n especially not strangers. But the man from the valet stand

ee him again, inside, on the 34th floor. Sitting casually near the op

out his face gna

tried to write a product brief. But her bra

hell was

sked him to leave. And he wasn't intimidated either. Most people who didn't belong in the branding wing

softly. "Your ten o'clock

her dress. The campai

thoughts

ould have t

ting wa

every approving glance from her mother's longtime rival in PR but her thoughts kept drifting back

r without a pass, sits down like he owns t

rs and she was g

was

d her eyes. Another corporate face-to-face with a blogger-turned-brand-deal-ambassador. She forw

lipped on her blazer, and head

ere, she'd find ou

hadn't m

m question why half of them still had jobs he'd made his way to the open workspace again. He

mmunication strategies when

company

up and the

na V

ommand. The same woman who'd handed him her car keys without blinking

nderstand the cul

e?" she asked,

ff. "I'm shadowing department

or

ack. "Strat

harpened.

n't curiosity dangerous

ow who's reading my team's int

nd. "Alex Ward. Indepen

shake it

brought in last year for discreet advisory serv

floor. With his sleeves rolled u

ok his

Branding and

said, eyes st

ed closely. He asked questions like he wasn't trying to catch her out, but understand. And when he s

trust him but s

atched the company databas

sealed project. Assigned to rotate between strategy,

ous in the file and that

ill told her somet

* *

it didn't take long before he took up a quiet role in a vintage Ford restoration garage just outside the city where he pe

days p

s in hallways, coffee c

comment there. She learned he had spent time in India, briefly consulted for a startup in Berl

gist. So why are you working in a garage like a m

calm but unreadable

ou every

boardrooms. Sometimes it starts unde

s lot of questions. Alex never talked about himself mu

noon brought

s rain battered the glass in steady sheets. Serena waited

se, he was

r summer,"

llion dollar companies could

I've been meaning to

ure yo

you par

smiled. "Because

ked. "Th

told you I like driv

. "But it would explain the gr

n't de

ut who I was by the nex

enjoy

dn't

nnoyed but failed.

she said

a brow.

here. You seem curious about Detroit.

his a

"Maybe I just want to know if you're fun wh

ollowed and they

in. Music low and atmosphere warm. They found a cor

ked for gin and lime and then their

ut everything b

y'd ever had. Her story about getting food poisoning in Bal

ughter that followed a shared joke about corp

o be anyone

ed, he reached for her hand. Just for a secon

each other with with a sil

* * *

late, lights off, she

s he r

e falling into somethin

d and it was a

t. I haven't laughed li

typed, deleted and

still owe me an explanat

y came i

the way you looked at me

eath c

now who he w

as starti

d her more tha