Eliana carried a strange look. "Yes."
"Fine. Alert the Greenslate spy and let's go."
I walked around the desk toward my office door, head held high, shoulders back, ready to face it all. Bruno Gasol wasn't about to shake me. I'd already survived him. I was unbreakable now. As I reached for the doorknob, my secretary called out, "Alex."
Ugh, I'd given myself such a good pep talk. I was in the zone and spun around, annoyed. "What? Let's go."
"Maybe you should fix your shirt first."
A few minutes later,my Chanel blouse was properly buttoned and right-side out. I left the office, headed down the hall, and walked through the door Eliana held open. I ignored Bruno seated at the far end of the table.
"We don't have much time left, and as you can expect, we cannot afford to drop the ball now," I said while lowering myself into the chair.
Eliana gestured with her head in Bruno's direction, and I took a deep breath, rolled my eyes, and with a face that looked like I smelled the foulest odor, explained his presence. "Greenslate has sent us some assistance. Mr. Gasol will be with us for a while."
"How long?" one employee asked, and I'd wondered the same thing during my walk from the office.
Instead of wasting time guessing, I looked at him. "Mr. Gasol, how long will you be a stain in our lives?"
My words weren't missed. A few people looked shocked, but not Bruno.
He simply smiled. "I'm only here to help. Promise not to get in anyone's way. Greenslate just wants to ensure the launch is profitable for all."
"Promise?" Ha. I remembered when I was foolish enough to accept promises from this man. Once I realized the words had slipped out, I looked for a way to fix it, but there was no need.
"Well, help is never a bad thing," said James, a lead data engineer who was on thin ice.
"Maybe Mr. Gasol can help you personally. God knows you burn enough of my time already," I spat, and the room got quiet. This man was someone I'd planned to fire for weeks. Actually, if I wasn't riding Pedro earlier, he would have been asked to leave the company already, but I was delayed.
Being a perfectionist meant James and his mistakes did not fit with my vision for the company, especially with the Greenslate spy watching.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have spoken," he mumbled.
Eager to get the meeting back on track, I spoke to IT. "Change the app so that if a woman doesn't wish to fall in love with a man who has nothing but two nickels to rub together, she has the option to avoid meeting him."
"How can we be certain the men aren't lying about their work or earnings?" one employee asked.
A second added, "Should we ask for W-2s or pay stubs as proof of employment?"
"If you make it harder for men to join, how's the app supposed to succeed? I'm not trying to cause trouble, it's just math," Bruno said. His voice made my skin crawl.
"So, you're saying a woman should take whatever comes along? The eight-figure executive has no right to have standards and ask for a top earner? Only if we let a man lie to her will he join Amoré Nights?"
The moment the last word left my mouth, I heard the sharp edge of bitterness laced through it. Around me, various faces looked on, some surprised, others tense, all far too silent.
"I agree with Alex," Shelia in marketing said.
Bruno and I stared at each other across the table, but he spoke just the same. "Do you?"
"Yes. OK, we all want to date billionaires, but seriously, not many of us do. Women often date based on feelings and emotions despite their preferences. Forcing a broke man to be honest won't ruin all his chances. If a man believes lying is the way to start a relationship, he's not the kind we want on Amoré Nights," she said with deliberate clarity.
Another female employee spoke up. "Shelia's right. That's what sets our dating app apart from the competition."
I shot him a glare sharp enough to cut glass before I opened my mouth to speak. "You see, Mr. Gasol, I went out of my way to create a space to exclude lying men who wished to waste a woman's time. Amoré Nights is my baby, and if we lose a few deceitful men, sparing just one woman tears, I have no problem with it."
He looked unmoved. "That's a nice sentiment. Luckily for you, most dating apps have more men than women. You can afford to scare away a few and still be successful."
His words prickled my skin. "Only Greenslate seems to have any doubt Amoré Nights will be successful."
