Playing with Fire

Jacqueline's fingers were clenched around her untouched coffee. Her soft brown eyes were hard as stone right then as she listened to her father's meaningless drivel. A rogue bit of her russet red hair had slipped from behind her ear and tickled her below the collarbone.

Her father gave his usual look of mock sympathy.

"Sweetie, Mr Miles is not the lawyer for you. He deals with big clients, not little contracts and agreements."

"This isn't just a contract Dad. This is four years of hard work focused on getting this software created. I need copyright protection and non-disclosure agreements before I can go any further, and Mr Miles is bloody good at these things. Even you said so."

"Yes sweety," she hated when he called her that, so condescending. "I understand how important your hobby has become - "

'It's not a hobby! I have been working on this every waking hour! I have learnt different kinds of code and have been working on multiple platforms! I want to be sure I am properly protected before I develop it further. No one is going to just leech off my efforts for their own use."

"You're being a bit dramatic, aren't you?"

Jacqueline breathed deeply. Her father was an idiot, she knew, and right then was showing his weak will. He was intimidated by his boss, maybe even scared. Mr Miles was a ruthless man who had built up his firm himself and ran it with an iron-fist. He was also known to be excellent at his job, including work related to intellectual property. Jacqueline wanted only the best.

"How about if I look into it for you, Jacqueline?"

"Dad, you do property law. I am not purchasing a house."

"Look, this is too small for Mr Miles to deal with. He will not be interested."

"You don't know that!"

"Sweetie, no. I cannot do it."

Typical. Why did she expect anything different?

"Fine. Then I will do it myself."

The cup clunked onto the desk as she stood up to leave.

"Jackie, don't do anything stupid that would get me involved. I can't have anything jeopardise my job here."

"Don't flatter yourself, you'd be lucky if he knows your name."

She stalked out of his little office without waiting for a response, and headed toward the lift. She was seething inside.

Hobby, he thinks what I do is a hobby!

Over four years of learning to code and the sleepless nights she had worked her arse off, her heart and soul had gone into this project. She knew many would think this ridiculous, but she only wanted the best. She was proud of her work.

As she waited for the lift, she heard steps behind her. She glanced behind to see a handsome middle-aged man walking toward her. He was well dressed, walked with confidence, and she caught the hint of a woody vanilla scent from his cologne as he neared. She returned her gaze to the lift.

"It never bodes well when you leave a law firm angry."

She looked back at him.

"Excuse me?"

"You are quite literally white knuckled. "

Jacqueline looked down. Her hands were so clenched together the blood was definitely going where it needed to. Guess her anger wasn't quite as under control as she thought.

"Disappointing meeting. I did not get the help I had hoped for," she replied.

A slight frown crossed the man's face.

"That is not what we want to hear when people leave this office."

"Yes, well not all of your colleagues have a decent backbone."

This time his brow shot up.

"May I ask who you were meeting?"

"It's not important."

"Actually, it is. This firm prides itself for the integrity and quality of the service. So, if that has not been delivered, it is important."

"Don't worry, I won't give a bad review," she retorted sarcastically.

The lift arrived, and they stepped in. The man pressed the button for ground level then looked at her enquiringly.

"Same, thanks."

Once the descent had started, the man turned back to her.

"Look, maybe the lawyer you spoke to, may not have been the right person for you."

"He absolutely isn't! He's my father."

The man gave a warm laugh.

"Ah, so family mediation will soon be required."

Jacqueline sighed.

"I had hoped he could introduce me to Mr Miles in relation to copyright and non-disclosure work, but it seems I am not worth the big guy's time."

"Miles is the one you want to see?"

"Yeah. But now, I need to pitch my work the slow way, and submit it for initial check before I can hope to have an appointment. And even if it gets taken up by the firm, it may not be the big guy that deals with it, but one of his cronies. It may be menial work to him, but this is my project, my baby! And I want the best."

He was still smiling slightly as they arrived at the ground floor. Slipping his hand into his inner jacket pocket, he produced a business card. He handed it to her as they stepped out.

"I decide what I find menial."

