"Pure luck. Especially since you’re so discreet about your private life that no one even knew about your divorce until you mentioned it yourself."
"I like to keep my personal life separate from my professional one. It keeps people from having ammunition. And... fine. I’ll take you up on that breakfast. I’ll see you there."
I flashed her a quick, sharp smile, slid my headphones back on, and started running. As she headed for the exit, she gave me a nod, which I returned. I’ve always appreciated explicit flirting. It makes things so much simpler.
#10
“Every time you come around, you know. I can't say no. Every time the Sun goes down, I let you take control” - Ed Sheeran
The moment I stepped into the suite's main room, Vanessa hit me with a look that could kill. She forced a polite smile at her screen, thanked whoever was on the other end, and hung up, her expression immediately hardening.
I wiped my face with a towel after wishing the room a general "good morning." My advisors were huddled at the table next to me, frantically taking notes and debating the details of my upcoming speech regarding our partnership with an Indian tech giant.
"In the bedroom, Vanessa. Let’s get the day started." She followed me in, her entire body tense. As soon as the heavy wooden door clicked shut, she spun around abruptly.
"We have a problem with a shipment. And it’s your fault." I pulled off my sweat-soaked training shirt, leaving me in justmy sports bra and leggings. I asked her what exactly I’d done, and she mimicked me with theatrical flair. "One of the Florida senators is claiming you blew him off, said you couldn't take your eyes off the women on the dance floor."
"Woman. Singular. I only had eyes for one," I corrected her. "What did he expect, Vanessa? He’s a bore—long-winded and verbose. I don't have time for men like that." I flipped open my laptop on the bed, accessing the company’s shipping manifests to track down the issue while Vanessa continued to grumble about political optics.
"Look, let’s reroute this delivery. Send it through Savannah. It’s a bigger port, and the logistics will be smoother anyway. Check with the Governor’s office to see if we can secure an exclusive partnership."
"Are you really going to pull a fast one on Florida?" She raised an eyebrow, and I held up my hands in a mock gesture of innocence.
"It’s a solid move. Get on it right away." I paused, looking at her. "Did you find out what I asked for?"
"Have you forgotten who I am, darling?” Vanessa smirked. "She’s staying in the city until January. Apparently, she’s handling some personal matters, visiting her mother..."
"Then we’re extending our stay in New York." I closed the laptop and stood up quickly. "She’s coming over for breakfast tomorrow morning."
"You won't rest until you’ve won this woman over, will you?" Vanessa smiled slyly, grabbing my computer and settling into an armchair.
"It’s been years, Vanessa. Years! For her, I’d actually consider monogamy."
Vanessa rolled her eyes as she logged into the company system. "I’ll believe that when I see it, Kels. Go shower. I’ll handle this, then we need to run through your media training for the Indian firm."
"I was born trained, baby."
"And I was born cautious. You’re going to rehearse until these answers are perfectly aligned with the expansion strategy you laid out yourself."
Over the next several hours, we drilled. We went over key talking points and pivot strategies, with Vanessa playing the role of a hostile journalist, hitting me with tricky questions about politics and the environment.
"What if they ask about the social impact on port communities?" she asked, tapping her pen against her lip.
"Impacts, whether social, environmental, or cultural are inevitable in both positive and negative forms. That is why Calama invests heavily in mitigation studies and renewable energy for our storage facilities. Furthermore, we fund initiatives to improve the lives of locals, such as sports complexes and technology hubs."
She slapped her thighs with both hands, a broad smile spreading across her face. "And why India?"
"Beyond being one of the most populous nations on earth, India possesses a wealth of talent in technology and engineering. They are essential partners in developing a new generation of cargo ships that consume less fuel and cut travel times. At the end ofthe supply chain, that means lower freight costs and increased value across the board." I took a deep breath; my head was starting to throb from the sheer mental effort of constructing the perfect interview persona.
Vanessa checked her watch and sighed, noting it was already past 3:00 PM. We needed to eat and get ready for the next meeting immediately.
"What do you want me to order?" I gestured that I didn't care, earning me another eye-roll. "Unfortunately, they didn't have a certain redhead on the menu, but I can arrange for some white sauce cannelloni to restore your energy for tomorrow’s... meeting."
"Are you hanging out with Hollywood comedians now, V?"
"I should be. It beats listening to you repeat that you’re a champion for marine conservation and human interest causes for five hours straight."
"It was your idea," I grumbled, mimicking her gestures as she told me to sit back down and grab my notes.
