Page 32 of Stranded for Christmas with my Boss

Jensen waves his hand dismissively as he gets up from his desk and adjusts his tie. “I want to get to know the people who might be promoting my company. I’m not going to settle for just anyone.”

“Picky?” My lips curl up a little.

Jensen stops next to me, warmth radiating off his larger body. And he smellssogood. “I’m particular about what I like, but you know that.”

When he steps away from me, a fluttering sensation fills my chest. We’re toeing a very thin line, but it’s ridiculously exhilarating.

We head to the conference room together and take a seat at one end with me seated to his left. I adjust the long sleeves of my dark blue flare dress, preparing myself for the meeting. This is one of the influencers who is at the top of our list of favorites.

Large following. Strong influence. Radiant personality.

We need her.

Jensen and I both stand from our seats when Victoria Hunt, or tori_xoxo, strides into the room. Jensen holds his hand out to her as she pulls off her white winter gloves that match her white coat and sheath dress. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Hunt. Thank you for coming.”

Victoria’s red hair flows down her back in long, straight strands, complimenting her clean, modern look. Her face has the sharp edges and piercing eyes of a model, but when she smiles, she appears softer and warmer. “Thank you for having me. And you are?”

“Alyssa, his assistant,” I introduce myself when she turns to me. “Would you like anything? Tea? Coffee?”

Victoria shakes her head and sits down, her back remaining straight. “I’m fine. I’d like to get right down to business if that’s all right.”

“Yes, let’s not waste any time,” Jensen agrees as he joins his hands together on the table. “We’ve sent you our proposal. What do you think?”

“You’ve asked for four posts about your app in a limited window of time,” Victoria replies in a calm, collected voice. “That’s more than what I typically offer for any one brand. I don’t want to come off as unauthentic to my audience.”

“That’s understandable. They don’t have to be very complicated or blatant promos. You can do skits or somethinglike that,” Jensen suggests. “Whatever format fits with your profile.”

Victoria lifts her eyebrow at him. “I don’t typically do skits or acting. Like I said, I strive to be authentic.”

Jensen shifts a little in his seat as he tries to think about what to say. I know that he has looked over her profile, but I doubt he combed through her videos as thoroughly as I did last night before bed.

“You do story times and mini vlogs,” I speak up, drawing their eyes to me. “Using Soul Flames is an experience, whether you’re single or dating. From your profile, it looks like you’re in a new relationship.”

Victoria’s expression relaxes as she folds her hands in her lap. “Yes, it’s new. He’s certainly not camera shy, though.”

I smile a little as my mind races, bringing forward every detail that I retained from browsing through her social media last night. “We have plenty of interactive quizzes and activities for couples on Soul Flames. Couples use them all the time to think of date ideas, talk through deep topics, and get to know each other better.”

Victoria hums in thought. “Oh, I guess I thought it was more of a hook-up app.”

“We’ve been working on distancing ourselves from that label,” Jensen says. “We’re mainly focusing on long-term relationship matches and strengthening existing relationships. You and your new guy could shoot a few videos interacting with the app.”

“Try the date generator,” I suggest. “It’ll suggest a restaurant or an activity in your area for you guys to try.”

Victoria smiles and nods. “Okay, I can see myself making a video like that.”

Riding high on genuine interest and excitement, I pitch a few other ideas to her, while Jensen gives her the rundown of the terms of our agreement. It takes a little back and forth and somecompromises, but she’s worth the time and effort because of her reach and follower loyalty.

“I think we have a deal,” Victoria says as I write down a note to keep track of our changes. She rises to her feet and sweeps her hair behind her left shoulder before holding her hand out. “I have an appointment to get to, but this was nice. Send the revised contract to me through email, and I’ll get started.”

Jensen shakes her hand. “It was a pleasure.”

I shake her hand as well, sharing a polite smile with her before she strides out of the room. As soon as the door swings shut, I turn to Jensen with a bright smile on my face. “We did amazing! We got her!”

Jensen chuckles and nods, looking quite satisfied with our work as well. “No,youwere great. You made a big save happen there.”

I shrug as I feel warmth brush my cheeks. “I just watched some of her videos last night.”

Jensen gives me a pointed look. “You studied her social media profile, didn’t you?”

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