Brooks straightens his jacket. “We never joke about branding.”
They leave with the same measured calm they arrived with. Their goodbyes are polite, their approval clear, and the weight of expectation lingers long after they’re gone.
Tessa exhales and leans back. “Okay. How bad was that?”
I look at her. Her cheeks are flushed, her eyes bright, her hair falling loose from the clip she twisted it into this morning. There’s a bit of gloss smudged near her thumb that she doesn’t notice, and I can’t seem to stop staring.
“You didn’t screw anything up,” I say. “You nailed it.”
She doesn’t believe me right away. I can tell by the way her fingers tap against the edge of her plate. But she’s wrong.
They weren’t just impressed. They were hooked. And somehow, she did it without even trying.
“You sure?” she asks, half-smiling.
“You could’ve flipped the table and Hale would’ve offered you a job,” I tell her. “You’re a novelty.”
She wrinkles her nose. “That sounds like a backhanded compliment.”
“It is,” I say. “They’re the only kind I give.”
Her eyes flick toward me. “You were nervous.”
“I don’t get nervous.”
She raises a brow. “You wiped your glass four times in thirty seconds.”
“I was polishing it.”
“You were spiraling.”
I look at her, saying nothing. Because she’s right. I was. And the worst part is, I still am. The control I’m used to having feels thinner around her.
She leans in slightly, her voice low. “You know they really liked you, right?”
I blink once. “Me?”
“Yes, you. The guy with the permanent scowl and the tragic family story. You’re surprisingly compelling when you shut up.”
I let out a short breath that’s close to a laugh. “So silence is my best quality?”
“No.” Her lips curve.
“What is, then?”
She doesn’t answer, and I don’t ask again. Because whatever the answer is, it already has me unsteady.
Chapter Twenty-One
Rowan
The terrace is already crowded.
Clusters of partners stand near the railing with drinks in hand. The weekend has just started, and I’m already over it.
“Good morning, everyone,” Hale says, standing near the doorway. Her voice carries across the terrace. “We’ve got a full day ahead. These retreats are about more than work; they’re about building trust, collaboration, and the kind of relationships that last beyond the office.”
People nod, clap once or twice, and murmur their approval, and Hale eats it up.
