That broke the spell, and I tugged my hand away. Had he known all along and jumped on my project last minute just to get a giant paycheck?
Our CFO was explaining how the success would be shared out amongst the departments. As he coached the department managers on how to share the news and still keep order amongst the staff, I studied Rainer. A bemused smile came and went across his handsome face. I noticed he was pale and little beads of sweat had broken out on his forehead. No one came bursting through the door to yell 'gotcha,' and it started to settle in that this was real.
"I can't believe it," Rainer said.
Both our phones lit up with the sales reports, projections, and financials. He glanced at his phone and then flopped back in his chair.
I scoured the forwarded documents, looking for a mistake, or a hint at who pulled such a huge prank. There was nothing. All the numbers added up. The truth of the matter was that GroGreen was an instant success.
"I knew it," I said even though I still didn't quite believe it.
The beta-testers had loved GroGreen, and the word had spread before we even set a release date. I had purposefully kept my focus off sales, but even I had heard the volume of downloads and realized it was more than we usually saw. The top executives had kept the growing phenomenon to themselves until the foreign markets opened. That's when the numbers rocketed up into the stratosphere.
"So, I can see you might need a little more time to process this information," the CFO said.
Rainer gave a bark of laughter. "I'm going to need a little more time just to count the zeros at the end of this number."
The CFO chuckled as he headed for the door. "Take the rest of the day. Celebrate, relax, and enjoy it. Just keep in mind this will create quite a bit of excitement and chaos in the office. Be mindful to keep it to yourselves for now."
"Wait," I yelped. "Shouldn't your department set up financial advisement meetings? What are we supposed to do with all this money?"
Rainer laughed again and laid a hand on my shoulder. "You are the only person in the world who would think that right after the news we got."
He helped me to my feet, and I fought the urge to cling to him. Rainer might have conned his way on to my team, but he was the closest thing I had to an ally at this point. He was the only other person in the office who was in the same position.
My department managers rushed around the table and saved me from my own thoughts. After an excited round of handshakes and chatter, they too headed for the conference room door.
Rainer paused and started to shut the door. "You can take a minute; hell, you can take all day if you want," he said.
"Don't shut the door," I said. "I think we've given the office enough to talk about for one day."
His blue eyes lit up with amusement. "I was just thinking you needed a quiet minute, but whatever you thought I meant sounds like a lot more fun."
I frowned at him and pulled the conference room door open again. "I didn't think anything. I don't think about you. In that way."
A grin spread across his handsome face. "Well, then, what do you think about lunch? My treat."
I backed away from the magnetism of that smile, bumping back into the conference table. "I can't."
"Boss says we've got the rest of the day off," Rainer said. He advanced until he was just inches away. "Think about it, Tasha; no one could have done a better job. Your work here is done."
I held up my hands, prepared to shove him back, but I hesitated to touch him. There always seemed to be warm waves of heat whenever I touched Rainer. "I like my work," I said. "Besides, you heard the CFO: this news is going to cause chaos. I have to stick around and make sure I'm available for my team."
The distinct sound of a champagne cork popping sounded down the hallway. Rainer reached out and caught my hand. "Sounds like your team might have the right idea. It's time to celebrate. Come on, anywhere you want to go for lunch."
I found the strength to push him away but couldn't quite pull my hand out of his grip. "No, thanks. You go ahead. You earned it. Oh, wait. . ."
Rainer let go of my hand and didn't say anything until I reached the door. "Don't worry, Tasha, one of these days you'll let me make it up to you."
I had to get away from Rainer before I made a complete fool out of myself. In my rush, I bumped into the conference room door. I didn't dare look behind me, but I heard Rainer's chuckle. It sent pleasant tingles up the back of my neck. He was entirely too tempting, leaning there on the conference table. His dark hair had come loose from its slick style at some point during the meeting, and I longed to brush back the wayward waves. And look into those electric eyes.
"Get a hold of yourself," I warned myself as I started down the hallway.
Our floor looked more like a dormitory party than an office. People hung out in doorways holding plastic cups of bubbling champagne. Clumps of my colleagues stood around and laughed, their conversations loud with excitement and bright with the good news. So much for keeping the information quiet.
Between the news, Rainer, and the crowded hallway, I took a wrong turn and had to take the long way back to my office. All along the way people stopped me and shook my hand. Then there would be a funny pause as they didn't know what else to say to me. I used to feel like I was from a different planet every time I walked down the Hyperion hallways, but now I felt like a visitor from a different galaxy altogether.
It was a relief to hear my colleagues talking about the bonuses they received. Hyperion Ind