One Mad Night by Julia London Page B

wanted to know.
    Monday morning, the city had slid back into its usual grind. Ian dressed in his best blue suit. He thought a lot about the pitch, but before he left, he stared at himself a long time in the mirror.
    The thrill of the pitch was missing, the hum of anticipation in his body absent. This was the thing he loved about his job. He loved going in, laying out an idea, watching the faces change from skepticism to excitement. He’d worked hard on Tesla, but this pitch felt different. It felt ugly and meaningless.
    When he reached the office, it looked just as it had Thursday morning before the blizzard, and it was hard to believe he and Chelsea had spent that evening here. He walked past her cubicle and saw her tote bag on the desk. Her lights were on. She was here, somewhere in these walls, preparing to pitch as if she didn’t know the truth.
    Jason saw Ian, and still seated in his chair, he rolled into the opening of his office and said, “Dude! Looking sharp! You ready to do this thing? Ready to get a big account?” He waggled his brows.
    â€œWhen are we doing it?” Ian asked.
    â€œThis morning,” Jason said happily. “Get some coffee, clear out the cobwebs, and come to the partners’ conference room at eleven.”
    Yeah, it would have to be the partners’ conference room, wouldn’t it?
    Ian went through the motions of getting his act together. He accepted the good luck wishes of people walking by. He gave his ad to the tech guy to cue up. He swore to Zimmerman he wasn’t nervous, and he wasn’t. He just wanted it over.
    At ten to eleven, he picked up his file with his notes, shoved one hand in his pocket, and walked around to the conference room. That was when he saw Chelsea for the first time since Thursday night.
    She looked beautiful. Gorgeous. Had she always been this pretty? She was wearing her dark hair in a sleek ponytail. She had on a dress that flounced around her knees and a slim jacket that she’d buttoned up. She was also wearing the shoes that had danced in his memory of everything that happened Thursday night.
    She smiled when she saw him, a genuine, warm smile. “Hey,” she said. “You look great.”
    â€œYou look better.” He glanced around them. “Are you okay?”
    â€œMe? Yep.” But she was looking down when she said it, and she pretended to be studying her notes.
    Ian shifted closer. He caught the scent of her perfume. “I didn’t know if you’d come.”
    â€œSilly man,” she said, and she looked up. “I had to come. I wouldn’t miss this. Not after all the work I put into it.”
    He could add “brave” to the list of things he liked about her.
    Jason popped his head out of the conference room. “There we are!” he said cheerfully. “Here’s our best and brightest. Great, great—so listen, you two can watch each other’s pitch if you like. Chelsea, we’ll give you the ladies-first option. That okay?”
    â€œWhatever you say, Jason,” she said cheerfully, as if there were no hard feelings.
    â€œOkay, well let’s get started!”
    â€œYes, let’s ,” she said, and she walked past Jason, her head high. He heard her wish the partners a good morning.
    He followed her in and took the seat that Jason showed him to. He refused to acknowledge the wink Jason gave him, as if they were all members of a secret club they’d not let Chelsea join.
    Brad Paulson smiled at Ian, too, and then looked at Chelsea. “Okay! Tesla account. Chelsea, show us what you’ve got.”
    â€œI’d be delighted,” she said. She stood up and walked to the front of the room. “Tesla is unique in that it marries lifestyle to principle in a vehicle,” she began.
    Her pitch was good. Ian was impressed with her delivery—she was smooth, she was personable. She understood how to deliver the message. Ian really didn’t