Page 9 of One Midnight Kiss

4

NATALIA

Iwalked into my office at eight sharp to find Penelope already waiting by my desk with a fresh stack of files. The rain was drumming against the windows of my corner office, droplets sliding down the glass and blurring the view. The dreary Seattle sunlight was barely peeking through the clouds. It was the kind of November morning where everyone wanted to stay in bed but not me. I thrived on days like this. Everyone else moved slower, while I kept my pace steady and strong.

The weather kind of matched my aura. I felt dreary. Not in a sad way, but my life felt gray. It wasn’t a bad thing. It was just life. Every morning I woke up, gave myself a pep talk, and hit the ground running.

Penelope handed over the files with her usual efficiency. “New leads for the Hollister account,” she announced. “And the Pacific Northwest expansion project—legal has some concerns.”

“Noted,” I said, scanning the pages. I could already tell Hollister would be a quick turnaround. It was just another part of the routine. I longed for something more dynamic, something I could really sink my teeth into.

“Anything else?” I asked, eyes still on the papers.

Penelope nodded. “Dave’s looking for you. He said he wants to talk before your ten o’clock appointment.”

I frowned. “Did he say why?”

“Nope,” she replied, a small smirk on her lips. “But he looked like a kid with a secret.”

“Great,” I muttered. “Let’s hope it’s a good secret.”

My line rang out at Penelope’s desk. “I’ll get that. Need anything?”

“Nope, I’m good.” I got right to work. I liked to stay busy. I wanted to be swamped. It was the only way I got through the day. One foot in front of the other. That was my motto. Just keep swimming. And in Seattle, that was very apropos.

There was a soft knock at my office door before it opened. Dave, the CEO and my boss, walked in.

I nodded and smiled. “Good morning.”

“Good morning.” His eyes drifted to the window. He shook his head like he was disgusted by what he saw. “Don’t you crave sunshine?”

I laughed softly. “Don’t we all. What’s up? Penelope said you needed to talk to me.”

He took a seat, his long legs stretching out. “I’ve got a big project for you.”

“Okay, I like the sound of that,” I said, gesturing for him to continue.

“It’s an account that needs a lot of help. And I mean a lot. This is a top-tier opportunity, and the client specifically asked for you.”

“Me?” I sat up straighter, intrigued.

“There’s a meeting today with the CEO and CFO of HomeTech,” he said. “The company just moved into an office downstairs about a month ago. I want you to be the one to sit with them and help solve their advertising problems.”

I crossed my arms, giving him a flat look. “I’m the marketing director, Dave. If you’re here to hand me another mid-level account⁠—”

“It’s not a mid-level account,” he interrupted, waving a hand dismissively.

“I appreciate you thinking of me, but I’m a director, not an executive. I’m afraid you would be wasting my very healthy salary on something an executive could handle.”

He chuckles. “You used to love managing accounts, especially the impossible ones.”

“And I kicked ass, which is why I’m a director,” I said.

He leaned back in his chair, looking far too pleased with himself. “They want you, Natalia. They specifically requested your expertise.”

I sighed. “And what’s the project? Why are they in such desperate need of saving?”

“Hanna,” he said simply.