Page 9 of Silver Fake

Lisa looks up, her face lighting up with a sweet, welcoming smile. "Yes, John?"

For a fleeting second, her smile kindles a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. I clear my throat and push the feeling away.

"I need to cancel my meetings for the rest of the week," I say, striving to maintain a casual tone. "An urgent matter has come up, and I need to go out of town."

"Understood," Lisa nods, her fingers already moving to reschedule my appointments. She clicks around on her computer for a few seconds. Then she suddenly glances up and gives me a strange look.

"Um, by the way, are you still meeting with your client tonight as planned?"

"Yes," I confirm, grateful for her diligence. "I'll keep that meeting."

With that, I retreat back into my office, closing the door behind me. I take a deep breath, my mind racing with possibilities.

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Fortunately, the rest of my day takes a turn for the better.

After flipping through my contacts with no luck. I ultimately decide to table the issue of my non-existent wedding date and focus on problems that I can actually solve. I lose myself in a flurry of phone calls, emails, and document reviews, each one bringing its own unique challenge.

Before I know it, the office is bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun, and my watch reads almost 7 p.m.

I gather my thoughts and my files, slip into my coat and head for the door.

The office is practically deserted now, the hustle and bustle of the day replaced by an eerie quiet. Lisa's immaculate desk is empty and I know she's already left for her vacation. However, in her usual efficient manner, she has already completed the first part of Ethan's memo. The file is neatly packaged and left on her desk, ready for my perusal.

I admire her diligence for a moment before grabbing the file and sliding it into my briefcase. Then I turn off the light in my office, leaving the building behind as I head to my awaiting car. The destination for tonight's client meeting is the posh La Rubia Hotel.

The La Rubia is a high-end hotel known for its impeccable service and luxury suites. Melissa, my partner, arranged the meeting here. An odd choice, but fitting for a client of their stature, I suppose. As I drive over, the day's stress slowly starts to fade into the background, replaced by the comfort of routine. I mentally prepare myself for the meeting ahead, another problem that I can tackle head-on and solve.

The hostess greets me with a smile. “Good evening, Mr. Barton."

“Good evening. I’m meeting some clients here. Could they have already been escorted to the conference room?”

She smiles brightly. “Yes, they arrived moments ago. Allow me to escort you back.”

The young woman moves from behind the desk and I follow her. I’ve met other clients here before, so I’m confused as we pass by the front conference room without stopping, but perhaps we got our booking in too late and are set up elsewhere. After a minute, she stops in front of a set of large wooden doors.

“They’re just in here,” she says.

She walks off smiling as she goes, and I pull open the heavy ornate doors. Several voices fill the air at once.

“Congratulations!”

Applause rings out as various familiar faces from work smile back at me, their expressions a mixture of excitement and pleasure at catching me off guard.

I chuckle. "Thanks, everyone. But it was a team effort. I couldn't have done it without all of you."

The applause subsides, and I'm pulled into a round of hearty handshakes and friendly back slaps. My eyes instinctively search for one particular face.

Lisa's.

I look around, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. But she's nowhere to be found. Of course. She's on vacation. I knew that. And yet... a part of me had let hope blossom – hope that she would be here. I push those thoughts aside, forcing a smile as I join my colleagues in the unexpected celebration.

Melissa walks around the front table and clinks her glass to mine.

"Congratulations on the Patterson win," she says, a self-satisfied smirk pulling at the corners of her lips.

"And congratulations to you. You did an incredible job keeping this secret. I didn't suspect a thing. You're quite the mastermind."

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