Hacked by Love, Part 1

by Sharon Cummin

  I stood up and shoved my phone back into my pocket. Then I reached over and grabbed the baby from my dad.

  “Hey,” my dad snapped. “Give my girl back right now.”

  “Whatever, old man,” I said with a smile. “She's my girl, aren't you Jilly?”

  The baby started laughing.

  “Bring her to me,” my mom said. “You two fools are always with her.”

  I saw James lean in close to Sammie's ear. She quickly turned, grabbed his face, and was going on about something. How was everyone missing it, I wondered? Sammie stood up, took the baby, and made her escape. James was right there with her. I gave them a few minutes alone, but I wasn't about to let it go.

  “I'm going to my room. I've got some packing to do,” I said.

  “I'm so proud of you,” my mom said, as she stood to hug me with my dad right behind her.

  I made my way up the stairs and waited in my doorway for Sammie and James to come out of Jillian's room. Sammie walked out of the room and turned toward the stairs.

  “Congratulations,” I didn't have the word all the way out before Sammie jumped and turned to face me.

  “What are you talking about, Lancie?” she asked.

  I could see the nervous look on her face. She wasn't fooling anyone.

  “Seriously?” I asked. “If I were you, I'd stop calling me Lancie.”

  “I don't know what you mean,” she said innocently, as innocently as she could with her hands shaking at her sides anyway.

  “I don't know how those fools missed it,” I said. “It's pretty obvious to me. James is all over making sure you don't do anything for yourself, and you were crawling all over his lap. All I'm saying is congratulations.”

  “I told her not to keep it a secret,” James said. “You know that does not go well.”

  “Do not say one word, Lancie,” she snapped. “Do you hear me? I can't have dad all over me for eight months. I will tell them once I'm ready to have a shadow. You know the man is going to freak. There is no reason to upset him for any longer than we need to.”

  I shook my head but didn't say a word.

  “If you tell him, I'll tell him your a hacker,” she said roughly with her finger pointed out at me.

  “You don't scare me,” I said, as I grabbed her finger and pulled it toward me. “Tell them whatever you want now. I got the job already.”

  “Lancie,” she growled.

  “How do you do it?” I asked James just before pulling Sammie in and hugging her. “I won't tell, but when that man down there finds out, I will deny already knowing. Do not try to take me down with you.”

  Sammie burst into laughter as she hugged me back.

  “You think you can beat this guy for the job?” she asked.

  “I do,” I said with confidence.

  “They'll be lucky to have you, Lancie,” she said. “You're going to rock their world.”

  “Thank you for always believing in me, Sammie,” I said. “You'll never know how much you and little Jilly mean to me. I can't wait to spoil a new baby too.”

  “What about me?” James asked. “I believed in you too. Those babies are mine.”

  He let out a laugh just as I did.

  “You'll impress the shit out of them,” James said. “My guys think you're the best. Let me know if you need anything.”

  “I will,” I said. “Thanks for everything, James. I'm going to pack. I can't wait to meet this fucker. He's not going to know what hit him.”

  Chapter 3

  Lance

  It wasn't the first time I'd be flying alone, but my parents didn't know that. They had no idea that at nineteen I'd flown several times without them knowing. Sammie had covered for me every single time. My mom was freaking out and worried about the flight. She was trying to pack my bags to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything. If she only knew, she would have kicked my ass.

  My mom and dad drove me to the airport together. He gave me all of his flying tips from when he played ball. I didn't need them, but I just nodded and smiled each time. They both hugged me like they may never see me again. I looked back as the sliding doors in the departure area closed behind me to see my mom crying against my dad's chest. For one tiny moment, I felt bad. It didn't last long though. The moment I turned my attention back to the busy airport moving quickly around me, I couldn't wait to get to my gate. It would bring me that much closer to my dreams.

