“It’s an old college friend of mine who specializes in brand consulting. I want his input on the slides we have so far.”
“Okay. Let me know what he says. You didn’t put in the end time for it.”
“That’s because I’m not sure how long it’ll last.”
“Does that mean we won’t work tonight?”
“No. That’s why I said you could take the day off.”
I’d been expecting her to seem relieved, but she merely gave a small “Oh.”
“You look disappointed.”
She shrugged, but her eyes were bright and fiery.
“I like our evening sessions.”
“And you still insist I’m not special?”
She pointed a finger at me. “I won’t answer that. Who knows what other ideas you’ll get?”
“Indeed. Who knows?”
I caught her hand, keeping it to my chest. She licked her lips. Her eyes widened. I almost pulled her closer, but then I’d kiss her until she admitted I was special, that she did think about me just as often as I thought about her, and we weren’t that far along.
Yet.
***
The meeting was across town, in my friend’s consultancy. Thomas and I went way back to our college days, and I trusted his feedback. I wanted his advice. I wasn’t leaving anything to chance.
While opening the presentation, I realized I should have taken Sienna with me. She was eager and smart, and she’d worked on the presentation just as much as I had. It was an opportunity for her to gauge Thomas’s reaction in real time.
I texted her right away.
Winston: Want to come over to the meeting? You worked on this too.
I wasn’t sure where she stood after today’s encounter, but Sienna answered in less than a minute.
Sienna: YES! DO I GET TO PRESENT TOO?
I chuckled. I could imagine her dancing around the office again. No, damn. I had to get that image out of my mind.
Winston: Sure.
Sienna: I’m on my way
Sienna: !!!
Only Sienna could send an extra message with exclamation marks. Chuckling, I informed Thomas that my VP of branding would arrive soon. I began explaining in broad strokes what this was about but waited for Sienna to dive into the presentation.
I kept telling myself that I’d asked her here because it was a great opportunity for her, and not because I wanted to see her, be near her. I’d almost convinced myself, and yet, when she entered the room, I automatically smiled.
“Hi, Mr. Dunhill. I’m Sienna. Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise. Call me Thomas.”
“Okay, Thomas.”