Chapter 4- Lips Of An Angel
"Wow" Linda cleared her throat at how raw Adam was being with telling his story. "Yep" he sipped his drink while Greg chewed away. "Your friends and family saw the change but did Fiona see it?" Linda asked. Adam shook his head. "No. I always acted the same when it came to her. No change with her but my friends, people who saw me every saw the difference in my life." "Did you ever tell her about it all?" Greg joined. "Yes I did and I remember how that went and well" Adam laughs, catching the couple by surprise. "And if I remember correctly, Greg had a hand in that too"
Adam stares at the same wall he has been staring at for the last hour. This Monday was going slow for him, his mind trying to focus on the meeting he had in a few minutes. His phone starts to vibrate on his desk and he glances at it. He sighs. For the third time since she had left, Fiona had asked again had he taking into consideration what they had talked about that night. He exhaled, thinking on how incredibly stupid a suggestion it was.
The whole time she was here, for the first day and a half at least, they were alone. No outside connection ruined those hours of bliss they spend in that hotel room. He could still feel her body on top of his, her head on his chest with her legs parted to either side of his body as she slept, the sheet linen draped over her. He felt every inch of his body hurting hours after, but Adam had no time for that. As Fiona heard the conversation he had shared not only with Eli, but also the one with Nora, she came up with what she thought was a solution to it all. "Get a girlfriend" she had said. She made it sound like a simple task and he felt disgust at that moment and every moment since.
How could she suggest that?! He thought to himself as he pulled away from her when she did. She elaborated in saying that maybe it would help keep him from coming out so impersonal now with his friends and family. It did nothing to ease the one question he was afraid of asking and getting an answer to. What did that mean for them? Could they continue with the affair? Should they? He was pulling away from everyone and the one person he wanted to keep only was telling him now that he should find a distraction?
He put the phone down and ran both hands through his hair. He played with the back of it for a bit, noticing it was getting long again. He didn't want a girlfriend. He wanted Fiona. Just her. Not Nora or a girl he could pick up in some bar. He wanted her and yet? He could only see her or feel her, touch her, kiss her, make love to her in a hotel room a few weekends every here and there. No he thought. I can't get a girlfriend and lose Fiona.
"Hey you ready?" Martin came into the office, Adam dazed off to what he was doing there in the door way. "The meeting is about to start." Adam shot up, grabbing his tablet and a few essential things for the presentation and walked behind his co-worker. "Have you met the guy yet?"
"No" Martin shook his head. "Heard he's got something to add to the project so don't be surprised if the due date on all this gets move up or something."
"Great just what we need, another New York one percent telling us what to do."
"Hey it could be worst?"
"How?"
"I don't know, Adam. I was just saying that it could be worse"
"You're no help"
They walked through the glass door and into the big conference room, some of the partners already waiting. He notice the youngest of all the old man, not as young as himself or Martin, but young enough that he didn't need a toupee just yet like the rest of the older gentleman there.
"Welcome gentleman" Martin said as the men scampered to their overgrown chairs. "I am Martin Wu." The one percent got up and shook his head. "Hello I'm Greg Hirsch." Both men exchanged pleasantries while Adam came over and shook the man's hand as well, taking in the encouraging smile on the peppered freckled face of Greg. "Wait I thought we were waiting for-"
"Yes, but unfortunately Mr. Dolan could not make it in and since I'm the man assigned to head this project in the states; it was only a simple choice of me taking his place so please." Greg gestured for the two young men to start.
By the end of the presentation, Martin and Adam soaked in the praise from the partners as Greg stood from his seat, Martin, Adam and Greg being left alone in the room. "Good work gentleman. I have to admit the plans have been well thought of." "It was a team effort, sir" Adam inserts, giving the credit to his team and Martin's team as well. "I do however have to make a few adjustments to this before anything can be started. Please" Adam took a seat just like the other two men did; thinking that this might be what Martin was talking about. "Mr. Wu, my partners and I appreciate all the teamwork you have done for us and we are glad to have you participate in this project. However, we do have to break ties with your sector from now on" "What?" both men say in unison, Martin standing to his feet. "Mr. Hirsch, I don't see-"
"We have a drilling project that we want you and your team to focus on. Here is everything that needs to be done." Greg hands over a box that he pulls from underneath the table and plants it on the table. "It is a larger project, a bigger team and a bigger pay. We are willing to have such talent like yours rise in our company and we are determined to put our reputation on it. We have seen your work and we know potential." Adam is stunned silent just as much as Martin who looks to him. "Now if you would please." Greg gestures for the door. Martin nods and takes the box from the table, grunting when he finds out how heavy this really is. Adam clenches his jaw. What did this mean for him? He sat there until only both men where left alone.
