Unfinished Business chapter 3

Natasha woke up the next morning to the sound of silence. Rolling over, she realized the other side of the bed was already empty. Leo was gone.

Her heart sank slightly until she spotted a small piece of resort stationery resting on her nightstand. Written in a neat, masculine script were the words: Here's my number. Call me.

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Why did he leave so early? she wondered, staring at the digits. Part of her felt a little stung, but another part knew it was probably for the best; it saved them from a messy, emotional airport goodbye. She folded the paper, slipped it securely into her handbag, and began packing her suitcase for the final time.

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On the flight home, Natasha couldn't stop reminiscing about the night before. She had fully intended for Leo to be a one-time vacation fling, but everything about the memory felt different somehow. Shaking the thought out of her head to avoid getting too attached, she pulled out her phone and texted the group chat: "Hey girlies, I'm on my way back. Wanna meet for lunch?"

Both Donna and Kendra responded eagerly within seconds. Natasha smiled; she absolutely could not wait to see their faces when she dropped the news.

After landing, she headed straight home, threw on a fresh outfit, and rushed out to meet them. She was already sitting at their favorite lunch spot when the girls walked in, radiating excitement. They immediately fell into a flurry of hugs before sliding into the booth.

Kendra wasted absolutely no time. "Alright, so what happened last night? Did you see Leo?"

Natasha leaned back, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips. "It was great. I had a really great night."

Donna narrowed her eyes, leaning in. "And...?"

"And yes, I saw Leo."

Kendra groaned impatiently. "Girl, tell us! We don't have all day!"

"Fine!" Natasha laughed, lowering her voice so the neighboring tables couldn't hear. "I saw Leo. We danced, he came back to my room, and... you know. We got down."

Kendra instantly snapped her head toward Donna, a triumphant grin on her face. "You owe me fifty bucks. Pay up!"

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Natasha got home and finally unpacked her suitcase, still shaking her head in disbelief. She could not believe Donna and Kendra had actually placed a fifty-dollar bet on her love life.

Once her clothes were put away, she switched gears and started prepping for her new job. Natasha had always prided herself on being one step ahead of the game. Even though her official start date was still days away, she wanted to do her research, study the market, and be ready to answer any questions the moment she walked through the door.

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But as she sat at her desk, her mind kept betraying her, drifting right back to the beach party and the heat of the night before. She was supposed to be looking at corporate strategies, but Leo was taking up entirely too much space in her head. Giving in to temptation, she pulled the crumpled piece of resort stationery from her handbag, typed his number into her phone, and hit save.

She stared at his name on the screen for a long moment, debating whether to text him first, when her phone suddenly buzzed with an incoming message.

It was an unknown number.

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Hello Ms. Foster, I'm Mr. Standly from the Standly Hotel Group. I just wanted to take this time to welcome you to our team. On Monday, there will be a mandatory executive meeting. I will be sending over some files for you to review beforehand. I know you haven't officially started with us yet, but with my dad stepping down as CEO, I’d like to tighten up some loose ends before the transition. Thank you, and good night.

Natasha stared at the text, the reality of her new corporate life settling in. The honeymoon phase of her vacation was officially over, and the real world was calling.

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On Monday morning, Natasha got ready for work, stepping into a sharp, professional outfit that made her feel completely in control. She arrived at the office a solid thirty minutes before her official start time and was immediately greeted by Sophia, her assigned onboarding buddy.

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Sophia walked her down the sleek corridor and stopped outside a door with a freshly printed plaque. It bore her name and title: Natasha Foster, Executive Accountant.

"Here's your new home," Sophia smiled, before her tone turned slightly serious. "Just remember, the big meeting is at 9 a.m. sharp. It’s right down the hall, the first boardroom on the left. The new CEO absolutely loathes it when people are late."

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"Got it. Thanks, Sophia," Natasha acknowledged.

She stepped into her office, set her bag down, and immediately began gathering her notes and materials for the meeting. Looking through her glass wall, she could see the rest of the staff nervously shuffling into their places, adjusting their ties and smoothing their skirts. The tension in the air was palpable.

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Natasha stood up to head toward the boardroom, taking a peek out into the main hallway. Just as she stepped up to her doorway, the tall shadow of a man walked briskly past her glass view, but he moved too quickly for her to catch a glimpse of his face.

Natasha chuckled quietly to herself. Why do these corporate CEOs love putting the fear of God into their workers?

Taking a deep breath to center herself, she walked down the hall, ready to make her first official impression.

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As she walked down the corridor, Sophia caught up with her, matching her stride. "An on-time girlie. I love it! So, are you ready for your presentation?"

Natasha slowed her steps, turning to her with wide eyes. "Wait... how did you know I had a presentation?"

"Girl, everyone has to do a presentation on their first day," Sophia whispered, rolling her eyes. "I think it’s part of their tactic to weed out the weak ones right off the bat."

They both shared a quiet laugh and pushed open the heavy glass doors of the boardroom.

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The new CEO was already inside, but his back was turned to the room as he paced in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, a phone pressed tightly to his ear. His voice was sharp and commanding. "Tell them we're not selling. I'm in charge now, and I'm going to get this entire operation back on track."

Natasha and Sophia took their seats at the long mahogany table. Keeping her focus professional, Natasha immediately began placing her documents in an orderly fashion, neatly stacking the folders so they were ready to hand out the moment the rest of the executive team arrived.

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The man by the window ended his call with a definitive click. He took a breath, adjusted his suit jacket, and turned around as he walked toward the head of the table.

"Pardon my manners," he said smoothly, sliding into his chair. "Good morning, everyone."

Hearing the voice, Natasha’s heart skipped a beat. She slowly lifted her gaze from her folders, and the moment her eyes met his, her entire body froze.

Sitting at the head of the boardroom table, looking impeccably sharp in a tailored corporate suit, was Leo.

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