  I sat waiting for the plane to board and looked around at the people waiting with me. Each person had a story, and I couldn't stop myself from wondering what they were. There were families with little kids probably on their way to visit family or take a vacation. There were men and women dressed to impress in suits with their laptops out. I thought about them having very busy careers. They seemed to work every moment. Were they important? Were they following their dreams? Then there were college age kids. What were their stories, I wondered? Were they traveling the world or just flying back to school for another boring semester? One man in a suit stood by the window looking out at the plane as he talked on his phone. Was he on the phone with his wife? Was he telling her how much he would miss her? Was he on the phone with work letting them know he'd be there as soon as he could?

  My mind wandered to Sammie, James, Jilly, and the new baby on the way. Was that what I wanted for myself one day, I wondered? Would I be flying off and telling them how much I was going to miss them over the phone? I wouldn't have thought that just one year earlier. Of course I'd eventually get married. The thought of kids never entered my mind, not until Jilly that is. She was amazing. That little girl captured my heart the moment she was born. There was no way I wouldn't want a child of my own one day. Seeing the love my sister and James had for each other made me realize just how awesome it would be to have someone to be that close to. I definitely wanted that kind of love for myself one day, just not for a long while.

  I had my career to think about. There was no way I was going to be the dad that flew off for days or weeks at a time without seeing his kids. I couldn't imagine how any man did that. My career was my number one priority, and it was going to be like that for years to come. I had so much to prove to so many people, and there was no way I was going to stop until I did just that. I was going to prove to my parents that it wasn't just a one time thing for me. My sister had been the one to stand by me and cover for me, and I was going to show her it was worth everything she'd done. I was going to show that punk hacker that I wasn't to be fucked with. He was going to learn once and for all that I was made for something great. It was so much more than just messing with someone, it was my life. I was going to prove to those men or women hiring me that I was an asset to the government team. It was my dream, and I was going to enjoy every moment of it.

  The flight wasn't bad at all. There was no reason for either of my parents to be freaking out about it. The moment the wheels touched the ground, I turned my phone on to find ten messages from my mom checking up on me. She'd never know how much she meant to me. Who knew where I would be if it weren't for her and my dad adopting me. I had an amazing life. They gave me that. I would be forever grateful to them for picking me to be their son.

  Me: The plane just landed. I'm fine. I'll text you later. Love you.

  I knew that would keep her calm for a few hours. Thinking about the flights I'd taken without her ever knowing had me smiling to myself. I grabbed my bag and made my way outside into the sun and fresh air to see a man holding a sign with my name on it. It felt pretty good being picked up and carted around. I didn't mind feeling important at all.

  The driver dropped me off at the hotel and let me know that I just had to give them my name at the desk and everything would be taken care of. That felt pretty great too. Sammie had fronted me the money to take care of everything I'd needed before. I was just happy that I'd been able to pay her back. I'd never forget the look on her face when I paid her every penny she'd given me for months when I was trying to sell the software. It was a proud look. I wanted to
see that look again when I went home to tell them I'd gotten the job myself.

  I got the key to my room and made my way there right away. I had a couple of hours before my meeting and planned to shower, get dressed, and get something to eat. The hot water beat down on my back and I closed my eyes. I was getting so close to walking into a meeting with the people that were going to make my hard work worth it. Everything was going perfectly so far, and I knew I was going to blow them away at that meeting. What could possibly go wrong?

  Chapter 4

  Lance

  I swung the door open to the very tall building with a smile on my face. The lobby itself was very large. There was a huge chandelier hanging brightly above a round desk with a very pretty yet all business woman sitting with a phone to her ear. I waited patiently for her to look my way.

  “May I help you?” she asked.

  Within moments she directed me to a sitting area, letting me know that someone would be down to get me soon. There were chairs spread throughout the area. In the center was a large television. There was a small fridge with bottle of water in it off to the side and a coffeemaker on a table next to that. I sat down and watched one suit after the next walk through the door and make their way to the elevator that would take them to their dream careers. That was going to be me one day, I thought to myself. Getting the job was just a stepping stone to being able to walk through that building every single day.

