CHANCE AT LOVE

CHAPTER FOUR:The Client Meeting

EDWARD

By 8:30 the next morning, I was already at my desk.

The campaign proposal was open on my laptop, but I had read the same paragraph three times without absorbing a word.

Not because the proposal was difficult.

Because I kept thinking about the client meeting.

And, unfortunately, about the person I would be attending it with.

Kasy.

I checked my phone.

No new messages.

I put it down.

Picked it up again.

Still nothing.

I frowned at myself.

This was ridiculous.

She was my coworker.

That was all.

I had worked with women before without checking my phone every five minutes like an impatient teenager.

I placed the phone face down.

"Get a grip, Carter."

"Talking to yourself?"

I looked up.

Kasy stood at the entrance of my office.

I straightened immediately.

"No."

"You definitely were."

"I was thinking."

"Out loud?"

"Sometimes."

She walked in and placed a folder on my desk.

"The revised creative section."

I opened it.

"You finished already?"

"Yes."

"It's barely eight-thirty."

"I know."

I looked through the pages.

Everything was organized.

Clean.

Detailed.

She had even added several suggestions I'd been considering.

I looked up.

"This is good."

She smiled slightly.

"I know."

I laughed.

"You're confident."

"I have to be."

"Fair."

She picked up another folder.

"Are we leaving soon?"

"Nine."

"Good."

She turned to leave.

"Kasy."

She looked back.

"Yes?"

"Did you sleep?"

Her expression changed.

"What kind of question is that?"

"A normal one."

"Why are you asking?"

"I was just wondering."

She stared at me suspiciously.

"I slept fine."

"Good."

She nodded and walked out.

I watched her disappear down the hallway.

Then I shook my head.

What was wrong with me?

At exactly nine, we left the office.

The drive to the client's building was quieter than I'd expected.

Kasy sat beside me in the passenger seat, going through the presentation on her tablet.

I glanced at her.

She didn't notice.

Or pretended not to.

"You've been quiet," I said.

"I'm reading."

"You've been reading for twenty minutes."

"That's because there are many pages."

"You could talk and read."

"No."

"Why?"

"Because then I'll have to listen to you."

I laughed.

"You're really determined to dislike me."

"I'm not determined."

"Then it's natural?"

"Very."

I smiled.

"Good to know."

She turned toward the window.

For several minutes, neither of us spoke.

Then she suddenly said, "Your driving is terrible."

I looked at her.

"What?"

"You brake too suddenly."

"I've been driving for years."

"And yet."

I laughed.

"You have something to say about everything, don't you?"

"Only when necessary."

"So I'm necessary?"

She turned and gave me a blank look.

"No."

I laughed again.

She shook her head.

"You're annoying."

"And you're enjoying this conversation."

"I am not."

"You're smiling."

Her hand immediately went to her face.

"I'm not."

"You are."

She looked away.

I smiled.

Maybe the drive wasn't so bad after all.

The client's office was on the twelfth floor of a large glass building.

We arrived ten minutes early.

Perfect.

Kasy stepped out of the elevator and adjusted the strap of her bag.

"Nervous?"

"No."

"Not even a little?"

"No."

"You're lying."

She looked at me.

"Why?"

"Because you keep fixing your hair."

Her hand dropped immediately.

"I wasn't."

"You were."

She rolled her eyes.

"I just don't want to look unprofessional."

"You look fine."

She paused.

Then looked at me.

"Thanks."

It was the first time she had accepted a compliment from me without arguing.

I smiled.

"You're welcome."

Before I could say anything else, the receptionist called us in.

The meeting began.

For the first ten minutes, everything went exactly as planned.

I handled the business side.

Kasy handled the creative presentation.

And she was incredible.

She spoke clearly, confidently, and without hesitation.

When the client challenged one of her ideas, she didn't become defensive.

She explained it.

When they questioned the target audience, she had an answer ready.

I sat back and watched.

This was why I had chosen her for the project.

She knew what she was doing.

The client finally leaned back in his chair.

"I like this direction."

Kasy smiled.

"Thank you."

He looked at me.

"I think your team has something here."

I nodded.

"We'll make sure the final campaign reflects that."

The meeting continued for another twenty minutes.

When it finally ended, we stepped out into the hallway.

Kasy exhaled.

"That went well."

"It did."

She smiled.

"I told you it would."

"You're going to remind me of that every time, aren't you?"

"Probably."

We walked toward the elevator.

Then she stopped.

"What?"

She looked at me.

"You didn't say anything during my presentation."

"I didn't need to."

She frowned.

"What does that mean?"

"It means you didn't need me to rescue you."

She stared at me for a second.

Then smiled.

"That's actually nice."

"I can be nice."

"Occasionally."

"Don't ruin the moment."

She laughed.

The elevator doors opened.

We stepped inside.

For once, neither of us argued.

Neither of us teased the other.

We simply stood there.

And somehow, the silence didn't feel awkward.

It felt comfortable.

That was the problem.

I looked at her.

She was staring at the numbers above the elevator.

I quickly looked away.

Because comfortable was dangerous.

Especially with someone like Kasy.

Someone who had already made it very clear she wanted nothing to do with me.

And yet, standing there beside her, I had the strange feeling that things between us were only beginning.