Falling For Mr. Tyson

I Don't Have A Mommy

Chloe

It had been three grueling days since our boardroom presentation, and the design studio at ABC Interiors was dead silent.

Every time the office telephone gave a phantom click, or an email notification chimed, we all jumped. But it was always just a vendor statement or spam. The silence from Tyson Luxury Hotels was heavy, suffocating, and terrifying.

Behind our desks, the entire squad looked completely gloomy. Anna was slumped over her keyboard, Shane was staring blankly at a black rendering screen, and Nina was aggressively organizing fabric swatches just to keep her hands busy. We had worked ourselves to the bone for this bid. To be met with total silence felt like a crushing defeat.

Needing to break the thick fog in the room, I walked into the studio holding a massive, warm box of gourmet chocolate pastries and glazed donuts.

"Hey, guys," I said, forcing a bright, encouraging smile onto my face as I set the box down on the communal desk. "It's alright to feel sad. We gave it our absolute best shot, but we still need to eat. Gather around."

"Thanks, Chloe," Shane muttered, dragging a donut from the box with a defeated sigh.

Nina grabbed a chocolate pastry and took a fiercely aggressive bite. "At the very least, they could send a standard automated message if our firm wasn't chosen. What's with this ghosting? It's completely unprofessional!"

"I second that," Anna mumbled, lifting her coffee with a shaky hand. "At this point, we worked our masses off. Honestly? It's their loss."

Shane looked over at me, his brow furrowing. "Aren't you also sad, Chloe? You practically poured your soul into those blueprints."

"Of course I am," I sighed, leaning my hip against the edge of the desk. "This isn't the first time we've lost a massive pitch. This opportunity was historical, but guess what? God has bigger plans for us. So please, cheer up. I seriously miss you guys bantering, and remember, this is not the end of the world."

Anna looked up at me, a grateful smile finally breaking through her gloomy expression. "Thanks, team leader. That's exactly why you're the lead."

"She's right," Nina added. "We must brace up. It's their loss. And I hope the firm they picked instead does an absolutely terrible job!"

The entire room burst into a roar of laughter. The heavy energy instantly evaporated, replaced by our classic, chaotic ABC squad rhythm.

Just then, the door swung open and Mr. Derek Ford entered the studio.

"Have you guys checked the new email from Tyson Corp?" our managing director asked, his face completely unreadable.

"No, Mr. Ford," I said, my heart dropping into my stomach. "It's been three days. If it's a heartbreak email, we-"

Mr. Ford's stern face suddenly broke into a massive, rare smile. "It's good news! We got it!"

"WHAT?!"

The four of us completely lost our minds. We scrambled over each other, running straight to our computers to check our inboxes. I clicked open the formal message from the executive board, my hands shaking so badly I could barely guide the mouse.

SUBJECT: Notice of Award - Tyson Hotel Project

Dear ABC Interiors Team,

We are pleased to inform you that your proposal has been officially selected for our flagship hotel development. Our development board was deeply impressed by your artistic luxury execution and technical precision.

Please prepare for the official executive contract signing at our corporate headquarters tomorrow morning...

"OMG! We got it!" Nina shrieked, launching herself across the room and jumping straight into my arms. I laughed out loud, hugging her back just as tightly.

Behind us, a sudden commotion made us pull apart. Shane had literally scooped Anna up in a massive bear hug, lifting her off her feet while she screamed in pure, unadulterated joy.

Nina blinked, her expression shifting into playful suspicion. "Wait, wait. When did you two suddenly get so close?"

Shane's eyes widened in sudden, hilarious panic. He instantly pried Anna off his body, completely letting go and dropping her straight onto her butt on the carpet.

"Ouch! Ouch!" Anna yelled from the floor, rubbing her backside before glaring up at him with wild, laughing eyes. "I am going to kill you today, Shane!"

Mr. Ford's commanding voice cut in before a crime scene could break out.

"Before anyone kills each other, we still have one major thing to do. The signing is tomorrow. I will go with Chloe to finalize everything!"

"Alright, Mr. Ford," I smiled, straightening my shoulders.

"Then I will leave now so you can continue to kill yourselves," Mr. Ford teased, giving us a proud nod before walking out.

The exact second the door clicked shut behind him, Anna scrambled to her feet and ran after Shane. "I'm really going to kill you today!"

"I'm sorry! I panicked!" Shane yelled, screaming in laughter as they started running in frantic circles around the desks. Nina and I just leaned against the wall, laughing hysterically at their childish antics.

★★★

The next day was a hectic, whirlwind blur of finalizing budgets, reviewing legal clauses, and signing NDAs. But by Friday afternoon, it was completely finalized-ABC Interiors was officially handling the flagship grand hotel project for Tyson Corp! Our first official site visit was scheduled for Monday morning, which meant we were supposed to use the weekends for resting.

But no! Nina had practically dragged me out for a massive celebratory outing.

First, she'd hauled me to a salon for what she called a "victory makeover," then she'd marched me through three different clothing boutiques, forcing me to try on outfits while she played the role of an overly enthusiastic fashion critic.

By the time we finally escaped, my arms were loaded with shopping bags, my feet ached, and I was more than ready to go home.

Yet somehow, Nina still wasn't satisfied. Currently, she was staring across the crowded sidewalk with sparkling eyes.

"I'm so tired, Nina," I wailed, the heavy plastic shopping bags digging painfully into my palms. "Let's go home already."

"Of course not! Look over there-it's an ice cream store! You know how I love ice cream," she pouted, tugging on my arm. "I promise, this is the absolute last place we are going! And I'm paying!"

"Okay, fine," I groaned, letting out a defeated sigh. "But remember, this is the absolute last place. Else, I am going to leave you here the second you change your mind."

"Okay, okay. Deal!"

With a dramatic sigh, we entered the parlor, and I waited while Nina bought her treats. But on our way back out onto the street, Nina suddenly came to a dead stop.

"What is it again?" I asked, shifting the heavy bags. "Don't tell me you have somewhere else to go? Because I am legally abandoning you right now."

"No!" Nina gasped, crossing her legs dramatically. "I suddenly want to pee so bad. It's an emergency! Take the ice cream and the bags and wait outside for me!"

I fought the violent urge to wince. "Fine. But only two minutes."

Nina laughed, throwing her cup at me and sprinting back inside toward the restrooms. I walked out onto the pavement, standing near a concrete planter box, balancing the massive mountain of shopping bags while waiting for her.

I was just about to struggle to pull out my phone when something caught my eye a few feet away.

A small young girl, wearing a beautiful pink dress, was standing completely alone on the crowded New York sidewalk. She had neat, raven-black hair and was looking around with wide, frightened, tear-filled eyes. Judging by her size, she fell somewhere between the age of four and five.

My designer's eye automatically registered her vulnerability, but my human heart took over instantly. I dropped the shopping bags onto the pavement, stepped closer, and crouched down to her eye level.

I quickly scanned the bustling crowd for her parents, but there was absolutely no one looking for her.

"Little girl... where is your mommy?" I asked, my voice as soft and gentle as possible so I wouldn't scare her.

The little girl didn't speak. She just stared at me, her lower lip trembling violently. But just as I was about to ask her what was wrong, she suddenly stepped forward and threw her tiny arms tightly around my neck, burying her face in my shoulder.

"I don't have a mommy!" she sobbed into my jacket.

"Huh?" I blinked in surprise.

Who doesn't have a mommy?

For a second, I was too stunned to speak. But the little girl was shaking so hard in my arms that every other thought faded away.

Without thinking, I tightened my embrace around her tiny frame and rubbed a comforting hand along her back.

"Hey, it's okay," I whispered softly.