Page 24 of Decoding Emma
“San Francisco is a nice place.Why did you leave?”
“After I received my BS in computer science, I wanted to move out of California.I applied for the job with Tri-O-Tech, the company I’m working for now, started at the ground level and slowly worked my way up.”
“How long did that take you?”Cassie stopped and smacked her hand over her mouth, eyes wide.“I’m sorry.Am I being too nosy?”
I grinned.“You’re not.It’s okay.It took me about six years to move up to where I am now.”I sipped my tea.“What about you?”
We talked about our lives and careers, and I found myself really enjoying being with Cassie and getting to know her.
I missed working with other women.I loved my career, but computer science and information technology were still very male-dominated professions.Maybe it was time for me to move into another position at work, somewhere there were more women.
***
By the time Cassie and I finished lunch, we were chatting like old friends.I was enjoying this budding friendship with her and wanted to explore it.Maybe being around people wasn’t such a bad thing.We parted in the parking lot, agreeing to meet at work early on Monday and have coffee together.
I couldn’t shake my concern about how Asher might act when we were back to working in the same office.The confrontation didn’t happen at work; it was a social situation.Entirely different environments.During professional interactions, I would act like I did any other day and, as far as I was concerned, the issue was settled.Anything beyond that was on Asher.
When I got home, I flopped down on my sofa, wanting to zone out a while after an exhausting week.I turned on a movie I’d seen several times, and let it play as background noise, then picked up my tablet to read the newest addition to my library.
Oh yes.Spicy, sexy romance.Just what I needed.
Chapter Eleven
Asher
Monday morning, I walked into the office I shared with Emma, holding two coffees and one of her favorite pastries from Daily Perks.It wouldn’t hurt to enhance my apology with coffee and food.
I pushed the door open.Six forty-five.I had time.Wanting to give her space, I hadn’t tried to contact her again after I received her text.
Imagine my surprise, when I found Emma already in the office, typing away at the computer.
“Good morning, Emma.”
“Morning,” she answered, but I could tell she was distracted.
“You’re here early.”I set her coffee and pastry down next to her keyboard.She glanced at the food.
“What’s this?”
“Coffee and pastry, along with an apology for Friday night.”
She kept her gaze on me for a moment.“Thank you, but not necessary.We’re fine.”Then turned back to the computer screen.
We’re fine.Her words bounced around in my head.How could we be fine?I’d acted like an ass as I had been so eloquently told by my friends Saturday.
“I do appreciate the coffee and food.”She slid her own mug aside, picked up the cup I’d brought, and took a sip.“Perfect.”Her attention remained focused on her computer screen after taking a bite of the danish.
“Why did you come in so early?”I sat down and booted up my own computer.
“I had an idea yesterday, and I can’t remote into your system, so I played with it on mine.Now, I’m going to see if I can get your program to accept it.If it works, we might be able to complete the integration faster.”Another bite of danish.
The excitement in her voice made me smile.“I’m not telling you what you should do, but weekends should be for you and your pleasure.”I didn’t like that she worked on her days off.
“It was nothing.”Her gaze never wavered from her monitor and the code running on the computer.
“Emma, you don’t need to work weekends.”
“I know, but sometimes when an idea comes to me, I have to pounce on it.You should know that.”A bite of danish and a sip of coffee.
