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No one else saw Damien. Steve narrows his eyes for a moment. He tries to hide it, but I can see the judgment there, the unspoken implication that I conjured Damien up out of thin air.
Soon, it's time for me to walk onto the stage. I search for Sera in the crowd. She's got her hair tucked up in a bun, a pencil through it, wearing smart business clothes that make her look capable and gorgeous.
"Ladies and gents, thank you for coming," I say. "There are CEOs who would hide in the shadows at a time like this, but as you know, I've always been straight with our customers. Ever since our first self-driving car mistook a golf course for a highway all those years ago, I've been honest."
This gets a laugh from the audience. Sera's smile urges me on.
"In that spirit, I have something I need to share with you all," I continue. "While our other products are completely safe and protected – and I have to stress this – we have gone above and beyond, and, in three years, haven't had a single incident – the prototype I was intending to show tomorrow has encountered issues."
I scan the crowd for signs of Damien. I felt sorry for him when he first came to me with misguided ideas about his place in the company. He has the motive, but how the hell would he gain access to our code?
"Someone has sabotaged the code to the AI we were planning on unveiling," I say. "Prompting it to make distressing and counterproductive statements."
When I use the word 'sabotage', people whisper, exchanging anxious looks with each other. A tense atmosphere descends over the room. Many have already got their phones out, texting frantically. The news spreading, then.
"We are going to sort this out," I say firmly. "I wanted you all to be aware of the truth. We, as a company, do not hide. We don't trick our customers. It's the reason we have built so much trust..."
Thirty minutes later, I'm sitting in the back of a car with Sera at my side. She massages my shoulder gently. "You did really well."
"I'm thinking Steve was right," I mutter, looking down at my phone, at my feeds, at the shitstorm the admission has caused. “Look at this headline ‘Sabotage or More? What are they hiding?’ People are calling the entire company into question. I should've explained that the prototype code was more accessible than the final products will be. I should've emphasized that our regular product lineup is entirely unaffected."
"You emphasized that," she says.
"I did?"
"Hey..." She touches my hand, lowering my phone from my gaze. "Try not to torture yourself, Luke. You did everything you could do. You did the right thing."
I let my head fall back, groaning. "Maybe it wasn't enough. I just wish I knew who did it... if it was Damien, how did he get access?"
"How many companies provided contractors for the code?"
"Three," I tell her. "That was clearly a mistake, too. It's the first time I've cut corners on cost, and look where it landed me. From now on, no outsiders... sorry."
"I get it," she says softly. "But for the record, it wasn't us. You fly back in the morning?"
"Yeah." I take her hand, mentally pushing everything else away. "Which means we need to make tonight count. I've rented out the Waldorf Astoria SkyBar. I know how much you loved the view from our first date, so for our last, I wanted to give you another..."
She squeezes my hand tightly. "Our last," she repeats.
"For now."
The driver takes us to her hotel. I wait in the car, texting manically, and then I couldn't focus on texting even if I wanted to. When she returns, she's wearing a green dress that clings to her figure, emphasizing her wide hips and her delicious curves. Her hair is loose around her shoulders, giving her a sexy, tousled look.
She captivates my attention.
I climb from the car, opening the door for her. She brushes her hand across my stomach.
"You look amazing," I tell her, climbing in after her.
"It's funny. When I bought this dress, I honestly didn't think I'd have time to wear it. It was awhat-ifpurchase."
"You look perfect."
She grabs my shirt and pulls herself close, breathing in shakily as she leans in for a kiss. I press my lips against hers, tasting her, savoring her.
For the rest of the ride, I keep my phone in my pocket. We use the back entrance to the top-floor bar. Soon, we're alone together with views of Vegas. Sera walks to the window. I walk up behind her, folding my arms around her, pressing my body against hers.
My desire responds instantly, heat surging through me. She wriggles against me. "I thought we were here to eat..."