Lost and Found (Growing Pains #1)(48)

“Um...I don’t know, actually. Apparently not Sales, since you don’t know about it. But we would certainly have information on all clients we’ve worked for. But how we got those clients, I don’t know. We probably have a similar cataloging situation for the art department. I couldn’t imagine they would throw away designs. I would think the company would want to keep those for future contemplation, but I don’t have access to those systems.”

“What if you did?”

“Well...uh, I don’t need it. I just need numbers.”

“Now you just need numbers. But you have an eye for art. You also have a desire to use info in a new format. If you had access to art files, you could combine that with what you have, and go from there.”

“Not following.”

Sean’s head was visibly whirling, but Krista couldn’t tell in which direction. The guy was Morse code to a deaf person.

“No. Hmmm. I’ll have to think about this. But I will get you access. Count on that.”

“Oh good,” she said sarcastically. “I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”

“No. You shouldn’t have. Because now I am going to want all kinds of historical information on anything and everything to do with our big fish. Everything. And reports, graphs, summarized… I don’t know…” He was using his hands in wild circular motions with an air of excitement. “…lists. You just gave yourself a load of extra work, Marshall. A load of extra work.”

They passed into silence for a while, each sipping their beers. Krista checked the time and saw that it was 5:30 p.m. Workday was over by a half hour. The bar was starting to get crowded again for the after-work crew.

“Somewhere to be?” Sean asked, glancing over.

“Nope. Apparently I’m not very popular. You?”

“Here, getting to know my team.”

“Hmmm. Speaking of team--I thought you said Monica was your secret weapon?”

Sean softly sighed.

“You’re so going to get a Thump-Bird,” Krista said as she lifted her glass.

Sean snickered, “At least then I’d see what it was.”

“True. About Monica Devine…”

“For a secret weapon to be effective, it must be kept secret.”

“Which, Dr. Watson, rules her out.”

Sean nodded once, still looking into his beer. “Just so.”

“Then why did you call her a secret weapon?”

He half-turned to her, “Because she needs that distinction to function at her best. She needs to be singled out and put above everyone else. And I care to make that effort, before you ask, because she is excellent at her job, and when I need her, I don’t want to have to go through her manager to get her. I want her willingness, which means sucking up.”

Krista really, really wanted to ask about his personal history with her. What else did sucking up mean in his book? Where did the game lead that he was playing with her? But now she couldn’t ask because of their new deal. He was being so down-to-earth, so raw; she didn’t want to upset their newly formed comfort level.

Krista swallowed down the question, along with more Guinness.

“Okay then, this moves us to Mr. Ray Man. Is he your real secret weapon?” she asked.

“Ray Man. Ha! Good one. No. I wouldn’t call him a secret weapon, no.” Sean was still halfway turned to her, and now he turned his head fully to make up that last bit. He looked into her eyes, reading her again, searching for something. After another beat he said, “You entrusted me with a secret. I will now entrust you with one. You tell mine, or let your lips get loose, well then ...” He let the end of the comment float off into the air.

“Sounds fair,” she shrugged, intrigued.

He smiled with warmth, his eyes infused with a softness Krista hadn’t seen before. “Ray Man, as you call him, is my crutch. You have your mug, I have Ray.”

“Wait…” Krista looked at Sean hard. Analyzed. Referred back to what she’d already known about him. Looked again. “You’re--are you g*y?”

Sean laughed, “Ah, no. I do believe I have a reputation, earned, to the contrary…”

Yikes. That was definitely a straight man response. It was a womanizer response, actually—you didn’t get straighter than that. And not in a good way.

“Okay then, not following.”

“He was my mentor at the first company I worked for. Acting pays worse than hair and makeup for most of us.”

“You were an actor?” she giggled.

“Funny, is it? Hmm.” Sean turned back to his beer. Krista realized with one part horror and two parts gratitude that they had two more in front of them. This was the point that she either went crazy, or stopped.

She should definitely stop.

“Sorry. No, not funny.” She said, giggling some more. “Absolutely the least funny thing I have ever heard. Damn droll, really.”

“Hmmm.”

“Okay, okay. So you were an actor. Did you go to college?”

“I did. Majored in business. Minored in acting. Went on to an MBA while still acting on the side.”

Krista started laughing again. She couldn’t help it. “Didn’t the other actors think you were selling out or something? Those two don’t really go hand in hand, you know?”