Thursday — December 20

"Is there a problem with the project?" Angela asked Nina as she got into her car. Her best friend picked her up at nine for their appointment at ten.

She had already submitted her third novel for the project to her editor, and it would take about a week or two to go over it. Her first two novels were already finished since the start of this month. So far, she was on schedule. Yesterday, Nina told her that Samantha's assistant called to ask if they could come by today but didn't tell them what it was all about. Now she was so nervous.

"I'm sure everything's okay. They could have told us over the phone if it was something that's needed to be dealt with faster. Maybe there's progress with the illustration? I remember them telling me the art would probably be ready this week," replied Nina.

"I guess that could be it." Angela nodded. The stories she wrote for Love Tales were quite different from her other books. The plot was lighter and wasn't as dramatic as the books she released in the past—a risky move for her because her fans loved the dark romance-themed novels. But when she decided to accept the project, she wanted to write something fun and light to read. Although she had confidence in her story, she couldn't help feeling nervous, wondering how they would receive her new releases.

Everything had been so fast. In just three months, she was able to write three novels. The fastest that she was able to write in years. And in those three months, Love Tales had been amazing that as soon as her manuscript was submitted, they began to work on it right away. It made Angela wonder why they had so much faith in her when they weren't 'that' close. Sure their families were friends, and somehow connected, but she still found it hard to believe that they granted her this big break. It was just surreal.

Soon, they arrived at the office. They got inside and were ushered into a meeting room. One thing that Angela appreciated a lot was the fact that Samantha and Becca's employees were very professional. She was assured that the staff was made to sign an NDA.

They had been visiting the office several times for the project, and her identity was still kept a secret. She knew about Samantha being a very private person. The latter was so private that she had kept her identity as Trident's CEO for years since they operated before she decided to come out of her shell. How that worked for her, Angela could only imagine. But because of this, it made her look up to the woman. For a lot of people, fame was everything. It boggled her at first why Samantha chose to hide who she was, but when Angela started to write, she found herself in the same place. Though they probably didn't have the same reasons why they wanted to hide their identity, she could still relate to the other.

Angela and Nina waited in the meeting room for five minutes before the door opened.

Samantha came in, along with the manager. "Hi, sorry to keep you waiting. It's only us today, Becca's appointment with her doctor was moved up."

"Is she okay?" was Angela's immediate reaction, concern lacing her eyes. During her first official meeting with Samantha, Becca was also in a doctor's appointment. Was she sick or something? Even though she was Gael's ex, Becca was a decent person, and it wasn't difficult to develop a fondness for her.

"Oh, don't worry. She's fine. It's just a check-up," Samantha reassured with a smile as she sat at the head of the long table. "Thank you for coming. I know the holidays are quite busy for us. But I'll be busier the next few days, so today is my only time."

"It's okay, I understand. I appreciate that you even come here to meet us personally for this project."

"I promised that I would work closely with you, and I always keep my promises." Samantha opened the case of her iPad and tapped. "Anyway, let's get started. I called you over because I wanted to show you the finished illustrations for Chasing Summer. All of the characters have been rendered, waiting for your final approval. Here." She handed the tablet to Angela.

The anticipation caused Angela's heart to beat erratically. Nina was right. The artworks were finally done. And she would get to see them now. Taking a deep breath, Angela received the tablet, and she gasped as she laid eyes on the beautiful characters on the screen. It was Chasing Summer's illustration that's going to be the thumbnail for Love Tale's interactive novel. On the art was a woman with Summer's description, wearing a yellow dress and facing a handsome man—Max, the hero, in his open white shirt, showcasing his tasteful abs—with the beach as their backdrop. The vibrant cover was perfect.

"I love it!" Angela gushed, her eyes widening as she continued to admire the illustration on the screen. She noticed other images and clicked on them, seeing the characters in different poses and facial expressions. This made her giggle. It was so adorable!

The manager began to explain how the illustrations would work in the software, and they asked her if she was happy with the product, all they needed was her go signal and everything would be incorporated. Angela couldn't be happier, so she gladly agreed to everything. Then the manager left to meet with the production team.

"Sam, I can't thank you enough. This project has been really...I don't even know what to say." Angela shook hands with Samantha. "Thank you."

"I can say the same to you, Angela. It's a pleasure working with you. I wish all our partners could be as pleasant as you." Samantha laughed as she got to her feet. "Anyway, we still have two more novels after this and I am quite excited for those really."

Angela, Nina, and Samantha made small talk for several minutes more before the latter had to leave. Samantha retrieved a card from her purse and handed them to the two, saying, "I almost forgot. My family and I have a small gathering tomorrow. I hope you two could come. Daniel had already given Chairman Su's and Oliver's invitation this morning. It's nothing fancy—just family and a few friends. Sorry I informed you so late, this was decided at the last minute actually."

"Wow." Nina's eyes lit up but she frowned right after. "Thank you, Sam. I appreciate the invitation, really. But I'm afraid I can't come. I have a family dinner tomorrow evening. My parents insist we do this every year, though they hate to be in the same room—I can't even." She shook her head and beamed at her best friend. "But Angela doesn't have anything going on tomorrow. Will you make her drink and force her to enjoy?"

Angela laughed, rolling her eyes at the other. "You make it sound so bad." Then she faced Samantha. "I'm free tomorrow evening. Sure! I'd love to go."

"Great! Don't worry, Nina. I'll make sure she's well hydrated. My brother and brother-in-law both have bars, so drinks are always a priority in our family parties." Samantha winked.

***

At a quarter to six in the evening, Angela was video-chatting with Nina while she stood in front of a mirror in only her matching black lace bra and underwear. Her heart was beating so fast because Gael would soon show up at her doorstep. She slipped into her dress and checked herself out in the mirror.

"Girl, you look fine as fûck. Stop fidgeting," scolded Nina through the screen.

"I can't help it." She tucked and untucked her hair behind her ear, unsure which one looked better.

Just then, the intercom buzzed.

"Oh, my god! Why is he so early?" Angela ran to the intercom and buzzed him up before she quickly went back to the closet to wear her heels. She bid goodbye to her friend, promising to update her later.

Soon, the doorbell rang and she took deep cleansing breaths before opening the door.

The door opened, revealing a dashing Gael in a custom-tailored black suit. He wore a black shirt, tie, and vest—all in black—making him look dark and astonishingly handsome.

"Hey…" she managed to utter.

Gael wasn't any better. He was definitely awestruck as his eyes raked Angela's body in her form-fitting dress. His lips parted as if he didn't expect to see her like this. He forgot to breathe. "Hey, yourself…"

"You...wanna come in?" she asked, sounding hesitant.

He shook his head in an attempt to clear his wild thoughts. "Sorry, you… Angel, you look… Damn… You took my breath away." A slow smile grew on his lips as he inched closer towards her.

Heat flushed her cheeks as he took her hand and kissed the back of it. "You look very handsome in your suit, too."

He smiled. "This is nothing compared to you. You look gorgeous, Angel."

"Thank you." She smiled back and turned around. "I'll just grab my purse and we can leave."

Entering her apartment, Gael admired her backside, grinning from ear to ear. "Is it too late to cancel dinner? I'd love to just look at you the whole night."