The following morning, Chloe stepped out of the apartment building and immediately spotted Adrian waiting beside his Ferrari.
The silver supercar gleamed beneath the morning sun, drawing more than a few curious looks from people passing by. Adrian leaned casually against the driver’s side, spinning the keys around his index finger.
"Good morning, Adrian. I’m so sorry! I think I overslept."
She gave him an embarrassed little laugh, her cheeks turning pink.
She looked lovely that morning. Her long, fiery-red hair fell over her shoulders in soft waves, partially shaded by a woven sun hat. A simple summer dress complemented her slender figure, striking a comfortable balance between casual elegance and understated charm.
However, the most noticeable addition to her outfit was the designer handbag hanging from her shoulder. It was the very bag Adrian had bought for her the previous evening.
Adrian pushed away from the car, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Relax. I figured you might take a little longer." He glanced at his watch. "It’s only eight fifteen. Traffic doesn’t look too bad, so we should reach downtown in about thirty minutes."
"Right!"
Chloe quickly climbed into the passenger seat.
A moment later, the Ferrari pulled away from the curb and glided onto the road. Its engine drew even more attention as it disappeared down the street.
Once they were on the main road, Adrian glanced at Chloe.
"Still nervous?"
His eyes returned to the road.
"You seemed like you were thinking about the meeting all night."
Chloe twirled a strand of hair around her finger.
"That’s what I said last night," she admitted. "Maybe a little."
If only that were the whole truth.
The sponsorship meeting itself wasn’t what had kept her awake. Thanks to her connection inside the company, she already had reason to believe the deal was practically secured. The interview was mostly a formality.
Her real problem was Adrian.
She had spent half the night tossing and turning, repeatedly checking her phone because she was afraid of missing a message from him. Every time she considered putting the phone down and getting some sleep, the thought of leaving him waiting made her restless all over again.
By the time she finally got up that morning, the dark circles beneath her eyes had required an extra layer of foundation, and she had rushed through the rest of her preparations.
Naturally, she had no idea that Adrian had nearly slept through the morning himself. Without a timely notification from the system to wake him, he might not have contacted her until the sun was already up.
"Well, I can’t pretend to be an expert on corporate interviews," Adrian admitted, keeping one hand relaxed on the steering wheel. "I’ve never actually gone through a normal job interview myself. But I’ve seen enough movies to know the general idea. It’s not as complicated as people make it out to be."
Chloe turned toward him.
"Then what is it like?"
"Dealing with a banker, more or less."
She blinked.
"A banker?"
Adrian’s expression barely changed, but alarm bells were already ringing in his head.
’Damn it. Am I really looking at everything through a gambling lens now?’
To him, the banker was the house, the composed figure on the other side of the table who controlled the game and dictated its pace.
Unfortunately, Chloe had no reason to understand that particular comparison.
"I mean, imagine you’re going to a bank to cash a large check," he explained smoothly. "You stay calm, answer their questions, and let them handle the paperwork. That’s basically it."
"Oh! I understand now."
Chloe nodded, visibly relieved.
"Though I hardly ever visit a physical bank these days. Between mobile banking and digital transfers, there’s barely any reason to deal with people face-to-face."
"Fair point."
Adrian chuckled, glad he had managed to explain himself without making things any stranger.
He tapped his fingers lightly against the steering wheel and glanced at her again. Despite their conversation, her shoulders remained tense.
Clearly, she still needed something to take her mind off the interview.
"Alright, let me share a classic psychological trick with you."
Chloe looked at him expectantly.
"When the interviewer starts talking, imagine they’re standing in front of you completely naked."
Her amber eyes widened.
Adrian maintained a straight face, though the corner of his mouth twitched.
"Think about it. How are you supposed to feel intimidated by someone when you’re too busy imagining how ridiculous they look without their clothes?"
Chloe stared at him in disbelief.
’Don’t be nervous? By imagining the interviewer naked?’
She tried to consider the idea seriously. After all, if it worked, why not give it a shot?
Unfortunately, her mind immediately supplied a suitable image.
And the person standing before her in that image wasn’t some random interviewer.
It was Adrian.
Her gaze drifted toward his profile, taking in his sharp features, broad shoulders, and well-fitted clothes.
The imagined scene became painfully vivid.
Heat rushed up her neck and spread across her cheeks, turning her ears bright red.
"Nooo! That doesn’t work!" she squealed, throwing both hands over her face. "Absolutely not!"
Adrian finally lost his composure and burst out laughing.
"Really? I thought that was a classic!"
He had more or less anticipated this reaction. Seeing Chloe curl up in the passenger seat, utterly defeated by her own imagination, made the whole thing worthwhile.
She cautiously parted two fingers and peeked at him through the gap.
Her eyes were wide with betrayal.
