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SHANDIE
I climbed off the treadmill and wiped the sweat from my brow. My phone buzzed in the cup holder of the treadmill and I pulled it out before it tried to buzz itself through the bottom hole. More than once I’d lost my phone through that hole only to have it bounce off the hard metal of the treadmill.
Swiping the screen, I blinked in surprise at a text from Colin. We had just had our meeting the other day or maybe it was last night. Time became irrelevant when I took Xanax and I usually needed a day or two to get back on track.
Colin’s text readColin Can I come over? I found a resolution to our problem.
I didn't realize we had a problem. I would have to consult my notes from our meeting but I was pretty sure we had figured everything out for the program. I knew Colin was concerned with my antisocial behavior and how that would play a part in the platform’s performance. I had no worries though. I studied people. I knew what they liked and what they didn’t.
But if Colin wanted to come over, that was fine by me. “Sure, I'll be ready by nine.” I still had to take a shower and put some coffee on. I would need to check and see if my grocery deliveries were still scheduled for later that day as well.
After I got ready and was downstairs pouring myself a cup of coffee, the doorbell ring. Sipping my cup, I made my way to the door that was secured shut with a triple deadbolt and sliding-lock. Going through each lock and releasing them to open the door, I pulled open the panel and stopped. I blinked. “Colin, you brought someone.” Lovely.
And I knew who he was. Carlisle. Why would she bring him? He had no respect for personal boundaries. The guy was constantly being way too friendly. I’m not sure why that was a bad thing, but just showing up with him at my house put a damper on my day. His friendliness and his overly bright smile and broad shoulders that were just a little too strong for comfort.
But I was in my house. I was in my comfort zone, so I didn't feel threatened or intimidated, just irritated and sassy.
Colin smiled broadly. “Shandie, I brought Carlisle. I think he's exactly what we’re looking for to help with our solution to my problem. Can we come in?” She looked past me, as if waiting for a special invitation that there was no way I would deny her.
I pushed the door open and motioned them in. I gave Carlisle the once over, again impressed that he was able to make a pair of slacks and a button-up shirt look like he was dressed to go to the drag races. He exuded masculinity and, for once, I had to swallow a sense of challenge in my own home. But a good challenge, one I could feel myself rising to.
Colin led the way into my kitchen. She'd been there many times before and knew her way around. She reached up into the cupboard and pulled out two more cups, pouring a mug of my best coffee for her and Carlisle. I didn't say anything as I arched my eyebrow and sipped my own, sliding into a seat at the expansive island counter.
Taking a seat beside me, Colin motioned for Carlisle to join us. He missed the gesture as he looked around my kitchen and what he could see of the living room from our vantage point. “This is beautiful. You have great lighting in here.”
Of course the first words out of his mouth would be amiable and friendly. The guy did not know how to be sassy or unappealing.
Not that I wanted a guy to be sassy... or unappealing.
Colin reached into her purse I hadn’t noticed she was carrying and pulled out some papers. When I say some I should instead say she pulled out a stack that could've been a small novel. She slapped the pile onto the top of my granite counter, the thwap loud in the suddenly quiet kitchen. “I know that my parameters work.” She amended her statement when she saw my raised eyebrows. “I know that Shandie’s algorithm has provided the data to see that my parameters work. Because of your algorithms, I know we've had successful matches so far. I really want to go international. But before that, I want my matches to be ninety-six percent or better in compatibility before I want them introduced. From what I understand, we had a close call with one of our couples and they were already best friends beforehand. That kind of scares me. There's a lot at risk here when you go international and I don't want to be in the middle of some kind of Chinese lawsuit.
“I'm a good matchmaker. As we can see by the performance of the parameters I've set forth.” She tapped the stack of papers and tucked her chin. “But from here on out, I would like to be more defined. Here is my list of parameters I want used going forward.”
I desperately wanted to beg her to not shove forward the papers under her hand. Please, tell me that wasn’t the parameter changes she wanted done. But she did, pushing the thick paper closer and closer and closer and closer to me.
