Minnie Chase Makes a Mistake (29 page)

She checked to make sure her phone was getting a signal. She fiddled about with the volume to make sure she would
definitely
hear a message coming through in a noisy diner. She looked out of the window onto the busy street, cradling her cup of tea under her chin. It was still only 10:15am and it was shaping up to be the longest day on record. 

Then the phone rang; its piercing tone, now set at maximum volume scared the living daylights out of Minnie and other diners around her. She jumped in her seat tipping lukewarm tea down her front, scattering toast, but she managed to grab the phone before the caller hung up. It was Jackson. He wanted to see her before she returned to London. Sid Zane had already left town but had emailed Minnie to reschedule their dinner on home turf. 

Jackson was calling to let her know that he couldn’t get away from training until later but he promised to come to the diner around 7pm – the last supper, he joked. He’d initially tried to persuade Minnie to hang around for another week but she gently reminded him that she had a husband-to-be and a wedding to plan. 

Dinner plans with Jackson improved Minnie’s mood. He seemed to finally understand that she needed a wingman more than a replacement let’s-get-married man. 

Minnie returned to the motel to pack. She positioned her mobile right next to her suitcase so she could grab it the minute another call came through. So far, though, no one else had got in touch. Her earlier outburst with Greene had obviously had the opposite effect. He had gone to ground instead of seizing the chance to reclaim his reputation as stellar businessman. 

She called motel reception a couple of times to check there were no messages. She looked around for notes pushed under her door. Minnie called her voicemail to be told: you have no new messages. Eventually, Minnie lay down on her bed and dozed on and off throughout the afternoon. The later it got, the more she realised Greene wasn’t going to call. She showered and dressed. It was almost seven and Jackson would be at the diner soon. No doubt ravenous. 

Jackson, however, appeared to be even more hungry than usual because he knocked on Minnie’s motel room door. He must have decided that waiting around in the diner was a waste of good eating time and had come to chase Minnie to the table in person.

‘Just a minute,’ she shouted, swooshing around the room in chiffon, looking for keys, purse and phone. ‘Almost there… hold on… yep… ready!’

She hauled open the door breathless and flustered and… was totally amazed to see Greene, not Jackson, standing there. 

‘Hello, Miranda,’ he said.

Greene had cleaned up astonishingly well, not that this greatly surprised Minnie. Well, she was a bit surprised because she had left him in such a drunken, unreachable state. Now he stood before her, elegantly suited and designer booted, shaven and expensively scented in his signature, citrusy smell. 

He held up the paper marked with Minnie’s numbers and scribbles. ‘Unfinished business.’

Minnie smiled. ‘Follow me.’

Wilson, JF, Allergic To Aspirin, was waiting outside on the street and accompanied them over the road to the diner. Minnie also spotted two black Mercedes Kompressors parked further up from the motel, the Greene armored entourage forever near.

‘There are no chandeliers,’ Minnie forewarned Greene. ‘The lighting’s harsh but the food is good.’ She hastily added, ‘Okay, so we’re not talking “fine-dining” good but the staff and chef wear those blue plasters that show up easily should one fall into your food. I like to think that at least one good hygiene procedure in a restaurant is better than none.’ Minnie knew she was babbling. The less Greene said the more she felt she needed to fill the gaps.

Greene nodded. His expression was serious but the robotic steeliness had gone. He seemed focused and surprisingly unconcerned about appearing in public since the scandal on the night of The Savoy, not that anyone was paying attention. Greene had obviously long-since mastered the art of blending in – an anonymous man whereas his glamorous fiancée, Parker, had a spotlight permanently trained on her head.

Greene refused food and ordered black coffee instead. Minnie sensed that, ideally, he would order an ‘algorithm to go’ so he could retreat once more into his private world, but she had to finish writing it out. He had no choice but to wait in a diner surrounded by hungry people while Minnie finished what she had started earlier in the day. She was exact and precise while she worked, offering succinct explanations when needed. Greene was a good listener. She talked him through the formula that would facilitate an easier transition in the transportation of natural gas. He had no trouble following her calculations.

He asked detailed questions. Minnie answered without missing a beat. 

‘You’ll receive three separate calculations by email. It would be unwise to detail the complete algorithm on paper right now – just a precaution. And it would take me too long to write it out longhand. But can you see what I’ve done?’

