With three days left until the Ismark Project bid opening, Daphne instructed Cade to continue optimizing the product.
Cade believed there was no chance of winning and saw no point, but Daphne insisted on the optimization, arguing that the bid presentation required a strong pitch and that the optimized version will yield better results.
It had already been announced that Daphne was now the new CEO.
It had sent tongues wagging through the whole of SG with many believing that she became the CEO through improper means.
But Daphne wasn’t moved by them.
She knew how abilities and if Marco truly believed she could lead SG, then she needed to live up to his expectations.
*********
Maliyah, having received a bonus thanks to Daphne’s help in securing a contract renewal, invited Daphne to dinner and also wanted to buy Daphne a gift.
After dinner, the two went shopping at the mall.
Some time later, Maliyah went to the restroom and asked Daphne to hold her bag.
Daphne sat in one of the departmental stores waiting for Maliyah, when she lifted up her head, she saw two women walking in.
Instantly, she looked away pretending not to see them.
But the two women did the opposite as they walked up to her.
Mabel and Kayla.
“Daphne.” Kayla called.
Sighing, Daphne turned to face her.
“Kayla.”
“I’ve actually been meaning to come see you at home.
Given how close we are, shouldn’t you have confided in me first before quitting?” Kayla queried.
Daphne was astonished at her audacity.
“We aren’t close, Kayla.
And I don’t have to tell you anything.”
Kayla gasped.
“When did you become so bitchy?
What’s with this new behavior of yours?
Do you expect our CEO to beg you to come back to work when you’re acting like this.
You’re being so ungrateful!”
“Can you pretend not to know me when next you see me?” Daphne asked.
That was genuinely what she wanted.
She was sick and tired of putting up with Kayla’s bullshit.
“I think you two should calm down.” Mabel said, calmly, pretending to mediate the situation.
Daphne stood and walked out of the store, leaving the two of them standing there.
“What’s she feeling like?!” Kayla seethed.
As Daphne walked away, Mabel noticed the luxury brand bag in Daphne’s hand and speculated that Daphne had hooked up with Marco.
Recalling how she herself had been rejected by Marco, she maliciously assumes that Daphne was now involved with another man.
Didn’t everyone say she was too obsessed with Trevor to care about someone else?
Mabel then tentatively asked Kayla.
“Do you think Daphne’s changed?
You mention that she’s not bitchy.”
Kayla scoffed.
“She’s just trying to be tough.
I know her very well.
She’s nothing but a pushover.”
Mabel nodded in comprehension.
“I think we’re done here.
Let’s head over to see Vincent now.
He must be waiting.”
***********
Mabel took Kayla to meet Vincent, the manager of the Technology Department at Ismark Technology, who was also Mabel’s college senior.
With the Ismark project bid opening imminent, Mabel was laying the groundwork in advance.
Vincent had been pestering her to meet up if she wanted to secure the deal but Mabel didn’t want to sleep with him.
So she brought Kayla instead.
The three got seated.
Mabel introduced Kayla to Vincent.
“Vincent, meet my beautiful best friend.”
Kayla was beyond delighted to hear Mabel call her, her best friend.
Following Mabel’s cue, Kayla presented Vincent with a gift box.
Vincent pretended to refuse at first, citing strict company policies.
Mabel quickly clarified that the items were health supplements for Vincent’s parents.
Vincent accepted them and promised to proceed as previously agreed.
Mabel suddenly let out that she needed to step outside to return a call and whispered to Kayla to keep Vincent company.
She promises to give Kayla all the sales commissions from the second and third phases of the project.
Kayla is overjoyed; she was short on cash lately and really needed this money.
********
Mabel returned half an hour later to find Kayla already drunk, while Vincent had only turned a bit flushed.
Vincent who badly wanted to sleep with Mabel reached out to touch her hand.
Mabel quickly made an excuse to take a call and left again, sending Vincent a message saying she had to leave early due to overtime at work and asking him to take Kayla home.
She hoped Vincent would take the hint and just do it with Kayla instead.
And she also hoped Kayla would do her best so that Vincent would become infatuated with her instead.
Vincent indeed took the hint to have the woman with him for the night.
By the time he drove Kayla to her apartment, she was a bit sober and so was her.
Thinking of the big bonus Mabel had promised her, Kayla really wanted to please this man and so she invited him into her apartment for coffee.
The conversation in the car was consistently flirty.
Vincent didn’t realise how quickly the sequence of entering the apartment getting the drink and flirting had led to kissing.
Nor how much he would want her when they did.
Somehow though it had and he did want her desperately.
When he moved a hand to her small supple breasts and cupped them she moaned, encouragingly.
He pinched her nipples through the thin tightly stretched fabric of her halter and gloried in the erect response and the sweetness of her kiss.
“You can touch me if you want.
Do you want to?
Only I’m getting excited here.”
“Oh yeah, I want to touch you all over, little girl.
I could die happy just doing this forever too.” He slid a hand to her thigh and felt the silken touch of her warm skin.
He stroked her and felt her part her legs a little so that he could find the triangle of silk that covered her hot young pussy.
“Can you feel how wet I am?” She whispered sexily through her continuous kisses.
His fingers found the wetness she promised soaking into the diaphanous panties.
He revelled at how sweet her panties were, how wet they were how warm and inviting she was.
He caressed her folds through her panties until she began to moan beneath his explorations.