MARION
The jet wheels screeched against the tarmac, a smooth landing slicing through the calm of the L.A. morning. From my window, Los Angeles brightened like a canvas washed in gold. The sky stretched wide and endless, a pale blue brushed with faint wisps of white clouds, while the sun cast a warm glow that shimmered across the skyline.
The air outside looked crisp and clear, the kind of morning where the city felt alive and buzzing, already thrumming with energy even before nine. No haze today, just sharp light, palm trees swaying lazily, and that endless California brightness. Perfect weather for beginnings. Yes, perfect weather for facing the woman who had somehow made me agree to a second tasting.
I straightened my cufflinks, rolling my shoulders back. Business first. That was the
