Rainer laughed. "I hear you there, but I was talking about work relationships. You know, the whole networking approach. I could give you a few tips, if you'd like."
I scowled up at him. "No, thanks, I don't think I need advice from you. Your 'networking,' as you call it, isn't really the approach I want to take."
He stood up, frowning again. "A lot of that is just for show. You know that, right?"
"I don't know anything about you," I said. "You just showed up today, attached to my project, and now we're supposed to be a team. Well, I'm not buying it."
Rainer's lips were stiff, but he tried to smile. "Speaking of buying, I'm still offering to take you out to lunch. Then, maybe, you can get to know me a little better before you condemn me."
It was all too much. The entire morning had been a whirlwind, and I couldn't help feeling like Rainer was the cause of it. Ever since I saw him in my penthouse haven, he'd set the day on a crazy course. I jumped up, agitated, and paced around my desk to put some distance between us.
"No, thank you." I reached the door and held it open for him. "I don't need you to buy me lunch, especially not with the money you made today."
"Because I didn't earn it," Rainer said.
"Exactly."
He sauntered to the door and held up his plastic glass in a toast. "Then here's to my big chance to help your team."
"How are you going to do that now?" I asked.
Rainer's lips curved in a smirk. "GroGreen has succeeded beyond anyone's wildest dreams. With all the sales and media attention, you are most definitely going to need a good public relations man on your team. Luckily, you've got me."
"I've got you," I repeated, confused by the rush of excitement those words gave me.
Rainer grinned. "And maybe one of these days you'll learn to appreciate me."
"What I'd appreciate is a few minutes of quiet so I can get back to work," I said. I shoved him out the door and ignored the wide-eyed look Amy gave us both. "Have a nice lunch."
I shut my office door and stalked back to my desk, but I couldn't sit down. Instead, I paced around my small office and glowered at the gray building that blocked my view. Rainer had a great view from his office on the other side of the building, and it irked me that there might be something to his balance theory. Now, more than ever, I needed to watch my position at Hyperion. I couldn't let my billions force me into early retirement. This was not the zenith of my career, and there was no way I was going to lose my momentum now.
I paced around again and tried to shake off Rainer's words. He was right about having better working relationships than me, and he was certainly better on camera. And the real truth of the matter was that I was stuck with him. His name was now tied to GroGreen as much as mine, and, if I was smart, I would take advantage of that.
If it had been anyone else, I wouldn't have thought twice about it. There was just something different about Rainer. I could still see his eyes, and that faintly lost smile when we heard the news.
I wrenched open my office door and marched past a shocked Amy. "I'm heading home for lunch. Call my cell if anything else comes up. And read that binder."
"Yes, ma'am," Amy said.
I ignored her silly salute and headed for the stairwell. I needed to keep moving and paced around as the valet brought my dented old car to the front for me. I gave him a tip, then added more, fully aware that even the valets had heard the good news. It was going to be hard to learn how to spend money like I had millions.
Except I had billions.
My hands shook on the steering wheel and I pushed the thought out of my head. All I needed was to get home. It felt like I couldn't breathe until I'd driven across the bridge and put Hyperion behind me. By the time I wound up the hilly streets of my East Bay neighborhood, I was able to take a deep breath.
I let it all go in a long sigh whe
n I saw my sister trundling up my steep front steps. Barbie was six months pregnant, and the sight of her rounded belly suddenly put everything into perspective. She and her husband, plus the little life growing inside her, were the only family I had. Since our parents had passed away, my older sister was the only real contact I had outside of work.
She turned around on the top step and waved as I pulled into the driveway. "I brought you a geranium," she called. "The scent is good for stress."
I laughed and suddenly couldn't stop. Barbie heard the note of hysteria and started back down the steep steps. "No, I'm fine," I said. "I'm coming up. I'm fine."
"I didn't believe you after the first 'fine,' and now I'm definitely worried," Barbie said. "Let me guess; it's work again?"
"You have no idea," I said. I looked at my lovely sister through tearful eyes.
"And I don't care," Barbie said and pulled me into a fierce hug. "I've always told you that if it doesn't make you happy, you should quit. Who cares about the money? Ted and I can help you out; that's what family is for."