RAYMOND
I’m halfway through signing off on the quarterly budget when my phone buzzes with a calendar reminder: Dinner at Nana’s – tomorrow, 7:30 PM.
I set the pen down and lean back. The dinner has been on my radar for weeks, but now that it’s tomorrow, I need to finalize arrangements. Specifically, I need to bring someone. Nana made that clear the last time I saw her.
I pick up the phone and scroll to Camille’s number. She’s the logical choice. Poised, presentable, and she knows how to handle these events without needing direction.
She answers on the third ring. “Raymond. This is a surprise.”
“The dinner tomorrow. Are you free?”
A pause. When she speaks, there’s genuine regret in her voice. “I’d love to, but I’m in Geneva. Shareholder meetings. I won’t be back until Sunday.”
I fro
