Chapter 247: Katie and her two bosses 046

Austin

A

fter dinner

, Susan insists we take Katie out. The three of us drive north out of town to our favorite beach and spread out a big blanket on the sand with a bottle of red wine and three glasses.

“I feel so much better now that my mom has met you,” Katie says. “I almost never keep secrets from her, so it’s a big weight off my shoulders now. And she told me that she really likes you both.”

“We really liked her, too. Your mom is hilarious,” Tyler says.

“Yeah, it was great to meet her,” I say. “Thanks for introducing us. It really means a lot that you’re being so open about us now.”

“This is much better – I hated having to hide you guys.” A look of worry comes across her face. “But what about the company? I didn’t want to bring it up in front of my mom, but I’ve been so worried about what will happen after losing the contract with Jack.”

I look at Tyler, and he nods.

“We’re letting Tyaus Technology go.”

“What?” Katie exclaims, surprised. “Why are you doing that?”

“Because you’re way more important than that company,” I say. “I got carried away with our bottom line, with our reputation in the technology industry, and I lost sight of what was important. If that photograph hurts our business, than it’s all for the best. We don’t want to deny our relationship, and we’re not hiding you anymore. So if having that company means we have to keep you a secret, then we don’t want it anymore. You are all we need now.”

Katie is quiet for a moment, then wipes a tear from her eye.

“I don’t know what to say,” she begins. “I’m touched that you would want to do that for me, but I don’t know – I mean, you guys built that company from the ground up...”

“Yeah, but what good is it if we can’t hold your hand in public?” Tyler asks. “If we have to maintain an illusion at work, and deny our true feelings? It’s just not worth it.”

“But there’s got to be some way of having both things, isn’t there?” Katie asks. “I can’t just let you give up your work, your business, for me!”

“We’d do that and so much more just for you, Katie,” Austin says. “We love you more than anything.”

Katie wipes another tear from her eye and falls into our arms. “Thank you, really… I just … I just love you both so much.”

And she doesn’t need to say anything more, because we know how much love we have for each other.

The next morning, I walk into the office prepared to give the staff the bad news – we’re dissolving the company, and they will need to look for other jobs. Of course we’ll be giving everyone very generous severance packages, but I know they will take the news hard.

I’m surprised to see Tyler there before me, smiling and chatting animatedly with Katie and several others from the sales team.

“The company is saved, Austin! We’ve just had an unbelievable amount of sales, like nothing before,” Tyler says.

I blink, confused. “What? Why would this happen now? Who bought it all?”

“Yeah, I don’t know yet, the invoices just now came in. I’m looking at them now,” he says, clicking around on Katie’s computer to find them. “Okay, here they are – “

“Le Projet!” Katie interrupts, reading over Tyler’s shoulder.

“Le Projet?” I repeat. “Grace Jacobsen’s company? I can’t believe it!”

“Yeah, and it’s so weird – there’s a memo on every invoice that says ‘Let love rule.’ What does that mean? And look at this... there are invoices filing in from other agencies, too. People are saying that they don’t give a damn about Brice’s photograph.”

I glance at Katie, and she has a bewildered look on her face.

“Grace – Grace Jacobsen – I met her,” she says, stunned. “I met her yesterday.”

“What? Where?”

“What did you talk about?”

“It was in this bar out in the suburbs. I didn’t even tell her who I was, but I guess she figured it out.”

Katie smiles, her eyes lighting up. “She gave me some good advice about following my heart.”

“So you made an impression on Grace Jacobsen yesterday, and today she decides to buy an unprecedented amount of products from us. And apparently she told all her associates to do the same,” I sum up. “That’s incredible!”

“You saved the company, Katie!” Tyler sweeps her up into his arms, covering her in kisses.

“And the best thing is that everyone knows about the photograph and no one cares,” I say. “They’re buying the products anyway.”

“I can’t believe it!” she gasps.

As word of the flood of sales spreads around the office, everyone is overjoyed. The sales team members exchange high fives and slaps on the back, and congratulations are given all around as the rest of the office (minus Jessica, who was sent her walking papers the day before) rally around us.

Tyler pulls a few bottles of champagne from his office, to everyone’s amusement.

“To Katie!”

She looks around shyly at everyone, playing it off as nothing. She insists that she was just chatting with Grace at the bar, but we know the truth: she saved Tyaus Technology.

Katie, Tyler and I retreat to my office, and excitedly discuss the whirlwind of events.

“So this means you can keep the company?” Katie asks, her eyes shining.

I look at Tyler and he smiles.

“It’s looking that way, right, Austin?” he asks. “If we don’t have to hide Katie, and pretend to be people we’re not, then I don’t see why we can’t keep it going.”

“Well, only on the condition that I can learn to pace myself with work and stop putting it before everything else,” I say.

“We can definitely help with that,” Katie says, giving me a naughty smile.

I grab her ass, pulling her against me.

“Yeah, it’s hard to over-work when you have this waiting for you,” Tyler says, running his hand over Katie’s hips.

“Slow down, you guys,” Katie laughs. “Maybe we can have a public relationship, but that doesn’t mean we should get arrested for public indecency.”

“True. I think I should prove just how committed I am to not overworking by taking an extended lunch break out of the office. Starting now,” I say.

“It’s a deal,” Katie smiles.