Page 23 of One Midnight Kiss

We both understood how important this marketing plan was. We only got one shot. If this failed, we were fucked.

Jerrod sighed. “We have to hear the pitch,” he said. “It’s not like we have another option.”

I was pissed that Natalia wasn’t there, but we had to hear the guy out. They had us over a barrel. It didn’t make me happy, but we didn’t have any other options.

“Fine,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Aaron smiled. I had to keep my mouth shut because I really wanted to tell him not to smile. Whenever he smiled, it made me want to throttle him.

Violence isn’t the answer. Not yet at least.

Aaron launched into his presentation with the kind of confidence only a man who’s never tasted failure can muster. He was slick, I could give him that. The campaign he laid out was solid. I had to admit it was good. It was built around emotion—family, legacy, the environment. He talked about the future we were creating with HomeTech, about how Hanna could change the way we interact with our homes, our families, our lives. He painted a picture of a connected world where our technology wasn’t just useful. It was essential.

Aaron outlined a robust social media campaign that included influencers with the hopes of making the campaign go viral. They had planned a series of emotionally charged short films that would be shown online and in theaters. An army of micro-influencers would share their own stories of how HomeTech has improved or could improve their lives, making it more than just about our product. It was about the vision for a better future.

Even as Aaron pointed out the demographic breakdowns and the potential reach of each aspect of the campaign, I couldn’t shake off the annoyance I felt. I wanted to hear Natalia talking about the proposal. I had a feeling she would deliver it better. Less fake. Not quite the slick polished presentation Aaron was laying on thick.

I glanced over at Jerrod. He was hanging on every word.

“Try to keep an open mind,” he whispered when Aaron was digging around in his briefcase.

I nodded and returned my attention to the man who wasn’t Natalia.

For almost an hour, Aaron walked us through their marketing strategy, diving into the smallest details. He went on about the importance of adaptability and their experience in tweaking things mid-campaign based on user engagement. All along, his glossy smile never wavered.

I had to admit the pitch was good. Really good. They had clearly put in a lot of time to research and put together the best marketing plan possible.

But I couldn’t bring myself to care.

I was too busy replaying the last time I had seen Natalia in my head. Those tight leggings, flushed cheeks from her workout, the fire in her eyes as she called me out. The way she looked at me, like she couldn’t decide whether she wanted to punch me or kiss me. I couldn’t remember the last time a woman had gotten under my skin like that.

“Fox,” Jerrod said, snapping me out of it. He was looking at me expectantly, his eyes wide.

“What?” I growled.

“He’s finished with the presentation,” Jerrod said. “What do you think?”

I shrugged.

“This is exactly what we need,” Jerrod said. “It’s perfect.”

I glanced back at Aaron, who was beaming like he had just won an award. Maybe an Oscar. The guy was way too slick. But he was good, I supposed. I could feel his smug satisfaction from across the table, but ultimately, he seemed to know what he was talking about.

I might have tuned out the last part of his pitch, but it didn’t matter. Jerrod was ready to kiss the guy’s shoes in gratitude. He clearly liked the ideas presented. He seemed ready to write the check and sign the contract.

I stood up abruptly, pushing my chair back with a screech. “It’s approved,” I said flatly. “Handle the contracts.”

Aaron blinked, clearly taken aback. “You don’t have any questions? Concerns? Requests? This is just a preliminary. We’re happy to tweak it.”

“Nope. You’re done here.” I turned and headed for the door without another word.

Jerrod scrambled up from his seat, nearly knocking over his coffee in his rush to follow me. “Fox, wait!” he called, chasing after me as I strode down the hallway toward the elevators. “Where are you going?”

I jabbed the elevator button and turned to face him. He looked frantic, like he was two seconds away from a meltdown. “Up,” I said.

He frowned, confused. “Up? To where?”

“Up,” I repeated. “To find Natalia.”

I stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor before Jerrod could say anything else. The doors slid shut, cutting off his protests. I leaned back against the wall, taking a deep breath. My mind was buzzing, thoughts racing a mile a minute.

I wasn’t sure why it bothered me so much that she hadn’t shown up. It wasn’t like I had any reason to expect her to handle every little detail herself. But I had been looking forward to seeing her, and not just because I trusted her with the future of my company.

No, it was more than that. I liked sparring with her, the sharp edge of her tongue, the way she didn’t back down. She wasn’t like anyone else I’d ever met. And I was starting to realize that I wanted more than just her marketing expertise.

I wanted an excuse to spend time with her. Maybe I did want to make some changes to the campaign. If that meant I got to work with her, I could get more involved.