Encoding Love

STAINLESS STEEL ELEVATOR DOORS OPENED, revealing pure white marble flooring to an empty corridor. Loud clapping noises sounded throughout the corridor underneath the footfalls of her black pumps. Pushing through a glass door, Zorah Rhodes was greeted with the smell of freshly brewed coffee and cream cheese bagels.

“Good morning, Ms. Rhodes.” A cool voice welcomed her beyond a white countertop.

A woman with a wireless headset was busy typing away at her desktop. Behind her, marked on the wall in bold, navy blue lettering were the words, Lolland Software.

“Morning, Simone,” Zorah nodded to the young receptionist. Her round face was shaped by thick dark, coily curls. The deep red blouse she wore was a beautiful shade against her dark skin and Zorah adored her outfit as she did each morning. “Any messages?”

“No.” She uttered and then an ambivalent expression crossed Simone’s face. “However, Ms. Pierce is looking for you. I believe she’s waiting for you in the conference room. She doesn’t seem to be in a good mood.”

Quite frankly that woman was never in a good mood, but to avoid office gossip, Zorah kept that comment to herself. She graciously thanked Simone and continued to stride past the counter, down a brightly lit corridor.

7:45 a.m. her wrist watch read. Zorah was an hour and fifteen minutes early and yet Helena Pierce - the equivalent to a prison warden - was going to drive her up a wall before she received her morning coffee.

She walked briskly through the colorful office floor. Most of the level consisted of a cluster of desks pushed together in an orderly fashion. There was no such thing as cubicles at Lolland, the only thing to divide work spaces was white 16-cube shelving units. This was the epicenter of the entire firm where a lot of projects were handled. Even early in the morning, the entire room was buzzing: phones ringing, fierce typing at desktops with incoherent talk and laughter.

Design clips, swatches, posters, post-it notes and other miscellaneous things were pinned to boards while intricate coding was written over glass walls with erasable marker. It was a comforting environment with different funky colored chairs, natural plants, modern sculptures, art pieces and breakaway spaces for lounging.

Zorah turned a corner to a less crowded area that consisted of smaller rooms such as individual offices and meeting rooms.

“Got someone hot on your heels?” a deep voice called out to Zorah in her haste.

She stilled, turning to peer into a pair of dark green eyes. Eric Simms was looking down at her with an amused smile curved onto his lips. A dark blue blazer and khaki pants concealed what she often imagined was an impressive physique. Almost every female in the office was smitten with the single and young marketing manager. Even Zorah couldn’t deny being fond of him after she’s indulged in a few wicked fantasies featuring Eric. It would be a crime against nature if she wasn’t attracted to the man.

“Helena is looking me,” she answered simply, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Eric stepped further out of his office and into the corridor, his tall build filled out the empty space. Zorah readjusted the thin, black frames perched on her nose, to get a clearer vision of him.

“That’s right - the meeting with Nathan Klein is today. Are you fully prepared to take him on?”

Zorah heard the man talking, but she was hardly listening. Her focus was on his mouth as she watched how his lips curled to form every syllable. Full, pink, soft looking lips. She was in a fool’s daze. She would die never knowing what those lips felt like. Such a shame.

She blinked, realizing she looked like a school girl with a crush. Cheeks turning a bright shade of red, Zorah quickly nodded her head in an attempt to hide her short blunder.

“I think I can manage Mr. Klein. Its Helena I’m more concerned about.”

Eric laughed at her small quip. “Well good luck, Zorah. I know you don’t want to keep Helena waiting.” His warm hand skimmed down her arm and though it was in a friendly gesture, her face grew even hotter. “I’ll see you later,” with a wink he walked the opposite direction and she watched him until he disappeared.

Despite her quiet demeanor, demure appearance and her chances with Eric Simms being slim, there was a small smile on Zorah’s face when she entered the seminar. Working alongside him was the only worthy incentive she received from working at the small software design company.

When Moira Holland, the creator of Lolland was breathing down her neck about her projects, Eric’s smile soothed away her worries. When Helena was finding every way possible to agitate her, his deep laugh would cast away all her stress. Working without Eric Simms – someone to feast her eyes on and forget about the days pressures would be --

“Dreadful.” Came an all too familiar and yet mildly irritating voice. “Nathan Klein is going to take one look at that dreadful outfit of yours and leave before we even make introductions.”

