18
An Outstretched Hand
The car pulled up to the Ferrule Mansion. Barry cleared it with the booth with his card, and passed through a security checkpoint where the vehicle was subject to inspection where armed guards peered into the inside to check for unauthorized firearms.
“Thank you for your time.” The bar next to the booth finally raised to let the car inside the gates. It twirled a quarter of the fountain before it came to a still as the metal gates clanged shut in the distance. The door opened.
“This is where you exit.” Barry gestured for Miles to get off.
The butler followed him, the door shut, and it drove past the fountain, and into the ramp.
He guided Miles to the entrance door. The receptionist greeted them, her hand flashing a green band.
“H-hold on. Isn’t Kayla supposed to be here?” He prompted the servant to look at him as they paused in front of the elevator.
“Miss Ferrule is away for the moment.”
“When will she be back then?” Miles scrunched up his nose. “I assumed she called?”
“Well, she won’t be back for the, um, foreseeable future.” Barry looked as if he was reciting a script. “And no, sir, it wasn’t a request from her.”
“So why am I here?” He glanced at the door.
“There is someone though.”
The elevator doors open at -4 to see a shirted man seated at the big green felted couch smiling at him.
“Mr Ferrule, on your request.” Barry had Miles head over to the opposite seat.
“One thing though, Barry.” The CEO leaned back onto the fabric. “I think I’m going to allow half shifts for the next week. You guys are— tired, and, there’s no one around.”
“I’ll go prepare.”
“Thank you.” He flashed a smile at the butler. “You’re now free to do what you like.”
Barry silently nodded and retreated back into the elevator.
“Mister—“
“No, no, no,” He held a hand in front of him while he shook his head. “My name’s Ryan. I was a New York kid like you back in the day.”
“So,” Miles exhaled and looked off to the side to collect his thoughts. “This is an honor.”
“No, no, no honor.” He took the glass in his hand and shook the liquor inside. “Can we be friends? Nothing extraneous, just another person I can chill with.”
Ryan’s imposing voice suggested otherwise.
“Of course.” The scenarios are running through his mind. “Where’s Kayla?”
“Well—“ The bread maker laughed a little. “She was testing.”
“Testing—?”
“Something in development. So she will be out of the state for now.”
“I did hear that she was headed for California.” Miles mustered up the confidence to look at Ryan again.
“Ah yes, plane should be— fine.”
“Well, why am I here?” Miles tried not to smirk at him, lest the person in front of him would suddenly order his guards to toss him out.
“Regrettably, I have submitted a letter of resignation in your name to your company.”
“Well, um.” Miles’ sight fell to the table again. “I still need my paycheck, and a place to live, and—“
Ryan smiled at him.
“I do apologize but,” The CEO dipped his head sideways before sitting himself back up. “We would need your keys. If you don’t mind, you will be moving here for the meantime. I know you work a job at IT, so I think a position for you at my place would be— right up your alley.”
Miles struggled to pick up his thoughts.
“I’m— well— this is— I don’t know what else to say except ‘thank you’. It’s a huge honor. But my stuff.”
“The real honor is that you are willing to accept.” Ryan raised his hand and waited for an attendant to give him attention from the mini-bar at the opposite far corner. “As for your personal belongings, that’s why we need your keys. We’ll get them for you. A soda for this young man right here, please.”
“You sure if they would—“ He stopped in the face of sitting across the table from one of the richest men on the planet. Ryan looked at him with an almost egotistical smile, and silently nodded.
The soda was passed onto the table, and Ryan halted the servant.
“Your keys, Miles.”
He tucked into his pocket with a shaky hand and handed the metal keychain to the server’s palm.
“Tell Barry that we will vacate Miles’ apartment for him. His keys.”
The server nodded and headed for the elevator.
“You start Monday.” Ryan shook the glass while bobbing his extended index finger up-and-down at Miles. The latter sipped out of his glass.
“Well, am I allowed to ask what position I will be— I just don’t know why you needed me for—“
A servant is standing next to a man in the white lab coat as the elevator cabin reached their level and came to a stop. Ryan stood up.
“Hey, Sean!” The yellow-band butler took the stairs as soon as the man stepped out of the elevator.
“Hello, Ryan!” The visitor noticed Miles and shook his hand. “This must be the guest you said you were having over today, I see—“
“He’s a real talent. Miles, you’ll be working along with this master here.” Ryan gestured at the man with the glasses. “Sean Hunter, lead engineer at the Dimensional Technologies department. Don’t worry, he will guide you along.”
“I see that he should be in the know.”
“Of course he does.” He smiled at Miles again.
“Our offices are quiet right now. Not much to do, but when there is work, we make great progress.”
Miles noticed the glow that came from the shirt pocket inside.
“What’s that light—“ He pointed a finger at it.
“Nothing much, just some toy I found.” Sean pulled out a hypercube that glowed yellow and blue in his hand.
“Miles, I think it would be better if you would head up and have some rest. The staff will take care of you. Sean and I have much to talk in private.” He eyed the glass. “You can take the soda with you too. It’s no issue.”
The kid took the glass and looked for the open palms that guided him to the elevator.