Chapter 38: Revolutionary
** Eli **
As far as unannounced and likely unwanted surprises go, Harper seemed to have handled it pretty well. At least, much better than the three dozen different ways Eli had imagined she might. The uncertainty gnawing at him all morning eased a little, and he finally managed to smile somewhat sincerely as the tour of the company continued.
"So the one back there is your friend?" Someone sidled up to him as the group filed through a conference room door, leaving space for private whispers. "Local connections are handy indeed, must be nice to run into college friends everywhere you go in town."
Eli paused, glaring back at the source of those words and finding his bettering mood immediately spoiled. Sterling Trust's co-founder and CFO, Stephen Hob, smiled back at him. The two of them had never got along — mostly due to the different sides they took when it came to Eli's father — and no doubt the annoying old grump was already thinking up a thousand possibilities of what could be hidden behind the earlier run-in.
Eli snorted under his breath. Stephen was not the one he felt most concerned about today though, and definitely not the reason why he played this charade with Harper, so he didn't bother explaining. "Not a college friend," he said curtly, "but do remember to at least get her name right when you brandish the news to my father."
He turned his attention back to the group, ignoring Stephen's skeptical look.
~ ~
The day was a long bombard of meetings. State of the Company, sales and business development, financial projections ... The same things that Eli had been hearing for two weeks in a row. But somehow, maybe because this was Harper's company, he didn't find it nearly as boring. The marketing strategies presentation was even engaging in places, and for the first time on this partner hunt, he blessed the presenting manager with a few questions out of genuine interest.
At the end of the afternoon, however, when the final meeting for portfolio demonstration rolled around, he started feeling a little nervous. The moment he walked into the crowded conference room, he immediately spotted Harper sitting in the far front corner, her eyes somewhat suspicious when they met his, clearly still confused about the whole encounter.
He fought back a wince and took his seat. Just a little longer — and hopefully he'd be able to play this game right.
"... we are excited to share that we'll be anticipating a major expansion to our portfolio in the next fiscal year." The blonde at the podium had already started the presentation as Eli's thoughts wandered. Smiling brightly, she clicked past the cover slide filled with a mosaic of product pictures. "The first proposal of note is the Deep Space tactical RPG currently under review ..."
Oh, that just made everything so much easier than he expected.