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“Eat as much as you want,” I said in a resigned voice. “There’s a ton.”
Jill nodded happily. “Yeah, I know. Read the card, Mia. This guy is really after you.”
I fingered the small piece of paper. The card had a red heart broken in two on the front. Inside, it read, “We’re broken up over here. Make our brittle security indestructible. Help me put us back together again. -Theo”
The message was pretty cheesy, but I was charmed anyways. Hey, this guy knew how to be creative. And as if on cue, Jill opened a box of peanut brittle, holding out to me. “I think this one is my favorite. It’s called Choco Monster Almond Delight.”
What was with the name? But I popped one into my mouth, the velvet melting instantaneously on my tongue. “Mmm. That is good. Wow.”
Was it possible? Was Theo interested in me for more than my technical talent?
That couldn’t be true. The billionaire could have anyone he wanted, bar none, from princesses to supermodels. So why me?
Jill sighed. “Well at least do you believe me now?”
I sighed again.
“Believe you about what?” Opening a different box, I popped another peanut brittle piece in my mouth. Mmm, this one had the nutty flavor of salted caramel. My favorite.
Jill pointed at the card. “Help me put us back together again?” She shook her head. “Come on! He wants you!”
I picked up the card and looked at it again thinking about this man who’d taken over my life in one week. How could this be happening? I hadn’t even known of his existence until recently. Well, I knew Theo existe
d, but only through the pages of magazines and gossip columns. But now, my days were filled with images of the man, my curvy form tingling at the thought of being with him again. It was amazing, and slowly, my defenses began to crumble.
“Maybe,” I mumbled. “We’ll see.”
“Maybe?” exclaimed my friend. “That’s all? You should join Pictogram. Seriously, Mia, I’m kinda excited about what he might send next, but don’t let the poor guy suffer like this. Besides, he’s offering you so much money and a car. We could use it to explore, instead of always being stuck on campus.”
I frowned. Money and perks aside, I wanted Pictogram to make changes, and it would be easier to do that if I worked there. Plus, there were some security tactics I’d like to try out anyway. The whole point of the hacking attack as Anonimo was to protect Pictogram users. I could do that as one of their engineers.
I held the card close to my chest and smiled at my friend. “I guess I could try it out.”
Jill jumped up. “Yes!” She ran over to me hugging me. “Just give it a go. You never know, you might enjoy it.”
And so week later, I started at Pictogram as a consultant. Driving my brand new Tesla over to Mountain View, I told myself that I was only working at Pictogram strictly because of my talent. That was why Theo had recruited me so fiercely, and not because of our romantic interlude. In fact, I hadn’t seen him in weeks now. Knowing the alpha, he’d probably already moved on to some other girl. Our one night of hot and heavy sex was one and done, I was sure.
But my brain kept roiling because despite my desperate efforts at self control, Theo was all I could think about. That flashing white smile. The funny quips. The way he gripped my shoulder, eyes intense while pounding me from above.
Oh yes, my billionaire. The man who’d seized my heart after one short encounter.
And now my boss too. Or more accurately, my boss’s boss’s boss’s boss, if that was even accurate. He was the king on his throne, whereas I was merely a lowly consultant, a paid gun.
But I put the thoughts out of my mind because driving on Pictogram’s campus, I was stunned by how vibrant it was. I turned onto Picto Way, which brought me right through a mini town made just for employees. To the right, there was a large expanse of green grass where people sat at picnic tables or sprawled on blankets with their laptops. A game of Ultimate Frisbee was underway while another group of people practiced Tai Chi.
Parking my car in the lot, I mused over all that I’d seen from the short drive through Picto Town: restaurants, a beauty salon, a café, and a movie theater. Pictogram employees rode around on pink and red striped bicycles. It was a small community, incredibly insular.
And frankly, I was excited to be a part of it. The hairs on my arm rose, breath coming fast. This was paradise for engineers, filled with eggheads who knew how to code speak.
And I was one of them.
With quick steps, I reported to the main building walking uneasily to the front desk. The entrance had a high ceiling with a skylight open to the bright blue sky above. To the left, a receptionist sat across from a large screen flipping through the recent trending Pictogram images. As I walked to the expansive counter, I felt like cringing as my Picto-famous photo scrolled past. Apparently, I was still trending.
Oh god. So embarrassing.
But different rules applied here in Picto-land. The woman looked up, greeting me with a radiant smile. “Mia Smith?” she chirped.
I nodded, trying for a smile. “Yes, that’s me.”