Zorah tried to hold on to the image of her office crush and his beaming smile but he was ripped from her focus and replaced by the scorning face of Helena Pierce.

“I mean seriously, do you own a mirror?” The woman scoffed, her penetrating gaze scrutinizing every bit of her appearance.

Zorah’s good mood was officially soiled which was always the case when she was in the presence of Helena’s self-righteous ass.

“Good morning to you too, Helena,” she replied, closing the cut-glass door of the seminar.

“For God’s sake! Of all days to look absolutely horrid, you had to pick today?” Helena let out an exasperated sigh, one hand covering her face as if she couldn’t bear to look at the woman.

Zorah glanced down at her outfit with a frown. From her plain white button down shirt and grey tweed skirt to her black opaque tights, she thought she looked presentable at the least. There wasn’t a coffee stain in sight. She even styled her hair into a high ponytail. In her eyes, she looked like a woman who took her career seriously.

As where Helena looked like a woman who used her sexuality to get where she needed, Zorah was modest in her choice of clothing. Helena dressed on the line between professional and sexy. Her legs were bare, her heels were higher and her skirts were shorter and she had more than enough buttons undone at the collar. She wore ruby red lipstick and her blonde hair was always done in to a sleek style.

Helena was more fit to work for a fashion magazine than for a software company. Zorah wasn’t interested in putting so much effort into her appearance just to sit behind a computer most of the day. Even if she was meeting an important client, there was no need to overdue her appearance.

“Mr. Klein will have little interest in what I’m wearing,” Zorah said matter-of-fact. “This is a business meeting not a fashion show.”

“Speak for yourself,” Helena mumbled. “With men like Nathan Klein, presentation is everything.”

Deciding to ignore her narrowed-minded partner, Zorah set out to gather refreshments: filtered water, hot coffee and an assortment of delicious baked treats. She wanted to seem sociable, organized, skilled in the art of computer programming and above all - passionate. Zorah loved her work and she hoped someone as reputable as Nathan Klein would understand and respect her mindset.

After all, the software industry was in the hands of three major vendors: Klein Technologies, AI Corporation and Everett Enterprises. Klein Technologies being the largest and most highly regarded out of the companies based on sales, profit, assets and market value. A man like Nathan, who was at the helm of such an empire wouldn’t waste energy on how she dressed, but on how innovate their product was.

The man was a programming genius. A partnership with his technology company would be monumental. Zorah’s entire career could change with this one meeting.

“God, that is one hell of man,” she heard Helena express faintly.

Her eyebrows shot up before she turned and followed Helena’s line of sight. Both woman watched through the glass walls as two men walked down the corridor, led by Moira Holland. She immediately knew the man Helena was referring to.

Nathan Klein, the man she was going to impress and convince to invest in their company’s software, was standing right before her eyes. He was definitely a glorious sight to behold.

“Gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to my best developers, Helena Pierce and Zorah Rhodes.” Moira gestured to them with a friendly smile that caused the corner of her eyes to wrinkle. “Helena, Zorah this is Mr. Nathan Klein of Klein Technologies and his personal assistant Wilson Donovan.”

“Good morning, Mr. Klein.” Helena greeted. “Mr. Donovan.”

Helena always made it a habit to introduce herself to potential clients first. First impressions were always key to acquiring a new account and she thought it was best if the first person clients see wasn’t poindexter, Zorah Rhodes.

In all honesty, Helena was right in her judgment. Zorah watched as both men’s eyes shined at the sight of Helena. Her smile, her voice - it lured in men and women alike. She piqued their interests immediately.

Zorah didn’t have the same effect on people. Most people overlooked her and this encounter was no different.

When it was her move to shake hands and smile she stared into the eyes of the sharp P.A. A broad smile captured his face, but Zorah wasn’t fooled. Wilson Donovan looked friendly and non-threatening but he was intelligent and quick on his toes. Not only did they have to amaze Mr. Klein, but also his right-hand man too.

Where Mr. Donovan appeared approachable, his employer appeared the opposite. Nathan Klein exuded a dominating demeanor Zorah never encountered before. He was an intimidating man donning an exquisite black tailored suit, dark red Ralph Lauren neck tie and VVS cuff links. His eyes were a daunting shade of gray, leaving her unnerved by their appraisal.

