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“It’s too small, for one. And… I just don’t think Mr var Rorik would actually be happy with it on the night.”

“Oh? Then how come he seems so adamant about going with it?”

She glanced back again. “Mr var Rorik is… not the best at admitting when he’s wrong.”

“You don’t say.” I was beyond curious, so I found myself asking, “What’s it like working for him?”

She chuckled. “Well, he does have a, um, pretty high opinion of himself, and his business, so he can be a… handful, but actually…” She cocked her head. “He’s a great boss. I’ve worked as a PA for a while now, and he’s the first one who doesn’t objectify me or give me condescending pet names or get overly demanding.”

I blinked at her. “Really?”

She nodded. “Yeah. He’s pretty chill, to be honest. As long as I remember to deliver his five meals a day and his pre-workout drink and protein bar at precisely four-thirty. I forgot once and he was”—she cringed—“not so chill then.”

“I see.” I glanced over at him just as he grinned at Loria and leaned in closer to say something. She threw back her head with a coquettish laugh, touching his arm. I tensed up, not knowing why, and nodded in their direction. “Guess that’s a common occurrence when he leaves the office.”

Lipa looked back and snorted. “Oh yeah, he laps up the attention. And he gets a lot of it.”

“Mm.” Gripping my tablet too tight, I said, “Well, I’m kind of in a rush, so why don’t we go gently chivvy them along?”

“Uh, sure.” Lipa eyed me as I started marching over.

“Mr var Rorik,” I said loudly as I approached them, giving him a tight smile when he looked over. “So sorry to interrupt, but I’m afraid my schedule is a bit tight today.”

Loria pasted a professional smile on her face and took a step back. “Of course. So is mine, I must admit. So… what do you think?”

var Rorik began, “I think it’s great—”

“I’m not sure it’ll work, I’m afraid,” I talked over him. “It’s a beautiful space, but just slightly on the small side for what Mr var Rorik and his associate are hoping for. Thank you so much for fitting us in though, especially while you’re so busy planning for tomorrow’s event.”

“Oh, that’s a shame, but I understand.”

“Hold on.” var Rorik glared at me, but when I stared back with unwavering eyes, he cleared his throat and instead focused on Loria. “I think it’ll work great. We can make it work. Anita will make it work, won’t you?” He shot me a sharp grin. “I’m sure you enjoy a challenge.”

I barely managed to stop myself from narrowing my eyes at him. “Well, if I can’t convince you otherwise…”

“Ms fir Bulek.” One of the staff members hurried over. “There’s a problem with the sound system.”

Loria gave them a brittle smile. “Alright, I’ll be over in a moment.” Turning back to var Rorik, her smile softened. “Well, do let me know what you decide. I’ll keep the date open for you for as long as possible, and just call me when you’ve made your decision.”

“I’ll actually be the one calling you,” I told her flatly, and she paused before smiling at me.

“Of course. It was lovely to meet you.” She shook var Rorik’s hand, then mine and Lipa’s. “Feel free to stay and look around the space for as long as you like.”

“That’s very kind, but as I said, I’m afraid I don’t have much time.”

“Me neither,” var Rorik said quickly. “I have a one o’clock appointment I can’t miss, so…”

Lipa delicately cleared her throat as Loria gave us a final nod and strode off toward the stage. “You asked me to move your one o’clock to one-thirty, sir. So you should be fine.”

His ears fluttered. “That was—That’s only because I have another appointment.”

She looked stricken at the thought of missing something in his diary. Fumbling with her tablet, she said, “Oh, of course, let me just—”

“It’s not—” He shifted. “It’s a private appointment.”

She stared up at him. “A private appointment, sir? So… will you not be wanting your lunch today, if you won’t be in the office at the usual time?”

“No, I… It’s not an appointment, just a phone call. So I will. Be in the office, I mean. So I’ll, uh, I’ll want my lunch. Thanks, Lipa.” Jutting out his chin defiantly, he turned to look at me. “So yeah, I’m pressed for time too. I think this’ll work great though, so…”