The Wrong Right Man(33)
After thirty minutes, my muscles begin to relax, and I pull up the courage to look around. Not one person is glancing in my direction with suspicious or judgmental looks. Really, it seems it’s business as usual. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Maybe I worried for nothing about what my coworkers would think about Braxton coming to the bar last night. Maybe they don’t care… or maybe they are too scared to confront me.
I start up my computer and open my schedule and the talk points I had been going over yesterday. Just as I’m about to send them over to Kathy for approval, an e-mail pops up on my screen and my heart pounds as I click it open.
From: Hanna Mathers
Subject: Request from Mr. Adams
Dakota,
Mr. Adams asked me to reach out to you in hopes you could help him choose a high school recipient to receive $50,000 toward their college education. I know this might be an odd request, but he’s assured me that you would understand.
Please e-mail me back at your convenience with the contact information for who you’ve chosen, and I will take care of the rest.
All the best,
Hanna
“Oh my God.” I cover my mouth with my shaking fingers and tears fill my eyes. I can’t believe he is doing this, and I doubt he knows how much this gesture means to me. That money could change someone’s life, especially a kid who is currently in the foster care system.
Most kids who grow up in the system don’t even dare to dream of going to college, and those who do quickly realize how difficult it will be for them if they do get into a school. Knowing exactly what I’m going to do, I send Hanna a quick return e-mail to let her know I will be in contact then go online to look up Jamie’s and my old caseworker. After tracking her down, I send her an e-mail with my phone number and ask her to call me when she has a few minutes to talk.
With that done, I forward my ideas to Kathy, not really caring if she likes them or not. There isn’t much that could put a damper on my mood right now. A message pops up a minute later from Kathy with the entire team attached, asking all of us to meet her in one of the conference rooms upstairs.
I head to the elevator, and my forgotten anxiety returns when Samantha smiles at me with a knowing look in her eyes. Not wanting her to think she has something over me, I press the up arrow while asking, “Did you guys have fun last night?”
She shrugs. “I took off not long after you left with—” She pauses, glancing around. “—Mr. Adams. I didn’t know who he was until Mat said he’s the CEO of IMG.”
“Yep, he’s the head honcho,” I say like an idiot, and she laughs.
“Do you guys know what this is about?” Chris asks, joining us just when the elevator doors open and we all step on together.
“No idea,” I reply, taking a step back as Chris holds the door open for more people to get on with us. Once the doors close, everyone starts asking each other what this meeting could be about, and the more they talk, the curiouser I become. The way they are making it sound, this isn’t a normal occurrence.
When we get upstairs, we file into the conference room and are asked to sit wherever we find our names. That’s when I notice small boxes placed around the table, the same type of small box my watch came in. The watch I haven’t worn since Braxton forced it on me.
“Hello, everyone.” Kathy stands and moves to the head of the table. “I asked you all here this morning to talk to you about a product IMG will be launching in a few short months. If you would all be so kind as to open the boxes placed in front of you.”
She pauses, and everyone does as asked with abandon, while I reluctantly join in. With the top off, I glare at the blinking red light, absently hearing everyone else ooh and ahh over the new watch they just received.
“The watch each of you are now holding is part of our new lifestyle line. This watch is designed to connect to all your current apps and devices along with all IMG exclusive products without you having to do anything but tap it to whatever you are connecting it to, which will make it more user-friendly with our older customers and even those millennials who don’t want to waste their time programing another device.” She smiles, holding up her wrist to show off her watch. “The goal is that you will never have to carry your phone, credit card, or even your keys again. Everything you need will be available to you twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, right from your wrist.”
Again, everyone oohs and ahhs while fastening the watch to their wrist. This time, I don’t follow along I set the box down and turn it away from me as Kathy continues.
“This product was originally only given to the members of the board to test out, but Mr. Adams asked that I allow the team that will be selling it to experience the watch firsthand. He wants you to believe in it as much as he does.” She smiles, glancing around the room. “I can tell you from personal experience that this little watch has made my life easier, and I hope you all feel the same. I want you to wear it and give your honest feedback over the next few months. If you find anything you don’t like, please let me know so I can pass it along.”
I smile along with everyone else then look over to my side when my shoulder is nudged by Samantha, who is now proudly wearing her new tracking device.
“Aren’t you going to put yours on?” she asks, nodding to my box.
I don’t want to. I really don’t want to, because I have a feeling Braxton has manipulated this entire scenario. He knows I haven’t worn the watch since he forced it on me, and by doing this, I no longer have a choice when it comes to wearing it.