Page 65

I was afraid that I might not be managing my professional relationship very well.

On Monday morning, Mia had arranged for us to meet with local companies within the media and communications industry.

Somehow, there was no discernible difference between the weekend and week days. On our way from one meeting to another, I had spotted just as many people shouting in the streets, just as jovial as they had been over the weekend. Perhaps this was an entirely new crowd, but it was almost infectious.

“What did you think?” Mia asked, and I turned to look at her.

“About the last one?” I clarified.

“Yeah, I tried to translate as fast as I could, I didn’t want you to miss anything.”

In all honesty, I wasn’t sure Mia actually needed me to accompany her to these meetings.

Because it certainly felt like I was the one accompanying her.

At the last meeting, she’d had to take charge due to the language barrier, and by the look on the CEO’s face, I’d say she’d done an excellent job of it.

“That was our first choice, right?” I asked, and she nodded. “I think they’re still the top choice, at least for now. They’re not quite established and would benefit from partnering with us. What do you think?”

“I agree,” she said sagely. “But there’s something about the current CEO that doesn’t sit right with me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know if I can explain it.” She sighed. “But he’s supposed to step down soon anyway, Maybe it would be more beneficial to partner once the new CEO arrives. That one doesn’t seem amenable to me and he might try to take advantage of the partnership for his own gains rather than the company’s.”

“All right.” I nodded. “We’ll wait for the new CEO. Who’s up next?”

And just like that, the decision was made. It was always easy with Mia around. It always had been. It’d become easy enough that she’d started attending my meetings when I couldn’t long before she felt comfortable enough to do so. I’d always trusted her with business.

For as long as I’d known her, she’d always been calm and collected, very rarely freaking out the way Clara often did. Looking back now, it was why I’d been so floored by her resignation. She’d been on the verge of tears, the circles under her eyes dark and heavy. It was part of what pushed me to suggest the marriage.

I watched her in the car, as she fired off emails and confirmed even more meetings for the following day.

There was no end to her potential. It was what caught my eye all those years ago, and it was what made me comfortable enough to entrust my empire to her.

Because I knew she’d run it right.

The next meeting followed the first two, with the owner and founder happy to meet with us to discuss their market. And just like the first two, Mia took charge when the owner’s English ran a little thin. His eyes lit up and he rushed into Portuguese, firing off a barrage of enthusiastic questions that Mia handled with all the grace and cool-headedness I’d known her for.

As we left yet another meeting, and she ran me through her notes, I couldn’t help but wonder…

Was Mia being held back by being chained to me in New York?

Chapter 21

Business and Pleasure

MIA

“Howareyoustillstanding?”

I chuckled at Reid, whose fingers had wound into the fabric of my dress to keep her from getting lost in the crowd.

“Pure adrenalin!” I shouted over my shoulder, my cheeks aching from the smile I’d yet to drop.

The beach party raged around us as we weaved through bodies that swayed this way and that, pressed close enough that barely a breath existed between them. Our feet slipped in the soft sand and I fumbled for Reid’s hand, worried that I’d lose her.

Her fingers squeezed around mine and I dodged yet another set of waving arms.