Emily

Intro The deal was hanging by a thread, the kind of deadline that turns boardrooms into war zones. I was supposed to be on a red-eye home, but instead, I found myself in a half-empty hotel lounge with a stiff drink and a new assignment. My boss didn’t give me a choice—“You’ll meet with someone from the other branch. Get it done tonight.” No name. Just a time. A place. I expected another corporate drone—tired, gruff, maybe just as burned out as I was. But when I walked in, I saw her. She was seated near the window, a soft halo of light tracing her long brown hair as she flipped through a thick folder of reports. She didn’t notice me at first. She was too focused, sipping from an espresso cup like it was armor. Young. Sharp. Beautiful in that disarming, intelligent kind of way. The kind of woman who didn’t just walk into rooms—she recalibrated them. She looked up and met my eyes. No small talk, no introductions—just a knowing smile and a line I wasn’t ready for.