Chapter 4 Flirtation/Redundancies
Zina's expression slowly turned grave. Every time she heard about Z359, her anger boiled. How one of her husband's core innovations got out into the world was a mystery to her. Especially into the hands of Extra Technologies.
"How do I know you are not working with them? From where I stand, Aura and Extra Technologies are desperately trying to get a bite of my husband's legacy"
Hearing her speak of her husband so freely and intimately, Gabriel couldn't help but ask. "Mrs Freeman, let's be blunt. Your marriage was a business arrangement at best and quite fragile at the end. Why fight to protect a legacy you never supported? Like me, this is business for you, all about profits, so let's talk about that"
Zina's eyes widened and she recoiled at the accusation. She wanted to refute but she could find no ground to stand on. Of course, she could use offense as a cover, but she looked down on anything so shallow.
She knew everyone was thinking this; there had been many tabloids about her intentions, from claims that she was responsible for the death of Adam Freeman to conspiracies involving even the Lynch family. What she never prepared for or even expected was for someone to throw such an accusation right in her face.
And yet, there was a powerful feeling of familiarity when she looked at Gabriel's expression that was free of all malice.
Taking a deep breath, she crossed her legs and tightened her lips.
"Mr Auralis"
"Gabriel"
Zina drew in another breath and paused for a moment.
"Gabriel" she started, tilting her head as she called his name, her brows raising.
"Don't you think that was a little insensitive?" She asked.
Gabriel squinted a little, and Zina frowned as she noticed a subtle blue glow in his eyes, but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared.
"Am I wrong? Do you really care about he legacy of Adam Freeman? I never met the man, but from the little I know of him, he never cared about leaving behind a legacy. Why do you?"
Once again Zina found herself speechless.
"Let's discuss your proposal." Her face bloomed into a professional smile.
"Great, I booked a table at Brave's"
"You booked a table?" Zina asked as she rose from her seat.
"That's presumptuous"
"It would have been," Gabriel replied, also rising from his seat. He put his hands in his pockets as he watched Zina lean down to type something on her desktop.
"Now it's just confident" he added with a smirk.
"Is it? Don't even get me started on the location, Brave's?"
Gone was the tension between them as if it never was. So was the happening of the business world, there were no friends or enemies, only profit or loss.
"We didn't need to come all the way out here to talk did we?" Zina asked as the waitress walked away with their orders.
"About the Z359, no" Gabriel folded his elbows on the table and leaned slightly forward. The space between them kept the gesture casual.
"Then you have something else in mind?" Zina also leaned forward to match him.
"Well, we are both startups, and looming over us is a giant who seems to have it out for you. By working together on Z359, I'll be getting in their cross-hairs as well"
Zina squinted, her head tilting slightly as she asked, "Are you proposing an Alliance?"
"If we work well together on Z359, I don't see why not. Your friend won't take it easy on us" Gabriel shrugged and got off the table just as the waitress arrived with their food.
"My friend?" Zina's face morphed into a frown.
"I do my research"
"Well, your research is outdated." Zina also got off the table.
"Thank you," she added to the waitress who bowed slightly in response.
"Is it?"
"Are you trying to get gossip out of me or just rile me up?"
Sensing the change in her tone, Gabriel picked up the chili from his plate and elegantly chewed on it.
The corner of her lips twitched as she watched his relaxed act. Her frown slowly deepened as she watched, the sense of familiarity she felt from the moment they met becoming even stronger.
"I'm new to the city, and every bit of information I can get about anyone helps. Know thy friends." Gabriel wiped his fingertips on a napkin and raised his gaze back to Zina, only to catch her staring intently.
"I'm sorry, do I have something on my face?" He asked as he wiped at the corner of his lips with his pinky.
"Do you have any siblings Mr Auralis?" Zina asked abruptly.
"What do you mean?" Gabriel's eyes flashed again, and this time Zina was sure she wasn't seeing things.
"You just seem very familiar but I'm sure we've never met before"
"Perhaps we did, and you'd forgotten." his brows slightly raised, Gabriel shrugged yet again.
Her gaze fell to the table and she shook her head. "Trust me, if we'd met, I would definitely remember"
"Oh, why is that?"
Zina raised her brows and looked back at him, a silent air hung between them and she let out an amused scoff.
"Let's talk Z359" she replied as her smile turned polite and practiced.
Gabriel let out a small cough and nodded, a shrug inadvertently getting off his shoulders.
Meanwhile, within the sedan, Andrea sat alone with a tablet on her lap as she worked on it.
Just then her phone rang.
"Tony" she answered.
"Where are you? I don't see you" a distressed voice came through.
Ending the call without a reply, Andrea reached forward and pushed a button in front of her.
"Tony's on the sidewalk, let him in"
A moment later, the car door was opened and Tony nodded at the black suited woman who held open the door for him as he got in, gathering the fringes of his jacket in his hands.
"Damn, it's freezing cold out there" he commented as the door was closed.
Andrea glanced at him and smiled, shaking her head she said, "A moment please, I'll just quickly complete this"
Tony nodded, then leaned for a quick glance at her screen.
"What are you working on?" He asked curiously.
"Just a human touch on Gabriel's codes"
Tony froze and stared at her in shock, "You write his codes?"
Andrea glanced up at him with furrowed brows, "He writes his own codes, I just make them less logical and add some human redundancies"
"Oh," Tony deflated.
"What were you thinking?" Andrea let out an amused smile as she watched the changes in his expression.
"I mean, he could use some eye on his self-development, have you seen any of the Terminator movies?"
Her smile broadened as she shook her head.
"Don't worry, he has a conscience block"
"That he wrote himself" Tony countered.
"The thing writes everything about himself, what if he decides he's done trying to be one of us?"
"Then so be it!" Andrea's tone turned sharp.
"Does he have to play these stupid games with us? If he decides he's done with it, then so be it" she repeated, her volume toning down the more she spoke.
"Did you find out what I asked you to?"