  “Mr. Smith,” a woman called out.

  I stood, took a deep breath, grabbed my bag, and turned toward her.

  “Lance,” I said, as she approached. “Call me Lance.”

  “I'll be taking you to your meeting, Lance. They are waiting in the conference room for you. Please follow me.”

  I followed behind another all business woman. When we stepped into the elevator, she pressed the button for one of the upper floors. My mind couldn't help wandering back to all of the people I'd seen walk through that front door. What did they do? Which floor had they gone to? Did they like it there? I heard the ding of the bell and the doors opened into another lobby area. The woman stepped out in front of me and I followed. When she turned a corner toward a narrow hallway, I gave myself a small talk. The job was mine. It wouldn't take long for me to convince them that I was the man they wanted on their team.

  “They're waiting inside,” she said, as she pulled the door in front of us open.

  “Thank you,” I said. Then I took a huge breath, pulled my shoulders back, and walked into the meeting that was going to change my life.

  “Mr. Smith,” the man at the head of a long table said as he stood and walked toward me.

  There were ten men surrounding that table. I'd only expected one or two. Ten was a bit overwhelming. Each one of them looked very professional and more serious than the last. The moment the man shook my hand, I felt the smile leave my face and my nerves kick in. Could I do it, I wondered? Was I what they were looking for? Of course I was. I'd sold my software for one million dollars. There was no way I wasn't the man for them. Get your shit together, Lance, I thought to myself. This job is yours. I felt the smile slowly come back to my face.

  “Call me Lance,” I said. “You have no idea how good it is to finally be here.”

  “We're glad you're here,” he said. “Please sit down.”

  I sat down but made sure to listen closely as each of the ten men introduced themselves. There was no way I wanted to forget one of their names. They asked me about myself and all of my accomplishments. With all the confidence in the world, I pitched myself to those men. I explained that I'd been into computers since I was ten. We went over all of the computer languages I knew. They asked about the software I'd sold, which I knew they already knew all about. We even went over my hacking skills. That's crazy, I already know. You wouldn't think it would be something I'd confess when looking for a government job. That is exactly what I was there for. I was there to get the job of testing certain software they were expecting to put in place. They wanted me to try to break through it. I put it all out there and explained every single skill I had. There was no reason for me not to get the job. I wasn't real happy about the competition aspect and was hoping they'd see I was the one they wanted and call off the whole thing. That job needed to be mine. Those men threw one question after the next at me for hours. By the time they were done, I was exhausted. I'd done a great job. I could see how impressed some of them were and was very confident in my answers.

  When the meeting was over, everyone seemed to be a bit more relaxed than they had been when I'd originally walked through that door. The man at the end of the table stood and walked around to where I was sitting.

  “I'm sure I can speak for all of us when I say we are very impressed with your skills, Mr. Smith. We need you to come back tomorrow morning.”

  “I got the job,” I said without thinking.

  “You are one of two people that will be working with us on this project. We met with the other candidate yesterday,” he said.

  “Really?” I asked.

  I couldn't help the irritated feeling running through me in that moment. They'd met with him first. Did they feel he was better qualified than I was? That was total bullshit if they did. There was no way.

  “Yes,” he said. “The two of you will be doing the same thing here. You will both be given the software. Our goal is to see which of you does a better job of getting through and what advice you have for us. You've both been hired. You were told there was another hacker working with us, right?”

  “Yes,” I said. “I know all about it. Don't think he didn't jump at the chance to tell me.”

  “You know them?” the man asked sounding concerned.

  “Not exactly,” I said. “He's been a pain in my ass for years. I've never met him in person though. I guess I'll see you early tomorrow.”

  “You're up for the job?” he asked, giving me a strange look. “You think you can handle it?”

