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“Yefim, are you sure about this?” she asks, staring down at the client's binder.
“Very sure. You’re the only one who can handle this. Besides, you’re graduating at the end of this week, and your position in the company will improve, along with your salary.”
She smiles up at me, her eyes bright and eager. “I’ll get promoted?”
“Yes, these new clients you’re working on are sort of an introduction to your new role.”
“Well, I won’t let you down, I promise,” she answers excitedly.
I watch her carry the binder out of my office, into her own.
For now, my plan is to make her feel like she has really needed here. Like this company needs her more than any other company she might want to apply at. Also, once she has graduated, I plan to offer her a salary too high for other companies to compete with.
***
On Friday, Tia has the day off to attend her graduation ceremony.
I insist on going to celebrate alongside her. I am proud of her. She has worked her ass off for this. I’ve seen the hours she put in, and I know there were a lot of hours before I even met her.
“Are you excited?” I ask as we walk towards the massive building of the university.
“Oh my word, I’m so excited. Not just to be graduating, but because I don’t have to study anymore. The hours of my time that this took up—it’s like—I don’t think I’m going to know what to do with myself, to be honest with you.” She laughs loudly as I place my hand on her lower back and follow her inside.
The ceremony is great. A little tedious, a little long, especially seeing as the only person I’m actually interested in seeing here is Tia, but the moment she steps up onto the stage to accept her degree, and when she turns to search for me in the crowd and throws me the smallest wave, and the biggest smile—that moment makes it all worth it.
All the family and friends of the graduates filter out of the hall onto the grass outside. Tia comes running over to me, her black graduation gown flowing behind her, the weird hat they had to wear gripped in her hand. “I’ve been invited to a post-graduation party at my friend's place. Her name is Clara, she doesn’t live too far from here.”
“That sounds great. Is it tonight?”
“It’s right now, actually. I was hoping you’d come with me?”
I grin. “Of course, I’d love to. I was hoping to celebrate with you anyway. I booked a restaurant for us, but I’ll change it to tomorrow night, or whenever you’re feeling like going.”
“It's really sweet of you to think ahead like that. Let’s go to the party tonight, and dinner tomorrow night?”
I nod. “Done.”
“Everyone is heading straight from here to Clara’s house. You know, she actually sent me the invite like two weeks ago, but with everything going on I completely forgot about it.”
We climb into my car and Tia pulls the black graduation gown off her shoulders, tossing it into the back seat. She is wearing a gorgeous red body-hugging dress beneath it, her black heels accentuating her legs.
“You look incredible. In case I didn’t tell you yet,” I say, pulling out into road once she’s buckled in.
“Actually, you told me about four times today, but if you want you can keep telling me. I don’t mind.” Her cheeks are glowing. The smile on her face tells me she’s really enjoying herself. I would be too if I had worked so hard towards something and today was the day I got to celebrate it.
Whatever happens from now on, all I care about is finding a way to keep her close to me. That’s all I want.
She belongs to me, and I won’t let her go.
Chapter 21 - Tia
Clara Vitali is one of the richest students attending our college. So of course she would be the one to throw a party of this magnitude that every single person was just dying to get invited to.
She invited everyone, she wasn’t skimpy or selective. Every graduate got an invite. And looking around now, I think every single one of them is here.
The music is thrumming loudly from speakers I can’t see. The decor is over-the-top luxurious. Everything seems to be covered in gold, including the food—gold bite-sized pieces of sushi carried past on gold trays, crystal glasses rimmed with gold edges are filled with golden champagne.
Balloons everywhere. Glittering gold.
