VELOCITY - DEE JACOB [32]
A dozen minutes later they were dressed again. While their liaison had been inappropriate, it was not adulterous, and arguably not even immoral. Both of them were divorced – from each other. Sarah was not involved with anyone; she seldom was. Viktor was between girlfriends. He went through them the way he went through cars.
“What time are the Highboro people due to arrive?” asked Viktor.
“Late morning. Eleven, I think. We’re supposed to have lunch with them before the meeting.”
“The whole thing is so ridiculous. You’d think that even they would have enough sense not to bother us with this drivel.”
Sarah, sitting next to him on her office sofa, her head lolled over onto his shoulder, said nothing.
“Don’t you agree?” asked Viktor.
“I would like to hear what they have to say.”
“Why? It’s a program for factory people. For the drones. It just doesn’t apply to what we do.”
“Viktor, we are not as exemplary as you think we are. Believe it or not, we do have our problems.”
“I never said we were perfect.”
“Those reports I was working on, before I was so rudely interrupted–”
“How can you describe tender affection toward an ex-spouse as ‘rude’?”
“–I am weeks behind. I don’t know how I’m ever going to catch up. We can’t keep expanding the testing loop!”
Viktor stood up and began to retuck his shirt.
“Are you listening to me, Vik?”
“We do important work, Sarah. When we give our word to a client, we have to be right. We may not be the quickest. We certainly are not cheap. But we do advanced, high-end work that is first-rate and technically brilliant. We are really good at what we do.”
“I agree,” she said. “And … so?”
“The last thing we need around here is some factory morale-booster program.”
“I don’t think that’s what it’s about!” Sarah protested.
“Factory productivity booster! Whatever! While I do not ignore efficiency, I am very aware that thoroughness and accuracy are far more important than speed. If we rush the work we do, things will slip through the cracks.”
“Things are already slipping through the cracks. You just don’t want to hear about it.”
“Enough!” Viktor said. “I’ve wasted enough breath on this topic. Although I know I will have to waste even more later in the day paying lip service to it.”
“It’s a good thing for the company that you stop by every now and then,” Sarah said, rebuttoning her lab coat. “Because I’m the only one who tells you the truth. Everyone else is afraid of your temper.”
He put his arms around her and attempted to kiss her on the mouth. But Sarah pushed him away and pointed toward the door.
“I need to get back to work!” she insisted. “Out! Before I sue for sexual harassment!”
Viktor kissed her on the forehead, then quickly made for the door.
“If you ever did, I would have to counter-sue,” he said over his shoulder. “And I would definitely have a case!”
At that moment, as Viktor and Sarah ended their tryst, Tom Dawson was taxiing his aircraft across the tarmac at Highboro Municipal Airport. Seated behind him were Wayne Reese and one of his LSS Black Belts, and next to Dawson in the copilot’s seat – for purposes of better weight distribution, he claimed – sat Amy Cieolara. They were headed for Rockville.
Ahead of them, a Cessna was preparing to take off. Tom idled the engines and waited.
“So,” said Tom, just making conversation, “you folks are all from Hi-T?”
“Yep. All of us,” said Amy.
“You know, there are a number of Hi-T parts in this very aircraft,” said Tom.
“What sort of plane is this?” asked Wayne.
“It’s an oldie but goody,” said Tom. “A Beech Baron Fifty-Eight. A new one’ll cost you a million bucks, but I got this one for a lot less and fixed her up a bit.”
“Huh,” said Amy. “Are you sure you have Hi-T components in this?”
“Yes, ma’am. They’ve got your logo on ’em.”
“Funny, but I can’t recall Beech as being one of our customers,” said Amy. “And as former head of sales and now company president,