Page 55

MIA

Stirringthecupoftea on the counter in front of me, I let my mind wander to give myself a break.

The usual corporate ambience filtered through the hall and into the coffee room on our floor, but it washed over me noiselessly. My own thoughts took center stage.

Reid’s mother had finally left that same morning, and even though it was a bit of a rushed and awkward farewell, her smile had been a little more genuine than the first one she’d given me. In the moments after she’d left, Reid and I had stood in the entrance hall, staring at the door like we were waiting for her to come crashing through with a “Just kidding!”.

But the private car she’d called for rolled off into the early morning and we were finally alone again. Exchanging a heavy glance, we’d all but devolved into a fit of giggles, wiping away tears and gasping for air. And when Reid had lifted her hand for a high five, the delirious surge of relief turned sour.

“Knock knock.”

I snapped out of my thoughts and turned to the door, finding Reid there.

I tried not to let my mind wander too far, but the sharply cut red suit she wore had always been a personal favorite of mine, and the matching red lipstick did nothing to help me forget the first kiss we shared.

“Hey, sorry,” I said quickly, turning back to my tea and taking the spoon out. “Must have zoned out a little.”

“That’s okay,” she replied, her smile soft despite the bold color on her lips. “I’m glad I found you here.”

“What’s up?”

She walked further inside and sat at one of the few little round tables in the room, waving a hand at the other chair for me to join her.

“So, remember I told you I’d been thinking about expanding DawnStar Studios?” she began, resting her elbow on the table.

“I remember.”

“We’re going ahead with the expansion into Brazil,” she said, and my heart soared.

“Really?” I asked, unable to keep my smile from widening in excitement.

“Yup.” She smiled, her lips popping on the ‘p’. “Warren has finalized all the legal crap, so we can start looking into spending some time in your home country.”

I blinked. “We?” I repeated, my brows pinching together in confusion. “You hate flying.”

“I do,” she agreed, lifting a single shoulder in a noncommittal half shrug. “But this is something I want us to handle as a team. Besides, I haven’t been to Brazil since the first time I met you. After everything that’s happened, I feel like it’s almost poetic to go back to where it all began.”

A little thrill rushed through me, a mixture of excitement and just a hint of dread.

Because there was always a chance I’d be recognized back home. And not for the best reasons.

“I’ll start planning our schedules,” I said, shoving away the fear of my past being laid bare in front of Reid. Or anyone for that matter. “When do you want to leave?”

“You’ll get mad at me for saying this, but I’d leave today if we could.”

“No,” I said immediately, and she chuckled softly.

“I know, I know.” She sighed. “Our schedules are pretty booked this week.”

I pulled my phone out and unlocked it, navigating to our shared calendar.

“Next week is probably our best bet,” I told her, scrolling through the mix of orange and green blocks. “We can leave next week; I’ll reschedule whatever meetings can’t be done remotely and start requesting meetings with companies in Brazil. Does that sound good?”

She smiled at me, her eyes warm. “Sounds perfect.”

“Hello, stranger,” I said into the receiver, my smile widening when a familiar voice responded.

“Mia!” Rae cried on the other end of the line, her voice so much stronger than the last time I’d heard it. “God, I’ve missed you. How are things at the office?”