"Since we specialize in the medical transcription and archives piece, we’ll work closely with you to incorporate the coding and billing modules so your customer will be happy. What we can do is add some funky fonts and color schemes into our final coding and I'm sure they will be happy with the high technological side as well. The most important thing is to make sure it’s functional and cutting edge,” I said.
“Yes, the look is important, but it should be highly functional and better than anything else on the market,” he sat back in his seat, his eyes roaming over my face as if he were thinking about something that was not apparent.
I slid the whitepaper I prepared specifically for him and waited for him to thumb through it. Yet, he still sat there and stared at me.
“I think you’ll find sufficient information in this documentation,” I said, and he extended his arm to accept the paper.
He skimmed through the papers. “Whoa, I’ve never had anyone come into my office for a meeting and in the first five minutes already have everything mapped out that I need. This is damn impressive.”
“Thank you, Mr. Brown, I—”
“You can call me Montie. I have a feeling we’re going to be getting to know one another on a first name basis,” he said, still browsing through the whitepaper.
“Excuse me?”
“Yes, call me Montie. You asked me to call you Lissa, right? We’re about the same age, so there’s no reason for you to call by my surname. I want you to call me Montie.”
“Okay, Montie.” I giggled when I said his name. For no reason, I fucking giggled. “So, when do we sign the contracts?” I asked, easing back into business mode.
“You kid, but I’m seriously ready after seeing how prepared you are. You have remarkable references and everything you laid out here shows an in depth understanding of my company and the client I asked you to build the software for. I value providing our clients with vibrant and colorful applications, and I believe you are capable of carrying out the tasks we need down to the letter.”
“I’m glad you can see the value in what I do.”
“I definitely do.”
“Thank you.” I smiled. “I’ll bring over a mockup disk for you to see if we’re headed in the right direction. If it meets your satisfaction, we can sign the contract and complete the entire project.”
“That works well for me. If it’s a go, I’d like to work closely with you until it’s complete. This is worth millions to me because this clinic is a part of a huge network of holistic clinics that are popping up around the country. The national director of computer systems is looking for something better than what they currently have and they chose us, which is a big deal.”
“Wow, that is a big deal.”
He nodded and continued. “They’ll try this out on a new clinic, but this could be tapped for the entire network, and could end up bringing in a couple hundred thousand for you.”
“That sounds very doable.”
“It has to be perfect, though. If we’re able to get unique software developed and farm it out to hospitals and medical clinics nationwide, we’ll license it and see revenue for years to come.”
“Say no more,” I said; liking the feeling of making a deal with who I was sure would soon be a satisfied customer.
For the next hour, we discussed details, down to the things we both thought were eye catching and unique. When we finished, I had enough information to take back to my implementation team for a bang-up software. I felt extremely successful as I walked to my car. Not because of the impending business deal, but because I looked into the honey brown eyes of the sexiest chocolate man alive and resisted the urge to make him mine. I allowed the new me to enter the room and smash a business deal. I successfully said No to the possibility of another failed relationship, and Yes to my future in business. Reading good books matter. I chuckled at my small win.
CHAPTER NINE
Montie
A Shift in Me
I stared at the chair she’d sat in long after she left. A cosmic glow still illuminating the space she occupied. Those thick, brown sugar thighs crossing and uncrossing seamlessly as she pushed her glasses back on her nose and talked intricate details, industry standards, and software encryption. The navy dress she wore had fought gallantly to cover all the goodness that God saw fit to bestow upon her thick legs, but the brave material failed miserably. Her voluptuous beauty burst through the seams of the fabric, leaving me to ruminate over every inch of buried sweetness that couldn’t find the light of day.
Then, visions of Destiny cut in. Lissa was about the same height
and stature; her soft and velvety voice reminded me of the only woman ever to hold my heart. Not the Destiny that’s Jacob’s fiancée, but the young girl I met and fell in love with back in college. The one I worked my ass off for, so I could give her the world. The same woman who thought that hard work was a threat to my love for her. The same one that Jacob Turner's probably plying into right now. That thought alone threatened to make the woman whose essence hung in the room like a painting less palatable.
Lissa had been unaware of my time travel as she sat in front of me sharing her endless intellect. She also appeared unaware of just how much her presence had affected me, taking me back to a time when my life had no drama and I knew love in its purest form.
Lissa didn’t need to know that I was drawn to her, or that I had to adjust my slacks as the thought of pulling her up unto my desk and becoming one flesh with hers came to mind. Thankfully, she didn’t notice my burning desire to take her into my arms and own her, if only for a short while.
Memories of the last woman I plowed into oblivion while trying to release myself of the hold Destiny had on me flooded my mind. The Tracye a.k.a. Justine fling had ended in disaster and her name alone was an anti-erection. I shook away my conflicted thoughts and snapped back into my work day. Thinking of Justine did the trick. The last thing I needed was another distraction.