-Did your personality die, or are you always this boring at meetings?
I hit send and watch him out of the corner of my eye. Gio's phone buzzes in his lap. He shifts, glances down.
For a second, nothing. Then he smirks, and finally lifts his eyes to meet mine across the table.
My heart kicks against my ribs.
But that's it. No reply. No snarky comeback. He just locks the screen and turns back to the presentation like I don't exist.
I sit there, stunned. Weirdly pissed.
What the hell was that?
I glance down at my notes, pretending to read them.
Maybe he's dealing with something. Who knows. He always has something going on, problems stacked on problems stacked on that stubborn spine of his.
Maybe this is just another one of those times.
1 hour later
The meeting finally ends, and everyone starts gathering their things. I pack my stuff too.
"We'll need you packed and ready to leave in two days," one of the executives says. "Spain is waiting."
Everyone agrees.
Handshakes.
Congratulations.
Fake excitement.
We're dismissed, and the three of us, me, Gio, and Lorenzo, move toward the elevators. The second the doors close, the silence hits like a brick wall. Thick. Fucking suffocating.
Exactly what I deserve.
Gio on my left. Lorenzo on my right. And me in the middle, staring at the ceiling. I want to drown myself. This is officially the most awkward moment of my entire existence.
I'm standing between the man who now knows way too much about my fantasies, and the man who happens to be the star of those fantasies.
Lucky me. I clear my throat. "So..." I start awkwardly, "what time's the flight?"
Gio doesn't even turn his head.
"Early," he says, clipped.
Lorenzo snorts a laugh, like he's loving this. "This is gonna be so much fun," he says, grinning like an asshole.
The elevator dings. Gio walks out without a word. I'm left standing there with Lorenzo, who slaps my back like we're old drinking buddies and follows him out.
I head straight for my car.
If I crash on the way home?
At this point it would feel like release.
…
