Obsidian (Mystic Stones Series #1) (5 page)

“Alright, my dear, I must leave you, but I will meet you here at noon tomorrow.”

We parted ways, and I dove into my thoughts. Tom always seemed to be respectful. He was well-spoken and used manners from the last century. Maybe it was the way he was raised, but it was almost as if he were a time traveler. Something else about him—possibly the sly grin—made him seem dangerous.

I shook my head. I needed to stop thinking about Tom. Groceries should be my main focus right now. Not my budding romance with a client.

The grocery store was packed, but I’d gotten the idea soon enough that the shelves were still half stocked with food. The lines at the check-out were even worse than the aisles full of people. It took thirty minutes to get checked out and everyone had to pay with cash. I was glad that I kept a little cash on hand for emergencies. The banks were still down.

My home welcomed me at 5 p.m. as I dragged my bags of food inside and put everything away. Since I didn’t have much cash, I had bought the cheap stuff in order to get by. So, I started with some ramen noodles and laughed to myself about the reference I made about them to Tom. I turned on the radio only to find that no new developments came up.

Psytech. Did I really want to work there? Working with Tom would be a bonus unless anything ever went bad between us. Then I’d have to find a new job. I did enjoy the prospect of picking my own position. At the same time, I wouldn’t want the other employees to think I’d gotten the job just because I had a thing with the boss.

For every negative, a positive popped up beside it.

The money would be good, and I’d still work with the same people if they decided to stay. After much contemplation, I decided to give it a try, and if things didn’t work out, I would get another job somewhere else. All that was left for me to do was tell Tom.

I finished my dinner with a sense of relief. The decision was made. Relief turned to determination, and I put that to good use by doing a little spring-cleaning. After cleaning virtually every room in the house, I ran out of steam. Sleep came on fast as I finally hopped in bed.

A strange dream interrupted my sleep. My mother appeared before me, but she seemed to drift away. I ran to keep up, but no matter how hard I tried to get to my mother, I couldn’t gain any ground. The nagging feeling that my mother was trying to tell me something woke me in the middle of the night. Perturbed, I laid in bed, trying to get back to sleep; back to the dream. I knew it wasn’t real, but finding out my mother’s message seemed important.

Eventually, I fell back asleep, but the dream didn’t wait for me. When my alarm sounded, I woke in an even more disturbed mood. The connection with my mother in my dream felt so real. I missed her. In an effort to clear my mind, I took in a deep breath.

The time had come to get ready for work. The day ahead was sure to be an interesting one. It was the day that Psytech would offer to buy the Herrick-Peyton building, not to mention my lunch date with Tom and my decision to work for Psytech if the deal went through..

The line at the gate wasn’t so long this time. I wondered if most people gave up on even coming to work. Simon greeted me on my way in and relayed that there would be a mandatory meeting with the shareholders at one o’clock. I nonchalantly asked him what it was about and he told me that he didn’t know. Deep down, I wanted to tell him, but to do so might get Tom in trouble, so I refrained.

Someone unearthed a few old computers from the storeroom and were using them to type up reports. Of course, those who used them were careful not to connect them to the internet. Because there weren’t enough to go around, everyone had to take turns. With none free, I had to ask William, who seemed to be wrapping up, to let me know when he was finished. He nodded and asked if I knew anything about the meeting.

“I have no idea what’s going on. I’m sure it’s probably just about the recent events and what we’re supposed to do about it,” I said. The lie tasted like metal in my mouth.

He shrugged and continued on with his work, and I went to make a list of the things I needed to do on the computer. Most of my tasks were limited by the lack of internet connection and the fact that none of my files were on the old computers. After William let me know he was finished, I took over the computer and worked as quickly as possible. I wanted to finish before lunch so I wouldn’t need to work after the meeting.

Finishing with a little time to spare, I filed more paperwork, and then got a few things in line, just in case they decided to sell. I resolved to help my clients find somewhere else to go. As noon rolled around, I was free to go to lunch with Tom. I met him in the lobby. His eyes found mine just as I entered the large open room. A sly grin crossed his face as his gaze touched me.

“Ava, you look lovely today, as always,” Tom said, crossing the room to meet me.

I tried to conceal a smile. As if I could keep it away when Tom was around. “Thank you, Tom. You’re so sweet. Are you ready for lunch?”

“Yes, where would you like to go?”

“Oh, somewhere simple. How about that café across the street?”

“That sounds good to me. Are we keeping with our no business deal?” he asked as we began to walk out. He placed a light hand on my lower back.

“Yes, we can talk business later. After the staff meeting, I’ll come to the warehouse. We can talk there,” I said.

The café was close to the main gate of Herrick-Peyton, so we walked to lunch, as we commented on how beautiful the day was. The floral aroma of Hilo was in the air. I loved the way the gardens perfumed the whole city when the breeze gently blew.

Tom bought lunch. It came as no surprise to me considering he was always the perfect gentleman. We sat at one of the outdoor tables with our sandwiches and talked.

“What is your middle name?” Tom asked, somewhat out of the blue.

“Mae, what’s yours?” I said. A giggle escaped my lips.

