I looked at him. For a moment, neither of us spoke. It wasn't the kiss or the history between us that caught me off guard.
It was how easily we'd arrived at the same solution.
I turned back to the screen. “We'll run the simulation again with the revised distribution.”
He nodded. “I'd like to see the results.”
We moved past structural analysis and systems integration, discussing a few more technical points as we made our way toward the core of our innovation unit.
Moments later, we returned to the executive boardroom, rejoining the teams we'd left behind.
“That should be all for today,” I said.
Alec exhaled, one hand in his pocket.
“I’m impressed,” he said. “The synergy here—the precision, the clarity of your vision. It’s rare to see that at this scale.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
“Ma