The moment she realized he was still laughing, she covered her face again.
Her heart was pounding, and her composure had completely fallen apart.
"Alright, alright. Terrible advice." Adrian grinned. "Let’s try something else. When you sit down for the interview, imagine the person across the desk is Jacob."
Chloe slowly lowered her hands.
"Who’s Jacob?"
"An old friend of mine. Absolute clown. Once he starts talking, he can go off on a tangent for twenty minutes without giving anyone else a chance to speak. Basically, the last person you’d want conducting a serious interview."
Chloe couldn’t help giggling.
"He sounds interesting."
"Oh, you have no idea." Adrian shook his head with exaggerated exasperation. "Just yesterday, the idiot was shamelessly flirting with a saleswoman while we were shopping."
He paused, letting the suspense build.
"And the best part? He was using my card to pay for everything while trying to impress her."
Chloe burst into laughter.
Adrian joined her, and just like that, the tension that had followed her out of the apartment began to melt away.
Their conversation continued naturally as the Ferrari glided through the city. Chloe gradually relaxed, her nervousness giving way to laughter and playful exchanges.
By the time Northwind Interactive’s headquarters came into view, she had almost forgotten how anxious she’d been that morning.
The company’s towering headquarters dominated the commercial district of Halcyon City. Its glass exterior reflected the pale blue sky, while the expansive windows on its upper floors offered sweeping views of the bustling streets below.
Adrian slowed as they approached the entrance, then brought the Ferrari to a smooth stop in the VIP drop-off zone.
Chloe stepped out, straightened her summer dress, and adjusted the designer handbag on her shoulder.
She leaned toward the open passenger window with a bright smile.
"Thank you so much for bringing me, Adrian."
She had barely taken a few steps toward the revolving doors when she turned around and waved at him.
"Don’t mention it," he replied, resting an arm on the window frame. "Just remember, you still owe me that second date."
A fresh blush spread across her cheeks.
As if she could forget!
Truthfully, the thought of having dinner with Adrian again had occupied far more of her attention than the sponsorship deal waiting upstairs.
"I won’t forget!" she called back with a dazzling smile.
After one last glance in his direction, she turned and disappeared into the spacious lobby.
Adrian watched the glass doors close behind her before shifting into gear and driving back into the downtown traffic.
...
Several floors above the entrance, a woman stood beside the floor-to-ceiling windows on the third-floor landing of Northwind Interactive.
Her gaze remained fixed on the circular driveway below.
She had watched the entire scene with considerable interest: the silver Ferrari pulling up, Chloe climbing out, and the unmistakable lightness in the redhead’s steps as she headed toward the building.
The car had departed almost immediately, disappearing into the stream of vehicles moving through Halcyon City. Even so, the woman remained at the window, watching until Chloe finally escaped the morning glare and entered the lobby.
Downstairs, Chloe headed straight for the elevators and pressed the button for the third floor, just as she’d been instructed.
A short while later, the polished brass doors slid open, and she stepped onto the plush corporate carpeting.
The moment she spotted the woman waiting outside the elevator, her face brightened.
"Roxanne! I’m here!"
She hurried over, her earlier nervousness momentarily forgotten.
Roxanne turned to face her. Her posture was composed, her appearance impeccable, and a dry smirk played on her lips.
"Chloe, you’re cutting it dangerously close."
Before Chloe could begin explaining herself, Roxanne’s gaze dropped to the handbag hanging at her side.
She took in the supple leather, the carefully crafted hardware, and the unmistakably luxurious design.
One eyebrow rose.
"Well, well. Which bank did you rob to afford that?"
Chloe instinctively looked down at the bag, her fingers brushing its leather strap.
"Oh, this?" she murmured. "A friend gave it to me last night."
The blush appeared almost immediately.
A small, helpless giggle escaped her, and she lingered over the bag as though remembering something particularly pleasant.
Roxanne narrowed her eyes.
’A friend?’
Her mind immediately returned to the silver Ferrari she’d watched drive away from the entrance moments earlier.
Could this generous friend happen to be the owner of an Italian supercar worth more than an ordinary suburban house?
A dozen questions sprang to mind, each more scandalous than the last.
But as Roxanne studied her friend’s face, she hesitated.
There was something different about Chloe that morning. A dreamy softness lingered in her expression, and she seemed almost unaware of how openly her happiness showed.
Roxanne knew her well enough to recognize that pushing too hard would only make her retreat into her shell.
Besides, Chloe had an important corporate meeting in less than ten minutes. The last thing she needed was for her best friend to turn into an interrogator before she even reached the interview room.
Roxanne decided to save her questions for later.
Still, she couldn’t help studying Chloe’s dreamy expression for another moment.
Whatever had happened, one thing was obvious.
Someone had finally managed to get past her friend’s defenses.