Page 6 of Yours, For Now

"Thank you, Violeta."

"Call me Vi." She said it in a way that sounded likeVeeand I took note of it; she lifted her eyes back to me, but cast them to the side in a quick glance at someone approaching us. "Yes, Cynthia?"

The woman by our side smiled at both of us. "I got a message from Solange— Gabriel's assistant. I can take Miss Martínez to his office."

"Thanks, Cynthia. Well, I'm going." Vi gave me a single kiss on the cheek and pressed on the elevator's button. "I hope to see you sometime soon, and that it's not another few years until we cross paths again."

I grinned. "I'd love to make that happen."

"Then I'll see you around!" The door to the lift opened and Vi stepped into the car. "Take care."

"Bye, Vi." Once the elevator started its journey down, I turned back to Cynthia. "Hi. Which way do we go?"

"Please follow me."

Cynthia guided me through the wide hallways deep into the offices. White walls gave structure to the place; they had a sheen to them, like they weren't made of painted drywall, but some other, more fashionable material. Most offices were walled in glass, and the design boasted copper metallics and dark wood. Overall, the modern look balanced organic and futuristic elements. By the blueprint and details alone, it made me feel like I knew what the Sotomayor Group was all about.

I concealed a sigh. Even if this business proposal didn't end up happening, my gut was still certain I had made the right choice to approach Gabe first.

We entered a larger open space, with a few offices flanking the corner area of the building. Just as Cynthia appeared to choose a specific desk to walk toward, a door opened and Gabe appeared behind it.

His eyes connected with mine, the smile on his face reminding me of Vi. I pressed my lips together, not to let his gorgeous face affect me. I was a woman on a mission— not just today, but every day for the past ten years— and an attractive man was not in my business domination plans.

"Lina! Glad to see you, though I feel like we should be surrounded by tons of people at a fancy party."

"I know what you mean. It's weird to be meeting with you in our actual hometown."

And with him wearing a navy suit rather than a tuxedo, but looking just as good.

"Isn't that right?" He grinned. "Would you like a coffee? We can get you some before we go to my dad's office for the meeting. And if you mention how good it is, you'll immediately fall into his good graces."

My smile was reluctant, mostly because I've always been adamant about not showing any inkling of how my hormones reacted around him. It was already a miracle he wasn't an egotistical asshole with the way he looked, or with the size of his wallet, but I still didn't want him suspecting he had an effect on me.

"Thanks for the tip," I said. "I'm sure it'll come in handy."

"Ready to go? Dad's waiting."

I nodded and followed Gabe to a break room with two wonderful espresso machines and multiple types of snacks. He made me a coffee himself, and then showed me the way to Don Raúl's office.

I'd practiced this presentation to the bone. I could recite and quote numbers in my sleep. The rest was up to the Sotomayor Group.

Chapter 4

Lina'spresentationmesmerizedme.She entered the room, greeted my dad, complimented the coffee, and set up her slideshow with a confident arch to her eyebrow. She cast her computer to the big TV in the office, and we all sat in the comfortable sofas set in front of it. For the next half hour, light shining on Lina from the large windows framing the office, my dad and I remained quiet as she took us on a journey through an alternate universe… one that led us to a prime-time bid on an upcoming sports stadium capable of hosting major events and a hundred thousand guests.

"To reference my earlier point," Lina said, her eyes taking turns between the TV screen, my dad, and I, "a project like this can strengthen the construction branch of your business, expanding it into major bids in the public sector, while significantly expanding our capacity— without straining yours. Both companies can become stronger thanks to the other and, thus, we can better compete with the most powerful players in the industry. Billion dollar projects in the commercial-public domain situate both our businesses as leaders, pushing for an important expansion with great potential to all of us."

She held my eyes for a moment, then my dad's. A small smile appeared on her lips. "I hope what I've shown you today aligns with your goals, while fueling ambition into your projections. Any questions?"

I blinked a few times. Lina painted a picture so good that I had trouble processing the full realm of possibilities. A project like this had the potential to dazzle the board and secure my transition to CEO. My gut had made its mind, twirling already with enthusiasm, but my brain was slow to catch up and form words.

"Wow, Lina, what can I say?" My dad shook his head with a grin on his face. I didn't often notice his accent, but I did so clearly this time. "This is impressive. You obviously put so much work into it!"

I tried not to gawk. "You never talked about any of this with me at the gala. I would have never known you'd been thinking about this."

"I didn't choose this company for this proposal based on a few passing talks at a party, you know." Lina gave me a teasing look. "Though knowing you certainly got me through the door, I'm sure."

Her eyes shined in what seemed like pride, and I smiled. I had always enjoyed the look of confidence on a woman, and I would have let myself enjoy it on Lina, if my business brain weren't so tickled by her proposal.