His eyes skimmed over her fleetingly like there was nothing of interest to him. His eyes never lingered. Nothing about her drew him in and for a mere second, Zorah questioned her plain appearance.

She hesitantly placed her hand in his. Long fingers wrapped her hand in a warm embrace. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Rhodes,” his deep timbre filled her ears.

“The pleasure is all mine,” she said softly, before quickly freeing her hand from his. “Please take a seat. We’re very happy to have you here today.”

Everyone was seated at the single rectangular table the was the center of the room. Zorah gathered her wits before passing around printed information to both men and Moira.

“We understand your desire to find new and intriguing designs Mr. Klein and we are honored to show you the work we’ve done,” Helena began.

Their entire demonstration was clean, detailed, and stimulating. For an hour, they went into the specifics of their purposed software program called Element. Helena entertained and kept things fresh. She had her own flair when it came to design, production, release and marketing. The development, budget, testing, and maintenance were Zorah’s areas of expertise. There was no real zeal when it came to discussing expenses but it was still an important aspect.

All the while, those steel gray orbs were glued to their forms. Helena didn’t seem to mind the domineering man’s gaze, she flourished underneath it. But Zorah, she couldn’t handle it.

His face remained blank, void of any hint of emotion. He was not a man of many words that much Zorah was sure of. Mr. Klein never spoke a word while his personal assistant was engaged in every aspect of the presentation, asking questions and voicing his thoughts.

“Element is the software you need to transcend technology into a new ground breaking experience for consumers. We’ve developed Element with -”

“Ms. Pierce.” All eye’s turned to Nathan. Helena was concluding when he interrupted.

Zorah’s stomach dropped, knowing this wasn’t a good thing.

“This product you’re trying to pass off is hardly ground breaking. I wanted a program that was a game changer and you present me with an updated version of my current operating system. I must say, you’ve put a lot of work into nothing.”

The entire room was stunned by his calm but cruel statement. Zorah watched as Helena fidgeted under Nathan’s unwavering gaze.

“Our software is developed exclusively for KT hardware. Element would serve as a better quality software for your technologies,” Helena imparted, ever the one to save face.

Nathan looked unimpressed with her reply. Zorah knew all the work put into their project was quickly crumbling into ashes.

“Our encryption will be hard for your main competitors to copy,” Zorah’s voice broke through the dense atmosphere. She tried to maintain a leveled voice when everyone’s eyes settled onto her. “It’s a different coding pattern than what’s commonly used in the market. Safer and more secure. We developed this coding when I noticed there was a programming error in your current software. If Element only serves as an update for your current software then it’s already better than what you have.”

She received a low grunt and a narrowed expression. “And what error would you be referring to, Ms. Rhodes?”

At that moment, she hoped she didn’t dig herself into a hole that she couldn’t climb out of.

“Well um- with your current version, your systems can be subject to a variety of different hacks.”

“That’s impossible. KT systems are impenetrable.” Wilson immediately defended.

Thinking quickly, Zorah grabbed Helena’s mobile phone. It was a Klein Technologies device. She plugged it into a monitor where everyone could see her bypass all the phones limitations and exploit the systems weaknesses.

“It would only take the right person to bring your entire system down,” she warned, giving Helena back her precious phone.

Nathan Klein’s eyes were narrowed into slits. He clinched his jaw and Zorah wondered if it was an intimidation factor he used during all his business dealings. His lips were pressed together into a thin line. He was angry she realized. He was angry at her and she was terrified.

Zorah’s face visibly flushed. She had insulted him. She just told a man that has a top fortune 100 company that the software that he personally designed was faulty.

Wilson’s eyebrows shot up, unable to hold his surprise. Moira’s face was taut, disapproval shone in her hazel eyes. Zorah had basically signed her resignation and declared herself jobless. There was no way for her to spin the situation in her favor.

Nathan stood, his face an inscrutable mask. “I think I’m done here.”

Moira followed, quick to her feet. “Mr. Klein?” The panic in her voice was palpable.

“I will speak with you at a later time.” He said but his gaze lingered on Zorah and she felt her blood run cold. He was out the door with Mr. Donovan following.

There was a hole, one giant hole so wide and so deep that Zorah wasn’t going to be able to get out of. She sunk into her seat, visibly drained and confused on what had just occurred.