Sparks Fly

told her in his message that he was going to be on lockdown at his company. She dialed the number for PTI. An operator picked up. “PTI Headquarters. How may I direct your call?”
    Angelina caught her breath. “I need to speak to Will Scott, please.”
    The operator sent Angelina’s call through. “Will Scott’s office.”
    “This is Angelina Morgan and I need to speak to Will Scott immediately.”
    “I’m afraid that isn’t possible. Mr. Scott is in a meeting right now.”
    “Please,” Angelina begged as the flight attendants boarded her airplane. “I need to speak with him right away.”

    “I will direct you to his voice mail—”
    “If you would only tell him he has a urgent phone call from Angelina I know he’ll come and—”
    “I’m sorry, ma’am. Mr. Scott is in closed session with the board. You will have to call back later.”
    Tears bubbled up again in her eyes as she put down the phone. Ignoring the looks from nearby passengers, she hastily wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and boarded the plane.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
    In the past seventy-two hours, Will hadn’t slept, shaved, or eaten more than a fistful of pretzels.
    It might have been delirium kicking in, but for the first time in his career, he couldn’t see how any of the crap he was going through to keep control of his company was worth this kind of stress.
    More than one person that he had considered a friend had turned on him. Apart from Jerry, there was no one he could trust. Not one of them had proven that they would stick by him when the chips were down, nor trust him to make the best decision for their employees and stockholders.
    During the past ten years he had looked forward to what every new day at the helm of his company would bring. But today, everything was different.
    No, it wasn’t just today, he admitted. Over the past couple of years, as PTI had become bigger and bigger, he rarely—if ever—had a chance to touch the electronics. Instead, he was always in boardrooms like this one.
    Right now he didn’t care about corporate profits. He just wanted to hold Angelina close to him again, laugh with her. He wanted her to remind him, in her straightforward yet captivating way, just how much more there was to life than running a company.
    But more than anything, he wanted to tell Angelina how much he loved her.
    Will heard one of the lawyers bark out his name. Blinking up at the group of men and women, he felt as if he was seeing them all for the first time. They looked like a bunch of hostages sitting, pacing, and even slumped against the floor of the artificially lit boardroom. In that moment, something inside him clicked into place.
    Standing, a wry smile on his face, he said, “Gentlemen, ladies, this meeting is now adjourned. I will let you know when I make my decision as to the next step in resolving this conflict.”
    He confidently strode out of the room, a new spring in his step, deaf not only to the cries of outrage from many of the room’s occupants, but also the hallelujahs from the older board members who were barely holding on from lack of rest, food, and fresh air.
    Will quickly debated whether or not to go home and shower before heading to Angelina’s house to surprise her, and opted for a quick shower and shave. “Better not go in there smelling like a garbage dump.” He laughed aloud as he slid into his car and started the ignition.
    For the first time since he’d left Angelina at the airport, Will felt alive. He rolled the top down and turned on the radio to his favorite classic rock station . Quickly covering the short distance from his office to his house, he left his car in the driveway and dashed through his front door, stripping off his clothes on the way to the best shower of his entire life.
    After drying himself off with a plush towel, he decided his wisest plan of action was to catch a couple of hours of sleep. After all, he thought to himself as he slipped between his sheets, Angelina would probably much prefer a coherent declaration of love and proposal, rather than the slightly delirious, sleep-deprived one he was sure to deliver in his present state.
    Will’s heart sure and steady, he slept soundly for several hours. Upon waking, he felt better than ever and got ready to go. He dressed quickly and drove the short distance to the mall, heading straight for Tiffany. Nodding in greeting to the many salespeople on the floor who said, “Welcome, Mr. Scott,”
    as he passed by