Page 103 of Keep Your Friends Close and Your… Work Enemy Closer?

"How do you know it? You can't possibly know that. Any number of things could go wrong."

"Yeah, they could..."

I stared at him, wondering where he was going with that.

"But," he went on with a smile, "you know this book, this proposal, inside and out. And no matter what happens, Venus is going to see your passion and love you for it."

Something inside me melted at his words, and amazingly, what he said helped calm me. A little. Not completely. But I'd take anything at this point.

Security texted me, as requested, and said that Venus was on her way up, and I was extremely grateful that she wasn't doing the typical Hollywood late arrival thing.

"She's here," I said, a fresh spike of anxiety shooting through me.

"Breathe, babe. No matter what happens, you're still going to be your kick-ass self."

God, it was nice having someone in my corner like Max. Wait. What the hell was I thinking?

"Thank you," I managed to squeak out. And then I did what he said—focused on my breathing.

And then she was here. Here! The elevators dinged and out she walked, followed by an entourage of men in suits.

She flashed me her million dollar smile and reached out for a quick hug. "Oh, wait," she cooed. "That probably wasn't very professional of me."

Leaning back, she gave me her hand, but not angled for a proper handshake, more like holding it out like royalty for a kiss. So I kind of did an awkward shake of her fingers and tried to quickly move on from that very odd beginning.

"So great to see you," I said. "How are you today?"

I wasn't so sure if my words registered because her gaze was on the office behind me, taking in every detail of our open space. "Ooh, this is gorgeous. I always dreamed of working in an office just like this, being a big city single girl."

My eyes tried not to stray to her ample cleavage, so perfectly displayed in her super low-cut suit.

Glancing at me again, she put her hands on her hips, giving me a red carpet pose as she arched a beautiful brow. "So do I look the part? Like a proper businesswoman?"

There was no way in hell I could say what I was really thinking, that there was such a thing as too sexy and she'dprobably get reamed for violating the dress code. If I looked at Max, I would die.

"You look incredible," I said smoothly.

"Thank you. You're too kind," she purred. "I'm so excited to see more of your office and what you have in store for me."

Something about her tone and demeanor put me at ease. After all, she was weirdly thrilled just to be in an office building.

"Me too," I agreed. "So welcome to Insight Ink. Are you ready to get started?"

"Abso-fucking-lutely." She put a hand over her mouth. "Oops, I'll try my best to be more professional."

She made me giggle, and I dared to look at Max, whose amusement shone in his eyes. Maybe, just maybe, this might be kind of fun instead of terrifying.

We slowly walked through the office, everyone staring in awe at one of the biggest celebrities in the world traipsing through our floor. She gave a few royal waves to her slack-jawed admirers, and they managed to wave back. Briefly, I wondered what she thought, but she had to be used to it at this point in her life.

Leading her to the conference room door, I stepped aside to let her go in first, and all my hard work was rewarded in that moment, at her gasp. So I wasn't responsible for the long, sleek table, the plush black chairs, or the flattering low lighting. And I especially couldn't take credit for the stunning view of Manhattan displayed along one wall of windows.

But I could take credit for what was on the end table, the beautiful display of hors d'oeuvres, the champagne chilling in an ice bucket along with elegant flutes, and Venus' favorite flowers artfully arranged throughout the room. There were a few glossy copies of the proposal on the table as well as tablets so she could follow along with our presentation.

Watching her carefully, I noticed her eyes lingering on the framed pictures we'd hung on the wall opposite the windows, photos we'd had printed in black and white of key moments from her life—accepting awards, acting on set, and one famous candid from a Paris café.

"Wow," she said, cocking her head at me. "You really went all out."

I smiled at her, pride and optimism surging up in me. "I'm pretty dedicated."

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