“I wondered what you were thinking when it came to that conundrum their CTO mentioned. I mean, I can understand them wanting to reduce connection speed after someone has been online for more than thirty minutes, but I don’t know how they do that without coming off as, well, cheapskates.”

“Well, that conundrum is what today’s meeting is about.”

Keighleigh leaned in closer, her lips turning up in a wily smile, as if she and Samiah were in a partnership and she had a secret to share. In a conspiratorial whisper, she asked, “So what are you planning to present to Grant?”

Was she serious? Samiah wanted to tell her that she was born on a Tuesday, not today. Instead, she said, “A few ideas I’ve come up with.”

She matched Keighleigh’s smile with one of her own as she picked up her coffee mug and pushed back from the desk. “You know what? I just realized I haven’t had any coffee yet. No wonder I’m feeling all ragey.” She started for the door, but turned when she sensed Keighleigh wasn’t following her. Samiah arched a brow at her coworker.

“Oh, I guess that’s my cue to get back to work,” Keighleigh said.

Samiah nodded. As if she would leave her to snoop around in her office. “I know you want to wow Grant with all those awesome ideas you’ve come up with.” Samiah sent her another saccharine smile. “Meet you in the conference room.”

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

We call this a semi–open concept work environment. Studies show that team members work better when they’re able to bounce ideas off one another without the obstruction of walls, but too much of an open environment impedes productivity. I think we’ve found a healthy balance here at Trendsetters,” the HR director said, his bald head gleaming under the panel of LED lights high above.

Daniel Collins nodded and smiled. A response wasn’t expected. Having experienced more than a dozen episodes such as this one over these past two years, he’d learned the subtle nuances of navigating the first day on the job. He knew based on the inflection in Owen Caldwell’s voice when a polite, interested nod would work and when the man expected him to make an actual comment. So far, he’d gotten by with a few hums of approval.

As they continued the tour, Daniel compared the layout of the software company’s vast office space to the mental map in his head. He’d meticulously studied the floor plan weeks ago, but things changed. Desks were moved, partitions were erected. Being cognizant of the space around him was imperative to the success of his new job.