"Innovations like this can take three to six months to assemble, from design to production but with our ultra-modern microchip, the time has been shortened to three weeks."
Frodd stood, holding the room in awe. For two hours, he summarized key notes, he thought would be important at the conference in NewYork. For him, this training was an investment, he wanted to learn. There was a lot he didn't know about Tech, and he didn't want to leave anything to chance. FroddTech had a back story , not-so-good a history he wanted to rewrite, so every step, or choice, related to his business, had to be very intentional.
His goal was to mark his territory in the tech industry as numero uno. It had to be FroddTech or nothing. He had become a rival to many, but one in particular brought him great trepidation...
BlueBird.
He had heard how good in Tech Marcus Thompson was. That the mastery he had in his field would keep BlueBird tops on Forbes list for a long time, but all that was about to change now, because Marcus was no longer a threat.
He was dead.
Frodd let out a mocking smile. His plans were half way successful. His team must understand his mission,—That nothing must go wrong, not while he stands the chance of making iconic history for himself and Baltimore.
After his victory, he would then marry Ava—another daunting task, that may prove very difficult, "but notimpossible", he murmured, mollified, thinking again, how strong-willed Ava could be. Bringing her to LA, was a foolish mistake.
No new criteria had been added by the organizers of the conference.
He had lied that she was needed, and now, Ava took to resenting him— more disdainfully than ever. She knew, he knew, that she took her regular update culinary courses seriously, and didn't understand why he suddenly instructed she needed another training in Los Angeles ,that sounded very urgent.
"Big mistake." He murmured again., narrowing his eyes this time.
If there's anything he had learnt from this, it was, never lie your way to a woman's heart, especially one who is slow in trusting men.
Unfortunately he had learnt the hardway.
A slow movement, on the balcony opposite where he stood, brought him back to the present. Looking up fully, he realized it was Ava. She looked very beautiful even as plainly dressed as she was. Frodd had paused his lecture, to work on his computer, but he couldn't help thinking why she came out today.
"Our innovations will be incremental and we will be pushing boundaries in no time when..."
"Do you realize your product can consume high amount of energy, is there a plan to transition to renewable energy, if yes, can you tell us how's possible that would be?"
Someone cut in sharply.
The question wasn't coming from any member of his team. A man, tall and muscular, he thought he looked like a gym instructor, stood two rows away from him.
"Who is this man?" Frodd muttered.
Everyone on Frodd's team had turned to see who asked a question none of them had thought about.
Marcus waited for an answer.
Frodd didn't plan to be embarassed, not in front of his team, at least. He needed to process an answer very quickly.
"We hope to invest in renewable energy, and during production we will aim for net-zero emissions. That will be all for now, see you all in NewYork." Frodd hurriedly said, dimissing the meeting.
Frodd wasn't interested in the conversations some members of his team wanted to have with him, after the meeting. He wanted to know who it was that asked that question, he hadn't considered its possibility, but was very important to his success at the conference.
He must join my team.
Frodd scanned the auditorium frantically for him.
"Andrew!" He called out his PA, search for the man who asked the last question. I want to see him. Find something. Name. Phone No. Address. Hotel room..Anything, just get a cue about him...NOW"
Andrew sauntered hurriedly away. His Boss wanted results and he knew for sure his job wasn't guaranteed if he came back with nothing.
Marcus was no where to be found.
He wasn't missing, but how he left no cue after him, perplexed not just Frodd, but Ava.
Cos she's been watching him too.
She felt strongly, he was the same man who made her stare briefly and it was he who she followed from the balcony, when she saw him walk to the auditorium where Frodd was having a meeting with his team.
It was easy to stare again, without being caught from a height, this time, cos he backed her.
Thank God, Ava had muttered and immediately asked herself why she did.
And then he asked a question that almost made her Boss vanish into thin air.
"Mom!" Alfred had called from their suite close to where she stood.
"Oh Alfred!" She had muttered, "Not now!"
But Alfred still called, as though he were in some kind of pain.
By the time she returned, the Man was gone.
She thought she'd faint. Her eyes darted quickly across the auditorium, searching for a complete stranger who had made her heart run— her legs too. That was when she bumped into Andrew. He too was surprised to see her outside.
"Ava, what the hell are you doing here?" Andrew started, really startled to see her.
"It's the first time you've left your room since we arrived. What's up?"
"Oh! So sorry, Andrew, l thought to drag some air outside." Ava lied, still wondering if Andrew would detect how terribly embarrassed she was.
Fortunately he didn't.
"Who are you looking for yourself. You look like you just seen a ghost." Ava quizzed Mr Frodd's petit personal assistant.
"I just know l'm looking for a Dude who asked a very intelligent question during Mr Frodd's meeting with us."
"Does he have a name?, hotel room?, Phone number?" Ava asked, pretending to be genuinely concerned.
She thanked God again, her questions didn't sell her out.
"Nothing!" Andrew responded in despair. His head bowed so low as if something terribly happened unexpectedly.
"Frodd ordered l came back with results."
"Did he lodge here?"
"The receptionist said he didn't."
Ava let out a squeal.
"Are you ok?"
"Sure!" Ava tactically responded, hiding her astonishment. She nearly said "But lsaw him just yesterday, dressed in a bathroom robe, talking to someone who looked like a pilot", but immediately stopped her madness from being noticed—again.
"You'll be ok Andrew. Just tell him, he vanished ,simple, only make sure you look straight at him, ok?"
Relieved by the advice of someone he knows Frodd reveres, Andrew quickly nodded.
"This mystery man had such a strange attraction on everyone at the meeting."
Andrew added looking really confused.
Ava turned to leave. Her heart still racing at the disappointment of not seeing this stranger.
Somewhere down the auditorium, Frodd sights her, seeing her only made his head pound harder.
How long would this overwhelming feeling of not loosing what he wants, last. He thought inwardly.
"We leave tomorrow Ava. Frodd called out. Baltimore needs me urgently."