“I was hoping you were going to say that’s your grocery list.” Carlisle eyed the stack with even more trepidation than I had myself.
I swallowed. “What do you care about the parameters? I'm the one that has to code them in. Colin I tossed the teasing glance at Carlisle to hopefully take the sting out of my words and then turned my gaze to Colin. “Seriously, the parameters you have incorporated are great. Do you understand what kind of a project this is? It's gonna take at least a month and the cost is not going to be cheap. The salary you pay me is just a retainer. It won’t be enough to cover this complete overhaul.” Plus, as much as I didn't want to put my ego into it, I kind of felt like she was slapping me across the face with her new guidelines and saying in not so many words that the website we had so far wasn't good enough.
But dang it, I knew it was good enough. We had had multiple successful matches and the compatibility was fairly high. Well into the 90 range. I wasn't sure exactly what she was looking for, but I knew my program was solid.
Carlisle didn't answer after my retort, but he was the least of my concerns.
Colin smiled at me. “I know it looks like a lot. There's a lot of repeats in there, but I rewrote the parameters with the idea in mind that anyone can match from anywhere through any culture. So there are some things in there that will need to be redefined. You can see the map and how they lead into each other by leaving the old parameters in there for reference. Not only that, but they’re color-coded. I'm sorry. I love the way it looks and everything. Just leave the US site alone for now, then once the international site is ready, we can incorporate them together. We need the universal red, white, and black as our colors. We also need to make sure we have different laws and things addressed. Those are listed in there as well.”
She finally took a breath and sipped her coffee, but I knew she wasn’t done. She lowered her cup and continued. “We’re only opening three new countries at this point anyway. So it would be nice to just slowly move into the transfer rather than jump into it. So, if you think a month, than I'm fine with a month. Just let me know how much it's going to be.”
Colin glanced at her watch and thrust her finger in the air between Carlisle and myself. Glancing at us, she slid from the stool. “I'm heading out. I won’t be in the office today. Carlisle, why don't you stay and work things out with Shandie? I need to get going.” Her expression darkened and she gathered her purse and drank the rest of her coffee before hustling out the door.
Carlisle half-stood from the stool as Colin disappeared. I just kind of sat there. What had just happened and why was I alone with a man in my house?
I gripped both hands around my cup and looked at him from the corner of my eye. What was he doing in my house? What was going on?
He lowered himself back down to the stool and took a deep breath. “I hate when she does that.”
“Yes, she does it to me a lot.” I pulled the stack of parameters over to my seat and flipped through the pages, just the first few. I put them down and leaned my head back. “Okay, I guess I’ll need to start mapping. What are you supposed to do today? Need to go back to the office?” I drank some more of my coffee and realized I didn't even know what he did there. I think he was her assistant but I wasn't sure. Plus, I know she said he should stay at my place, but she had to be joking.
“Well, she told me to stay here and help you. So I guess I'm here helping you.” He shrugged and drank his own coffee as he studied my kitchen.
“Yeah, but with what? Are you an assistant or something? Do you get her donuts?” Donuts actually sounded pretty good.
Instead of being offended, he laughed, the sound husky and appealing. “I'm not that kind of assistant. If you want donuts, you have to order them in.” Why didn’t he have the decency to at least look insulted? The guy was gonna be hard to play with.
“Are her parameters bad?” He looked hopeful, like maybe she would have to start over and he wouldn’t have to stay there with me.
I glanced at the stack of papers I'd been avoiding. “Oh no, I'm sure they're fine. Colin knows her stuff.” Thinking about Colin’s situation always left me feeling bereft and lost.
“Has she ever been in love?” He eyed me, as if he knew something and was just checking to see if I did. Playing games with other people’s secrets never sat well with me.
Of course I knew Colin’s story. I was a computer person. I could find out anything about anyone. “Yeah, she has been in love, desperately in love. They had like this forever love, you know? The kind you read about. But... It's a tragic story and it's one you probably should hear from Colin.”
A look of satisfaction covered his face and he nodded tightly. “I already know the story. I'm glad you aren’t the type to talk about a friend behind her back.”
I was glad he had the same trait.
