Page 7 of Conquering the Skies
“Yousuppose?” He lifted his head, his amused grin belying any annoyance he’d implied. “I’ve been doing nothing but pouring out my feelings since I got here, and this is the best you can do?”
She attempted to twist around and knee him in the rib cage, but he thwarted any potential attacks with his firm hold. “Oh, fine,” she said. “I love you, Marcus. There, are you happy now?”
“Yes, very.”
He pressed his lips to hers, letting them linger for a second longer than a typical friendly kiss. When he pulled back, his mouth hovered near hers for another moment, and they breathed in time with each other before he returned his cheek to its prior position against her shoulder. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head back and resumed her gentle toying with his hair.
Outside the window, the incessant sounds of the city melded into a low buzz, and Geneva stifled a yawn. Before she could fully relax, he broke the silence inside the apartment. “As long as I’m opening myself up to you, I’ll also confess how when we were kids, I thought there was a tiny chance you and I would wind up getting married.”
She raised her eyebrows, though she knew he couldn’t see. “Now I really think—”
“Wait, hear me out,” he said. “This isn’t me expressing regret or trying to convince you to run away with me or anything. I realized long ago how that particular scenario wasn’t meant to be for us. We’ve always wanted different things, and I think it would have been too much to overcome in the end. So, instead, I’ll just continue to be happy whenever our paths through the universe happen to cross.”
A lump formed in her throat, and she tried to swallow it back as she considered her next words. “I’m glad you met Adele,” she finally said. “Aside from her being a good person on her own, I know she’s everything I could never be for you.”
Stillness settled over the room again, and she struggled not to fidget in his embrace. “Besides, I’m sure you’re going to have some sort of extravagant fairy-tale event for your wedding, and while I will be thrilled to attend, having a starring role in such a production would send me running for the hills,” she joked.
Laughing, Marcus gave her a playful squeeze. “I won’t tell your mother. I’m sure she’s already got something similar planned out for you when the time comes.”
“Oh, no. I might have to reenlist in order to escape her.”
The room grew darker and darker, yet she didn’t want to get up and activate any of the lighting panels. “I’m not going to kick you out,” she said, “but don’t you think it’s getting kind of late? I don’t want anyone worrying about you when you’re not home at a reasonable hour.”
“You’re probably right. I should get going soon, especially since I don’t have to drive around mindlessly anymore in an effort to clear my head.” He groped around for one of her hands and entwined his fingers with hers. “A few more minutes won’t hurt, though, right?”
Exhaling, Geneva held him close and tried not to wonder if they’d ever share another private moment like this. “Stay as long as you’d like.”
Chapter Four
A crowd of people gathered in the conference room, some sitting in chairs around the large mahogany table while others stood in a disorganized formation around them. Geneva inched her way toward the back of the room to meet up with Claire, one of her closer colleagues. “Do you know what’s going on?” she asked, gesturing behind her with one hand. “This is the first time since I’ve started working here that Renae has called us all together.”
Claire shook her head. “It’s not a common occurrence. In fact, I can’t remember ever having a meeting like this.”
“Weird.” Glancing around the busy space, she shrugged. “Maybe it’s some sort of big project where she needs all of us, or something like a team-building exercise.”
“Whatever it is, maybe it’ll come with a nice raise!”
She chuckled. “I like the way you think.”
Silence descended upon the room when Renae strode through the door. She took a sip from her mug of coffee and smirked. “Oh, wow. You all actually showed up. See, I always say I have the best people working for me.”
No one spoke as she stood at the head of the table, several people sliding back in their wheeled chairs to give her space. “I know you must be curious as to why we’re holding a meeting like this, so I’ll cut right to the chase,” she said. “After some careful consideration, I’ve decided in a few months, I will be retiring. It’s time to finally put my feet up and relax for once.”
Her announcement elicited a variety of reactions, from whispered murmurs to congratulatory shouts. “I guess now you really mean it when you say you’re too old for this shit,” one man called out, laughing.
“Exactly!” She raised her mug as if in a toast and winked at him. “It’s been a wild ride with more good days than bad, but there’s a secluded beach somewhere in this system calling my name.”
Renae let the chatter continue for another moment before clearing her throat. “I didn’t summon you here just to gloat, you know,” she said. “As I transition into this next stage of my life, I want to be 100 percent transparent with you when it comes to the future of Platinum Security Solutions.”
“Are we shutting down?” someone asked.
“Is someone else taking over?”
“Are we all going to be out of a job?”
Her smile faded. “This is what I mean. I didn’t want rumors to spread, hence why I wanted us all here together.” Setting down her mug, she leaned forward, bracing her palms on the table. “I’ll be honest with you—at this precise moment, I don’t know yet what’s going to happen to the company. I’ve started reaching out to some contacts, putting out some feelers to see if anyone is interested in investing or taking it on, but I don’t have any firm details to share with you quite yet.”
A woman seated at the opposite end of the table raised her hand. “Is there any sort of timeline we should be aware of?”