Boost by Vi Summers

 

Chapter 10

-Greer-

 

 

I drummed my fingers on the edge of my laptop, wracking my brain for the missing piece of the Ortiz puzzle. I’d categorically sifted through the information gathered from interviewing Rafael and there seemed to be something that didn’t add up.

All he gave me from his teenage years was that he lived with his grandparents from the age of fifteen, and his mom before that, up until the point she could no longer look after him and his younger sister.

No further explanation as to why or exactly when, but the shadows passing behind his dark-brown irises had indicated there was more than what he willingly divulged.

A light tap against the glass outer wall of my office made me glance up. Christian strolled in and perched his ass on the corner of my desk.

“How’d it go with the Colton account?”

“Good, I think.”

“The guy didn’t give you a hard time, did he?”

I snorted. “Not at all. Just sifting through the interview and doing more background searches. You know how I like to be prepared.”

He hummed his agreement. “Saves being made to look like a fool.”

“Exactly. How’s the Yeldon account progressing?”

“They seem ready to sign. If they do, it’s going to be a massive year for us, Gree.”

I smiled up at him with pride. We’d both worked our asses off to get to where we were today. It was too early to declare that we’d made it in the dog-eat-dog corporate world, but damn, we were paving a successful path.

He held out a fist, and I bit my lower lip while bumping mine against it. Right now, I felt like we could take on the world and own it.

Affection lit Christian’s smiling eyes. He stared at me for a beat too long before breaking the mini trance.

“I’m about to grab some food. Want anything?”

I shook my head as my attention wandered back to the laptop screen. “I’m good at the moment. I’m in the zone.”

He rapped his knuckles on my desk and stood. “I’ll leave you to it. Keep me updated.”

“You’ll be the first to know,” I murmured.

I wouldn’t divulge that the vague information was bothering me—not until I’d figured out why.

I searched up Rafael Ortiz again and clicked on his business website. It all looked above-board and professional. Scrolling through the many pictures of cars of varying makes and eras, all apparently sourced for wealthy clients, it was obvious that cars weren’t just business—they were a deep-seated passion.

The contrast between ‘business owner Ortiz’ and ‘street-racer Ortiz’ seemed vast, yet the same man smiled at me from the images.

I wanted to dig deeper to see if I could uncover exactly which alter ego was his true self. Bad boy, or businessman.

I snapped my laptop screen shut with haste, which coincided with Roxiee entering my office with the mail. She arched a brow and gave me a what have you been looking at? look.

“Doing something you shouldn’t have, hmm?”

I eye-rolled and playfully snatched the mail from her grasp. “Nope, just off to get more coffee.”

“This one’s got you perplexed, huh?”

“Just a little…” I eyed her for a moment. “Hey, how would you like to go on another reconnaissance exercise with me?”

Her eyes lit up like the fourth of July. “Oooh, this sounds devious.” She perched on the same corner of my desk as Tian had. “Tell me more!”

I snickered and straightened my skirt. “Oh, you know, I’m just wondering how we go about finding out when the next street race is…”

Roxiee gasped. “Are we going to another one?”

“Depends how good my assistant is at pulling strings and getting information out of Colton Donavan.”

Her feet hit the ground with purpose and she snapped her head from side to side. “Girl, I’ll have him talking like a ventriloquist puppet, sans the hand up the ass.”

“Be gentle with him, Rox,” I called through a laugh.

She waved me off and hurried to her desk. “I’m always gentle with them, babe.”

Roxiee was anything but gentle when it came to getting what she wanted. That was why she was the best damn assistant and friend on the planet.

Leaving Rox to work her magic, I went to the kitchen and sidestepped around our Technical Writer—Kashvi, and Editor—Aaron, having a chat before the end of their working day. They halted mid-conversation and greeted me with smiles. 

“Hey guys, good timing; this saves me a trip down to see you both.”

“What do you need, Greer?” Kashvi asked.

Because his skills with wording were phenomenal and his efficiency was mind-blowing, Tian and I didn’t mind that he spent large amounts of time conversing with the staff across the varying departments. When he needed to get shit done, he got shit done.

Aaron also listened closely since my request would come across his desk for editing before I got the final copy.

“A press release drafted for the Colton Donavan Boost Foundation. There is a Black-Tie Gala scheduled for three Saturdays from now, and I need to call a release for the end of this week.”

“Send it to me in an email?” Kashvi said, in his way of speaking that sounded like a question rather than a statement.

I pressed the programmed chai button on the coffee machine while talking to him. “Already drafted, but I know how you like a heads up. And this way I don’t have to walk around two entire floors trying to track you down.”

Kashvi laughed heartily. “I’m a social butterfly, Boss.”

“That you are.” I lifted the freshly brewed coffee to my lips. “At least I can count on Aaron to be locatable when I need him in a hurry.”

I winked at Aaron to emphasize that I was teasing them both.

He curled his fingers and rubbed them on his chest. “That’s why I get paid the big bucks.”

“Ha,” Kashvi shouted. “And that’s why you’re a kiss-ass.”

Laughing at the both of them, I pointed at Kashvi. “My email will be waiting for you first thing in the morning. Enjoy your night, guys.”

They called goodbye, and I tracked toward my office with a massive smile on my face and a hot coffee in hand.

Tian and I had been unapologetically picky when recruiting for our firm, and the effort had paid off now that we had a fun, loyal and synergistic team working around us.

Roxiee’s expression lit as soon as she saw me approaching. “Ooh, Greer, you owe me dinner for this!”

I locked down my surprise. “Is that right?”

She sashayed out from behind her desk with a Cheshire grin on her face. “Girl, if this doesn’t make you wet, then nothing will.”

“Rox!” I exclaimed, and let out a bubble of scandalized laughter.

“Oh yeah, we’re at work,” she said, as if she didn’t really care where we were.

I led us to the couch and sipped the coffee. She sat beside me and produced a single piece of paper with a flourish.

“This, my dear, is our ticket to the underworld,” she dramatized in a deep, foreboding voice.

I pinched the note between my fingers and read the details, then cut my eyes to her.

“Next week? I thought it would be sooner?”

She shrugged. “You now know as much as I do. At least you can’t get into trouble before the initial press release, huh?”

It was a joke, but one with undertones of caution.

“That is a bonus. So, you’ll come with me?”

Roxiee dazzled me with her wide grin. “As if you even have to ask. But can we stay until the end this time?” She accompanied her request with puppy eyes and a pouted lip.

“We’ll see.”

“Oh, come oooon,” she pleaded.

“Get the hell out of my office, we’ve both got work to do,” I demanded, despite laughing.

“Such a slave driver!” she sassed, walking out on her mile-high pumps as if she’d been told a drop-dead-gorgeous single man had just entered the building.

Snickering and feeling re-energized, I settled at my desk, took another sip of coffee, then opened my laptop. It was time to take on Rafael Ortiz once more.