Still enduring the hard pounding of my heart, I entered the restaurant with my chin up like nothing had happened.
"Keep it together," I grumbled to myself.
I had a business to deal with. My personal life should be set aside. I would cry about it later.
My heels hit the carpeted floor. The smell of expensive edibles lingered in the air, along with the chatter polluting the area bathed in golden lighting.
"Ms. Beaumont?"
A man clad in a stylized black suit stood up from a chair, offering me his hand and a formal smile.
"Atticus Lark, Larkvish Corporation. My good old friend, Mr. Kaufman, asked me to personally bring you his apology and also to inform you that he won't be able to join us for this meeting." He handed me a bouquet of flowers.
His neatly brushed back salt-and-pepper hair
