I didn’t quite understand all the tech-specific lingo when they discussed the algorithms they used to link products, so I tuned out for a good part of the discussion.
I could see why Richard didn’t want Maverik or Kingston here, though. His employees treated him almost like a king or a god. Richard’s word was law, and wherever he went, everyone immediately came to attention. There were people who fawned over him and tried to anticipate his every need or want, there were people who looked up at him with adoration, and there were people who shot him looks of envy when they thought he couldn’t see. I don’t think anything got past Richard, and I saw where Maverik had gotten his intensity from.
Richard was a completely different person within these walls. I understood why he wanted this persona to be completely separate from his role as a father and fiancé. He was always on the tip of his toes here; there wasn’t time to relax or even take a breath. Everyone around him always wanted something.
Richard had an inner drive that I admired, but I wasn’t sure that anyone else would ever be able to step into his shoes. I thought about our conversation when Richard had told me that he wanted to make sure that the guys could support themselves if the company ever went under. I think he knew that neither of them had the interest or necessary dedication to keep the company moving at the momentum that it currently was.
I met with Richard briefly to share my thoughts on what the team had shown me, and he noticed how tired I was.
“I’ll have one of the guys bring you home,” he said with a smile. “I’m sure you’d like to see some of the city, so Merelle will make sure you get to see the highlights.”
Merelle, one of his assistants, gave a sharp nod and immediately spoke on her headset. Her assistant walked me downstairs to where a car was just pulling up. See? Efficient, and almost magical.
It was a short walk from the lobby doors to the car idling out front, but I didn’t make it there without an issue. I was looking down at my phone, wondering if I should call Ryan, or if telling him I was hanging out at Awake would make things worse between us, when a stranger got in my path. I stopped in my tracks, but he kept coming and slung an arm around me as he held up his phone. Before I could even blink, the stranger had snapped a selfie of the two of us together, and then security was pulling him away from me.
“Whoa,” the young man said defensively. “No need to tase me or anything. I thought she was one of my friends from high school.”
Another security officer appeared, and I could see a third one hustling down the sidewalk towards us. The stranger gave them a charming smile.
“I’m so sorry, I was just excited to see my old crush, and I got carried away.” He looked over at me and held up his hands in a pleading gesture. “I promise, I didn’t mean to freak you out or anything. You look exactly like this girl I was madly in love with.”
I smoothed down my top and gave him a shaky smile. My heart was pounding with fear and adrenaline, and it was scary to think that just anyone could get to me that easily.
“No harm done - it was an honest mistake,” I told him hesitantly.
The security guards looked at me in question, but I reassured them I was fine. Merelle’s assistant ushered me into the waiting car, but the security officers were still questioning the guy. I hoped he wouldn’t be in too much trouble, but I wasn’t sure if the security team knew that I was Richard’s soon to be step-daughter or just a random girl on the street.
I tried to pay attention to Kary, my driver, as he talked about some of the bright spots of the city, but when my adrenaline had faded, I couldn’t hold back my yawn. I was ready to go home and crawl into my bed. I hoped Abby didn’t have any best friend activities planned for tonight. I could use some time in my dance studio after a quick nap.
Chapter 28
Katya
I heaved a big sigh when I went back to the fitness center after a trip back to the kitchen for more water. I counted four guys that I needed to walk through to get to my studio. I only hesitated for a second before I squared my shoulders back and walked through the room as if I owned it. Maverik returned to his squats after giving me a brief glance, but Kingston’s eyes lit up, and he followed me as I walked past. The other two guys watched Kingston and me with interest, but they didn’t say anything.
I ignored Kingston and slipped off my flats before sitting on the floor to get my pointe shoes on. I was already warmed up from before my trip, and I was ready to go back to work.
“What’s that for?” Kingston asked as he pointed to my inserts. I had started using the Perfect Fit kits to make custom molds for my feet a year ago and would never go back to using torn tights to pack my shoes again.
“Inserts,” I started to explain. “Imagine leaping up as high as you can into the air and landing with your entire body weight on your big toe.”
Kingston winced.
“These help to distribute the weight on your
