Page 10 of One Midnight Kiss

“Who is that?”

“Not a who, a what.” Dave put a folder on my desk. “Check it out.”

I opened the folder and scanned the first page filled with bullet points. It was an AI system designed to manage everything in a house from air quality to utilities. It was supposed to revolutionize the way people lived, making homes safer and more efficient. But the public wasn’t buying it. The backlash had been swift and harsh—people were terrified at the idea of a robot essentially living in their walls.

“Ah,” I said, letting out a small laugh. “I can see why they’re struggling. They’ve got a PR nightmare on their hands.”

“Exactly,” Dave said, grinning. “And they need you to turn it around. This isn’t your run of the mill account. I know you love a good challenge.”

I continued scanning through the file, looking at pictures and their ideas for the points that would impress a consumer.

He leaned forward, dropping his voice. “Natalia, you’re the best we have. And frankly, the CEO of HomeTech needs someone like you. He’s not the easiest person to work with.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to push down the frustration. I already knew I didn’t have a choice. Dave was pushing hard on this because he wanted it to be my problem, not his.

I could admit I was slightly curious about HomeTech. Our corporate building was normally quiet and full of men in suits. They were all the stiff working type, on their phones and carrying coffee without really looking at anyone. But with HomeTech moving in, the vibe in our building changed. They fit in with the Seattle scene. The place was bursting at the seams with barely out of college kids in sweatpants drinking oat milk lattes and energy drinks. They were the least serious-looking group of people I had ever seen.

I took a deep breath. “You want me to babysit a temperamental CEO and salvage an AI product that everyone is terrified of?”

“Exactly,” Dave said with a satisfied nod, a small smile playing on his lips. “And here’s the catch. He’s not just temperamental. He’s arrogant and has an ego the size of our building.”

“So, what you’re telling me is that I have to handle a tech tycoon with a big mouth, who scares more people than his product does, and make both him and his product loved by the public?”

Dave grinned. “That about sums it up. Now do you see why I came to you? You’re a ball buster Natalia. You’ll do fine. I know you love sinking your teeth into something juicy.”

“I’m not sure I would consider robots juicy,” I said. “Are we really already here in the tech world? I thought we had another decade before we had to deal with the robot takeover.”

Dave shrugged. “Apparently, the future is now, Natalia. Grab it by the horns. Maybe we’ll have to see what the tech is all about. Bring it into the office. Imagine the efficiency.”

I cringed at the idea. “I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”

“Remember, you’re the one that is in charge of getting people excited about this stuff,” he said. “You’re going to want to be familiar with it and be ready to promote it. If you’re not into it, it will show.”

“I’ve promoted erectile dysfunction drugs before,” I reminded him. “Trust me, I’m the queen of faking it.”

He chuckled and rose from the chair. He adjusted his tie and shot me a last victorious grin. “I know you’ll do great.”

“I’m picking my own team. I’m not dealing with this alone.”

“Deal,” he said. He looked at his watch. “You’ve got twenty minutes before the meeting. They’re expecting you downstairs.”

I jumped up, giving him a sharp look. “Twenty minutes? And you’re only telling me now?”

He grinned. “You’re the best at thinking on your feet, Natalia.”

“Remind me why I work here,” I muttered.

“Because you enjoy a good challenge,” Dave replied, opening the door to leave. “And this is certainly that.”

He walked out, grinning at his own joke. I took another glance at the HomeTech file. Twenty minutes was not a lot of time to prepare for a meeting like this, especially when I had just been thrown into the deep end. But Dave was right about one thing—I did love a good challenge.

I sat down and started reading through the file once again, trying to commit numbers and points to memory. I usually had weeks or months to prepare for a pitch. I didn’t know the first thing about AI. I struggled to get my coffeemaker to work properly. I had an InstaPot still in the box because the thing intimidated me. I didn’t do tech and now I was supposed to try and convince people like me it was a good thing?

Penelope walked into my office. “Well?”

“Dave is playing games.”

She frowned. “Like Scrabble?”