Chapter Ten
“Have I done something to offend you?”
Emanuela looked up from her notes to see Brian standing over her wearing a pained expression. “No more than usual.”
He gave her a rare smile. “I expected you to go over my head in the final decision-making process but you didn’t. I thought maybe you foisted the decision on me to see if I’d trip up.”
The rest of the team started trickling into the firm’s boardroom. The tech specialist was setting up the equipment to ensure that everyone in the room would be visible to Finn and Simon during the call. The large space was outfitted with high-backed, deep brown leather chairs, a large oak conference table, full-service mini bar, a fireplace, and a stunning view of the city’s skyline.
“We might not be bosom buddies but I respect your expertise,” she said. “Anyway, I couldn’t have gone over your head even if I’d wanted to. Philip’s call, but I liked your strategy and he agreed. You’ll have the floor when the time comes.”
Brian’s surprise was obvious. “I—thank you, Emanuela.”
She nodded just as Philip’s strident voice preceded him into the boardroom. “Today’s the big day! Signing day!”
He strolled in with three suited guests. Emanuela stood to greet them. She shook the hand of the petite woman whose plant would be responsible for the final assembly of the smart limbs. “Mrs. Martinez, I hope your trip here was pleasant.”
“Thank you, Miss Monroe,” Mrs. Martinez said. “It was comfortable. The additional information you provided was very easy to understand.”
Emanuela was thrilled to learn that their firm would be signing on to work with a female head of manufacturing. It was a rare occurrence in her line of work to meet such a woman, and it was refreshing. She took personal care of any concerns the Tijuana plant leader had in preparation for their meeting.
“My pleasure.” Emanuela smiled as Mrs. Martinez moved to take her seat. Then she greeted the heads of the manufacturing companies who would be making the smart limb parts. “Mr. Oliver, Mr. Vargas, pleasure to finally meet you both in person.”
Introductions were made around the room, and light refreshments served before the four LCD screens in the center of the table—one facing each direction to accommodate everyone seated—lit up. The sound of an outgoing call echoed throughout the room. Emanuela’s nerves fired in anticipation of seeing Finn in a matter of moments. She straightened her already impeccable clothes and smoothed her hair. Philip took his usual place next to her, handing her a coffee. The speakers crackled a second later, signaling that the call had gone through.
****
Finn’s eyes narrowed, watching Philip Hurst give Emanuela her coffee before sitting much too close to her, in his opinion. The armrests of the man’s chair practically stuck to hers. He managed not to curse aloud, channeling his annoyance into a fidget by adjusting his tie.
“Good morning!” Philip said, much too cheerful for such an early hour.
Well, not for him, Finn thought. What was wrong with him? Of course the man was excited. They all were. This was a big day. He needed to get his head in the game. Thankfully, whatever contraption some benevolent geek at Hurst Capital had put together for the occasion panned the room, allowing him and Simon to become acquainted with everyone else in attendance. The sight of them all in their professional suits of armor gathered around the expensive-looking table just made it feel all the more momentous. He took a deep breath and Simon squeezed his shoulder, seeming to share the same sentiment.
“Good morning,” Finn greeted everyone.
“Morning!” Simon boomed.
Emanuela’s clear, assertive voice filled the room. To Finn, it seemed to reach through his speakers and caress his ears.
“To start, I’ll quickly introduce our new manufacturing team and then we can take on any last questions or concerns you may have,” she said, smiling into the camera.
The screen split. The larger part of the screen showed the entire room and its occupants, and the smaller one in the lower right-hand corner featured only Emanuela.
“Wow!” Simon said.
Finn lifted a single brow. He had to admit, their geek was talented. Even in this medium, Emanuela took his breath away. Her hair was up again. It occurred to him that she might wear it that way to appear more put-together. In control. No matter, since it just drew attention to her beautiful face. She was talking. He should listen. These introductions were just a formality, of course. Everyone knew very well who the others were in attendance. They wouldn’t be worth their salt if they didn’t. Once the top choices for manufacturers were selected, Finn and Simon became familiar with each of them. The final decision rested with the firm, per their agreement in Seattle two weeks ago, and seeing who made the final cut impressed the pair. The camera panned again.
“Doctor Finnegan Kane and Doctor Simon Faulk,” she began. “This is Gordon Oliver.”
A man about Finn’s age and stature appeared on the smaller screen.
“He heads PlaceMATS, a leading manufacturer of materials in Santa Clara, California. He’ll be in charge of producing the artificial skin and sensors for your smart limbs.”
The man nodded and Finn and Simon mirrored his greeting, and the camera panned again.
“Here is Anthony Vargas of SymBionic in Conroe, Texas, one of the biggest suppliers of robotic parts Stateside. He’ll be producing all moving parts for the limbs.”
Anthony was a round, balding man of medium build. He looked pissed, but it turned out to be his resting face. Finn held back a chuckle, nodding his greeting, and Simon nearly choked next to him. Finn kicked his comrade underneath the table and the camera panned again.
“Rounding out the team,” Emanuela said, “is Alexandra Martinez. Her plant based in Tijuana, Mexico will assemble the components into the final products. The safe and climate-controlled storage facility is also located there.”
