Page 79 of Bossy Romance
I let out a puff of laughter. A snarky comment springs to the edge of my lips. It takes great effort to swallow it down.
Since I’m working in an official capacity, I have an obligation to keep my composure, but it’s getting kind of tough.
I ask tightly, “Why did Nova assign you to the kinetic battery team?”
“I major in computer engineering and minored in physics. She said my talents would be best served here.” He gets that goofy grin again.
Is he thinking about Novaright now?
My fingers close into fists.
How much time would I serve if I drove all the way to Vision Tech just to smack that smirk off his face?
Henry waves at the camera. “I’ll work on the memory chips, Mr. Harrison. Don’t worry. I won’t let you or Nova down.”
I grit my teeth.
Jail time is not worth it. Jail time is not worth it.
“We’ll keep you updated, sir,” the lab tech says.
The screen goes dead a moment later.
I take deep breaths to calm my anger. It’s fine. The kid is cocky because he has no idea how the world works. HowNovaworks. I have nothing to worry about.
Nova’s going to crush his dreams of getting with her. All I have to do is grab my popcorn and watch.
* * *
Feeling assured,I pocket my phone and turn around. “Rowan, did you find the drawings…what are you doing?” I bark.
The kid is surrounded by my blueprints. There’s a pencil in his hand and he’ssketchingon a sheet. I barrel over, my heart in my throat and my eyes bulging.
Rowan recoils when I get close as if he expects me to hit him.
I find that mildly offensive. I haven’t laid a hand on the kid, even when he had everyone stampeding out of Vision Tech like extras in a disaster movie as he totally destroyed a hundred-thousand-dollar lab.
“What’s this?” I yank the blueprint from the ground, relieved to find that he didn’t sketch on the side with the actual prototype design.
Then I look closer at the design and my anger shifts into awe.
“Rowan…” My voice cracks a bit. “Did you draw this?”
He shrugs and looks down at his sneakers.
I spin the blueprint around. It’s one of my earliest inventions—a life raft in the shape of a cube. I was passionate about getting it into retail, but Nova took that idea behind the barn and shot it.
It was a good thing too. Listening to her made me way more money than I ever thought I’d earn in a lifetime, much less a few months.
I study the sketch closely. Rowan made a miniature version of the design. Not only that, he drew characters in the frame, so it’s a lot more lively and visually appealing.
“You didn’t tell me you coulddraw,” I say, startled.
“I was just doodling,” he replies, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Kid, if I could doodle like this, my first draft sketches wouldn’t need to be reprogrammed on the computer.” I let out a disbelieving laugh. “You’re really talented.”
His cheeks get ruddy. “It’s whatever.”