She looked up, which is the thing I'd convinced myself wasn't possible. Victoria, he said carefully. You can't run this arrangement the way you run a negotiation. You can't stage manage what I know based on what you think I can handle. If this is going to work, any version of it, arrangement or otherwise, I have to be in the whole picture.
Not the picture you've decided is safe to show me. She held his gaze. I understand. Do you? I'm working on it.
The smallest possible acknowledgement of something that costed her. It doesn't come naturally. I know. It doesn't come naturally to me either. He leaned back.
I spent two years after my divorce convincing see myself I was better off not trusting anyone with anything important. It's a very efficient way to be completely alone. Something softened in her face. What changed? He thought about Amara's face every morning about the way she asked him questions he didn't always have answers to and expected him to be honest about that too.
My daughter, he said she kept asking me things I couldn't lie about without her knowing. Kids do that. They hold you honest just by being themselves. Victoria was quiet. She sounds remarkable.
She's going to have opinions about you on Saturday, he said. I want you to know that in advance. Victoria's mouth curved slightly. Should I be nervous? Extremely.
Darius said. She asked me once if my boss was nice. I said she was complicated. She said complicated usually means interesting. So now she's curious.
The small smile became something more real. What did you tell her about Saturday? That I have a colleague I want her to meet. That's all. I'll know how much more to say after Saturday, he stood.
Get some sleep tonight. Actual sleep. You're not going to win this by exhausting yourself before the board meeting. Is that a directive? It's a request from someone who needs you functional.