Chapter 408
Although Charlene and Stewart had already made it clear to Chester that they weren’t interested in meeting with Kevitt Smith, that didn’t seem to stop him. Two days later, Kevitt Smith showed up anyway, uninvited.
Since he’d made the effort to come in person, Charlene and Stewart figured it would be rude to ignore him completely. So, they met with him briefly, just a quick, polite conversation that lasted maybe fifteen minutes before they saw him out. After that, whenever Kevitt tried to reach out again, they simply didn’t respond.
Charlene and Stewart were firm in their decision. With no way to get through to them, Kevitt soon turned his attention elsewhere. The very next day, he invited Vesta out for a meal.
Over lunch-burgers and fries in a cozy diner-Kevitt chatted about developments in the tech industry, then sighed and said, “You know, if you’d joined PrimeStar last year, I think you’d have really taken off. It’s a shame, really.”
He’d already asked her about her work situation the last time they met. Back then, when he found out she hadn’t gotten into PrimeStar, he didn’t say much. But now, he seemed genuinely thoughtful about it.
Vesta knew what he meant.
Charlene’s latest research paper had made waves, both in the States and abroad. Word in the industry was that, if PrimeStar had the nerve to publish such a game-changing paper, then they must have even more mind-blowing tech behind closed doors, stuff they weren’t sharing with the world yet.
Vesta believed it. She’d really wanted to join PrimeStar last year, mostly because of their revolutionary programming language. She never imagined the company would progress so fast. Looking back, she realized that if she’d known then what she knew now, she’d have done whatever it took to get in.
Kevitt was right. If she’d gotten into PrimeStar, she would have grown tremendously as a professional. Two or three years there, and she’d probably be ready to take the reins of her family’s tech business herself.
Now, thinking back, she realized Charlene hadn’t just cost her a valuable connection in Stewart, she’d made her miss a once-in-a-lifetime chance to grow.
Kevitt asked, “Are you still thinking about joining PrimeStar?”
How could she not? But as long as Stewart’s attitude toward Charlene didn’t change, she knew it was never going to happen. Of course, she wasn’t about to say that to Kevitt.
Instead, she replied, “Well, I’ve got my own tech company now, and I’ve worked with PrimeStar before. But with all the concerns about data security, I doubt Mr. Ferguson would even consider bringing me on board.”
Kevitt looked disappointed. “Yeah, I get that.”
***
Friday morning.
Charlene had just finished her morning run and was heading back upstairs when her phone rang. It was Irma Henderson, invited her out to dinner. It had been months since they’d last seen each other, and after so many missed connections, Charlene had no reason to say no.
Just as she was about to accept, Irma added, “Oh, I’m inviting Thorne and Minnie too. You don’t mind, do you, Charlene?”
Charlene smiled, her voice calm. “Not at all.”
And she meant it. Really, she didn’t mind. Work aside, with Jasmine in the picture, there was no way to completely avoid Thorne anyway.
Irma understood. Charlene’s easy answer showed she’d truly moved on from Thorne. If she could see him now only as Jasmine’s dad, then what was the big deal about sharing a meal together?
Irma couldn’t decide whether she was happy or sad about that.
After hanging up, Charlene returned to the office. When she logged into her computer, she noticed an email from Kevitt Smith.
He was asking if she’d ever been to Goldland, and offered to show her around if she ever wanted to visit. He promised to introduce her to some major players in the tech world there and even shared some details about the kinds of projects they were working on.
It was clear Kevitt wasn’t just inviting her to sightsee. He was trying to recruit her, making it obvious that, if she said yes, she’d be welcomed with open arms.
Charlene saw right through it. She replied politely that she wasn’t planning any trips abroad anytime soon, then closed her inbox.
***
That evening after work, Charlene headed to the private dining room Irma had reserved.
Irma was already there when she arrived.
Charlene had barely sat down when the door burst open and Jasmine rushed in, grinning from ear to ear. “Mom!”
Charlene barely had time to react before Jasmine was in her arms.
Latonia followed Jasmine in, but Thorne was nowhere to be seen.
Jasmine settled into the seat next to Charlene. As they browsed the menu, Irma finally spoke up, “Called Thorne this morning, he says he’s busy and can’t make it. Oh well, we’ll just enjoy ourselves. It’s not like we need him here anyway.”
Charlene laughed softly and nodded. “Yeah,” she agreed.