Finn and Simon nodded in welcome at the soft visage of the bronzed, middle-aged woman who appeared on the smaller screen.
“Well done,” Philip said.
For the life of him Finn couldn’t figure out what the big deal was. Emanuela was amazing, that much was clear, but she had simply introduced a few people. That didn’t merit high praise and a pat on her shoulder. He scowled and decided it was as good a time as any to say something-anything-to draw Philip’s attention elsewhere.
“Will there be difficulty getting our products certified Made in the USA since they’re to be assembled in Mexico?” he asked. “I know the label doesn’t ensure quality, but that’s the way things are perceived by the nation at large.”
“You can take this one, Em,” Philip said.
Fuck’s sake. He’s coddling her! Finn folded his arms across his chest.
She seemed confused for a second before she caught herself. “Thank you. I’m going to redirect to Mr. Brian Richards—”
“Just Brian,” he said, interrupting in his typical manner.
Finn’s jaw tightened to stop himself from smirking. Ah, Brian the asshole.
“Brian.” Emanuela humored him. “As the head of our financial division, he’s best equipped to explain the marketing side of things. Federal Trade Commission rules can be tricky, but we’ve managed to come up with an approach that will guarantee the best quality of materials and construction possible,” she explained. “Brian? All yours.”
The camera panned again and Finn almost laughed out loud. Brian looked exactly the way he thought he would. That is, nothing stood out about him. He had an average build, average features and appeared to be average height. There was nothing gripping about his voice. No wonder he’s got a chip on his shoulder. The man lacked charisma. Even now, he was talking and Finn wasn’t paying attention.
“So,” Brian said, “by contracting the production of individual parts for your products to well-known and respected companies here in the U.S., customers from industry to patients will be confident that what they’re getting is safe and effective. Partnering with Mrs. Martinez to assemble the products saves money and creates job growth in the border region between Tijuana and San Diego…”
Brian was still talking but Finn’s attention was on Emanuela’s tense face. What’s that about? She cast an apologetic look at Mrs. Martinez, who smiled back but gave Emanuela a quick nod to acknowledge her wordless apology. Whatever it was that Brian had said must’ve been quite the blunder. Finn looked at Philip to gauge his reaction but either he hadn’t noticed or his poker face was better than Emanuela’s. Finn tuned back in.
“Although the smart limbs will be assembled in Mexico, their individual parts will be made in the U.S., so they will fully comply with FTC standards. Storage is on-site and transport is much more cost-effective from Mexico into the United States than from overseas.”
Emanuela looked into the LCD monitor nearest her, her warm smile reaching her eyes. Finn read her sympathetic expression and softened his features in response. This was a tedious task, and he knew she was working hard to make it seamless for his benefit. The manufacturers had to be flown in to sign non-disclosure agreements in person, in front of the firm’s business lawyer and a notary. Finn hated to admit it, but he was grateful that Philip had been adamant about including him and Simon in the process. Full disclosure all the way through.
At that moment, Finn couldn’t have repeated what Brian said if he was asked because Philip’s hand was on Emanuela’s arm and her attention was diverted. The gesture wouldn’t have put him on edge if Philip’s hand hadn’t remained on her arm the entire time he spoke…and she wasn’t leaning into him.
What the hell?
Finn watched her nod and search for something briefly, her brow creased in mild consternation. Then Philip handed her something. What is that? Finn wondered, and then he recognized the small object. A pen?
He grunted because he couldn’t curse. Simon cut his eyes at him in question and Finn shook his head dismissively. This is taking forever. Just get on with it.
Emanuela scribbled some notes and then excused herself during Brian’s too-long speech. Finn made a mental note to ask Simon for his annotated version later.
“If there are no further questions,” Philip said at last, “we’ll get the signing underway.” He surveyed the room and the monitors to confirm that no one had anything to add. Satisfied, he addressed the pair on the screens. “I’d offer you gentlemen some refreshment if you were here.” He smiled. “It’ll just be a moment.” He turned his earnest attention to Mrs. Martinez in a private conversation to the side.
Finn had already disengaged. The others were talking amongst themselves, so Simon turned to his friend with avid curiosity. “How long has that been a thing?” he asked, too low for anyone but Finn to hear.
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t give me a hard time. You were in a good mood this morning, then all of a sudden you got antsy, you couldn’t keep still, and you’ve still got that constipated look on your face. I can multitask, you know. Your fidgeting and your attitude got worse every time a certain lovely lady showed up on our screen.”
Finn didn’t say anything. He bit his lip in agitation and shifted in his seat.
“What I couldn’t seem to figure out during this little show,” Simon said, undaunted, “is why? I can’t imagine she’s done anything in the short time we’ve known her to cause you any upset. And then I realized it isn’t her. It’s you.”
Finn cut his eyes at his friend, his expression flat.
“That was jealousy on your face, plain as day,” Simon said.
Before Finn could respond, Emanuela returned with a slight, gray-haired woman who carried a clipboard and file. “Okay,” Emanuela said. “What do you say we go ahead and make it official?”
