Page 22 of Tell Me What you Think

"We're booking appointments for late January, Marina. If I do this, you're going to owe me at minimum one lunch at the most expensive place I can think of."

"Deal."

"Fine. Have her come in Wednesday the twenty-third at five. It's the last day I'm open before the holidays and I was planning to leave early."

"Lunch and drinks—got it."

"Perfect. I have to go, I'm heading into the subway. Talk soon."

"Have a great weekend."

Marina hung up and set the phone on the desk.

"Wednesday at five—she doesn't have anything sooner."

"That's—thank you." Olga fanned herself with her hand. "But at that hour I'll still be—"

"Obviously, you have my permission to leave early."

Olga smiled.

"Don't smile—with this acquisition we're going to be putting in some long hours. Now go home and try to take your mind off this. I'm sure it has a solution."

"Thank you, seriously," Olga said, getting up to leave.

Chapter 10

Olga arrives in Esplugues de Llobregat with a knot in her stomach. Knowing a lawyer was going to see her hadn't stopped her from worrying, but it had let her sleep better at night and get through a more or less peaceful weekend — distracted by a trip to the movies on Saturday afternoon and a long binge of her show on Sunday.

Everything at the office has felt strange from Monday through today. Olga has managed to focus and hasn't made any more stupid mistakes since Marina talked to her on Friday afternoon. The heavier workload that came with preparing the Nauta acquisition has helped, because having something to do every minute hasn't left her much time to dwell on her problem — but without a doubt, what's made her feel most secure has been knowing her boss is in her corner, asking every morning whether she slept well and deliberately piling on more work than she knows Olga can handle, just to keep her busy.

Olga buzzes the intercom number listed for Andrea Soler's office, and when the door clicks open, she walks up to the second floor, finding a single open door on the landing with an empty reception desk visible from outside. She steps in and is about to call out to announce herself when a voice to her right makes her jump.

"Olga, right?"

She spins around and finds a woman in her mid-to-late forties wearing a skirt suit, low heels, and a short, dark bob that frames a striking face.

"Yes, I'm here to see Andrea Soler."

"That's me," she says, closing the door behind her and offering her hand. "Sorry to take you like this — I'm on my own this afternoon. My secretary started her Christmas vacation at noon."

The handshake is firm and purposeful, and that alone gives Olga hope.

"I'm sorry to make you work, but I was desperate and—"

"Don't worry. Marina filled me in, and I get it — a certified letter like that is terrifying. Follow me."

Olga follows her down a long hallway with warm lighting, several doors on either side. All of them stand open with the lights off and the desks empty — all except this woman's, who is seeing her because Marina Cardona asked her as a personal favor. The office is large, with a rectangular desk on the left holding two monitors, two more screens set in opposite corners, one big conference table with several chairs, and a smaller round one that's where they settle, which tells Olga she uses one or the other depending on how many people show up.

Andrea already has a notepad and a cup of pens waiting, and she puts on her reading glasses as she sits down.

"Did you bring the certified letter?"

"Yes, right here."

Olga pulls it from her bag, slides it across the table, and Andrea reads it considerably faster than Marina did, skimming past all the boilerplate she knows by heart.

"All right," Andrea begins, setting the letter aside. "I'll make a copy of this later. Now tell me the whole story from the beginning."