Champagne Brunch: The Stiletto Sisters Series by Ainsley Claire (easy readers .txt) 📗

hired him that he loved development and getting software out, but was less thrilled with maintenance, so I know there’s a good chance he’ll find greener pastures once we launch. I’m just determined to enjoy working with him as long as he sticks around.

“You’ve done an outstanding job getting this ready,” I tell him on the ride over.

“Thanks. Your algorithm was elegant. One of the best I’ve worked from—made things easy.” He smiles. “What do you think you want to do next?”

I shake my head. “No idea. I still need to figure out what I’m going to do about Diamond Analytics.”

He snorts. “Hire a CEO and let them run it. I’ve watched how you did Flirt. I have to believe you’ve got five or six other ideas in your head for software and apps.”

I shrug. “Nothing concrete. What about you? What about your ideas?”

He crinkles his nose. “Here’s a secret truth about me, and I beg you not to share it.”

I raise my eyebrows and nod.

“I don’t have one good or viable idea of my own. I can make other people’s ideas crackle, but I don’t do my own. You’re fantastic to work with. You gave us a road map with Flirt that has really worked well. Apps are usually quick, but I’m hoping you have another idea for me, because I really like working with you.”

I study him for a moment. I don’t think he’s hitting on me... “You’re incredibly kind. I do have an idea that I think we can put together after we get all this taken care of. So don’t go looking for other work. I want to do something. Let’s talk.”

He nods. “I’m here for you.”

We get out of the car in front of SHN’s offices. When I started working with them, they had a corner office on the second floor of this building. Then they grew to the entire floor, and now they have multiple floors. Peter walks us to the elevator and agrees to meet us as soon as we ping him that we’re finished.

When we arrive upstairs, we’re shown to a glass-walled conference room that overlooks the Bay and Prospectors Park.

“What a view,” Sean marvels.

“I know, isn’t it?”

An assistant rolls in a cart with drinks and box lunches.

“I wasn’t expecting a lunch meeting,” I say.

The woman looks at me with wide eyes. “The calendar says the meeting will run until the end of the day.”

I put my computer bag down in a chair and nod. “Okay then, we’ll happily have Mason pay for lunch. Thank you.”

She grins. “We have several other drink choices if I’ve not brought what you want. Please just let me know. I have hot water brewing for tea. Mason said you like tea in the afternoon.

“He knows me well.” I pull my computer out of my bag. “That sounds great, and I’ll just move to carbonated water after that. Sean?”

He smiles at the woman, and it’s like love at first sight. That makes me chuckle. “I’m good.”

When she leaves, I lean over. “You know, if you haven’t given your plus-one ticket away, sports events are great first dates.”

He squirms in his seat. “Oh, I don’t know. I don’t even know her name.”

“I might be able to help with that.”

Cameron comes in and Mason trails behind him. As they peruse the food and drink table, Mason turns to me. “Hi. I was so glad to hear you’re okay after your mishap on the flight home from Portland.”

“Thank you. I’m so glad I had Marci with me. She was bedrock.”

“I hear you were the same.” He smiles.

I shrug. “We all made it. Oh—I’m sorry, when…I don’t know her name dropped off the lunches…” I pause so Mason can give us that vital information.

“Her name is Carrie,” he supplies, apparently without any clue that I was fishing for information. “She’s Caroline’s cousin.”

“Is she here for the summer or sticking around?” I probe.

Mason grabs a bottle of kombucha and sits down. “She just graduated from the Kellogg Business School. I hope she’ll stick around. She’s super bright and would be an asset to the company.”

I nod. “University of Chicago, impressive.  She surprised me with the lunch. I didn’t realize you needed us all afternoon.”

Cameron looks up from his laptop. “Does it work for your schedule?”

I open my computer and start to boot it up. “Of course. Sean, did you have anything you needed at the office?”

He shakes his head. “No, I’m good.”

I send a quick text to Peter letting him know we’re going to be a few hours, and by the time I’m done, Cameron and Sean are deep in conversation about where they are with the software.

Sara White-Arnault walks in and gives me a tight squeeze. “So great to see you. How’ve you been?”

“Busy,” I tell her. “Between weddings, baseball, and Viviana’s case, it’s been unending—not to mention work has been happening in there somewhere.”

“Caroline tells me you have a new man,” she says. Sara is Caroline’s sister-in-law.

“Maybe. It’s really new.” I smile.

“Well, I’d love to hear about it. I think Trey wants to have a gathering out in Stinson Beach on Sunday. If we pull it together, I’ll let you know.”

I nod. “Sounds great.”

Mason clears his throat. “Shall we get started? I’ve asked Sara to join us since she’s had the majority of contact with the attorney in China. Please be sure to thank your sister for pointing us to the lawyer, Mia. And it was a total plus that she went to Princeton.”

“I’ll try not to hold it against her,” I tease.

“The Chinese Flirt site has been taken down,” Sara tells us. “But we think it will be going back up. It’s something we can be diligent about or just let go. It collects