Page 90 of Off Her Game
She’d been instructed to report to Jake with issues or anything to do with development of her game, which, according to the others on her team, wasn’t normal. Jake rarely managed the day-to-day of any project. For most big projects Noah ran point.
She’d seen Noah from a distance on Friday, but he hadn’t noticed her. He hadn’t even attempted to make eye contact with her.
The past few days demonstrated whatever they shared wasn’t as easily left in the past as it should be, if they were a doomed mistake. His communication silence she interpreted to be his way of ending things without further confrontation. It would make it easier when he and Jake fired her. Or maybe they’d send the HR manager to do it.
Time for her to buck up and move on. So much easier said in her head than reality. Aside from missing Noah, she liked it here between the top-level talent, the personalities, and the resources.
Her heartbeat pounded through her ears as she strode up to Noah’s new assistant since her sister had been reassigned to work with Jake after Jake’s assistant had to leave on a lurch when his father got hospitalized. That was the cover story, but she believed they moved Emma on purpose because of her.
Noah’s new assistant had positioned his desk to blockade Noah’s office.
“Is he available yet, Josh?” Tori asked. Ditching the gamer bitch for a courteous professional sucked when it came to hard-asses like Josh.
Cynical, tough eyes met hers. Josh reminded her of the high school kid who’d had a toilet head swish one too many times. Now he enjoyed riding his power high. He tapped his pencil on his desk. Who even used pencils beyond grade school?
“He’s busy, like I told you three hours ago.”
“I’ve got a few weeks to produce a fully functional product. We need Sam to write in security code before the virtual reality folks do their bit. He doesn’t share his secrets. Arguably, it’s ridiculous to have only one person who does this, but it’s the way it is.”
“Sam is working for Mr. Harrison on a different project. He’s not available.” Josh twirled his pencil between his fingers and glared at her over the upper rim of his glasses as if she was an annoying insect. “Did you try emailing Mr. Harrison?”
“There’s something wrong with his interoffice account, or so I’ve been told.Mr. Harrisoncan take a break and help me with this. I need to discuss it today. With him. Not you.”
“Why don’t you tell me exactly what you need Sam to do and I might be able to help you.” He gave her a condescending smile and tapped his pencil against his desk again.
“How are you going to do the necessary coding to makeDragon Spysafe from hackers?” Probably should’ve toned that down.
Josh’s gaze narrowed as he typed on his computer with an air of importance, which was total bullshit posturing. She considered shoving the pencil up his nose.
She gritted out, “According to people on my team, Sam is the only one in this building who can do the next step. Since Sam’s work isn’t assigned by me, I need to speak with Noah about this.”
“You mean Mr. Harrison, don’t you?”
What a jerk.
“Where isMr. Harrison?” She tried smiling but suspected it came across a bit scary. She fantasized hand jabbing Josh in the throat just to see him gasp for a few seconds until his muscles unclenched enough to move air.
Josh scanned through a few screens on his iPhone. A total dismissal.
He finally said, “Like I told you twice already today, as soon as he’s free I’ll ask. Right now he’s busy. We’ll get back to you tomorrow.”
She slammed her back molars together and forced out, “Tomorrow doesn’t work for me.”
Josh slowly rose from his desk to tower over her. His face splotched with color. “Mr. Harrison doesn’t care what works for you. He isn’t interested in seeing you right now.”
She stepped backward.
This had to be the little tight-ass trying to flex his muscles. It didn’t make sense to be a direct personal denial from Noah.
Through glass windows of Noah’s office a slender blonde came into view. The elegant woman slithered around Noah in a designer skin-tight hip-hugging dress. Noah’s face came into view, but turned before she could read his emotions. The woman touched him in a way that suggested easy familiarity and intimacy.
What. The. Hell.
Noah was here. And not busy with work.
He’d moved on to someone new?
Her heart snapped into two. She’d never be a polished and poised fake blonde who could pull off designer wear in five-inch heels. She was Tori, the tattooed gaming dork who was only sexy when hiding behind a game avatar—not the kind of girl who belonged with a man like Noah.
