and living down the hall in the same apartment building, to phone calls like this that occurred less than once each month. If it wasn't for e-mail, they'd hardly talk at all.
Her best girlfriend, her only girlfriend, was slipping away, and there was nothing Jenna could do to stop it.
Chapter 4
Mankato, Minnesota, seven and a half years ago...
Jenna was working late, tweaking the code for the security programming she'd started as part of her Master's thesis. It had been logical to jump on board at CyTech once her degree work was complete. Not that she desperately needed the money, but it was nice to get paid for real and to be capable of supporting herself.
Her office door was open, but there was a knock anyway. Jenna looked up to see Chad Nelson, her boss.
“Still here? You know, we pay you well because you're talented. There isn't anything that says you have to kill yourself for the company in return for your salary.” He smirked at her.
Jenna smiled. “Ever think that I'm here because I enjoy what I do?” She looked back at the screen and continued to type.
“Come on, don't tell me someone at home isn't wondering where you are right now.” He perched on the edge of her desk.
“Nope. Just me, myself and I. We're all present and accounted for, so no worries. I'm not jeopardizing my relationship.”
“There's no one?” he asked. She shook her head. “Oh. Good. That's good.” His stare made her feel self-conscious.
“What?” she asked, pausing her work.
“Noticing how beautiful you are, even after a 12-hour day.”
Jenna blushed and looked down. “Hardly.”
“It's true. Look, do you want to get out of here? Maybe have dinner with me?”
Jenna's heart raced. Was he actually hitting on her? No. He couldn't be. That was wishful thinking on her part. She'd had very few lovers since Eric and it had been months since she'd said goodbye to the last one. At this point, almost anyone could have enticed her into bed. Almost.
Except, she'd found Chad and his talent attractive since she met him at the same cybersecurity conference where she'd encountered her thesis advisor, Pat Deacon. Chad's enthusiasm for the company they were launching had inspired her to work with Pat in grad school. It had also encouraged her to invest in the startup. Jenna worked on the programming end of the security-oriented research and assisted with the hardware segment. When Chad and Pat suggested she continue her efforts in a paid position at CyTech, Jenna jumped at the chance.
Not that she'd ever envisioned anything between the two of them. Chad was a friend and former colleague of Pat's and was only two years younger than her father. But he was handsome, in the way some older men are – like Harrison Ford or Sean Connery, better with age. Chad didn't look like he was in his late forties, with a full head of thick, blond hair and an athletic physique. But what Jenna found most attractive about him was his mind. He was a brilliant programmer.
He must have sensed her discomfort, because he said, “I was thinking we could talk about the testing phase for the programming.”
Surprised to be slightly disappointed, Jenna replied, “Of course. Let me just finish what I'm doing and I'll meet you in the lobby in a few minutes.”
An hour and a half later, they'd finished a bottle of wine between the two of them and they were laughing as they talked about things that had nothing to do with work. When their desserts arrived, Jenna said, “Oh, your cheesecake looks delicious. I should have gotten that instead.”
“I'll let you try a bite,” Chad offered.
“You don't have to do that. My chocolate mousse looks great, too.” She took a bite and couldn't help the moan of pleasure that emanated from her. “God, this is fabulous.”
Chad's pupils had dilated when she looked at him. He cut a piece of cheesecake from his slice and leaned forward, bringing the fork to Jenna's mouth. She automatically opened and savored
Her best girlfriend, her only girlfriend, was slipping away, and there was nothing Jenna could do to stop it.
Chapter 4
Mankato, Minnesota, seven and a half years ago...
Jenna was working late, tweaking the code for the security programming she'd started as part of her Master's thesis. It had been logical to jump on board at CyTech once her degree work was complete. Not that she desperately needed the money, but it was nice to get paid for real and to be capable of supporting herself.
Her office door was open, but there was a knock anyway. Jenna looked up to see Chad Nelson, her boss.
“Still here? You know, we pay you well because you're talented. There isn't anything that says you have to kill yourself for the company in return for your salary.” He smirked at her.
Jenna smiled. “Ever think that I'm here because I enjoy what I do?” She looked back at the screen and continued to type.
“Come on, don't tell me someone at home isn't wondering where you are right now.” He perched on the edge of her desk.
“Nope. Just me, myself and I. We're all present and accounted for, so no worries. I'm not jeopardizing my relationship.”
“There's no one?” he asked. She shook her head. “Oh. Good. That's good.” His stare made her feel self-conscious.
“What?” she asked, pausing her work.
“Noticing how beautiful you are, even after a 12-hour day.”
Jenna blushed and looked down. “Hardly.”
“It's true. Look, do you want to get out of here? Maybe have dinner with me?”
Jenna's heart raced. Was he actually hitting on her? No. He couldn't be. That was wishful thinking on her part. She'd had very few lovers since Eric and it had been months since she'd said goodbye to the last one. At this point, almost anyone could have enticed her into bed. Almost.
Except, she'd found Chad and his talent attractive since she met him at the same cybersecurity conference where she'd encountered her thesis advisor, Pat Deacon. Chad's enthusiasm for the company they were launching had inspired her to work with Pat in grad school. It had also encouraged her to invest in the startup. Jenna worked on the programming end of the security-oriented research and assisted with the hardware segment. When Chad and Pat suggested she continue her efforts in a paid position at CyTech, Jenna jumped at the chance.
Not that she'd ever envisioned anything between the two of them. Chad was a friend and former colleague of Pat's and was only two years younger than her father. But he was handsome, in the way some older men are – like Harrison Ford or Sean Connery, better with age. Chad didn't look like he was in his late forties, with a full head of thick, blond hair and an athletic physique. But what Jenna found most attractive about him was his mind. He was a brilliant programmer.
He must have sensed her discomfort, because he said, “I was thinking we could talk about the testing phase for the programming.”
Surprised to be slightly disappointed, Jenna replied, “Of course. Let me just finish what I'm doing and I'll meet you in the lobby in a few minutes.”
An hour and a half later, they'd finished a bottle of wine between the two of them and they were laughing as they talked about things that had nothing to do with work. When their desserts arrived, Jenna said, “Oh, your cheesecake looks delicious. I should have gotten that instead.”
“I'll let you try a bite,” Chad offered.
“You don't have to do that. My chocolate mousse looks great, too.” She took a bite and couldn't help the moan of pleasure that emanated from her. “God, this is fabulous.”
Chad's pupils had dilated when she looked at him. He cut a piece of cheesecake from his slice and leaned forward, bringing the fork to Jenna's mouth. She automatically opened and savored
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