“Lorence. Who is your biggest role model? The person who’s influenced you the most?” he asked. He leaned forward as I thought about my answer.

“My mom, I suppose. She always taught me to follow my dreams no matter what anyone said. She supported me in everything I did. She helped me find myself.”

The conversation went on as we asked each other more questions; anything to keep the conversation from veering towards business. Too soon, we had to return to Herrick-Peyton. In the lobby we said our good-byes. Tom stopped me from walking away too quickly.

“Technically, it’s not lunch anymore, so I’m going to tell you. Herrick-Peyton took the offer. Act surprised when they announce it at your meeting, and I’ll see you soon, okay?” Tom said. Our eyes stayed locked together as he boarded the elevator.

Once he was gone, I steadied my mind. This was actually happening. I was going to be changing jobs.

I turned and then went into my office where the meeting was about to begin. Everyone had gathered in the big boardroom. I imagined everyone expected instructions for the time that the satellites were going to be out, or maybe they thought we were all in some kind of trouble. Of course, I knew better than that.

One of the shareholders stood at the front while the rest of them sat on each side of the table. He was the prime shareholder in the company, Joe Herrick.

“Alright people, let’s get started,” Herrick announced in a monotone voice.

Everyone quieted down and turned their attentions to him.

“Today, the shareholders attended a meeting with Psytech, a worldwide company that has a rapidly expanding branch here in Hawaii. You may also be aware, they are Ava Tanner’s clients. It is so rapidly expanding, in fact, that they need a building our size, and so they offered to buy our building and the ten warehouses. After much discussion, we decided to accept their offer.”

Everyone gasped, and I did too just to play along. Whispers filled the room.

“Calm down everyone. Now, Psytech has extended a welcoming arm to our employees here at Herrick-Peyton. If you wish, you may take a position in their company at the same or higher pay. There will be a sign-up tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. if you wish to accept this job offer. They will place you where they believe you would do best, and if you wish to accept, please do so with a free conscience as we will no longer be active as a company and will have no need for your services. Simon will find places for your clients to move to and has been offered an exceptional position within the Psytech Company.”

I looked to Simon. Apparently, the news of a job offer from Psytech was a surprise to him as well. Everyone else fell silent after the whispers died down. The other shareholders seemed like they were under some sort of spell, probably trying to contain their excitement over the money they’d just come into.

Someone asked, “What if we don’t want to take the job from Psytech?”

Joe Herrick responded, “If you do not wish to work with Psytech, you will be paid two month’s severance from Psytech, and you can take your chances finding another job elsewhere.”

After that, I tuned out. I didn’t care what everyone decided right now. In my opinion, they’d be stupid not to take the job offer. I desperately wanted the meeting to be over so I could go talk to Tom. After a few more grueling questions from my co-workers, the meeting adjourned. The shareholders left first, and I was caught up by my co-workers asking me what I would do. Everyone seemed to think it was a huge scandal, but the truth is, things like this happen every day. I reacted just as strongly when I first heard the news, but I didn’t control the company. Sure things like buying a company building didn’t always happen so fast, but I knew what my future held. When I was finally able to disengage myself, I rushed outside and made my way to the warehouse.

Tom waited for me outside the door of the warehouse. When I neared him, his smile changed from happy to his sly grin he used so often.

“Ava, I’m so glad you made it. Come on in, we’re discussing the companies’ new direction right now,” Tom said as he motioned for me to enter.

I wondered why they were discussing it out in the warehouse instead of in the comfort of the office. As I crossed the threshold, I felt uneasy. I hoped to talk to Tom privately, but the group of men that came to buy Herrick-Peyton were all gathered around a table with a laptop on it. I wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t possible for the thing to work. When I neared the table, I realized the laptop was connected to a live stream of some sort. On the screen, another businessman spoke via video chat. He saw me and smiled. The rest of the men turned their attention to me.

The laptop had a strange device connected to it that resembled a flash drive, but much smaller. A glowing purple gemstone was embedded into the black plastic.

“How did you get it to work?” I asked Tom. “Are the satellites fixed?”

“Ava, we are the most technologically advanced company in the world. What good would we be if we couldn’t figure out something so simple?”

“But, why haven’t you told anyone you have a solution?” I asked, still confused about what I saw.

“Because, sweet Ava, we caused it,” Tom said with a chuckle as if it were obvious.

Things started to make sense now. Of course, they caused it. They had so many experts and made more technological advances than any other company, so they were the most capable of infecting the entire world with a computer virus.

“Why?” I asked as I backed away. All he represented now was betrayal. He’d obviously known from the beginning, and even before.

“In this day and age, technology is power. If you control technology, you control the world. Psytech has been planning this for a very long time, and we’re glad you decided to join us. Now you can share the power.”

“I don’t think this is right, Tom. How could you do this?”

“Ava, our kind has been waiting for power like this for centuries now, and you joining us in this expedition will make us even stronger,” Tom explained.

“Our kind? I’m not in the corporate game, and I don’t want to be in your company anymore. You are not the person I thought you were.” I turned to walk out of the warehouse, but Tom moved to block my way.