MORE TROUBLE AT the Helm of Vinea: Board Questions Vine’s Leadership
Pittsburgh Business Herald
Can Vine Swing a Public Company?
Tech Daily
I ask Audrey to stop sending me headlines. They’re starting to impact my focus, and I need to stay sharp as we onboard our new team members this week. Audrey and Shane seem to have that part under control, though. I feel like an audience member as I sit in the overview meetings with our new marketing and business strategy execs. What I really want to do is dig back into the software. AJ’s bird project got me thinking of all the potential partnerships out there with citizen science organizations. We could offer free access to Vinea for these folks to track data, tease out correlations.
My phone buzzes in my lap. A text from AJ. I notice my stomach flutter at the thought of him. Or is that an impending heart attack? Are you free for dinner tonight?
I bite my lip. I’m not free. Not at all. But I want to be. I could make time for a quick bite, I text back. Maybe someplace near Vinea?
Want me to bring tacos to you at your office?
Oh my god I love that idea!
Good. See you at 6.
I can’t stop smiling as we wrap up the meetings. I even smile as I sift through contracts with new clients, and that part generally tends to make me nervous. Despite the headlines recently, we’ve landed a few new partnerships with companies researching new vaccines. It thrills me to no end to think my company might play some small role in helping to eradicate a disease like Lyme.
I’m still riding that high hours later when I hear a tap on my door and look up to see AJ leaning against my door frame, wearing his typical sweater with collared shirt and tie, looking dark and hairy and delicious. “Hey,” I say. And then I smell the tacos. “Oh my god, get in here with those.” My stomach starts gurgling. “I think I skipped lunch.”
“That’s not good,” he says, sitting in a chair at the round table in the center of the room. Which means I have to get up and walk away from my computer to get to the tacos. My joints creak as I stand. He frowns. “How much are you working, Sam?”
I shrug and reach for a brown paper bag. “A lot.” I pull out the tray from Baby Loves Tacos, gleefully assembling the soft tortilla with spiced meat and corn salsa and pickled cabbage. “It’s just until the IPO,” I say around my mouthful of food. I’m so hungry I don’t even care that he’s looking at me drip food all over the place. I note that he somehow manages to eat his taco in tidy bites. “You shaved,” I say, reaching my hand across the table to feel his cheek.
He nods. “It was time.” I mock a frown at that and he laughs. “It can be a beard again in a few hours. Any time you want.”
I wink at him. “I always want.” The phone on my desk rings and I groan. All the admin staff have left for the day. “I have to get that,” I whine and he nods. When I pick up the receiver, Logan’s voice comes frantically through the line.
“Samantha, you need to call General Watson right now. They’re threatening to end their contract.”
“Wait.” I set down my taco and wipe my hand on my skirt. “What?” Logan repeats herself and explains that the military contract is apparently at risk in response to the recent bad press.
“Their lawyer said something about a good faith clause? I don’t even know. You need to call him.”
“Text me the—“
“Already sent you the number. Call from the office phone.”
I glance over at AJ. “This is going to take just a few minutes,” I tell him. He nods and continues eating his taco. I dial the line and wait until I hear the deep, stern voice of one of our biggest new clients. “General Watson, this is Samantha Vine from Vinea. How are you this evening?”
“Well, Ms. Vine, not great, if we’re being honest.”
“Logan tells me you’re having some concerns about our contract?”
He spits out the expected response to the relentless headlines that have been questioning my leadership lately. “And further, you failed to reveal your personal connection to Colonel Vine here at my own god damned military base. When I spoke to him he didn’t even seem too aware of our partnership.”
I sigh and sink into my desk chair. “General, may I be frank?” AJ arches a brow and watches me, continuing to eat his taco and making me very hungry.
“Please.” The general clears his throat.
“My father wasn’t aware of our business particulars because I keep my personal life separate from my work. I would hope you would appreciate that discretion, as someone with security clearance.”
He grunts. “It makes me wonder what else you haven’t revealed.”
I frown. “General, I’m the architect of this software. I sought you out personally because of the unprecedented data set available via your service members. Your top researchers agree with me that our partnership can be essential to keeping your forces battle-ready. How many enlisted folks did you have out with Lyme disease last summer after training exercises? With sexually transmitted infections? Vinea is partnering with the institutions looking to solve these health crises.”
“Hmm.” I hear him moving around in his desk chair.
“My father hasn’t let my mother’s death or even his recent cataract surgery impact his work. Don’t let clickbait headlines persuade you. I’m ready to grow this company. Sir.”
There’s a long silence in which AJ chews and stares at me and the general says nothing. Until he says, “Well I was not aware that Colonel Vine was a widower.”
“It’s been a long time, sir. Like I said, we Vines keep our personal lives separate from our work.”
He coughs. “I appreciate you taking the time to call me about this issue.”
I sag in relief. “I appreciate the opportunity to reassure you we are the real deal.”
“Have a good night, Ms. Vine.” He hangs up.
I set the phone in the receiver and begin to massage my temples. And then I feel hands on my shoulders. I look up to find AJ standing behind me, his big palms kneading my muscles. I melt. “Do you want to talk about it?” His voice is gentle, no hint of sarcasm or pointed digs. I shake my head. He starts to rub my scalp and I moan. “I’m sorry you lost your mother. Will you tell me about her?”
I smile and being to purr as his fingers press into the tense skin all over my head and neck and shoulders. He’s good at this. “Her name was Liza. She did everything for us.”
“Liza Vine,” he murmurs.
“And when she died, someone had to do all the things.”
“Let me guess,” he presses a kiss to the top of my head. “That someone has been you.” I nod. “So you do all the things for your family, and you do all the things here.”
“I’m very good at doing things.”
“Mm hmm.” His voice is so low, so soothing. I’m about to fall asleep right here. “Except remembering to feed yourself and stand up often enough that your knees don’t creak.”
“Paging Dr. Trachtenberg,” I joke. “Your patient is ignoring her health.”
He chuckles and keeps kneading. “Dr. Trachtenberg is my father. And my grandfather. And my aunt.”
I turn my head slightly to see him better. “But not you?” He shakes his head. I close my eyes. “You’re great with your students. They’re lucky to have you.”
“Thank you,” he whispers, giving me a final squeeze. “You look like you could fall asleep right here.”
I rest my head back against the chair. “I’ll sleep when I’m retired.”
“What if I drive you home and you sleep right now?” He walks around the chair and squats on the floor in front of me, his face etched with concern.
I shake my head. “There are only a few weeks left. I’ve got to find a way to reassure the board that I’m on this. I can’t have contracts like the U.S. fucking Military threatening to pull funds.” All the relaxation from AJ’s touch is slipping away rapidly. “I have to call Logan back and then I have to go over all these notes for the vaccine researchers.” I gesture around the room.
AJ scowls. “How will you get home? You don’t seem like you’re in a great headspace to drive.”
I shrug. “I’ve slept on my office couch before.”
“Samantha.”
I hold up a hand, stand, and stride back over to my taco. Even with the long delay, it’s still an explosion of amazing flavor in my mouth. I almost cry, it tastes so good. I swallow my bite. “You brought me dinner and massaged my neck and that was fucking amazing. And now I have to get back to work.”
He puts his hands in his pockets and looks around the room, hesitating. Finally, he nods. “I’d like to see you again. Soon.”
I close my eyes. I have no idea how I can make that happen and still salvage my business reputation. I really need to talk with Shane and the marketing team about some sort of PR defense. Shit. AJ is still waiting for me to answer him. “I’ll try,” I tell him. “This weekend?”
He nods, kisses my cheek, and walks out of the office.