Page 26 of Besties
“And Richie came up with this?”
“He did.” I could tell how proud she was. “When he approached me, I was skeptical at first, but then I saw what he was working toward, and I jumped onboard. I went back to school, got my teaching certifications up to date, then came to work here.”
Rebecca amazed me. No, that wasn’t true. Everyone here did. They were all so effusive in their praise for Richie and his techniques, couldn’t say enough about how the software, Teaching Time Tools, worked. The people in my department—my team—had been working hard to bring me up to speed, and they’d all been nothing but patient and kind, even when they had to explain things to me like I was a child.
Three weeks since we’d arrived in Boston had gone by too quickly. Every night, Richie would come down to where I was working, pick me up, and take me to dinner. After, we’d go to his place. When he said it wasn’t much, I thought maybe he’d been modest.
He wasn’t.
It was a small studio, with a pullout couch that doubled as a bed, a tiny kitchenette, and a bathroom. That was it.
“I don’t need much. I’m rarely home as it is. In fact, I probably could put a cot in my office and just stay there.”
For some reason I was saddened by this. “What about your social life?”
“Don’t have time. I’m always working, eating, or sleeping. That’s my life now.”
“So no one special? I mean, you have to go on dates, right?”
That got a laugh out of him. “I might meet someone out for dinner on occasion, but can you imagine bringing them back to this?” he asked, sweeping a hand to indicate his home. “People ask what I do, and when I say I’m the owner and CEO of a company, their eyes light up and you can tell they expect a limo and fancy house. This is… a letdown for them.”
The first night, I looked around and realized there wasn’t a second place to sleep. “I can stay in a hotel.”
“No, you’ll stay here. Don’t worry, I changed the sheets.”
“Where are you going to sleep?”
He frowned. “We slept together when we were kids. I’m pretty sure we can make it through a few weeks bunking on the couch.” The thought of being so close to him had me nervous, until he laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ll be staying at a friend’s place. In the morning, I’ll pick you up and we can go into work together.”
And that had been how things worked.
“Okay, I think we’ve had enough for one day.” Rebecca stretched. “Don’t know about you, but I’m tired.”
Checking the digital clock on the wall, I saw it was almost seven. “Why did you stay so late?”
“I don’t mind. Single, live alone, so not in a hurry. Besides, Mr. Ryland hasn’t come to pick you up yet, so I can’t very well leave you on your own.”
“I’m sorry I’m late!” Richie zipped through the door, panting. “I was on a call with China, and the translator got into a heated argument with Mr. Zhang after he said he wouldn’t speak with a woman.”
Rebecca’s flinty gray eyes narrowed. “And what did you do?”
“I told her to let him know that we wouldn’t be doing business with him, which got him even angrier. At least until I disconnected the call.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “You did that to a potential client?”
A frown marred Richie’s face. “No, I refused to speak with someone who didn’t show the proper respect to one of our associates. If he wants to do business with us, he’ll adjust his attitude and be contrite when he calls back. If he doesn’t, then it’s his loss. There are other people in his city who’d gladly work with us.”
Rebecca turned to me. “Mr. Ryland—”
“Geez, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Richie? You’re like my mom’s age, for God’s sake. I think the least you can do is call me by my name. It’s bad enough when you do it at work, but when we’re at your place, it’s just weird.”
My head spun so fast, you’d think I was channeling Linda Blair. “You’re what?”
He grinned. “She’s letting me sleep there until you’re done with training.”
I admit, I’d wondered who he was staying with. He’d drop me off after dinner, then leave. He never stayed late to chat or anything. I started to feel… lonely. God, I was a needy bastard.
“And that is why I’m sorry I’m late.”
