Page 50 of Stumped

When I don’t hear back from him after I checked in for the conference, I put my phone on silent and stash it in my bag. I don’t want to be the kind of person who holds her phone during panel discussions or looks disinterested while others speak. Even if none of them have anything new to say, I know pretending they’re interesting is important.

However, the panel itself is an absolute disaster.

The session features prominent South Indian CEOs from different fields and the purpose is to encourage young minds to aspire for the top. I’m the only woman.Andthe only person under fifty. Of the six of us, five should have retired centuries ago—typical male CEOs who believe everything comes easy. Most have generational wealth and took over family businesses, and beingmendefinitely work in their favour. The questions they got? Brilliant. I, on the other hand, was constantly referred to as a ‘female CEO’. The questions I get are also sexist to the point of pain—what do female CEOs wear to work everyday?anddo you have a daily routine to look flawless to take over the world?—and I answer them the best I can. But they genuinely don’t care about my successes or achievements.

“What Miss Vera isn’t saying is everything happens for a reason,” one of the panelists says with a chuckle.

Fucking imbecile. “Miss Vera can speak for herself, thank you,” I counter, offering him my sweetest ‘don’t fuck with me’ smile before turning to the crowd. “A lot of success can becredited to luck and the life you’re born into. But it’s important to remember that even if you start at the bottom, you can make your way to the top. Everythingdoeshappen for a reason, but you can be the catalyst. Set your own path and don’t let anyone tell you you’re not good enough. Building a business is often a two way street. You have to give a lot of yourself to get to the corner office.”

The students are silent at that, staring at me slack jawed as my fellow panelists fumble to respond. I fight the smile as a young student raises her hand and stands up, directing a question to me.

“What’s your advice for those of us stepping into the workforce soon?”

“Fight for what you want. There’ll always be wrong jobs and bad bosses, but think of them as stepping stones. You can learn something from every career, good or bad, and work your way around it the next time. I spent most of my post-college life working for people who didn’t see my potential, until one person did. It took me years, but I knew all the ways to navigate the shark-infested waters. I’ll be honest with you, finding therightjob isn’t going to be easy and the struggles will test you every single day, but I promise it’ll be worth it at the end.”

There’s more fussing and fidgeting beside me. I ignore them and smile at the young girl beaming up at me. These men don’t know the meaning of hard work. They were handed their CEO titles on a silver platter. The idea of wading through bad jobs never even occurred to them and I’ve got plenty of experience doing it.

When the moderator finally closes the panel, a hoard of students surround me with more questions. I answer them and feel fucking good about inspiring them. My chest expands with joy, because this is exactly what I hoped for.

With pride and my head held high, I can leave tomorrow.

Back home. Back to Elias.

Did my heart just flutter?

While the most unexpected sensation, this isn’t the first time. Last night, while we were making dinner together, he hugged me and kissed the side of my head.Heart flutter. In bed, he cracked these really dumb jokes and laughed at himself, the sound seeping into my soul.Heart tripped and fluttered. Then this morning when I saw his texts.Fluttered away, this damn heart.

I put it down to being worried about him, but it’s obvious my feelings are getting the best of me. After Ajay, I vowed to be careful about who I gave my heart to. Then Rakesh took it, ripped it into tiny pieces and stomped all over it. So I don’t really trust my gut every time; she’s led me astray before. That’s why one night stands are enough—few orgasms and I move on. Elias changed that entirely. He’s my firstfuck buddyand if my heart has any say in it, he will be my last.

There she goes, fluttering again.

After talking to the students,answering their burning questions and salvaging what could have been the hottest mess known to womankind, I check into my hotel. I shower off the hot day, change out of my power suit and into jeans and a T-shirt before heading to their coffee shop to get myself an early dinner. The minute I sit down, my phone starts buzzing. I read the first message and call him instead.

“Peaches,” he mumbles and warmth spreads over me. “Everything okay?”

“What happened in the meeting?”

He chuckles, low and rough. “Didn’t you read the rest of my texts?”

“Obviously not. Wanted to hear your voice.”

“How’s Pondy?”

“Answer my question first.”

Sighing loudly, he says, “I met with the whole senior management and they spent a really long time going over my scans. Dr. Theo gave them a full presentation about my recovery. They seemed impressed with my dedication, but they’re still holding our first night together against me.”

“Ugh, I’m sorry.” A frustrated growl escapes me as I add, “Well, fuck ‘em. Did you tell them you’re ready?”

“Easy, baby,” he says softly and my heart all but collapses. “And yes, I did. They let me practise today and it felt so fucking good. I was so worried something would go wrong, but my shoulder held up.”

I exhale, hand on my chest. A waiter brings my food and I thank him. “What about playing time?”

“Where are you?”

“Getting some food.”Missing you.

“Alone?”

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