Page 16 of Galaxy Between Us

Chapter VIII

“Mr. Beckett, your four o’clock has arrived.”

My response is delayed. I don’t think I’ll ever be used to people calling me that. Mr. Beckett is my dad. Even he would snort at the formality.

“Send them in, Gomez.”

After a moment, two women roll a cart into my office. On it, is a television displaying their presentation. I’m not sure which I’ve had more of in the last twenty-four hours, coffee or presentations. Probably an unhealthy amount of both. As they set up, I glance at their application splayed in front of me on my desk.

Tori and Anna. Twin sisters who engineered a device that can be attached to space rovers. The device is supposedly capable of capturing rock fragments from the ground and running an analysis on them with eighty-two percent accuracy. This could be what we’ve been looking for. A new project for Comet XI to advance and then gain new insights from.

Or it could be a total miss and end up crushed by the atmospheric pressure of whichever planet we send it to.

“Ladies, my name is Knox Beckett, Senior Chairman of Innovative Engineering. The supervisor is out sick today so I will be conducting interviews myself. The floor is yours.”

They begin presenting with toothy smiles and exaggerated body language. Their cheeks are flushed, but they bury away their nerves expertly as they speak. This is a big shot for them, so they put on their best show. After all, I’m a man who many have become eager to impress.

I was headlining countless magazines for climbing the corporate ladder faster than anyone in the astronomy industry. I may have passed my courses and exams with flying colors, but it’s the people and networks that really matter. I learned that early on.

So, naturally, the twins are pulling anything they’ve got to earn my interest. I’m tempted to tell them I accept the partnership just to be done for the day. If I don’t find a project for my department to take on and successfully innovate soon, the CEO will have my neck. This one has potential but so have nearly all the presentations today. I’m looking for something with a little bit more.

Once the day has ended, I put my lab coat on and head into my private observatory attached to my office. It’s equipped with all the latest technology and some beta products for testing. On the far wall are floor to ceiling windows, lined with a few models from my telescope collection. Before I begin fidgeting with them, I wipe the lenses and windows. Something my childhood friend Arius taught me.

I wonder how he’s doing.

I’ll never forget how we left off on bad terms all those years ago. He must’ve been so upset over the fact that he couldn’t come with me to BOW camp that he left. By the time I came home in autumn, he had already gone early for Omega studies. So much for waiting.

“I believe that’s my job, Mr. Beckett.”

I blink a few times until I’m out of my thoughts and centered back in reality. Jaimie, my Omega assistant hovers in the threshold.

“It’s the least I can do. Come on in, help yourself to some coffee. I’ve also snagged us some of those sugar cookies from the executive cafeteria if you want some.”

I know he won’t because he’s too professional, but I’ll always offer. He chuckles and instead gets to work dusting and tidying the space, expertly careful of the intricate technology. He’s no Arius but he’s the closest I’ll probably get to having an Omega friend again.

I know it’s strange. I should be more interested in dating the Omegas, not being their friend. Jaimie is gorgeous with his neatly crafted hair, bright hazel eyes, and perfect lithe physique. I should be drooling over someone like that, but every time I try to get close to an Omega, I’m reminded of Ari and how he left me.

It took a lot of waiting before I finally accepted that he wasn’t coming back. Not even for breaks or holidays. He just randomly decided to never visit me again.

I don’t have the patience to do that all over.

Shaking the grim thoughts, I return my attention to one of my telescopes. Through the main tube, I struggle to replace the objective mirror with a new one my engineers have been working on. My fingers are too large to get a grip on it, and I don’t have a tool nearby to help me. Before I can shatter it out of frustration, Jaimie pops up beside me. His much smaller hands delicately replace mine and remove the mirror in one swift motion.

“Thanks,” I nod at him.

He smiles up at me sweetly and helps me insert the new mirror. A look of disappointment crosses his features when I step away from him to place the old mirror in its designated drawer.

“What’s wrong?” I ask when I return to see him still standing by the telescope deep in his thoughts.

“Nothing,” he shakes his head and continues tidying the already neat room. They must really emphasize cleanliness in Omega studies. That, or Jaimie has OCD.

“You confuse me sometimes, is all. I can’t figure you out, Mr. Beckett.”

My eyebrows shoot up at his confession. Due to the nature of our professional relationship, I’m surprised at his bluntness. Jaimie isn’t the most open Omega.

“How so?” I urge him, unsure what he means.

“Well, for example, remember last week when you asked me on a date?”