positive vibe in the air, the whole building buzzing with good cheer and productivity. He would set his hands on his hips and survey his domain, looking delighted by life and just a bit smug. She thought it endearing. Actually she thought too bloody much about him, though she tried her level best not to. It was such a stupid thing to do, fixating on her boss, even if all she had been was a straightforward employee. As a . . . whatever she was . . . it was even more idiotic.
So she liked her colleagues, liked her work and – begrudgingly – was coming to both like and admire Mike Summers.
So yeah, she was finding the . . . well, call a spade a spade, the industrial espionage more than a little taxing. Dad had framed it up to be a victimless crime. David the little family company up against Goliath, the bloated corporate with its unlimited assets, faceless and soulless.
DigiCom had a soul. It was Mike. And she didn’t want to steal from him. She just didn’t.
How could sh e tell Dad that? He was depending on her. They all were. Not just him but her brothers and sisters. She couldn’t bear to let them down.
But the fabulous challenge D ad had dangled before her, of beating the corporate giant at its own game, fooling an office of drones by going undercover, a brave and intrepid adventurer outsmarting them all . . . none of it was true. She was a renegade employee, telling lies in order to achieve her aim: to take what didn’t belong to her and turn a profit from it. It was small and sordid. It was unworthy of her.
She was ashamed it had taken her so long to see it clearly. Okay , so she was used to following Dad’s instructions without argument. Without much argument. But she felt pretty stupid to have let this one go by; to go so far with it.
On the one hand she felt she ought to just pack up her things and slink out. Never show up for work again. On the other she was tempted to stay, to simply become the Cathy Thorpe she had presented herself as. That silly girl who – as she reluctantly repeated to Mike when he quizzed her about hiding her skills – had made a not-well-thought-through decision based on a crush for one of the programmers.
“I knew he worked here, and I knew I was better than him. But I didn’t want him to know it. Guys can be so strange about that. Totally ego. You know?” His lips twitched, but he managed to keep a straight face. She applauded his control. “So maybe I was a bit crazy over him. I thought I’d apply for the job I saw advertised, to get closer and hopefully . . . well, you know.”
“I do know. So did it work out?”
“It did not. Turns out he is a putz,” she said with a good leavening of apparent self-disgust at her own poor judgment. “So then I’m totally wondering how to get out of the situation, but thinking this is a great place to work and how am I going to get noticed and get promoted. And bingo, you know the rest.”
“For the record, if a guy can’t handle your skills being greater than his, he isn’t worth your time. I’m impressed by a woman who is stunning in her field; regardless of whether she’s better than I am. That’s what you want.” He said it without the slightest suggestiveness. In fact his tone was almost avuncular. She wondered if he realized she was only five years younger than him. Twenty-five years to the thirty with which office rumor credited him. Perhaps the clothes, childish hairstyle and lack of makeup were a better disguise than she’d realized.
So she could just go on being that woman – or girl – and gradually transform into a closer approximation of herself. Even switch the Cathy to her usual Kate, given the root name of Katherine had remained unchanged.
Yeah, she could do that. But Dad probably wouldn’t take it well. Scratch that. He definitely wouldn’t take it well.
She couldn’t bring herself to make a decision and act. So she marked time and waited to see if anything would come up that could tip the scales
So she liked her colleagues, liked her work and – begrudgingly – was coming to both like and admire Mike Summers.
So yeah, she was finding the . . . well, call a spade a spade, the industrial espionage more than a little taxing. Dad had framed it up to be a victimless crime. David the little family company up against Goliath, the bloated corporate with its unlimited assets, faceless and soulless.
DigiCom had a soul. It was Mike. And she didn’t want to steal from him. She just didn’t.
How could sh e tell Dad that? He was depending on her. They all were. Not just him but her brothers and sisters. She couldn’t bear to let them down.
But the fabulous challenge D ad had dangled before her, of beating the corporate giant at its own game, fooling an office of drones by going undercover, a brave and intrepid adventurer outsmarting them all . . . none of it was true. She was a renegade employee, telling lies in order to achieve her aim: to take what didn’t belong to her and turn a profit from it. It was small and sordid. It was unworthy of her.
She was ashamed it had taken her so long to see it clearly. Okay , so she was used to following Dad’s instructions without argument. Without much argument. But she felt pretty stupid to have let this one go by; to go so far with it.
On the one hand she felt she ought to just pack up her things and slink out. Never show up for work again. On the other she was tempted to stay, to simply become the Cathy Thorpe she had presented herself as. That silly girl who – as she reluctantly repeated to Mike when he quizzed her about hiding her skills – had made a not-well-thought-through decision based on a crush for one of the programmers.
“I knew he worked here, and I knew I was better than him. But I didn’t want him to know it. Guys can be so strange about that. Totally ego. You know?” His lips twitched, but he managed to keep a straight face. She applauded his control. “So maybe I was a bit crazy over him. I thought I’d apply for the job I saw advertised, to get closer and hopefully . . . well, you know.”
“I do know. So did it work out?”
“It did not. Turns out he is a putz,” she said with a good leavening of apparent self-disgust at her own poor judgment. “So then I’m totally wondering how to get out of the situation, but thinking this is a great place to work and how am I going to get noticed and get promoted. And bingo, you know the rest.”
“For the record, if a guy can’t handle your skills being greater than his, he isn’t worth your time. I’m impressed by a woman who is stunning in her field; regardless of whether she’s better than I am. That’s what you want.” He said it without the slightest suggestiveness. In fact his tone was almost avuncular. She wondered if he realized she was only five years younger than him. Twenty-five years to the thirty with which office rumor credited him. Perhaps the clothes, childish hairstyle and lack of makeup were a better disguise than she’d realized.
So she could just go on being that woman – or girl – and gradually transform into a closer approximation of herself. Even switch the Cathy to her usual Kate, given the root name of Katherine had remained unchanged.
Yeah, she could do that. But Dad probably wouldn’t take it well. Scratch that. He definitely wouldn’t take it well.
She couldn’t bring herself to make a decision and act. So she marked time and waited to see if anything would come up that could tip the scales
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