Page 38 of Cocky Tech God
“I expect support; of course, I do.” Graham lifted his hands. “I want to be sure the software works at all times, and when it’s not working, it is fixed immediately.”
“My software has worked at all times because of my support staff. Every breach was fixed in record time, which minimized major issues with the clients’ data.” Hansen glanced at me.
“Well, Mr. Morgan, there are other solutions to the conventional support staff. My AI software is like an antibiotic, looking for bad bacteria to destroy before it takes over the body. It does this without any manual intervention.” The chopstick I held loosely in my hand fell to the porcelain plate. All eyes followed it. Then their eyes were on me. Suddenly, I was more aware of myself than ever. “Just putting that out there.”
“I like your analogy, Lucia.” Graham nodded. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard that one before.”
Hansen pinned my gaze, but he wasn’t intense with competitiveness as he was minutes ago. He was soft and…adoring? No. That couldn’t have been right.
“That was brilliant, Lucia. Seriously.” He nodded, his gaze down for a moment.
Hansen’s words surprised me. Wasn’t he supposed to trash me? Continue to boast why his cybersecurity software was superior, more proven than mine?
“Give me a preview of it.” Graham set his full attention on me, but I couldn’t give him my full attention just then.
I’d still been thinking about the turn of events over the past couple of minutes. I didn’t expect Hansen to compliment me. He certainly didn’t start out promoting me. Why would he do that?
“I…” I paused a moment to take a breath. I had Graham’s direct attention, and so I began to describe my life’s work.
Hansen
I didn’t want to end the night after we had dinner with Graham. We’d been there a little past ten. He’d said goodbye and left us standing in front of the restaurant.
I faced Lucia. “A nightcap?”
Her eyes were glossy. It might have been because we destroyed a couple bottles of the sake, but it also could have been because she was still on the high of impressing Graham. Hell, she impressed me too.
“Okay. But just one. I’ve definitely had my share.” She closed her eyes a moment.
“Let’s try Blue. It’s a restaurant bar on the other side. I haven’t been yet, but Graham said he’d taken his wife Soraya there before she went back to New York.”
“Sure. Let’s do that.”
I followed her to the hotel restaurant, Blue. We entered the space, dark with a cherrywood circular bar and overhanging décor. White chairs dotted around white tablecloths over the blue-tiled floor. I was astonished with its decadent, masculine style. The restaurant dining room was packed, but there were two spots at the bar left. We snagged those.
“Good choice.” I held the wine list in my hands.
“Great floor, right?” She dropped her gaze.
“It’s insanely beautiful. Like an ocean floor.” I stared at the deep blue-glazed floor with white splattering. “But I’d rather look at you.”
She frowned. “Hansen…”
“You’re right.” I shook my head, pretending to read the print on the wine list. “I don’t like to follow rules.”
“Clearly, but you know they are required for us to continue our…thing.”
Ha. Our thing. That’s not quite how I saw it. “I’ll behave. I swear.” In any other circumstance, I would not. “We’re professionals right now.”
“Yes, we are.”
The bartender came over to us dressed in the black and white hotel service uniform. “Good evening. What can I get for you? A bottle of wine or champagne, perhaps?”
“Amaretto sour,” Lucia said, her eyes on me and a grin on her face.
I chuckled. I liked slightly smashed Lucia. She was fun and goofy rather than seductive and flirty, which I also liked. What didn’t I like about her?
Nothing.