"Adam I want you to at the head of this project." Greg told him, his demeanor changing in the relaxing man they saw before. "I know that Martin has little to do with this. I can see it just by the way he stood presenting it to me like a lost puppy. You, on the other hand. No you, young man, wanted this project; you put effort and sweat into number crunching this to the precise masterpiece you wanted it to be and it shows. The reward is that you head this project." Adam smiled a bit at the realization of it all. He was going to be in charge, not running to anyone else. "There is a catch. Even though you get final say in how this will be, after my approval of course, I don't want to overbear you with the work so I brought someone to help you." Greg gets up and opens the door.
Adam stands and sees a young woman, mid-twenties, fair skin with short chestnut hair put into a small delicate bun; glasses covering her sapphire piercing eyes, enter the room. He stood in place and swallowed. "Mr. Torres I'd like you to meet-" "Maxine Ward. Yes I think we've met" he tells Maxxine as she shakes his hand and smiles at him and nodding. "Yes, I work one floor below you in marketing." Greg comes around the two as they exchange looks and turn to him. "Both of you are good at what you do and since this project is being headline with young talent, I thought Ms. Ward's experience could benefit you, Mr. Torres. So please take this time to better talk amongst yourself before talking the relocation of this project to Chicago."
"Wait, sir? Relocation?" Adam looks over at Greg. "Yes. Adam" Greg clears his throat. "The whole idea behind this is to have you see where this project is. IGM is looking to expand to Chicago and later to some of the other bigger cities in The United States and Canada. Partnering with us guarantees this push and having young talent as both of you in charge puts us in good with showing how we are giving our youth their reward for hard work. I know Adam that you started this just as another person in a cubicle, but your people here have seen a change that they like in recent months. You are no longer stuck doing the grunt work. You have worked yourself up and now look. In the brink of doing something in your career. Relocation comes with this." Greg puts his hands in his pockets. "Of course if you can't have this happened, we can always think of a different." Adam shakes his head. "No. No it's no problem. When exactly will we be moving?" Gesturing to Maxine and himself. "6 months at the earliest. 9 months would be more of a precise view of things. Now please excuse me. We have some things to work out. Maxine, Adam. Get to know each other." Greg leaves and Adam pulls the chair out for Maxine, hearing a thank you from her as he seats in the empty one besides her. They both turn to each other before they laugh.
"I didn't think this could get any more ridiculous than having to pretend that we didn't know each other" Adam laughs. "How have you been, Maxie?" he asks.
"Sorry. Maxine."
"No. Maxie is ok. I've been busy since… that night."
"Yeah" they both look at each other.
"It's been what? Six months? Why is it still so awkward?" She chuckles.
"I don't know. This won't affect our professional relationship will it?"
"No. I mean sex is what we both wanted that night and we got it. It was cut and dry."
"Yes and then finding out that we both worked for the same company didn't help things along"
"How have you been by the way? Any new girlfriend?" Maxie asked.
Adam shook his head. "No actually. No one new to tell you the truth." Maxie nodded. "So I was thinking maybe we could go out?" Adam looked at her but had to break away. Her eyes. Her eyes made him nervous that he found himself sweating a bit. "I mean for lunch? Discuss this whole thing over some food? I'm starving" Maxie gestured at her stomach. Adam felt his phone vibrate and pulled his from his blazer pocket. He sighed and saw it was Fiona calling. "Excuse me for just a second." He exited the room and leaned on the doors.
"Hey"
"Hey handsome. What are you doing?"
"Work stuff and you?"
"Thinking of you. I'm thinking of heading out of here and maybe having some Skype fun? What do you think?" Fiona spoke to him softly and sweet, but her voice laced with seduction. Adam looked behind him. "I actually have something to do for lunch right now." "You can't get out of it?" Fiona answered sadly. He could. He knew he could get out of it, talk to Maxie later on about this, but he didn't want to. "I'm sorry, Princess, but I can't. I have to go now. I'll talk to you when I get out of this ok?" "Ok" Fiona sighed. "I love you" she said to him. "I know" Adam responded and hung up. He opened the door.
"So what are you up for?" He asked Maxie as they exited the conference room and headed for the elevator. "I don't know. What are you in the mood for?"
"I'm not sure what yet."