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“Well, they’re one hundred percent charitable, covering only their operating costs. Any excess funds that are donated to the project will be recycled to further research into the vaccine and distribution.”

He took a sip of his wine and then picked up his fork, trying the shrimp. I held my breath as he ate. After he swallowed, he tipped the fork in my direction. “It tastes good. I’m impressed.”

That meant a lot, because I was deeply insecure about my cooking abilities. Especially since he was an excellent cook himself and came from a family of Italian cooking geniuses. That gave me a lot to live up to.

He took another bite and set his fork on the plate. “So, tell me more about this assignment in the rainforest.”

I gave him a brief rundown of the meeting. When I finished, he sat back in his chair and lifted the wineglass to his lips, watching me thoughtfully.

“So, you’d be in the portable lab in the rainforest ensuring the infrastructure and data are protected? That’s it?”

“I assume that’s correct. I can’t see why I’d have to actually go to the villages or anything. I’m not a doctor or a microbiologist.”

“Hmmm. And how often would you have to be in New York overseeing the team? Is a permanent living arrangement required?”

“Absolutely not. I already told Finn I’m not moving to New York. That’s nonnegotiable. The client agreed and instead proposed a once-a-month trip to New York for a couple of days to oversee the operation. My staff should be able to run the project virtually without any problem.”

He paused for a moment, looking at me thoughtfully. “So, they insisted on having you.”

“Yes.” I looked down and fiddled with my fork. “ComQuest recommended me.”

“I bet they did. Tell me more about the rainforest trip.”

“Well, the next field team is leaving for Brazil in five days. They want me on that flight. But first, I’d have to head to New York to assemble a team to be based out of there. It’s all crazy fast, and I don’t have all the information at my fingers, but they’re under an accelerated timeline.”

“So, you’ve decided, then?”

Now it was my turn to reach across the table and take his hand. The blue diamond in my engagement ring winked and sparkled in the candlelight. “Actually, no. I told them I needed to talk with you about it first. To consider your input and thoughts. That’s what we do now. Make decisions together as a couple.”

He nodded, perhaps remembering a recent decision he’d made that excluded me, and the consequences that had entailed. I felt confident we wouldn’t be going down that path again.

“Then my question to you is...do you want to do it?” he asked.

I hesitated, trying to get my thoughts in order. “Honestly, Slash, I’m conflicted. I’m not crazy about going back into the jungle again unless I can stay in a nice hotel with wifi. I could easily handle the New York part of the assignment, but it’s the rainforest part that has me worried. I don’t like spiders, snakes, or bugs of any kind, and I’m easily overheated. I hate flying, boating, and riding long distances in the car, and this is a long trip. But having said that, I could suck it up for a worthwhile cause. Think about it. This appears to be the first-ever malaria vaccine that’s safe and effective for infants and children under two years of age. Only two doses of the vaccine are required for an entire lifetime. It could save millions, no, billions, of lives around the world. The doctors, scientists and microbiologists at Vaccitex have been working hard—not even for profit—but for sheer passion and dedication, to bring this to the people who need it most. How could I not want to be a part of something that important?”

I knew he’d understand and sympathize with that statement. He squeezed my hand, his expression turning thoughtful. “How are they paying for you, your team, and X-Corp in general? I know it’s not going to be cheap.”

“As far as I know, ComQuest is partially subsidizing Vaccitex and will be sending one of their microbiologists as part of the field team,pro bono. Finn thinks it’s intended as a public relations maneuver to repair their reputation after the British Virgin Islands debacle. If that’s true, I agree it’s a good plan. I suspect there are other charitable foundations chipping in to help the company out. Finn might yet offer them a discount—he’s still running the numbers. What’s clear to everyone is how important information security has become at this stage of the game. They need all the help they can get, and they want me.”

He released my hand and rubbed his unshaven chin, his gaze drifting off just above my left shoulder. I wondered what he was thinking. His mind worked on so many different levels, it was hard to anticipate.

He finally spoke. “What if I, or in particular, my company Frisson, made a sizable donation to the organization? In addition, I would offer my cyber services,pro bono,to X-Corp, and by extension, to Vaccitex, for at least the next few weeks while I’m on vacation? I could accompany you to New York and Brazil, helping out with whatever was needed. But let me be clear, this is your show. If everyone agrees, I would be an extra set of cyber hands and eyes only.”

I stared at him in surprise. I hadn’t expected that, but given his generosity, maybe I should have. “Wow. You’d do all that? On your time off?”

“Of course I would. I honestly don’t think I can stand one more day of vacation that doesn’t involve you and me together. This is torture. Not to mention, I sure as hell don’t want to have idle hands and be roped into any wedding planning. It’s a win-win situation for everyone, especially me. So, what do you think?”

I couldn’t help it, I laughed. How could I not when I totally sympathized, especially about the wedding planning? Sometimes we were more alike than I’d ever imagined. “Don’t you have more work to do with Frisson?”

“My company is doing exceptionally well running itself without me. I’ve realized when I pop in there to ‘oversee things,’ I’m basically sticking my nose into a well-oiled machine. I have good people in place who would prefer I didn’t muck things up, and they’re right. I put up the capital, formed the company, and gave my very capable and well-paid engineers, scientists and program managers some ideas to run with. They’re doing really good work, bringing in numerous contracts, and making me a lot of money, so I believe it’s in my best interest to mostly sit back and watch.”

“A hacker, an inventor, a manager and an astute businessman.” I shook my head in wonder. “How do you keep it all straight in your head?”

“Very carefully. So, what do you think of my offer,cara?”

What did I think? I thought he was the most incredible man I’d ever met and I was the luckiest person in the universe that he loved me.

“I think it’s an incredibly generous offer, Slash. That being said, I should run it past Finn and the executives at Vaccitex and see what they think. I suspect Finn will be on board, mostly because it means you can keep an eye on me. But if I were the CEO of Vaccitex, I’d be ecstatic to have more money, as well as a valuable asset on the team for free.”