Awkward

​"Miss... Miss? Are you alright?"

​A polite voice broke through the ringing in her ears, pulling Liana straight back to reality.

​She opened her eyes, finding herself staring right up at Marcus, who was looking down at her like she was a bizarre puzzle he couldn't figure out. The small group of wealthy investors behind him had stopped talking completely, staring at her lying in the dirt like she had dropped out of the sky.

​Liana scrambled to her feet so fast her knees nearly gave out again. She brushed frantically at her skirt, her face burning with heat.

​"Ah... yes! Yes, I’m fine. Totally fine. Just... slippery grass!" she stammered out, forcing a quick, awkward smile.

​Marcus stared at her for a second before giving a small, polite nod. "Right."

​He turned back to his group, picking up right where he left off as if a grown woman hadn't just slid across the turf like a baseball player right beside them.

​Liana stood there, completely frozen.

​Her mind was screaming at her to run. Walk away. Leave the club. Go straight back to Nina's car and never look back. She had completely ruined her entrance, made an absolute fool of herself, and her back was probably covered in wet grass stains. 

But as she took a small step back, her eyes caught the sleek leather folder in Marcus’s hands.

​She couldn't leave. Not now. Not when she was literally two feet away from the one guy who held the key to her getting an interview at Vance & Co. If she walked away right now, every single chance she had at securing a future for Ava went straight down the drain.

​So, she stayed. She stood right there on the grass, holding her breath and wringing her hands while she waited for their conversation to wrap up. 

​Finally, the investors nodded, shook Marcus’s hand, and walked off toward the main clubhouse.

​Marcus adjusted his glasses and turned, getting ready to leave too, then ​Liana reached out immediately. 

"W-wait!"

​Marcus stopped, turning around slowly to face her. As his eyes settled on her face, a small flicker of recognition crossed his eyes behind his glasses. He recognized her.

This was the exact same woman who had slammed full-speed into his boss in the hallway earlier.

​He didn't bring it up, though, He just stood there, waiting to see what she had to say.

​Liana swallowed hard, her mind racing. "Look... I know this isn't how I wanted this to go," she started, her voice shaking slightly as she gestured awkwardly to herself. "And I know I probably look like a crazy person who can't handle walking on grass, but..."

Then ​she stopped herself.

​She caught the nervous, desperate tone in her voice and hated it. This wasn't her. Panicking wasn't going to get her anywhere, and acting like a mess was a terrible strategy.

​Liana took a long, deep breath. She closed her eyes for a second, reset her shoulders, and let her old confidence settle back in.

​"Let me restart," she said, her voice dropping the panic and turning smooth. "That was a terrible introduction. My name is Liana, and I came here specifically because I need five minutes of your time regarding Vance & Co."

​Marcus looked at her for a long second, his face neutral, though the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

​"You took a dive on wet grass just to talk to me?" he asked calmly.

​Liana nodded.

​Marcus let out a quiet sigh, reaching into his vest pocket. He pulled out a sleek, matte-black business card and held it out to her.

​Liana took it instantly, holding her breath.

​"Send your pitch to that email," Marcus said, keeping his tone professional. "You have until 9 AM tomorrow. Don't be late."

​"I won't. Thank you so much" Liana said, holding the card tight.

​Marcus gave her a brief nod, turned on his heel, and walked off toward the main building.

​Liana stood alone on the green, staring down at the silver embossed numbers on the black card. The tight knot in her chest finally loosened, and a massive sigh of relief escaped her lips. A genuine smile spread across her face.

​It was messy, embarrassing, and completely chaotic, but she had done it. She had the card.

​She turned and began walking back toward the exit gates, ready to finally go home.

​Meanwhile, up on the clubhouse’s elevated outdoor terrace, leaning against the polished railing overlooking the entire course, Julian stood in the shade. He raised his glass of scotch to his lips.