  “I'm positive,” I said, as I reached forward to shake his hand. “I've wanted this job since I was ten-years-old. Nothing is going to stand in my way of showing you I'm the man you need.”

  The man nodded with a smile on his face. Then he walked me to the elevator and pushed the lobby button as I stepped in.

  “That's what I like to hear. I think you're going to do great here. We'll send a car for you in the morning. It will be very interesting to see what you think of each other.”

  “He'll be here too?” I asked.

  He nodded just as the door shut.

  “Have a great night, Lance.”

  Chapter 5

  Lance

  I sat in my room and could not stop thinking about the following morning. How could they have met with him first, I wondered? Did they think I was less than him? That was bullshit, and I knew it. They should have seen it too. I sold software to the military. Didn't that mean anything?

  I turned on the television to try and drown out my thoughts. Why I was so pissed, I wasn't sure. I knew the skills I had. It would be no problem proving myself to them, I just didn't think I'd have to. I was so damn sure they would see my work, listen to what I had to say, and know that I was the right choice. I honestly thought there would be no competition. That wasn't the case. They were going to make me work for the job.

  The television did nothing to slow my thoughts, and it was driving me crazy. I couldn't take it. I had to do something. Getting up from the bed, I grabbed a pair of jeans and pulled them on. Then I grabbed a t-shirt and pulled it over my head. I walked into the bathroom and ran my fingers through my hair as I looked in the mirror. It didn't matter how I looked, I had to get out of that room. Nervousness and doubt was not something I'd allow myself to feel. I was good at what I did. There was no reason for me to allow myself to feel anything but positive. I slipped my feet into my sneakers, grabbed my wallet, phone, and room key, and headed toward the elevator.

  I walked into the hotel bar and sat my ass on one of the stools. When the bartender made his wa
y to my end of the bar, I ordered a beer. It wasn't something I did often. I wasn't a drinker at all. I'd just turned twenty-one days before. The weight of the earlier meeting and the one the next day was getting to me. I'd sat with those guys for hours answering question after question. Had they done that to the other guy, I wondered? I was so damn lost in my thoughts that I hadn't noticed the bar getting busier and someone sitting down on the stool next to me.

  “I'll take a beer.”

  That voice did not sound like that of someone ordering a beer. I looked up from my hands, where I had been staring, and looked over to see a very nice looking woman. She couldn't have been much older than me. Her hair was long and dark and put up into a messy ponytail on top of her head. She wasn't wearing a lot of makeup. Her natural beauty was enough all on its own. She was wearing a t-shirt, a pair of ripped jeans, and some chucks. I can't explain what it was exactly that I found so attractive, but I was instantly drawn to her. Maybe it was her obvious I don't give a shit what you think way. She hadn't done anything but order a beer, but I could see it. The way she held herself with confidence was something else. We were surrounded by suits with women dressed to kill on their arms. I had no idea what was going on at that hotel, but the people surrounding us definitely had money and didn't mind flaunting it. The woman next to me hadn't seemed to notice. I was just there to throw back a few beers to calm me so I could actually get some sleep, but I caught myself feeling a bit self-conscious and very underdressed. Not the woman sitting next to me. She didn't care.

  The bartender set her beer in front of her. I watched her hands curl around the cold bottle from the corner of my eye and heard her take a deep breath before moving it to her lips. She took a long drink from the bottle before setting it back down and closing her eyes. I could feel the tension oozing off of her and couldn't help but wonder what her story was. Had she had a bad breakup? Was she in town visiting someone? Where was she from? That wasn't like me at all. The only thing ever on my mind besides my niece was my work. I lived for computers morning, noon, and night. Sure, I'd talked to a few girls in high school, but it was never anything serious. I wasn't a virgin or anything like that, I just didn't have time to get into a relationship. It would just get in the way of my work. That was something I'd think about after I'd hit my goals and not a moment before. The woman's sigh brought me back to the moment. I had to talk to her. The moment her beer was empty, I waved the bartender over to get us each another drink.