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really nice of you to say that. I learned the hard way, and I know you have to be confident. Knowing that you’re smart and prepared, and that you are the best for the job is also key. Convincing people that you know what you’re talking about is half the battle. Clearly, your strength is code, based on what you just showed me. So I’ll fish around and see if I can get you some special projects.” Now it was her turn to blush.
    “Oh, you don’t have to do that.”
    “Of course I do. I’m your boss, and I want you to succeed here. I also don’t want to lose you to another company.” I knew a gem when I found one. It just took a little while for her to shine.
    A ding signaled that I had an email. It was tech informing me that Lilia’s fix had worked.
    “Go sign out. I’m taking you to lunch.” She gave me another tiny smile and dashed to her desk.
     

     
    Once I got Lilia out of the office, and got her talking about computers and code and so forth, she turned into a delightful, bubbly person. I knew she was buried in there. Lilia was one of those people who really lit up when she was talking about something she was passionate about.
    “I’m sorry for talking so much.”
    “Don’t be sorry at all, I’ve been trying to get you to talk since I hired you. Even though I’m your boss, I want us to be able to talk, okay?”
    She nodded and finished the last bit of her key lime pie. I paid using the company credit card, which Lilia noticed.
    “This is a work meeting. We discussed work, so it counts,” I said, giving her a wink. If several of the men at the office could go golfing and write it off, I could take my assistant out to lunch.
    “Thanks so much. This was really nice,” she said as I dropped her back at her desk.
    “We’ll have to make it a regular thing. Maybe once a month.” She smiled again, and I definitely liked that look better than her fearful face. I dropped my bag off in my office and went down the hall to see Dad.
    “Rory, I was hoping I’d see you sometime today.” He motioned me in and I closed the door. “How are you doing? How’s your new assistant? Not quite like your last one.” Haha.
    “She’s doing well. It’s probably a good thing that she isn’t like the last one. How are you doing?” He was looking worse and worse. Now his skin had sort of taken on an unhealthy grayish tinge that made my stomach flip in a bad way. I was going to have to give Mom a call and see if she could do something.
    “Busy. Very busy. This . . . setback has been tough. But we can get through it.” He gave me a tight smile, and I couldn’t keep my mouth shut anymore.
    “Daddy, you have to stop working so hard. You’re going to get sick. There is a whole office full of people who can help you. And we have all those interns now. I’m worried about you.” I got up and put my arms around him. He sighed heavily, like he’d heard it before, which he had. Probably from multiple sources.
    “This is my company. I built it from the ground up and I feel responsible. This happened on my watch, because I wasn’t paying attention. I can’t let it happen again.” I just hugged him harder, and he finally hugged me back.
    “But I worry about you. You’re not as young as you were.”
    “Hey, I earned these years and grey hairs.” He pulled back and smiled.
    “I know you did. Hey, how about you take the rest of the day off and get in some golf? You haven’t been in ages. We can deal with everything here. The company’s not going to blow up if you leave. I don’t think,” I said with a wink.

 
     
     
     
     

     
    “So apparently, Lilia is some sort of html genius,” I said as Lucah and I lay on the couch after eating dinner. We’d made love so vigorously last night, and it had been a long day for both of us that I wasn’t sure if it was going to happen tonight. Besides, I was thinking of inviting Sloane over to watch movies with us anyway.
    “Imagine that. A girl who is good at