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Four years. That’s how long it had been since that strange night.

And as much as Juliette had tried to forget everything about it, she just couldn’t.

Perhaps it was because she lost her V-card that night, or maybe because she couldn’t, for the life of her, remember his face.

Why the hell had she been so drunk? And why couldn’t she remember him despite him leaving such a strong impression on her mind?

But the time for regrets was long gone—not that she had any in the first place. That night might have started as an ugly beginning to her new life, but the way it ended, in the arms of the handsome stranger, with him claiming her in every way possible, it was—hands down—the best night of her life.

“Are you ready?” a familiar voice called.

Juliette turned around to face her assistant, a.k.a. best friend, Cheryl Wester.

“Yes, absolutely!” She grabbed her laptop bag from the desk and handed it to Cheryl, before reaching for her blazer. “I just hope we sign the deal today. We really need this project to survive in the market.”

“I know,” Cheryl said as she set the laptop bag aside and helped her friend slide her arms into the sleeves of the coat. “Don’t worry about a thing. I have a feeling it’s going to go great. I already got a text from Mr. Grover’s assistant. If his tone was any indication, they’re excited to make this deal with us.”

Juliette sighed in relief. “Let’s hope for the best.”

The two friends left their small office and got into Juliette’s car, with Cheryl behind the wheel.

“Sorry, you know I get jittery before all these important meetings,” Juliette apologized, wincing gently.

Cheryl laughed, shaking her head. “I’ve known you since kindergarten, Jules. And you’ve been having these jitters since the moment you understood the word ‘important.’ Remember that one time in Mrs. Marsha’s class? You were sweating like a pig just because she asked you to recite the poem you wrote to the whole class,” she laughed more. “God, you were something.”

Juliette felt her cheeks grow warmer. “Just drive. We don’t want to get late.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Cheryl tried to be serious, but ended up spurting out another burst of laughter.

———

“What?” Juliette couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “How’s that even possible? Mr Grover called us for this meeting himself. And now you’re telling me that he already signed the deal with someone else?” her brows frowned. “Is this some kind of joke? Because this is not funny.”

The assistant to Mr Grover tightened his jaw. “I’m sorry, Ms Castor, but Mr Grover simply wasn’t interested in signing the deal with your company anymore.”

“What does that even mean?” Cheryl asked, just as annoyed. “After wasting an entire month of ours, you’re telling us that you weren’t even interested in signing the deal with us? Why the hell did you keep us hanging then? What about those lunches and dinners and I would like to toast this drink for our successful future?”

The assistant to Mr Grover swallowed, suddenly looking cornered. He didn’t wish to, but he loosened his tie a tad, as if suddenly he was hot, hot and hot. “Okay. This is getting out hand,” he said, and then signalled them to follow him into the elevator.

When the doors finally closed, he turned to the two women. “Look. Truth be told, I’m just as clueless as the two of you. By the morning, we were ready to sign the deal, but then, the boss simply changed his mind.”

“What?” Juliette was still not able to understand what the hell was going on. “Why? Why would he do that?”

The assistant sighed. “I’m not sure, but it might have something to do with those two people who visited him this morning.”

“Two people?” Cheryl asked, curious. “Who are they?”

“Apparently, they have their own social media company, and from what I know,” he whispered, “they offered Mr. Grover a much better deal.”

Cheryl made a bored face. “By better, you mean cheaper?”

The assistant swallowed again, pushing his thick-rimmed glasses up his nose. “Yes.”

Juliette rolled her eyes, disappointed. “This is not fair.”

“I know,” the man said, just as the elevator doors opened. “But that’s how it is. And if I were you, I wouldn’t try to intimidate or cause trouble for someone like Mr. Grover. The man isn’t as moral as he seems. Last month, when a guy burst into his office, screaming at him for some reason, that guy simply disappeared.”

Cheryl’s eyes widened. “What the hell? Is this supposed to scare us?”

The assistant chuckled awkwardly. “What? No, why would I do that? I’m just saying it’s not worth wasting your time. Mr. Grover isn’t going to change his mind.”

“Well, he changed his mind before; maybe he’ll change it again,” Juliette said, rubbing her temples.

“Well…” the man started to reply, but his phone buzzed in his pocket. Seeing it as an opportunity to escape the increasingly risky situation, he answered the call right away and took off in a completely different direction.

———

Juliette and Cheryl walked out of the building, both looking like someone kicked them in the stomach. And someone actually did. Not literally, but you get the point.

“This is a disaster,” Juliette said, flopping down on the nearby bench.

“I know,” Cheryl supported, sitting next to her.

“I had so many hopes for this deal.”

“We both did, darling.”

“And now we are left with nothing.”

“It does seem like we are screwed.”

“How are we going to pay the staff salaries?”

“I’m so sorry, Jules. But I’m sure we’ll find a way.”

“This feels like a dead end.”

“You don’t have to be so pessimistic right now.”

“But it is. I have no idea what I’m going to do next.”

“Funny,” someone said. “Isn’t that your life’s motto? Never know what to do next?”

When Juliette replayed the words in her head, she realized they didn’t sound like Cheryl. She looked up, trying to understand who had interrupted their private moment.

And of course, when she saw who it was, everything started to make sense.

“Jolene,” Juliette muttered, hating how the name felt in her mouth. She shifted her eyes to the man standing next to her, hating him even more. “Tanner. What a surprise!”