Cheers erupted around the table and Finn was caught up in the moment right along with everyone else. A year ago, this was a fading dream. Finn had hoped to get this far, and here it was, happening right before his eyes. He felt many things in that moment; grateful, relieved, vindicated. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. He thought he would feel content. Where was that emotion? Watching Emanuela shake hands and congratulate her colleagues brought the feeling of longing back that he seemed unable to escape at just the thought of her. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.
“Maybe it wasn’t just jealousy,” Simon said, squeezing Finn’s shoulder again.
He didn’t push any further and Finn offered him a small smile of gratitude.
“I’m so sorry.” Emanuela was speaking to them now.
A few of the others stayed behind, finishing their refreshments and talking in hushed tones. Philip was speaking with all three manufacturers near the mini bar.
“I know this isn’t how you’d prefer to spend your morning. Thanks for being patient with us and the formality of it all,” she said with a smile.
“No, thank you, Emanuela!” said Simon. “This has been a very informative and rewarding process. It’s intriguing to see all of the moving parts of this machine working together.”
Finn would have agreed in any other instant but he wasn’t feeling like himself, so he attempted a halfhearted smile. Emanuela’s smile seemed to falter in response, but Philip and the new manufacturing team drew their attention away to offer congratulations and farewells before they took their leave, and then it was just the three of them again.
“I need to wrap a few things up here, but feel free to call me if anything comes up,” Emanuela said.
“It was so good to see you again, Emanuela!”
“It was great to see you, Simon.”
“Take care.”
Emanuela smiled after him and then focused her uneasy gaze on Finn. “I can call in a few hours, after I’ve finished up here.”
“I’d like that,” he said. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
****
“Are you okay, Finn?”
Emanuela was having an unappetizing lunch in her office. It was the first chance she’d had all day to talk to him alone. She sensed that something was up after the meeting, but she was forced to put this conversation on hold for a pile of paperwork a mile high and what amounted to a scolding from her boss.
“Quite honestly, I’m not sure how to answer that.”
Dread crept into her throat, but she tried not to let it become evident in her voice. “I—can you just tell me what’s wrong?”
Ordinarily, she would be up for the challenge of using her exceptional powers of perception to figure it out. Deep down, she knew the root of his anxiety because she felt it herself, but right now her heart was beating too loud and her head hurt too much so he would have to word it as best he could.
“Please,” she said.
He sighed. “What was that, between you and Philip?”
“Oh, you saw that?”
“It was kind of hard not to.”
She bristled a little at his tone. “I thought it would be…I don’t know…a show of good faith, to defer your question to Brian. I laid into him at our last meeting and I don’t usually do that, although he tends to deserve it…” She was rambling “Your question, ideally, would have been better answered by him instead of me. I overstepped by letting Brian take your question after Philip delegated to me and he embarrassed us as well as Mrs. Martinez.”
“I don’t think I understand—”
“Brian is great at what he does,” she said. “But he doesn’t have the best bedside manner. It was totally inappropriate for him to mention that we’d be saving money by contracting with Mrs. Martinez’ company. It implied that we wanted to work with her merely as a means to an end and not for the quality of the services she can provide. Had I simply answered the question like Philip intended, this wouldn’t have happened. We’ve apologized, of course, and our partnership with her still stands, but it’s just not a great foot to start off on.”
“Emanuela. God, I’m so sorry,” he said. “I feel like a complete ass. I noticed an awkward moment between you and Mrs. Martinez but I confess I wasn’t paying much attention to what Brian was saying.”
“You were watching me.”
“I was. And Philip.”
She sucked in a breath. “Finn—”
“I don’t want to text you. I don’t want to call you—”
“Finn! I know the past two weeks have been…difficult. The time apart is wearing on me, too. How are other couples able to navigate long distance relationships when we can’t even survive thirteen days?”
“Emanuela…”
“Because we aren’t a couple and this isn’t a relationship.” She scoffed. “You’re about to break up with me and we aren’t even together.”
“Emanuela, I don’t want to do those things because I want to see you. I want to hug you and kiss you and hold your hand—things normal people do when they’re dating.”
She sobbed. He’d almost given her a heart attack.
“See?” he said with an exasperated sigh. “Right now—right now I should be holding you.”
A burst of laughter ripped through Emanuela’s body. Even to her own ears, it sounded broken. Beautifully broken. Like wind chimes in a storm.
“Emanuela?”
“Come to New Orleans with me.”
“What?”
“I’d planned to go with Allie, but she’s booked from now until eternity, so I’m asking you. Come with me. I was going to ask you anyway but now just seemed like a good time to bring it up.”
“When?”
“Two weeks from now. It’s only a weekend, but it’s the whole weekend. It’s more than we’ve had altogether so far and I’m really…I miss you.”
It was quiet for what felt like an eternity, and she was sure Finn was trying to think of any obligations that would keep him from seeing her.
“Okay,” he said at last.
“Okay?” She knew what Okay meant but she needed to hear it again so she could play it over and over in her head, so that it was real.
“Nothing could keep me away.”