Oh shit...

Jacqueline looked at the card and back up at the man. Why had she not done some research on what the guy looked like, instead of just his qualifications and successes in business. Then again, she never would have thought of doing so. She expected a greying man with a paunch and too much gloop in his hair.

But here was this tall fit man in a slate-grey suit, a muted moss-green tie and the scent of smoky vanilla. He looked mid-forties at most, with medium-length brown hair with a side part, slightly combed back. He had broad shoulders and a well-proportioned body. His eyes were blue-grey, and he had nicely trimmed beard and moustache, slightly lighter than his hair. And his lips were currently curled in amusement at her discomfort.

"I - I - Oh crap. I did not mean to talk down about your business, Mr Miles."

"Yes, you did."

There was nothing she could say at that point that would not put her foot in it further.

"However, I understand your anger, especially for something close to your heart."

Mr Miles looked at his watch. Jacqueline was surprised it was not a Rolex, but a muted black leather/silver dial watch, which suited his total look.

"I was going to get a coffee and do some paperwork before my next meeting; however, you have intrigued me, Miss—"

"Templeton. Jacqueline Templeton."

"Templeton, your father is one of our property lawyers if I am not mistaken."

"Yes, sir."

"Don't call me sir. It makes me feel like a schoolteacher. Let's get a coffee, we have 20 minutes."

It was not a question, just a statement. Clearly this was a man that got what he wanted. And at this point, Jacqueline did not care. She had made a crap first impression, but she was damned if she would let that get in the way of what she wanted to achieve. He walked at a quick pace, but she could easily keep up with him with her long legs.

"Coffee of choice?" he asked as they walked into the local café.

"Flat white, thank you."

Once the drinks were ordered, Mr Miles led her to a corner table, and they sat down.

"So, Miss Templeton. Tell me about your project."

"I had hoped to have some time to present it to you, and in a less public setting."

"We can get to that later. Give me a 5-minute run down, and then I can let you know whether I am the lawyer for you."

Jacqueline took a moment to compose her thoughts.

"I am a software developer and have been working six years for Puzzle Soft."

"I'm not expecting your history."

"Do you want to hear my five-minute rundown or not? I would assume you would like to know that I have experience in my field."

He grinned, and nodded his head for her to continue.

"I have six years professional experience and am fluent in four types of computer code. Four years ago, I started working on a cross-platform software. I assume you understand these terms as you deal with modern copyright and intellectual property?"

He nodded again, gave a quick smile to the waitress as their drinks arrived, then looked back at Jacqueline.

"Go on."

"In a nutshell, this software allows the management of diaries, business trips, school terms or holidays. It does so by logging and tracking not only the appointments on a calendar, but also expected travel times, possible interconnected diary clashes, and takes into account different time zones and airport wait times for the extensive travellers."

She expanded slightly on her concept, explaining how the software would work on Apple and Android machines, then on phones, tablets and laptops. Mr Miles listened intently, watching her all the while. Finally, Jacqueline came to a close and took a sip of her coffee.

Miles sat back in his seat with a sigh, and gazed up to the ceiling, lost in thought.

The fingers of his left hand were drumming lightly on the table. After a while, he looked back at her, his eyes boring into hers as he leant forward.

"Your ideas have merit, and as you say, you have some experience in your field. I assume the software is still in development stage."

"Correct. The non-disclosure agreement will be required in relation to the people I will bring on board to do the graphic design, web development and the quality assurance among other things."

"Have you budgeted the capital required for the development?"

"I have. It will be coming both from my savings and Research and Development grants."

Miles smiled and pulled out his phone.

"All right. Are you free on Wednesday at 5PM. That is the earliest we can meet, and you can properly present your requirements, and we can discuss the content of your non-Disclosure agreements, whether they need to be tailored to the type of people involved. Then we will organise the copyright requirements."

Jacqueline was a little startled. She did not think such a quick meeting could be organised, even if her father had spoken to his boss. She was not about to let this opportunity go.

"Yes, that will be fine."

