Chapter 8
The final review day had finally come, tinged with anticipation. To make sure everything was just perfect, Samantha spent the whole night tweaking the project for the last time. Walking into Greg's office, she felt a mix of emotions: relief and apprehension.
Good morning, Greg greeted her with his usual warmth. "Good morning, Ms. Reynolds. Thanks for coming in. We're almost there."
"Good morning, Mr. Thornton," Samantha replied, still trying to keep her nerves at bay. "I'm ready to go over the final details."
They went into the conference room and took a seat. Greg began going through the project; his eyes moved meticulously over the paper. Samantha had the final designs all present; her heart was racing while she awaited Greg's comments.
"Everything looks fantastic," Greg said, nodding in approval. "I'm really impressed with your work."
Samantha smiled, elated by a job well done. "Thank you. I'm glad you're satisfied."
Just as Greg was closing the meeting, the door opened, and Alex walked in with a file. "Greg, I have the latest updates of the team," he said and put the file on the table.
Greg flipped through the file, then turned his attention back to Samantha. "Alex has been huge with putting the finishing touches on things. He's going to be part of the final presentation."
Samantha nodded, but there was something inside that couldn't quite be that way as Alex's frequent presence came to feel of heavier significance—almost like she wanted to know the connection.
The meeting continued with Alex piping up with his input. They went over the final presentation, and Greg seemed more relaxed as he zeroed in on getting everything just perfect.
Finally, the meeting was done, and Greg stood, offering his hand. "Thank you for all your hard work, Ms. Reynolds. It's going to be a great success, this project.".
She shook his hand with an unmistakable mix of relief and apprehension. "It's been such a great pleasure working on this project."
The expression turned somber on Greg's face. "Before we sign off, I just wanted to chat with you about something I have been thinking about—a piece of your background and how dedicated you have been. Your professionalism and commitment are greatly appreciated."
A knot formed in Samantha's stomach. "Thank you, Mr. Thornton. I have done my best."
Gregory's gaze remained fixed. "I know there's so much more to you than your work. And I want for you to know that I respect that. If there is anything you need or would like to talk about, then I am here."
Samantha's heart quickened. It was rather disarming to hear sincerity in Greg's voice, and quite a challenge to her poise. "I appreciate that. I will keep it in mind."
Her mind racing, Samantha walked out of the office. It was as if the words from Greg had kindled something within her—she felt that he had more to his interest in her.
Back home, she would pay some attention to her daughters, but her mind wandered back and again to what had transpired during the day. Laughter from Lily and Emma did so much to diffuse the tension created by Greg.
Finally getting the girls to bed, Samantha sat down with her laptop, trying to sort out her thoughts. She pulled up the project details and went through the final presentation once more to make sure everything was in line.
Her phone buzzed with an incoming message. It was from Rachel. "Mr. Thornton wants to meet with you tomorrow morning regarding the final presentation. Please be prepared."
Samantha exhaled noisiously and placed her phone aside. She needed to be on point; the pressure never gave up. She did her review and planned for the next day.
She felt like something was going to change as she got ready for bed. Greg's interest in her was only becoming more and more intense.
Finally, next morning, as Samantha walked into Greg's office for that final meeting, she retained the pervasive resolve to keep all her professionalism at the forefront and not let any ingredients of her personal life spill over into this meeting. But the project was coming to an end—though real battle was yet to come.