“I feel like I didn't do much,” I said with a laugh.
“You did a lot,” he said, turning me around and looking at me seriously. “Thank you.”
“Think it's enough to shoot you all to the top of theTechBizlist?”
“He's going to score high marks for sure,” Sloane said, sauntering over to us. “Because that's what I promised, didn't I?” She pressed herself against Owen, reaching up to kiss his cheek. Someone might have been able to make the case that it was professional, but I knew it was anything but. Owen's face remained a cold, professional mask.
“Why don’t you show me around?” Sloane said, taking Owen's arm.
I bit back a protest. It was business. The whole point of the winter festival was to schmooze overpaid magazine editors to land Owen's company at the top of a vanity list. I was a big girl. I could handle it.
“Don't forget to grab a snack! I have cupcakes I made myself!” I chirped. “They'll be out for lunch. For breakfast, we have cheesy breakfast burritos.”
Sloane turned up her nose. “I don’t eat breakfast.”
Well then.
“It's the most important meal of the day!” I quipped.
“I do intermittent fasting,” Sloane sneered. “You should try it.”
“Willingly fasting is not my style,” I replied.
“I can see that.”
“Are you seriously going to let that hussy walk off with your man?” Morticia said in my ear. I shrieked. She'd just appeared like the Ghost of Christmas Past.
“It's fine.”
“I don't trust either of them,” Morticia said with a sniff. She was drinking some sort of bitter-smelling brew. “Cleansing tea?”
“Ugh, no thanks. Though I might need another of those Korean sitz baths later. Owen has been very impressed with the quality of things in the South Pole. I want to keep him happy and everything tight as a clam.”
Morticia rolled her eyes.
“Thanks for your help, but I don't want to keep you from your actual job of working for theVanity Rag.”
“We're basically done,” Morticia explained. “There are two more contests. One of them is with the Weddings in the City girls. Penny's out doing specials with each of them to put on theVanity Ragwebsite.”
I took in a deep breath. “That means it's almost Christmas!” I made sparkly motions with my fingers.
“Spare me. I should go hibernate until it's over,” Morticia said as we walked around.
I grabbed a breakfast burrito, and we watched the kickoff presentation in the atrium up in the Quantum Cyber offices. Owen, Walker, and Beck were talking about the company. His employees hung off the balconies, watching.
We listened to Owen and his CFO and COO joke around. Then Morticia and I went to start setting up for lunch. To keep a clog from forming in the food lines, we had several tables set up around the office.
“We really went all out,” Fiona said happily as we set out the trays of food for the feast. There were racks of beef Wellington, along with roast turkey and gravy. There was puffy Yorkshire pudding and creamy cheddar-and-chive mashed potatoes. Best of all was the lobster mac and cheese. There was also a roasted-pear-and-goat-cheese salad, because I had figured we needed something green that wasn't the green bean casserole.
“So good,” I said, sneaking a plate of pasta. Morticia stole a bite.
Owen's employees seemed pleased with the food. In addition to Sloane, several otherTechBizmagazine representatives were at the winter festival. Owen drifted through the groups of his employees, answering questions and being friendly and personable.
“I'm so proud!” I said dramatically, wiping a fake tear out of my eye when he passed me. “My baby's all grown up and being sociable!”
After the final sessions in the late afternoon, Morticia, Fiona, and I put out snacks and alcohol in the main lobby.
“Are we ready for the big surprise?” I asked Walker.
