Read Online Sometimes It Is Rocket Science by Kara Thorpe - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kara Thorpe
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the contract meetings, by the time they were finished, his knee would have brushed against her thigh eighty-seven times. If Westin from Norwood’s legal department was exceptionally verbose, it was possible the number could rise to…
“Georgiana.”
At the sound of her name on his lips, she blinked and stared dumbly at Robert. For a moment she entertained the thought of bashing him across the smug face with her tablet. “It’s fine,” she said, grateful her voice was steady.
“What is fine, Ms. Collier?” Pat Mayhan, head of the contracts division at Collier Analytics, fidgeted with his tie when she turned her attention to him. She felt a pang of guilt. He was one of the employees who hadn’t completely adjusted to having her as his boss. She wasn’t as versed in legalities as her father, and let him have a great deal of leeway when he preferred precise direction.
“The contract.” Georgiana waved her hand at the stack of papers in front of every attendee. “It’s the same contract we always sign with Norwood. We give them what they want when they want it, and they give us money. We don’t tell anyone the specifics of what they’re building, and they don’t tell anyone about our software. It’s the same contract.”
An awkward silence fell on the room. Yvonne sighed softly. She should have warned Pat that Georgiana was distracted and rescheduled the meeting. Westin clicked the end of his pen, face mottled with irritation.
Robert’s chair squeaked. He slapped his hands on the table, stood. “Ms. Collier is correct. This is the standard contract and there are no issues that I see. I believe we can all agree that it has worked for us in the past.”
Before Westin or Mayhan could launch protests, he signed his copy of the contract and turned it around for Georgiana’s signature. In contrast to his neat, square-ish handwriting, his signature was a looping scrawl of Rs and Ns. She hastily scribbled her signature, the G and C of her initials the only visible letters, and handed the contract to Mayhan. The autopen would take care of the other signature requirements.
“I believe that’s twice now you’ve saved me,” she said once they were out of the conference room. She could hear the start of Mayhan’s complaint to Yvonne. She owed her assistant two sessions with the masseuse to make up for the day.
Robert’s hand hovered near the small of her back as they made their way to the R&D department. “Perhaps I like having you in my debt. I do have a way you can make a partial payment.”
“Oh?” Georgiana forced herself to remain cool. His wicked smile should have been illegal. “How’s that, Bobby?”
He gestured towards the thick, double doors barring the way to the brains of Collier Analytics. “Show me what you’ve got.”
Chapter Seven:
“I think if we let him, Bobby would move in to our R&D department. You should have seen the way he was eyeing Luke Duvall’s work station.” Georgiana stretched her legs and crossed her ankles. She’d talked a nurse into bringing an extra bed into the spacious private room. With Robert in town, they needed more than the one visitor’s chair.
Dan glanced at the door. Robert had gone for a snack run and was due back any second. “I’m surprised you got him to leave.”
“His assistant finally called Yvonne. She threatened to get security involved.” Georgiana grinned at Dan. Her assistant was a Cat-5 hurricane. She wouldn’t have had a problem making good on her threat had Robert resisted.
Having butted heads with Yvonne a time or two, Dan chuckled. “How’d he get along with the boys?”
“Great. Except for Paul, of course. He made a rookie mistake.” Georgiana tilted her head back and watched the helium balloons she’d picked up in the gift shop bounce against the ceiling.
“Ooh.” Dan shook his head knowingly. “Screwed up the
“Georgiana.”
At the sound of her name on his lips, she blinked and stared dumbly at Robert. For a moment she entertained the thought of bashing him across the smug face with her tablet. “It’s fine,” she said, grateful her voice was steady.
“What is fine, Ms. Collier?” Pat Mayhan, head of the contracts division at Collier Analytics, fidgeted with his tie when she turned her attention to him. She felt a pang of guilt. He was one of the employees who hadn’t completely adjusted to having her as his boss. She wasn’t as versed in legalities as her father, and let him have a great deal of leeway when he preferred precise direction.
“The contract.” Georgiana waved her hand at the stack of papers in front of every attendee. “It’s the same contract we always sign with Norwood. We give them what they want when they want it, and they give us money. We don’t tell anyone the specifics of what they’re building, and they don’t tell anyone about our software. It’s the same contract.”
An awkward silence fell on the room. Yvonne sighed softly. She should have warned Pat that Georgiana was distracted and rescheduled the meeting. Westin clicked the end of his pen, face mottled with irritation.
Robert’s chair squeaked. He slapped his hands on the table, stood. “Ms. Collier is correct. This is the standard contract and there are no issues that I see. I believe we can all agree that it has worked for us in the past.”
Before Westin or Mayhan could launch protests, he signed his copy of the contract and turned it around for Georgiana’s signature. In contrast to his neat, square-ish handwriting, his signature was a looping scrawl of Rs and Ns. She hastily scribbled her signature, the G and C of her initials the only visible letters, and handed the contract to Mayhan. The autopen would take care of the other signature requirements.
“I believe that’s twice now you’ve saved me,” she said once they were out of the conference room. She could hear the start of Mayhan’s complaint to Yvonne. She owed her assistant two sessions with the masseuse to make up for the day.
Robert’s hand hovered near the small of her back as they made their way to the R&D department. “Perhaps I like having you in my debt. I do have a way you can make a partial payment.”
“Oh?” Georgiana forced herself to remain cool. His wicked smile should have been illegal. “How’s that, Bobby?”
He gestured towards the thick, double doors barring the way to the brains of Collier Analytics. “Show me what you’ve got.”
Chapter Seven:
“I think if we let him, Bobby would move in to our R&D department. You should have seen the way he was eyeing Luke Duvall’s work station.” Georgiana stretched her legs and crossed her ankles. She’d talked a nurse into bringing an extra bed into the spacious private room. With Robert in town, they needed more than the one visitor’s chair.
Dan glanced at the door. Robert had gone for a snack run and was due back any second. “I’m surprised you got him to leave.”
“His assistant finally called Yvonne. She threatened to get security involved.” Georgiana grinned at Dan. Her assistant was a Cat-5 hurricane. She wouldn’t have had a problem making good on her threat had Robert resisted.
Having butted heads with Yvonne a time or two, Dan chuckled. “How’d he get along with the boys?”
“Great. Except for Paul, of course. He made a rookie mistake.” Georgiana tilted her head back and watched the helium balloons she’d picked up in the gift shop bounce against the ceiling.
“Ooh.” Dan shook his head knowingly. “Screwed up the
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