often. We had been dating for only a month now, officially, and in the past few weeks, there had been many reasons for me to remind her. I wasn’t often on the receiving end, though. It felt good to hear.
“Sometimes you just need to hear it,” she said and kissed me.
The computer pinged and a moment later, the number starts to rise.
“It’s out there,” I breathed. I couldn’t believe we had come this far. That we had managed to make this happen at all. We watched as the numbers kept climbing, going higher and higher until I could breathe again, knowing that it would reach the projected amount for the first day.
“You’re doing it,” Elena said, excited.
I shook my head. “We are doing it. In fact, you are doing it because, without you, this wouldn’t have happened.”
She flashed me a smile before turning her eyes back to the computer screen. There were a few drops here and there, the numbers going down slightly before shooting right back up, but the general curve was upward, and I knew we had done it. We had saved Saturn Intelligence.
“Congratulations, my love,” Elena said and hugged me. I felt a little shell shocked. From the start, I had believed that this would work, but seeing it with my own eyes left me reeling. This was exciting. We were entering a new era for SI, and now that we had broken the market with subscription services, there was only one direction to go from here. Up.
“I can stare at these numbers all day,” Elena said. “But we have to meet with the investors. They will have their opinion about this as well.”
And she was right. I glanced at my wristwatch and realized it was time to meet with them. Together, we walked to the boardroom and took our seats. I was at the head of the table, as always, but this time Elena wasn’t in her corner. Instead, she stood at my side. She was the brains behind this operation, after all.
“Well, Mr. Fuller, that is quite a launch,” one of the investors said and I nodded, unable to keep the satisfaction off my face.
“We are very pleased,” I said. “Of course, the numbers were as predicted.”
The investors all nodded. They looked as pleased as I was. “We would like feedback every week or so, but if things go the way they are going now, we can’t see any reason to pull out. Congratulations. Your subscription service is a huge success.”
“I am positive that this will become a trend,” I said.
“And we agree,” one of the investors said. “We will keep monitoring you, but if you keep this up for the next few months, you will have saved the company. Considering how far you were down, it’s a glorious feat.”
And they were right. We had done something spectacular. I looked at Elena, and she was smiling. Together, we had taken a company that had been on the edge of bankruptcy and not only pulled it back to safety, but it would be one of the richest companies in a very short amount of time. It felt amazing. Almost as amazing as it was to build a family with Elena.
That night, we had a celebration in the office. I paid for the whole thing myself, calling out catering and setting out an open bar. My employees all deserved to be congratulated for their success and commended for their hard work.
“Without each and every one of you, we wouldn’t be celebrating this today,” I said in a speech. “I want you to know how much you are appreciated in this company and how much I value every individual. Thank you.”
I was emotional. I had managed to retain my client base without forfeiting loyalty and without losing my company. I had done what my father had instilled in me, staying true to who I was. But I hadn’t lowered myself to his level and sunken my personal life in the process. I had taken the good, discarded the bad and standing in front of my employees, with Elena by my side, I had everything a man could ever want.
“So, turns out your secretary was a diamond in the rough,” Doug said. He glanced at Elena and lifted his champagne glass. She nodded at him. I doubted they would ever like each other, but they tolerated each other for the sake of the company.
“She’s so much more than that,” I said. “But you’re right. What we needed came from the most unexpected place.”
“How is the new secretary?” Doug asked. I had managed to find a new secretary that could replace Elena. Of course, no one would ever replace Elena, but this one was good enough for the job she needed to do. Even Elena approved.
“So, I’m here to congratulate the two of you,” Doug said. “You did really well.” He looked at Elena. “Especially you.”
“Thank you,” Elena said, smiling. For the rest of the night, we spent time with my employees, and we were congratulated by everyone before we started a conversation. It felt good to be with my people, to mingle, to spend time with them. They all worked very hard, and they deserved to see how well it had paid off. If my company had gone bankrupt, it wouldn’t only have been my loss, a lot of people would have lost their jobs. I was so glad that we could have prevented that.
“Let’s get away from the crowd,” Elena said later that night. I nodded and walked with her to my office, and she closed the door behind her. She turned to me and wrapped her arms around my waist, pulling me into a hug.
“This is where it all started,” I said.
She nodded with her head against my chest.
“We’ve come full circle, you and I,” she said. She looked up at me with her bright green eyes. “I love you, Noah Fuller. Thank you for giving me a chance, not just as an employee, but as someone you can love.”
I shook my head. “You’re the one I should be thanking. You saved the company without even realizing it. You saved me. When I met you, I was a single father, confused and alone. I didn’t know who I was and how I fit in this world. Thanks to you, I have somewhere I belong. I have a family.”
Elena smiled at me, and I dipped my head to kiss her. Standing here in my office, surrounded by the semidarkness, my employees partying outside the door, everything felt perfect. I slid my hand down her body and onto her stomach that was starting to grow. She was showing, but barely. In time, that would change.
“I can’t wait to meet this little person,” I said. I kneeled before Elena and kissed her stomach. She ran her hands through my hair, smiling down at me.
“I’m pretty sure Baby can’t wait to meet you, either.”
“I am so excited for our future together,” I said to Elena. “The road ahead is bright and happy. I just know the company will make it as long as we work together as a team. We’re going to have a beautiful child, and Lilly is the perfect older sister.”
“Don’t jinx it,” Elena said. “What if something goes wrong?”
I shook my head. “I doubt something more could go wrong, but if it does, we’ll handle it the way we handled everything that went wrong before. Together. That’s the way we’re going to get through life, you and me.”
Elena smiled. “You’ve always been an optimist,” she said.
“I told you. Everything will be okay.”