Executive Engagement

“Yeah. She also stole the CEO’s car and drove it straight into a lake,” Renee nods wisely, almost as if she admires the sheer level of insanity Misty is capable of achieving. “That girl is an hurricane.”

“I can see that,” I sigh, leaning back against my seat and rubbing my temples, already feeling a headache brewing inside my head.

“Hey, another martini!” Renee shouts out suddenly, waving her empty glass at the bartender. I look at him over my shoulder, and I notice a smile creeping up on his face as he looks at Renee.

“Order me one,” I tell her, sighing. All this talk of Misty going on a rampage has made me change my mind on the benefits of getting wasted right after lunch.

“And another one for my friend!” She adds in a hurry, and the bartender salutes her discretely. Yeah, there’s something going on between these two.

“What?” I ask her, not bothering to beat around the bush. “Don’t tell me you’re interested.”

“Interested?” She responds, cocking one eyebrow as if she expected more of me. “Please, Cara, I’m not interested. I’ve been sleeping with that guy for the past week. And, let me tell you, he knows how to get his freak on between the sheets. For instance, he --”

“Okay, okay!” I cry out with a laugh. “I get it, I don’t need the details.?

??

“Are you sure? Because they’re the good kind of details, if you know what I mean.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” I continue, turning around on my seat to take a better look at the bartender. “What’s his name?” I ask her as I watch him prepare our drinks. He seems to be in his early twenties, but his youthful face seems to have a hint of danger hidden in there; he’s wearing a white button up shirt, and it’s tight enough for me to see that he’s the kind of guy that loves to spend time at the gym. Renee knows how to choose guys, that’s for sure; even though she’s isn’t exactly picky, she always seems to go for the hottest guy in the room.

“Michael… Or John. I’m not entirely sure.”

“You’re crazy,” I laugh, trying to act discreetly as Michael/John brings us our martinis. This time, I notice him brushing his fingers against Renee’s hands as he gives her the martini.

“No, you’re the one dealing with a crazy person,” she nods, taking a sip out of her martini. I do the same, allowing the alcohol to burn its way down my throat. “But, really… Why do you want to drop Misty? This is the first time I hear you talking of dropping a major client.”

“Liam isn’t the kind of guy I was expecting, Renee. Despite what the whole world seems to think of him, he’s actually a nice guy, you know? He doesn’t deserve to have his heart broken just because Misty’s bitter.”

“Uh-oh. You know what that sounds like, don’t you?” She asks me, and I just sigh. Yeah, I know exactly what it sounds like. “You’re falling for him, aren’t you?”

“I.... Oh, screw it. Yes, I am. But it’s not like things can work out between the two of us, you know? Our relationship started because Misty wanted me to break his heart, and I seriously doubt things will be the same after he finds out,” I tell her, that familiar desperation creeping in once more: I can’t imagine how it’ll be like without having Liam in my life. God, I sound just like a teenager, don’t I?

“You think too much, Cara,” Renee whispers softly. “That’s your problem. You should try and follow your heart on this one.”

“That’s how people end up on my client list,” I scoff, feeling more miserable than I have ever felt, and that’s when I feel my phone vibrating. I pick it up from the table, and there’s a text from my assistant in there: Come ASAP, it reads, Misty’s here.

“Oh, crap, Misty’s at the office,” I tell Renee, finishing my martini and then standing up. I grab my wallet to pay, but Renee just waves me down.

“I got this,” she says, and I stuff my wallet inside my purse again. “Just… go do what you have to do.”

“And what’s that?”

“You’ll figure it out,” she replies, looking into my eyes and smiling softly. “You always figure it out.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, even though this time I’m not sure if I can find a solution for this mess.

Either way, it’s time to face Misty.

Cara

“She’s already inside,” my assistant says, pointing at my office’s door and shrugging. “I tried to stop her, but…” She shrugs again, and I just nod at her, fully knowing that there’s no stopping a maniac like Misty.

“Alright, I’ll handle her,” I say, more to myself than to my assistant. I walk toward the door, place my hand on the handle, and take a deep breath before turning it.

“Misty?” I call her as I step inside the office, carefully closing the door behind me. The office’s lights are turned off, and I go for the switch and flick it up. The moment the light floods the room, my eyes find Misty immediately - she’s sitting in my chair, her legs up on my desk, and her small Yorkie, Cupcake, is sitting on her lap with a bored expression. Her lips are a straight line of contempt, desperation, and rage… and all that at the same time.

“Why haven’t you answered my calls?” She asks me right away, her voice soft but already cracking. She’s seconds away from crying or screaming - or probably these two at the same time.