Greene nodded and frowned. ‘This is incredible. We’ve been looking in the wrong place all this time?’

‘Well, technically, you knew where the gas was; you just didn’t know how to effectively compress it in order to transport it,’ explained Minnie, secretly thrilled that he recognised the importance of her work.

‘Now I do.’

‘We need to make it hack-proof before it is uploaded onto a computer,’ she explained. ‘I have friends who will help me code…’ Her sentence skidded to a halt. ‘Ohmydeargod!’ blurted Minnie. 

‘What is it?’asked Greene with grave precision as though she had clocked a sniper who had a red dot trained on his head. 

‘Excuse me,’ said Minnie politely, pushing her chair back from the table. ‘I have to go outside but I’ll be back in a moment.’

Minnie darted out of the diner.  She had completely forgotten her dinner arrangements with Jackson. He was now standing on the sidewalk across the road from the diner holding an enormous bunch of pink and white balloons above his head. 

‘I’m sorry I’m late,’ said Jackson. ‘Helium balloons and cable cars are not a great combination.’

‘Now’s not a good time,’ said Minnie hurriedly. ‘Do you mind?’

Jackson laughed. ‘Whoa, I’m like 10 minutes late.’

‘I’m… something… has come up. I’m at the diner with someone.’

‘Oh,’ said Jackson. ‘I thought that someone was going to be
me
. Can I join you?’

‘No,’ replied Minnie a touch impatiently. ‘It’s a private matter.’

Jackson pulled a surprised face. ‘Did the husband-to-be
finally
work out the time difference?’

‘No,’ snapped Minnie. She wasn’t in the mood to be reminded that James George had made no effort whatsoever to win her back.

‘Then who is the someone?’

‘I’m with, um, Greene. We are brokering an important deal.’

‘Ah,’ said Jackson knowingly. ‘Greene.’

‘Yes, Greene.’

‘The same Greene who had you Tasered and arrested and, wait, thrown in jail? I seem to remember collecting you from a women’s correctional facility not so long ago.’ Jackson kept his voice even. 

Minnie’s jaw set determinedly. ‘It’s not like that. We’ve moved on.’

‘Leaps and bounds, apparently,’ said Jackson dryly.

‘Lunch. Tomorrow. Promise,’ pleaded Minnie.

Jackson sighed and shrugged. ‘These
were
for you.’ He handed Minnie the bunch of frolicking balloons. 

‘I can’t,’ said Minnie.

‘Please, take them.’

‘What am I going to do with them?’ hissed Minnie, darting a glance back to the diner, conscious that Greene was a man who waited around for no one. ‘Tie them to the back of my chair while I attempt to close a very important deal?’

‘Then I’ll wait out here with them,’ said Jackson, undeterred.  ‘No worries.’

‘I don’t think so.’

‘Look, it’s my way of saying thank you,’ explained Jackson. ‘You’ve turned me around. Remember what you said to me on the plane? “Someone who wants to be taken seriously as a professional athlete needs to live like one.” I found it easier to blame other people when I didn’t make the team rather than get stuck into training. Now I’m so focused, I’ve got the Invitationals…’

‘I have to go back inside now,’ snapped Minnie, cutting him off. 

Jackson looked hurt. ‘Do you want the balloons?’

‘No.’

‘I seriously don’t mind waiting. There’s a bar across…’

Jackson stopped mid-sentence as he saw Dragonet Wilson stealthily approach them, a sure-footed ninja locked onto his target. Over his usual combat attire, he was wearing a thickly padded, down jacket despite the warm night air. Minnie noticed that he didn’t even bother looking left or right for traffic as he crossed the road, which suggested he either had senses on a par with Superman or was confident that a car would fare worse in a collision with him. 

Wilson strode over and examined Jackson as one would a suppurating wound. 

‘What’s going on, Minnie?’ questioned Jackson. Wilson now stood possessively at Minnie’s elbow.

Minnie realised that a seismic shift had taken place in her world. She had become used to being on the receiving end of Greene’s heavy-handed security. Now it was like she was one of the team.

Minnie turned to Wilson and said quietly, ‘I’m
fine
. Please go back inside.’

Wilson, however, took a step closer to Jackson who squared his shoulders and took a protective stance next to Minnie.

‘Minnie?’ questioned Jackson once more.

‘Jackson, I think it would be a good idea if you leave,’ said Minnie nervously. ‘I’ll explain everything later.’

