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“It couldn’t have been that bad!” She elbows me in the ribs. “What did you two talk about anyway?”
“Wine,” I shrug.
“Oh yeah, he likes wine,” she says, still chowing down on her food.
Then, she turns to me with wide eyes and says, “Wait! Was he hitting on you?”
I blush, violently. “No…”
I cough and then continue, “At least, I don’t think so.”
“Oh,” Bella says with some relief. “Then I don’t have to have a talk with him.”
I let out a small sigh of relief too, relieved that I narrowly escaped that. That would have been awkward with a capital A.
Chapter Four
ALEX
Thiswouldbe a day like any other, but instead, today I’ll be meeting with Bella and Liv for the first of many incursions into my life.
I’m usually more reserved and private, but Bella convinced me that this article would be a good idea. I really like the idea of even more publicity for my non-profit organization. And the fact that I will get to work with Liv is an added bonus. I’m hoping I’ll get a chance to talk with her more one-on-one and get to know her better.
They’ll come in the afternoon, so I spend my morning handling occasional tasks. As the founder and CEO of RadiantRay, a successful and well-established solar power company, I've been able to delegate a significant portion of my responsibilities, allowing the company to run smoothly without the need for daily, back-to-back meetings. My involvement now consists of periodic check-ins and strategic input to ensure everything stays on course with our growth objectives. I still attend occasional meetings and address emails, but it's a very balanced and manageable workload.
I video call Harlan during my lunch break and am about to finish my meal when my cell phone rings. It’s my assistant informing me Bella and Liv are waiting for me.
“I’ll be right there, Nicole,” I tell my assistant and then hang up.
I place all the contents of my lunch box back inside of it and leave the break room to head upstairs and back to my office. A short walk and an elevator ride later, I find Nicole in the reception and Bella and her lovely friend standing in the waiting room.
“Good afternoon, ladies!” I greet them, trying to hide the subtle quickening of my pulse as I stand this close to Liv.
“Where were you?” Bella places her hand on her hips as if I had taken agesto arrive.
“In the break room!” I reveal my lunch box. “Having lunch!”
“You…” Liv now says, a finger suspended in the air. “You, a billionaire, bring your lunch and eat it with your employees?”
“Why not?” I ask, nonchalantly.
“Yeah, why not, Liv?” Bella asks of her, coming to my defense.
“Nicole,” I turn to her, and she looks at me with an expectant smile. “Please take messages for any calls that come in for me. I’ll be giving the ladies the tour and will be spending the afternoon with them.”
“Will do, sir,” the young woman nods and is an inch away from saluting me.
“Follow me, ladies,” I say, pointing to my office door. “I’ll show you my office and then I’ll take you through the rest of the solar factory.”
I open the doors. The first thing that greets me is the floor-to-ceiling windows serving as the backdrop, which showcases the San Francisco skyline. I never get tired of seeing the blend of contemporary glass and steel skyscrapers set against the beautiful backdrop of rolling hills and the shimmering waters of the bay.
And then my eyes fall on the enormous dark mahogany desk with a glass top that an interior designer picked, and I’ve had to learn to live with.
Bella and Liv enter after me, and the first thing Liv does is remove her large camera from the case at her side.
She’s already taking pictures and I can’t help but feel self-conscious – I’m not sure what to do with my hands. She notices my unease and says, “I don’t like posed pictures, so just pretend I’m not here.”
“Why do you sound so bitter?” I ask her under my breath.
