Antonio raised his brows. “What’s up?”
“Tony called me.”
“All right...?”
“He asked if you’d given me a solid resignation date yet.”
“Fuck.” Antonio pinched the bridge of his nose. “So much for my waiting until next month to discuss it with him.”
Justin’s next question should be,What will it take to keep you here?Or,Do we actually need a transition plan?“Why haven’t you told himno?”
“He’s family. My father.”
“I understand.” It was something Justin struggled to wrap his brain around. He didn’t get along with his family and never believed anyone did until he saw Antonio with his parents. That kind of loyalty, simply because of blood, wasn’t instinct to Justin.
“That’s the stress speaking. What can I offer you to keep you here? I can’t quite match his offer, with the wholethe family company is yours nowthing, but there’s got to be something.”
“We built this together. I don’twantto leave. I’m working it out. Speaking of making things work—part of Emily’s bribe to convince us she’s not all bad is dinner on Grant. You should put in an appearance.”
“Emily. You’re already on a first-name basis?” This teasing was much better than floundering in the unknown of whether or not Antonio was staying in the States.
“I can’t quite call herThe Retainerfor the next month.”
“I don’t see why not.” Justin didn’t believe anyone who made a living doing what this Ms. Lowry did was all kindness and sunshine. She helped dismantle companies from the inside out. Who the fuck enjoyed that? It would be nice ifsomethingwas unexpected in a pleasant way, but he didn’t expect it.
*
EMILY REVIEWED HERnotes from half a day of training with Antonio. Her head spun with everything she learned today, the whirring compounded by the highs and lows of her first day in the office.
She was grateful to work for Grant, especially on the retainer payroll. The small salary meant she didn’t have to stress if there were lapses between her development contracts, and he was a good boss. However, walking into one of his jobs was always a game of balance. She had to exert enough confidence she wouldn’t be stepped on, but not so much she came off as threatening.
When Antonio met her in the lobby, his rich accent slid over her skin like satin, teasing and drawing up images of her delicious Saturday night. The rush of fantasy and memory intensified when she remembered the Mr. Conroy she was supposed to meet was also a Justin. IfthisJustin was as hot as Saturday night’s hook-up...holy hell, that would be hot.
Antonio helped her silence the delicious images by being an asshole, but then he had to turn around and be not only apologetic and kind, but also brilliant. And the fact his accent was both sexy and pretty much how her Saturday night fantasy sounded, didn’t hurt.
She’d seen a lot of Silicon Valley startups over the years, and while there wasn’t an exact science to predicting which would fail, there were some good indicators—and not the things most people looked for.
The décor at APPropriate Designs could belong to any office building. White walls, black stuffed chairs with basic trim, and gray carpet. However, Antonio and Conroy owned and occupied the entire seven-story building. That, combined with what she learned today about both the front-end product and the technology behind the scenes, made her wonder what she was doing here. They seemed to have their act together.
“Antonio.” A male voice carried through her cubicle wall, sounding louder than its actual quiet hiss, thanks to the silence in the room. “I need you for a minute, for pro—”
“Yeah. My office in five minutes.” A sharp edge lined Antonio’s voice.
What was that about? A knock on metal caused her to spin toward her cube entrance. Justin—random world-traveler guy Justin from the bar—stood in front of her.
All her other thoughts evaporated.
The rise of his brows was the only indication that he recognized her. “I’m Justin Conroy. I’m sorry I couldn’t meet with you this morning.”
“Emily Lowry.” She accepted the greeting and failed to ignore the rush of heat that traveled from his grip down her arm and over her body. She wanted to run. Hide.Oh God.Antoniowasthe guy from their shared fantasy, and he stood next to Justin, watching the exchange. The realization made her pulse race. She should probably say something. “Nice to meet you.”
“Same. We have a lot to discuss about your next month here, and I understand you’re free this evening. I’m looking forward to hearing what you and Grant have in store for us.” Justin’s cool tone never wavered, as he searched her face.
She forced a smile. “I’m happy to share. Do you mind if I steal a moment of your time? Now, if you’re free.” Not that talking to him alone would be a good idea in the future, but the tiny part of her brain that still worked insisted they clear the airnow.
If Antonio noticed the tension, it didn’t show. He leaned against a cubicle wall, one hand in his pocket and expression pleasant.
“Sounds great.” Justin kept his voice low. “Fair warning, though. Antonio is my business partner. Whatever we discuss, he’ll be privy to later.”