‘I think I should hang around,’ said Jackson not taking his eyes off Wilson. ‘I’m in no rush to be someplace else.’

‘There’s too much going on right now, Jackson. I need to think and focus,’ said Minnie losing patience. She turned away from him in the direction of the diner. 

Jackson grabbed Minnie’s arm, stopping her in her tracks. ‘Be careful, please.’

Wilson immediately objected and stepped right up to Jackson, discreetly delivering a powerful solar plexus punch. Jackson sank onto his knees, still holding onto the balloons despite his obvious pain. 

‘No!’ screamed Minnie, shocked.

Jackson gently keeled over until his head rested on the ground.

Minnie dropped down beside him. ‘Jackson, are you okay?’

Jackson, winded, couldn’t speak. Minnie gripped his shoulders. ‘Jackson?’

He shook her off and straightened up, struggling to gulp down some air. 

Wilson stepped forward.

Jackson stood his ground.  ‘Don’t touch me,’ hissed Jackson, heaving great breaths, shoving his face into Wilson’s.

Wilson, though, possessing the ultimate warrior confidence of an ex-SEAL in combat, was infuriatingly unbothered by Jackson’s intrusion into his personal space. 

‘Back. Off!’ roared Jackson.

‘Stop it!’ screamed Minnie.

‘Ma’am?’ The Dragonet questioned Minnie for further instruction.

Minnie shoved her way between the two men and placed a gentle hand on Jackson’s arm. She could feel his muscles tensing and knotting under her fingers. ‘I’ll call you later,’ she said.

‘What are you doing, Minnie?’ asked Jackson, shaking his head in disbelief.

‘I’m doing the right thing.’

‘Are you? It doesn’t feel right.’

‘Please, Jackson. Let’s talk about it later.’

‘Talk about what?’ spat Jackson. ‘You seem to have it all figured out.’

‘Jason
,’ screamed Minnie, resorting to the name his father used to express disapproval over the son he wanted but never had. She was desperate to get through to him. ‘Just leave me alone.’

Jackson flinched as though Minnie had slapped him across the face.

‘I’m so sorry,’ whispered Minnie, placing a hand over her throat. ‘I’ve no idea where that came from.’

Jackson shook his head. ‘I know exactly where it came from. Go back inside, Minnie Chase. Go back to where you belong.’

Minnie, mortified, turned on her heel and ran back across the road to the diner. 

Minnie flung herself back into her seat opposite Greene, flustered and upset. Wilson looked unperturbed at the recent ruckus. Greene looked irritated at the interruption. ‘Who was that? What is going on?’ he asked. 

‘No one,’ said Minnie. ‘Nothing. Let’s get back to business.’

‘He looked aggressive.’

‘Wilson punched him,’ snapped Minnie, ‘which obviously doesn’t bring out the best in people.’

‘Wilson is trained to protect.’

‘I don’t need protecting.’ 

‘Are you sure about that?’

Minnie stared at him. She thought about Dr Levchin and could feel the colour drain out of her. It was as though Greene was reading her mind.

‘Jackson is a
friend
,’ she explained focusing on the coffee cups, unable to look at Greene. 

‘Please accept my apologies,’ replied Greene smoothly. ‘I will reprimand Wilson.’

‘Let’s just move on,’ said Minnie, feeling thoroughly depressed about the whole incident. She picked up her pen. ‘This fast multipole is of great importance. Let me explain.’ 

As she was talking, she glanced up briefly in time to see Jackson let go of the balloons. There was an excitable flurry of pink and white as the balloons cavorted and danced higher and higher into the night sky. 

Minnie experienced a piercingly sharp stab of sadness as she watched Jackson walk away. 

Her evening with Greene ended on a complex matrix. She put down her pen and said, ‘Please credit and compensate Jones & Sword for the other research done to date.’

‘You no longer work at Jones & Sword. You don’t owe them,’ said Greene in a cut-and-dried tone. 

‘It’s not about the boss; it is about the other people in the team who worked hard on this proposal, which is still relevant to the deal.’ She shrugged. ‘At the end of the day, I wasn’t the right fit.’

‘I don’t need Jones & Sword. You seem to have it covered.’

Minnie smiled. ‘I’m happy to take the credit for one incredible game-changing algorithm.’ 

‘I would demand more.’

‘What’s done is done,’ shrugged Minnie philosophically.