"Good," Mr Miles responded as he stood up. "Call the office and speak to my PA, Nora, and she will send you our fees as well as any further admin information she or the office will require. I can assume you are aware that my fees are not insignificant."

"Yes. I have also taken that into account in my budget. I want the best legal representative available."

"Glad to hear that."

He held out his hand. Jacqueline stood also and shook it. The warmth of his touch gave her a little start, as if she had been longing for that physical connection. He held on for a moment longer, his thumb caressing between her thumb and forefinger, then released.

"Nice to have met you, Miss Templeton."

With that, he strode off back to his office.

Jacqueline thought a moment about all that had happened in the space of less than an hour. She had gone from the sliver of hope that her father would be useful for once in his miserable life and introduce her to his boss, then marching out in a temper, to meeting the man himself and having an appointment set.

Shit, she better get her ducks in a row before Wednesday.

She gave herself a few seconds for a little victory butt wiggle before picking up her bag and leaving.

This time, Jacqueline was going to make a better second first impression. She had not been dressed to meet the top man in Miles & Associates last time, just smart casual as she was visiting her father. This would be different.

Not a dress or a skirt. She wanted her work to speak for itself, not her body.

She chose a black pantsuit combo over a red top. This enveloped her sleek body and gave her hips a little more curve. Her russet red hair was turned up into a sleek chignon. She kept her make up simple: a little blush, softy dusky eyes and pale pink lipstick. She put a touch of white musk to the base of her ears and on each wrist, then slipped into her black heels.

Jacqueline arrived at the firm's office at 4:50pm, introduced herself to the receptionist, and took a seat.

As five o'clock ticked over, the firm's staff started to leave. Jacqueline's father made a double take when he saw her seated in the waiting area, then walked over to her.

A little flash of anxiety crossed his face.

"What are you doing here?!"

"I have an appointment."

"Don't be silly. You can't just walk in here and hope to ambush my boss at the end of the day. Now please leave before you embarrass me in front of my colleagues! Or worse, get me in trouble with my boss."

"Miss Templeton, good to see you again. I hope you have not been waiting long," Mister Miles walked over, and held out a hand to her, ignoring her father who stood with his mouth agape.

"Thank you, Mr Miles," she responded, in an equally formal manner. "I have been looking forward to our meeting."

A flicker of a grin passed on his lips, then he turned to Jacqueline's father.

"Mister Templeton, please do not let us detain you."

With that, he laid a light hand on Jacqueline's lower back and led her to a meeting room, closing the door behind them.

He let out a quiet laugh.

"I should not have enjoyed that quite as much as I did."

Jacqueline smiled in mock innocence.

"But sir, I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Don't call me sir. Please take a seat."

As she pulled out a chair, she looked back at him.

"May I ask, why is this meeting so late? It looks like everyone is leaving."

"I have a full schedule and often need to have meetings later in the day. It was either now, or in over three weeks' time."

"Thank you for the opportunity, but why would you have this meeting so soon if you had a full schedule with prior."

Mr Miles looked at her for a moment.

"Like I said Miss Templeton, I find you intriguing. Your passion and the clear analysis for your software development is also very interesting. Now shall we start?"

"All right, but please call me Jacqueline. Unless you feel the need to be formal."

"And I am Lukas. Now, let's get on with it."

Over the next hour, Jacqueline outlined in detail the build she had completed to date, the action plan for work still required, and the designers and developers to be hired. She covered the particular areas where she felt the need for legal protection and the areas on which she was unsure. Lukas listened intently and took notes. He asked questions, noted the gaps in the legal requirements, and laid out the steps required to complete the agreements that she needed. They recapped and agreed to a legal plan.

"Right," Lukas stated as he closed his compendium. "As I mentioned, I have a lot on over the next three weeks, but we can meet again to go over the completed work in around four weeks' time. Does that timeframe suit you?"

"Yes, that would be fine," Jacqueline responded as she stood up.

"I will leave a memo for my PA to send you some available dates and times for the next appointment."

They both stepped out of the meeting room to a barren office. Even the receptionist had gone by now.

"Now that business has been attended to, let's get a drink."

