“I wasn’t sure you’d come back.” Hugo was escorting a tall beak-nosed man from his office as he waved Junie in. “Thanks for coming Bill. I’ll be in touch.”

When they were alone, Hugo closed the door and didn’t bother containing his excitement at seeing her. She was good. Never replied to his text message. She let him wonder. Wait. And he wasn’t proud to admit he had done plenty of both.

“I wasn’t sure I was coming back.” Junie didn’t take the seat he was offering, instead leaning herself against the bookcase below the window. “You might want to work on your communication with your team.”

“I’ve had a team for about two hours.” Hugo turned his mouth up in a playful smile, but she wasn’t budging. Her beautiful brows were knit together with lingering frustration. It was sexy as hell. But not productive for this meeting. “I’m still interviewing for a few other spots on my team. There will be some bumps in the road as I get my feet under me here. Hopefully we can still find a way to work together.”

Her face softened a little and she rolled her eyes. “I should make you grovel a little more, but I’d like to get to work.”

“Then let’s do it,” Hugo announced, slapping his hands together and offering a seat across from his desk again. She finally obliged. “I want to talk patents. I looked through the information you left me, and I didn’t see anything about that.”

“There’s a good reason for that. I don’t have one.”

“You haven’t applied for a patent yet?” Hugo asked, checking his tone to make sure he wasn’t talking down to her. A woman like Junie would hate that.

“No, I haven’t. Do you know how much it costs to apply for one? I’m not sure I’ve properly communicated the budget constraints I’m working under right now. I spent every dollar I had between making a prototype, traveling here, and building this presentation.”

“I understand. I’ll get you the money to apply. I know a few loopholes and I’ll make some calls. We could have something processed by the end of the week.”

“No.” Junie bit out the words as though he’d just proposed they rob a bank or slap a baby.

“Listen,” Hugo said, leaning in toward her. “It’s the first thing James is going to ask about when you pitch this to him. He’s not going to invest in something that isn’t protected by a patent.”

“When I pitch this to James West?” Junie coughed, clearly not believing what she’d heard. “When exactly will that happen?”

“Certainly not until after the patent application is filed.” Hugo wrote a few notes down on the pad in front of him and waited for Junie to fire back.

“I thought you said he’d never go for this.”

“I don’t think under normal circumstances he would.”

“What makes these circumstances anything but normal?” Her body language was dancing between excitement and incredulity.

“You.” Hugo stared intensely at her until she finally looked away. “You look unstoppable. Invincible. I’m not going to bet against you.”

“Damn,” she sighed, hanging her head. “You are a smooth talker. I almost believed you for a second.”

“I’ll be patient. You strike me as someone who prefers action to words. I can work with that. We’ll start with the patent application. Then we’ll talk more about sourcing options. You’ll need a really solid pitch for a man like James West. He’ll bust holes in any weak spots, and I don’t think he gives out second chances.”

Hugo kept himself in check as he delivered this important message. He knew how body language could shape an entire encounter. The natural posture for a moment like this might be smug and arrogant. But again, a woman like Junie wouldn’t have it.

“What’s in it for you?” Junie’s eyes turned to slits as she appraised him wearily. “This is your new job. New boss. A traditionally unpopular idea that won’t win you any favors. Tell me your angle.”

He raised up a finger to challenge her argument. “Or it’s innovative and I’ll be labeled a maverick. I could play it safe here and easily do the job James hired me for. That would be boring. I could build a department and have it running smoothly in thirty days. Then what? I’d be obsolete here. You walk in here with a solid idea. I’d be a fool to let you go without at least trying. I laid the groundwork with him this morning. I told him I’d be working on something, and I’d bring him the idea once it was ready.”

“You’d bring him the idea?” She was waiting for the shoe to drop. Or more like she was waiting for the other shoe to come out of nowhere and whack her in the head.

