“Elissa, I’ll head back now. Let me know if you need anything—I’ll be in the office all day.”
“Thank you.” Her gratitude was genuine despite her inner turmoil.
Jack offered a final nod of encouragement and departed. Elissa and Robin remained standing, facing each other in loaded silence. The small meeting room grew heavy with unspoken words.
Their gazes locked, and Robin’s smile softened. “Long time no see.”
“Yes…” Elissa returned his smile, hers tinged with uncertainty. “Please, have a seat.”
Robin moved with practiced courtesy, pulling out a chair for Elissa.
“Thank you.” Elissa settled into the chair with composed grace and immediately spread out the designs. “Mr. Torres, shall we begin?”
“Yes.” Robin held her gaze and nodded with purpose. “Let’s begin.”
Their discussion stretched through the entire afternoon. Robin provided several thoughtful suggestions, each one necessitating revisions to Elissa’s work.
“It’s already this late…” Robin paused mid-sentence, glanced at his watch, and turned to Elissa with concern. “Did I keep you past your usual departure time? I’m sorry about that.”
The clock had crept past six, well beyond the official end of the workday.
“Not really delayed.” Elissa offered a reassuring smile. “We need to work around our clients’ schedules. Sometimes when we’re working off-site, leaving early becomes the norm. There’s no need to apologize.”
“But today, you worked overtime because of me.” Robin shook his head with evident guilt, then brightened with an idea. “How about this? I’ll treat you to dinner. Consider it my apology.”
The unexpected invitation caught Elissa off guard.
“That’s not necessary,” she began hesitantly.
Lαττ ?нαρτ?rs ιn glov?l.om
“You have to eat anyway.” Robin gestured toward the papers scattered across the table. “Besides, we haven’t covered everything yet. I’m leaving town for a business trip tomorrow, so it would be best to resolve the remaining issues today.”
“Well…” His reasoning made sense, and Elissa found herself nodding. “Alright then.”
However, she added quickly, “This dinner counts as a working meal, so I can’t let you pay for it. Company policy.”
Robin’s lips curved into an amused smile. “Fair enough. You handle the arrangements, then.” Despite his agreement, he immediately suggested a place. “Actually, I know an excellent restaurant.”
“Let’s go, then.”
Robin rose and moved to pull out her chair. “I drove here, so we can take my car.”
“Okay.”
Elissa gathered her belongings and waited by the entrance for Robin to bring his car around. While she waited, she placed a call to the Flynn Mansion.
“Hello, Kira. It’s Elissa.” Her voice carried a note of urgency.
“Miss Holland, Locke just returned home. He’s practicing piano right now. Are you almost here?”
.
.
.