Harper visibly cursing at the biting winter blizzard as he ran to the car.
"Ok Eva, looks like the end of the world out there. Are you ready to make a run for it?"
Skinner smiled at Santos as they stood in the exit, looking out across the runway through the swirling snow and wind.
Santos flashed Skinner a sultry smile, and smirked, "Or we could just leave them all and keep ourselves entertained right here."
Skinner looked back at Santos - the biting wind outside flicking her dark hair over her big brown eyes. He knew she was waiting for a response, but Skinner wasn't sure how to. He thought - hoped - she was flirting with him, but it seemed so unlikely. I mean, look at her. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, any guy would want her. Hell - there's a multi-millionaire that can't stop hitting on her. I'm kidding myself - she's way out of my league.
"Ehm - yeah. That sounds ... good Eva."
Santos smiled at Skinner's awkwardness. He really was the exact opposite of the 'all sizzle, no steak' cocky guys she attracted. He was a brilliant man, successful and becoming quite the celebrity. And yet he was one of the most humble men she'd ever known.
"Excuse me sir, madam, but I suggest you make your way to the car quickly before the cold bites."
Shaken out of their own thoughts, Santos and Skinner turned their heads to see a smiling steward looking quizzically at them, his right hand gesturing toward the stairs and waiting limousine.
"Yes. Yes - you're absolutely right" Skinner stammered, gathering himself. Assertive now, he looked at Santos and said "Ok Eva, let's get this over with." Skinner walked down the first few stairs and caught the full blast of the sub-zero winter gale. He looked back up the stairs, and stretched out his hand.
Santos looked down at the windswept Skinner, smiled, reached to hold his hand and together they run down the Gulfstream's stairs and into the warm black limousine.
#
7am Thursday, Sapporo Japan (Minus 8 Hours)
Santos and Skinner sat in silence as the electric limousine whispered its way through the winter landscape. Snowploughs had recently cleared the roads, pushing snow at either side of the road far above head height. The weak winter morning sun was shrouded in thick grey clouds casting a twilight pall over the pretty Japanese city.
The windscreen wipers were working overtime to clear the thick snow from the car. Skinner thought that, if anything, the blizzard was actually getting worse with time. Other than a few emergency vehicles, they had passed almost no cars on the road during the slow, cautious hour long crawl over the ice.
Despite the conditions, Skinner could understand Sappora's attraction. A roll-up computer in the limo provided an interactive guide to Sapporo and some truly cringe-worthy WhiteStar corporate videos. Santos and Skinner had laughed out loud at a few of the ads until Santos suddenly realised the driver might be offended. After a few embarrassing moments, they'd turned their attention instead to the interactive guide to Sapporo.
Ten minutes later they'd learned that Sapporo was in the far north of Japan, encircled by mountains to one side and rivers on the other. A clean and modern city, Sapporo was dotted with pristine parks, quiet residential areas, universities and modern office towers. In the winter months, Sapporo transformed into a snow-covered sports paradise and winter Olympics venue.
Sappora's natural beauty and high concentration of universities made it a popular location for high-tech business. However, it was the opening of the New Chitose Airport in 2012 that supercharged the growth of Sapporo as a high tech hub. As one of the WhiteStar Corp videos proudly proclaimed, Tanaka had returned to the city he'd studied at twenty years earlier to setup the heart of WhiteStar Corporation's operations. The 'brain' and nerve centre for the global iSight gaming empire, the Sapporo Network Operations Centre - referred to
"Ok Eva, looks like the end of the world out there. Are you ready to make a run for it?"
Skinner smiled at Santos as they stood in the exit, looking out across the runway through the swirling snow and wind.
Santos flashed Skinner a sultry smile, and smirked, "Or we could just leave them all and keep ourselves entertained right here."
Skinner looked back at Santos - the biting wind outside flicking her dark hair over her big brown eyes. He knew she was waiting for a response, but Skinner wasn't sure how to. He thought - hoped - she was flirting with him, but it seemed so unlikely. I mean, look at her. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, any guy would want her. Hell - there's a multi-millionaire that can't stop hitting on her. I'm kidding myself - she's way out of my league.
"Ehm - yeah. That sounds ... good Eva."
Santos smiled at Skinner's awkwardness. He really was the exact opposite of the 'all sizzle, no steak' cocky guys she attracted. He was a brilliant man, successful and becoming quite the celebrity. And yet he was one of the most humble men she'd ever known.
"Excuse me sir, madam, but I suggest you make your way to the car quickly before the cold bites."
Shaken out of their own thoughts, Santos and Skinner turned their heads to see a smiling steward looking quizzically at them, his right hand gesturing toward the stairs and waiting limousine.
"Yes. Yes - you're absolutely right" Skinner stammered, gathering himself. Assertive now, he looked at Santos and said "Ok Eva, let's get this over with." Skinner walked down the first few stairs and caught the full blast of the sub-zero winter gale. He looked back up the stairs, and stretched out his hand.
Santos looked down at the windswept Skinner, smiled, reached to hold his hand and together they run down the Gulfstream's stairs and into the warm black limousine.
#
7am Thursday, Sapporo Japan (Minus 8 Hours)
Santos and Skinner sat in silence as the electric limousine whispered its way through the winter landscape. Snowploughs had recently cleared the roads, pushing snow at either side of the road far above head height. The weak winter morning sun was shrouded in thick grey clouds casting a twilight pall over the pretty Japanese city.
The windscreen wipers were working overtime to clear the thick snow from the car. Skinner thought that, if anything, the blizzard was actually getting worse with time. Other than a few emergency vehicles, they had passed almost no cars on the road during the slow, cautious hour long crawl over the ice.
Despite the conditions, Skinner could understand Sappora's attraction. A roll-up computer in the limo provided an interactive guide to Sapporo and some truly cringe-worthy WhiteStar corporate videos. Santos and Skinner had laughed out loud at a few of the ads until Santos suddenly realised the driver might be offended. After a few embarrassing moments, they'd turned their attention instead to the interactive guide to Sapporo.
Ten minutes later they'd learned that Sapporo was in the far north of Japan, encircled by mountains to one side and rivers on the other. A clean and modern city, Sapporo was dotted with pristine parks, quiet residential areas, universities and modern office towers. In the winter months, Sapporo transformed into a snow-covered sports paradise and winter Olympics venue.
Sappora's natural beauty and high concentration of universities made it a popular location for high-tech business. However, it was the opening of the New Chitose Airport in 2012 that supercharged the growth of Sapporo as a high tech hub. As one of the WhiteStar Corp videos proudly proclaimed, Tanaka had returned to the city he'd studied at twenty years earlier to setup the heart of WhiteStar Corporation's operations. The 'brain' and nerve centre for the global iSight gaming empire, the Sapporo Network Operations Centre - referred to
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