Unhinged

Chapter Nine

As Sophia walked back to her shared suite with Dominic, she was already bracing herself for what she assumed would be a very boring conversation with the German lawyer. She sighed dramatically. She knew she was being extra, but she was Sophia Ysabel Almeda. She preferred to exist in a universe filled with colorful, unhinged people, unicorns, rainbows, butterflies and mild delinquency. Meeting Christoph Richter meant entering the same emotional climate as Alex or Paul or Simon. Men who could gray out a sunny sky just by standing in it.

Dominic was sprawled on the sofa, eating room-service fries and watching a replay of the launch on his tablet.

“How did your audience with the big boss go?” he asked.

Sophia tossed the folder onto the coffee table and collapsed beside him. “He praised me.”

Dominic gasped. “You have been canonized.”

“And then,” she continued with a shrug, “I have to meet with the lead counsel. The German lawyer guy.”

Dominic frowned theatrically, then his eyebrow rose. “Oh, the thirty-five-year-old from Germany. Another serious man.”

“Yup,” she said. “Apparently all legal decisions live and breathe inside him. I must present my humble little campaigns to his mighty presence.”

“Oh,” Dominic said slowly. “Well, he is ancient, but who knows. He might be easy on the eye. Might as well feast.”

“He is almost as old as Alex. Ew.” She wrinkled her nose and made a gagging face, which made Dominic snort.

There was a knock. Guest Relations delivered a small envelope.

“Ma’am, per Mr. Jimenez, this is Mr. Richter’s current suite information,” the staff member said politely.

“Thank you,” Sophia replied with a bright smile, even as her soul quietly screamed.

She waited until the door closed before ripping the envelope open. Dominic scooted closer.

Inside was a sleek printed note.

Suite: Imperial Ridge 804Private access: Executive Sky Corridor, left wing

Sophia stared at it.Dominic stared at it.

Their gazes met in slow horror.

“Left wing,” Dominic said.

“Executive Sky Corridor,” Sophia whispered.

“Imperial Ridge,” Dominic added.

“Eight zero four,” she finished faintly.

Silence.

Then, together, they yelled, “No!”

Sophia slapped the note on the table. “Is this not the suite with the hyena?”

Dominic clutched his imaginary pearls. “You are telling me Mr. International Aquatic Pilates lives there.”

“Right?” Her eyes widened. “So Christoph Richter is Hyena Man?”

There was a beat.

“Oh my God,” Dominic wheezed. “Of course. Of course the loudest performance we have ever accidentally witnessed belongs to a lawyer. And a foreigner. Everything suddenly makes sense.”

“Nothing makes sense,” Sophia said, scandalized. “I have to sit in a room with him and talk about disclaimers while knowing that he, he, he swims recreationally with company.”

Dominic wiped his eyes, still cackling. “No wonder she was screaming. She was riding an AFAM, Soph. That was international collaboration. Global North and Global South working together in that pool.”

“Dominic,” she hissed, face the color of a ripe tomato.

“What? I am simply pointing out the facts,” he said, entirely unrepentant. “Tall, broad, mysterious. That man is not carrying local energy.”

“I cannot do this,” Sophia muttered. “How am I supposed to look him in the eye after seeing his entire, his entire situation in silhouette.”

“Technically, you did not see the full situation,” Dominic said, then immediately raised a hand when she glared. “Fine. I will shut up. For now.”

She groaned, covering her face. “This is not fair. Other girls meet their future legal supervisor in a conference room. I met mine while he was giving a live, limited-edition, strictly-for-adults aquatic show.”

Dominic wheezed again. “Stop. I cannot breathe.”

“Oh God, I cannot meet this man,” she declared. “It violates my spiritual boundaries.”

Dominic sobered just enough to think. “Unfortunately for you, it seems you have no choice,” he said, which she hated because he was right. “But look, you have two options. One, pretend Hyena Night never happened. Two, attend the meeting and use the knowledge as motivation.”

“Motivation for what exactly?” she demanded.

“To win,” he said promptly. “You have seen him at his most distracted. That gives you power. He has never seen you drunk, in sequins, running away from sin. You hold the advantage.”

Sophia considered this, still horrified. “I hate that you make sense sometimes.”

“It is my curse,” Dominic sighed dramatically. “Anyway, focus on what matters. You heard the man making a woman scream. Screaming. And you were red like a dying star. I just hope he is juicy enough so this entire emotional meltdown of yours at least comes with good visuals.”

She threw a pillow at him. He dodged, laughing.

“I was flustered because I witnessed a live X-rated film unintentionally,” she snapped.

“Relax, it was only PG-18,” he said. “Anyway, pick an outfit that says ‘I am competent’ and not ‘I accidentally saw you naked doing the performance of your life.’ Practice your neutral face. We go to Imperial Ridge 804 in twenty minutes.”

“We,” she repeated.

He blinked innocently. “You did not actually think I would let you face the AFAM of Destiny alone are you?”

Sophia exhaled slowly, clutching the folder to her chest like a shield.

“Fine,” she said. “But if he recognizes me from that night, I am throwing you in front of him and running.”

Dominic grinned. “Deal. I will distract him with questions about non-compete clauses while you escape through the balcony.”

She could not help it. She laughed, nerves and amusement tangled together.

Outside their windows, the mountains were calm, the skybridge gleamed in the afternoon light. Somewhere higher up, in Imperial Ridge 804, Christoph Richter was probably reading contracts and assuming his evening would be uneventful.

He had no idea that destiny, trauma, and a very opinionated social media strategist were about to knock on his door.