Jacqueline stopped in her tracks.

"Excuse me?"

"Unless you have any other plans for the evening. I am going for a drink and would appreciate the company."

"Mr Miles, I am looking for a professional relationship between us to protect my business plans."

"And?"

"And going out for drinks brings the possibility of complications, especially this early in the relationship."

Lukas eyes turned frosty.

"Miss Templeton, I take my professional work very seriously. There is nothing that could happen between us that will jeopardise the quality of the work I will provide for you. Do not belittle my sense of work ethics. If you do not believe that, then you are free to say no."

Jacqueline felt she had touched a nerve; however, she did not want anything to get in the way of her goal. She had offended him, so decided a drink was the least she could do. She was suspicious of whether he had ulterior motives though. He was a man after all, and a lawyer to boot. Neither one was conducive to a transparent individual.

"I apologise. A drink sounds good."

With a sudden smile, he led her out of the office and closed up. With a gentle yet insistent hand under Jacqueline's elbow, he guided her to the lift.

"My preferred bar is the Panacea. It is some miles away so we can drive there. Have you parked nearby?"

"I took the train here."

"Good."

Jacqueline's eyebrow shot up, but she did not say anything. She needed to be wary of this man. As she had thought before, he did not seem to take 'no' for an answer. If that were the case, he would be in for a surprise; she was no pushover. She was not her father.

They passed the ground floor and exited to the car park. There were very few cars left due to the lateness of the workday. Lukas guided her toward a nearby dark-blue car. Jacqueline noticed, with a smirk, that he drove an Audi. A little predictable. Then again, from her knowledge of him, it matched. Lukas noticed her look.

"You disapprove of my choice in car?"

"Actually, I think it suits you."

"Arrogant? Pretentious?"

She laughed at that.

"I was thinking more self-confident, yet understated."

Lukas laughed at her description as he held the door open for her.

"I have never been defined as 'understated' before." He responded as he slipped into the driver's seat. "Of all choice of words, why would you choose that?"

Taking a moment to ponder the question, she replied.

"The self-confidence, and maybe a little arrogance, comes from the fact that you chose an Audi. If I am not mistaken, this is an RS5?"

"Correct. RS5 coupe. Since I could afford them, I have driven German cars. They are high quality and dependable."

He started to head toward the exit before continuing.

"Part of it is due to needing a higher end vehicle in the event of having a client within it."

"Like me?"

He smiled briefly.

"Like you. But in part, it is also for my pleasure. I enjoy a car that I can take into the countryside and open up. I love the handling in the curves and the force in the straight lines. Now what about the understated meaning?"

"You have chosen a dark colour, though not a shiny black. Blue is a softer colour and the darkness of it gives a certain depth."

Lukas glanced at her a moment with a thoughtful look before returning his eyes to the road.

"You are an interesting woman, Miss Templeton. I was looking forward to the pleasure of your company, but I now look forward to our conversation."

"You were expecting one without the other?" she asked crisply.

"Sorry, that was not tactfully put. I mean that I find you interesting considering our dealings so far, but you strike me now as an intelligent woman who can hold her own. I have found that many people who can talk big in a boardroom can be the dullest people to socialise with."

"You changed your mind based on my opinion of your car?"

This time he laughed with genuine amusement.

"Have you never formed an opinion of someone based on a certain characteristic of their view of others? Many women would look at a posh car and just take in the wealth and, indeed, the pretentiousness of the man behind the wheel. You looked further at the detail, the meaning."

Within a few minutes, they had arrived at the bar. Jacqueline was a little surprised to find it was a rather stately affair with muted lighting and quiet background music. There was no ordering at the bar and shouting at each other over cringey modern music. She wondered for a moment, how many women Lukas had brought here to impress and seduce. She tore her mind away from such thoughts. He was the one who had voiced this as a social drink only, but she was the one giving it a more intimate connotation.

Lukas walked to a booth to one side. The seating was a forest-green-cushioned semi-circle bench, with a black table. It should have looked garish, gaudy even, but Jacqueline could not help but find it inviting and relaxing as she sat down.