would see the bigger implication, and you just proved me right. With your algorithms at our disposal and my subatomic experience, we can create a device that can manipulate particles as tiny as the Higgs Boson on command. The competition wouldn't stand a chance! We could do this. Together. This is why I came here. I need you on my team, and I need you now.”
Juliane thought about Alan’s offer for a minute. The article had snapped her out of lust-filled thoughts, and she once again was in a position to weigh the pros and cons. Even so, Juliane knew her decision had been made the moment Alan made his offer. She would take it, even if it meant working with him again. “Fine. But we're equals now. I get to pick members of the support staff.”
Alan released a breath. “Done. I’ve already started soliciting resumes. I will send their files to your office in the morning."
Eleven
It had been several weeks since she had accepted Alan’s offer, and they were still no closer to identifying a suitable candidate to complete their team. Each day Juliane would find another printed stack of resumes on her desk to review. A matching stack would appear on Alan’s desk. Out of an unspoken agreement, she and Alan interacted at a bare minimum beyond swapping notes. The few times they did speak, Alan was more humble and considerate, but there had been little consensus between the two of them.
A year ago, Alan would not have had the patience to keep his promise and would have hired the candidates from his own list regardless of her wishes. In truth, she was a little surprised that he had stayed true to his word for this long. The lack of forward progress had to be chafing on him.
It was chafing her as well. As little as she minded irritating Alan, each day they didn’t have their full team gave the competition a chance to reach proof of the concept first. She and Alan couldn't be the only ones who understood the greatest potential. She would not be reduced to a 'me too.' Time was running out. They were running out of the option to be choosy.
Louis had been away nearly all of this time. Juliane told herself that was a good thing. She was troubled by how often her intellect left her whenever he was around. However, as much as she knew she shouldn't want distractions right now, she ached for him all the same.
Louis, on the other hand, seemed much more capable of separating business from pleasure. It's so unfair , she thought. She fought the urge to issue the command to dial his number. She reminded herself that he was a newly appointed CEO trying to launch new technology. It made sense that he would be constantly pulled away. At first he had been doing the publicity tour. Then, he was conducting factory audits and negotiating commercial dealings. She still had high hopes that one day she would be able to integrate her algorithm into Alan's biologic network access, but that was still months if not years in the future. The ACI would expect an income stream long before then.
Thanks to the praise the headset prototypes she used during the presentation had gathered, the ACI believed they had a product ready for the market. As a result, approvals for continued investigation into integration had been placed on the ACI’s back burner while their more immediate needs were addressed. Those needs all centered on developing better, slimmer, more marketable, and, most importantly, more profitable next generation network access gadgets. The stack of resumes had waited on her desk as Juliane brought the ACI's mass market product development team responsible for determining that design up to speed.
Louis had spoken truly regarding the media’s reaction to their work and their relationship. She was forced to change her phone number twice before removing it altogether from public records. It proved to be the only way to get a minute’s work done in between interview requests. The building's hidden entrance was only a moderate obstacle. She
Juliane thought about Alan’s offer for a minute. The article had snapped her out of lust-filled thoughts, and she once again was in a position to weigh the pros and cons. Even so, Juliane knew her decision had been made the moment Alan made his offer. She would take it, even if it meant working with him again. “Fine. But we're equals now. I get to pick members of the support staff.”
Alan released a breath. “Done. I’ve already started soliciting resumes. I will send their files to your office in the morning."
Eleven
It had been several weeks since she had accepted Alan’s offer, and they were still no closer to identifying a suitable candidate to complete their team. Each day Juliane would find another printed stack of resumes on her desk to review. A matching stack would appear on Alan’s desk. Out of an unspoken agreement, she and Alan interacted at a bare minimum beyond swapping notes. The few times they did speak, Alan was more humble and considerate, but there had been little consensus between the two of them.
A year ago, Alan would not have had the patience to keep his promise and would have hired the candidates from his own list regardless of her wishes. In truth, she was a little surprised that he had stayed true to his word for this long. The lack of forward progress had to be chafing on him.
It was chafing her as well. As little as she minded irritating Alan, each day they didn’t have their full team gave the competition a chance to reach proof of the concept first. She and Alan couldn't be the only ones who understood the greatest potential. She would not be reduced to a 'me too.' Time was running out. They were running out of the option to be choosy.
Louis had been away nearly all of this time. Juliane told herself that was a good thing. She was troubled by how often her intellect left her whenever he was around. However, as much as she knew she shouldn't want distractions right now, she ached for him all the same.
Louis, on the other hand, seemed much more capable of separating business from pleasure. It's so unfair , she thought. She fought the urge to issue the command to dial his number. She reminded herself that he was a newly appointed CEO trying to launch new technology. It made sense that he would be constantly pulled away. At first he had been doing the publicity tour. Then, he was conducting factory audits and negotiating commercial dealings. She still had high hopes that one day she would be able to integrate her algorithm into Alan's biologic network access, but that was still months if not years in the future. The ACI would expect an income stream long before then.
Thanks to the praise the headset prototypes she used during the presentation had gathered, the ACI believed they had a product ready for the market. As a result, approvals for continued investigation into integration had been placed on the ACI’s back burner while their more immediate needs were addressed. Those needs all centered on developing better, slimmer, more marketable, and, most importantly, more profitable next generation network access gadgets. The stack of resumes had waited on her desk as Juliane brought the ACI's mass market product development team responsible for determining that design up to speed.
Louis had spoken truly regarding the media’s reaction to their work and their relationship. She was forced to change her phone number twice before removing it altogether from public records. It proved to be the only way to get a minute’s work done in between interview requests. The building's hidden entrance was only a moderate obstacle. She
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