“I’ll be honest with you, Junie. You deserve that. I’m not looking to put my name on the product or the future of it. But I don’t think you’ll be able to make a strong enough case for yourself without me. Maybe it’s all that patriarchy stuff you said last night. Maybe it’s that you haven’t had enough time in the corporate world. This is your weak spot. No one wants to admit they have one. But if you can accept that you need me for this, I think we can make something happen here. The ball is in your court.”

Junie fiddled with her hands and looked up at the ceiling as she answered. “Before last night I honestly thought my presentation was solid. I put so much work into it. I guess I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I’m good if you want to help me get ready. I’ll take whatever help I can get.”

“You have my word that I’m not looking to steal your thunder.”

“You can have the thunder. I’m terrified of it. Have been since I was a kid.”

Hugo mistook it for a joke and chuckled, but she was serious. Big bad Junie wasn’t quite so fearless. And apparently there was more than the weather that was causing worry.

“How long will I need to be here?” Junie shifted nervously in her chair as she looked toward the window. Hugo could see the math she was doing.

“I’m not sure. But you’ll need to be near the office. You and I will be working together. I’ll call the hotel and extend your reservation. We’ll sort out the other details later.”

“You don’t need to do that.” Junie shook her head, looking suddenly small. “I can get here just fine from the place I originally booked.”

“I have no doubt you could. I need your full dedication for the next couple of weeks. Late nights. Complete commitment. It’ll be easier if we are staying at the same hotel.”

“Easier?” Junie laughed whimsically as she swept her long hair off her shoulders. “I’m going to keep my eye on you.”

“I make you nervous?”

“No.”

“Then why are you going to keep an eye on me? Just like what you see?”

“You think you’re slick, like you can play everyone around you. You think about everything before you say it. It’s all the move of a chess piece to you. Most people think it comes easy to you, but I can see the wheels always moving in your head. That must get exhausting.” Junie propped a hand under her chin as though she were analyzing him deeply.

Damn. She’d made a direct hit.

“I enjoy the power of language. It’s something I’ve always found compelling. It’s not quite as dramatic as you make it sound though.”

“Hmm,” Junie hummed and nodded, looking thoroughly unconvinced. “Well I’m not looking for all the games. You don’t have to sit there and analyze every word, every move. I’m pretty straightforward. With me, you get what you see. I wouldn’t mind if you were the same. Last night you kept saying you were off your game. It would be all right with me if you were just you.”

Shit. She’d been able to blindside him. It wasn’t that he was playing games. He thought of it more like a conductor in front of an orchestra. With enough skill he could direct people, all with the hope of creating something beautiful. But it was exhausting.

People fit into boxes. Upon meeting them Hugo assessed, labeled, and stored everyone where they belonged. James West was an alpha macho guy who was driven by success. There were ways to work with him to ensure they could all get what they wanted. Mirabel just needed a shot of confidence and the boost would carry her forward. But Junie wasn’t fitting where he wanted her. An obvious fighter. Underdog. Scrappy. Motivated by the need to change her life. But there were more layers to her. Confusing ones.

“Good to know.” She’d wanted more, something deeper but he was too rattled to engage. Instead, Hugo slid a document over to her and gave her some time to scan it. “Fill out the patent application. If you need time to have your lawyer review it I can probably get you a day.”

“My lawyer,” Junie chuckled. “I do my own taxes. I fix my own shower. I guess I can read my own application too.”

“They make it more complicated than it needs to be, but they are sticklers for the details. That application is no joke. Take your time. I’ll set you up in a conference room, and you can have Maribel get you whatever you need.”

Junie took the documents and her simple cloth shoulder bag as she made her way to the door. She paused as though she were being held there by some force. “Don’t screw me over on this.”

Hugo had to smile at the delivery. Junie laid down a simple demand that sounded heavily laced with a threat. Then without waiting for his reply, she was gone. For all the years he’d honed his skills, he had to applaud her raw talent. Making an entrance was great, but a powerful exit stayed with people.