Page 5 of Tell Me What you Think

She still can't believe it. She's had her eye on that position for a while, but with patience, because Ricard wasn't due to retire for another two years.

"You don't have to give me an answer right now, but don't take too long, because—"

"I accept." Marina cuts him off, and he nods, satisfied, before standing up.

"Glad to hear it." Javier extends his hand, and Marina gets up and shakes it from across the desk. "Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"Still, take your time and look over the terms and the compensation. If everything looks good, go straight to HR in a couple of days to make it official. You'd step into the role in two weeks."

"That soon?" she asks, feeling her whole body flood with adrenaline.

"Sounds like Ricard is in a hurry to enjoy the good life at his place in Sitges." Javier glances at his watch. "Talk to him, work out a schedule so he can bring you up to speed before he leaves. And you'll need to split your attention, because I'll also need you to handle the handover with whoever takes your position."

"No problem. Who's replacing me?"

"I haven't decided yet — I was hoping you could help me with that. My two candidates are Gabi from technology and Eva Sanz from marketing and production."

"Eva, without a doubt," Marina says. "Gabi is very capable too, but his strengths aren't in communication, and this role needs someone who doesn't put people on edge."

"Then it's settled." Javier stands, relieved to have that off his plate. "I'll let you go — I still have some paperwork waiting. Congratulations again."

"Thank you."

Javier walks out, and she immediately dials Jordi's extension, but no one picks up — and at this hour, he's probably already gone.

Marina sinks back into her chair and spins it slowly from side to side, feeling like she needs to do something to burn off the rush humming through her right now. So, even though she hadn't planned on reaching out tonight — she's exhausted — she picks up her phone and texts Álex.

Nine o'clock at your hotel?

The reply comes in under a minute.

Done. I'll send you the address and room number.

Chapter 3

"Come in, Olga. Close the door and have a seat, please."

Ricard gestures toward the chair on the other side of his desk, and Olga settles in across from her boss without quite knowing why he's called her in so early. He only got in a few minutes ago, and it isn't like him to meet with her this soon — but what really throws her is that he asked her to close the door when he usually likes to leave it open.

"Is everything okay?" The question flies out of her with a note of worry she can't quite hide.

"Of course," Ricard says, smiling and running a hand through his silver hair as if trying to smooth it down.

He leans back in his chair, looking pleased with himself, and gives her a triumphant grin.

"I'm retiring, Olga."

Her eyebrows shoot up, an almost automatic reflex, and she tries to look surprised even though she's suspected for weeks that this moment would come sooner than expected. Ricard hasn't stopped talking about his apartment in Sitges and a little renovation he's doing to make it more comfortable, which she's read as a clear sign he plans to move there.

"I'd say you've earned it, Mr. Mandril. Congratulations," Olga says with a genuine smile. She's truly happy for him, and in a very small corner of herself, for her too — because Olga has had a strategy ready for when this moment finally came.

"Thank you. It's all signed. Starting Monday, you won't be seeing me around here anymore."

That one does catch her off guard, and Olga blinks, as if opening and closing her eyes buys her time to figure out what to say. She'd thought he'd say a month or two out — not two days.

"Wow. That's fast."