Page 9 of Skins Game

“But I’ll be traveling to the office a few times a month,” he told her.

She looked back up at him, her eyes lifting and smile returning. “It’ll be good toseeyou around the office.”

“So, what happened this morning?” Kingston asked because he wasn’t supposed to know about the deal.

“Oh! A venture capital firm bought Sidewinder in some back room deal, and we arejust nowlearning about itin an emailfrom the new company.Our chicken previous owner didn’t even do a videocall or a town hall or anything.”

Considering the circumstances, that wasn’t surprising even though Kingston had given Joe Flanagan the opportunity to tell his people about the sale. “That’s too bad.”

She nodded, her smooth skin creasing between her brows. “Everybody’s upset. People don’t know whether to go home and update their resumes or prepare for tech transfer to China.”

Getting a company sold out from under you is always traumatic, but Kingston was there to make a profit.

She continued, “If I were you, I wouldn’t make any long-term plans. The situation is fluid, to say the least.”

Kingston had written that last sentence about the situation being fluid in the unsigned email he’d sent from a Last Chance’s company account the night before. “I’m not too worried, and neither should you be. Companies always need good sales personnel and receptionists.”

She looked up and to the side, while her lips lifted in the middle. “That’s true.”

“Is someone around to give me a tour? I’d love to see the product and your set-up before I head back east. Maybe a sneak peek at anything new you have up your sleeves?”

“Oh, sure. I think Bob said Nicole Lamb was going to be around?—”

A woman’s low voice said, “Nicole Lamb is right here.”

In the hallway behind the receptionist’s desk, a curvaceous woman stood, one hand on her hip as she rested her weight on one leg, her other leg extended and toe pointed like a dancer. Her dark brown hair was falling out of the bun on her head and waving in the air conditioner’s breeze like banners calling Kingston to war, and she was looking somewhere behind him like she was distracted.

Kingston skirted the front desk, his hand extended to shake. “Hello! I’m Kingston Moore, the new guy in sales. I heard it’s been quite a morning around here.”

As he moved, she looked him up and down, evaluating. “Yeah, right.You’re the new guy, Kingston Moore,right.I’m sure you’reabsolutelywho you say you are.Totallyin sales.”

Her sarcasm was an icy blast to his face.

Had she hacked Last Chance and figured out who Kingston was?

Like most engineers, people in materials science often have a background in computer science. She might have doxxed him.

Nevertheless, just in case, he played his part. “I’ve loved Sidewinder’s golf clubs for years, but I never managed to get off the waiting list. I’m working here so I can qualify for the employee’s discount and finally get my own full bag.”

She stared at him, nodding as if placating an absolute lunatic. “Okay,fine.I’ll play along. Come on,Kingston Moore.I’ll give you a tour of Sidewinder Golf, becausesure,you’retotallygoing to be working here. You’re totally not going to get fired along with the rest of us by the end of the week.”

She turned and led the way into the white corridor behind her.

Nicole Lamb knew something about him.

Kingston trotted a step, but with his long legs, he was beside her in an instant. “I just heard that Sidewinder had changed owners.”

“Yeah, Iguessthat’s real,” she said. “Sucks to be you, showing up onyour first day,and the company just changed hands.”

“It must seem odd that I’m still interested in working here after the acquisition. I admit I took the job for the employee benefit of getting a set of clubs, so it’s worth the risk.”

She stopped in the hallway, planting both her feet on one of the floor tiles.

Kingston strode another few steps before he stopped himself and turned back. “Are we going on the tour?”

“It’s April Fool’s Day,” she ground out, her teeth clenched. “I don’t like being fooled.”

He looked around, expecting a jump-scare, but the corridor was empty except for them. “I don’t get the joke.”