𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐞𝐫 | 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐢

Business And Pleasure

I entered the ball and looked around in awe at the elegant decor. Cheryl led me across the room to our table, where her parents were already seated.

"Antoinette? What a.. delight to see you here." Mrs. Blossom said with a surprise in her voice. "You look wonderful in that gown."

"Thank you." I replied.

"Where's Veronica?" Mr. Blossom asked.

"She wasn't feeling well, so she stayed home. Luckily, Toni was free to help us fill the table." Cheryl said.

"Lucky, indeed. You know how it looks to have an empty seat." He groaned.

My eyes fell on the vacant chair across from me. "Are we expecting someone else?"

"Unfortunately, Jason couldn't make it at the last minute either. But never fear, Cliff's old secretary should be along soon to take his place." Mrs. Blossom said.

I nodded before turning to Cheryl and lowering my voice. "You weren't kidding about this empty seat thing."

"Yeah, if you buy a table at an event like this, you're expected to fill every seat or you might get frozen out next time."

Cheryl's eyes widened as she watched a stranger from across the room. Wait. I recognize him from Veronica's flashed cards. That's Miles Houston!

"I've been trying to convince him to collaborate with us on a new project, but he's notoriously un-schmoozable. Care to help me change that?" Cheryl took me across the room, almost immediately slipping into work mode.

"Cheryl. You're looking well." Miles greeted.

"You too, Miles. Toni, I'd like you to meet Miles Houston, a fellow technophile and unrepentant geek. I'm hoping he might brainstorm with me someday."  Cheryl said.

Miles gave me a once-over. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance. Do you work at Blossom Enterprises as well?"

"I.. freelance alongside the company in a limited capacity, but I'm inches away from committing full-time," I informed.

"Oh? Why would you say that?" He asked.

My mind went to Veronica's flashcards, and I remembered that he liked meditation and disliked waste.

"I love how waste and energy efficiency are top-notch. It's important to be conscious of your environmental impact, even on a small scale. Like how after a company event, Cheryl herself stays behind to recycle every last can."

Miles appeared impressed. "It's hard to find a CEO willing to do the work instead of cutting corners."

"We do what we can. It's our responsibility to set the standard." Cheryl said and Miles nodded.

"It is helpful to see Blossom Enterprises from a different point of view... and the way you describe it seems rather idyllic."

Cheryl's eyes glowed as she saw her window of opportunity. "As you know, we'd love to bring you on board. You could be instrumental in making sure we fulfill our mission statement with the latest Nightingale update."

Miles hummed. " I admit I've been on the fence, but after tonight... I'll be in touch." He shook Cheryl's hand, then walked away.

Cheryl turned to me with a wide grin. "I can't believe that just happened."

"Believe it. You can be very convincing when you want to be. Speaking of.." I gestured over her shoulder, where a woman I recognized as Selene d'Torte was in a heated discussion with Cheryl's parents. "We'd better rescue them."

We walked briskly towards the trio.

"Selene, you can't just back out like this out of the blue. It'll make the other shareholders panic!" Mr. Blossom whisper-yelled.