The Contract

TRAVIS'S P.O.V.

"Anything else, sir?" Harrison asked, and my gaze drifted back to him.

"Move the meeting with the board to now," I said, flipping the next page of the file in front of me. He nodded, jotting it down.

"And the flight, sir?"

I glanced up, exhaling deeply. "When is it?" I asked, my focus shifting momentarily back to the documents.

"This evening, sir," he replied. I paused, tapping the edge of the file before meeting his gaze again.

"Get the jet ready," I ordered.

"Anything else, Mr. Ferrari?" Harrison asked, standing at attention. I leaned back in my chair, massaging the bridge of my nose.

"That will be all."

As he turned to leave, there was a knock on the door. Both of us looked up as it opened, and her face peeked through first.

"Heey," she drawled, stepping in fully. My gaze followed her as she climbed the stairs to my desk.

"Good evening, Mrs. Ferrari," Harrison greeted, and she shot him a dazzling smile before turning to me.

She was all dressed up-she always is. Today, though, she looked particularly ravishing. Her presence filled the room, pulling me out of my world of figures and deadlines.

Her arms crossed over her chest, a clear sign she was here for something serious.

"Travis," she called, her voice holding an edge. She took another step forward, her eyes narrowing slightly as if to reprimand me.

"Yeah," I answered, the beginnings of a smile tugging at my lips as I watched her.

She leaned on the table, her hands pressing against the polished surface. The subtle shift in her stance drew my eyes downward, and I caught myself just in time.

"Did you forget?"

"Huh?"

"The plans, Travis. We made plans," she groaned, exasperated.

"Of course, we made plans," I agreed immediately, scrambling to figure out what the hell she was talking about.

What plans?

She wasn't buying my bluff. Her skeptical look could have made a lesser man crumble.

"I remembered. We made plans," I continued, nodding as though it would make me more convincing.

Her hands left the table as she straightened up, crossing her arms once again.

"What was it then?" she asked, tilting her head.

"What?"

"The plans we made. What were they?"

My smile widened while my brain frantically searched for an answer. Nothing. I was completely blank.

There was only one way out. I needed to play my cards right.

"Stella..." I began, standing and walking toward her. "Non mi sono ovviamente dimenticato dei piani che abbiamo fatto, soprattutto se sono molto importanti. Ho solo perso la cognizione del tempo con il lavoro e tutto il resto".

Her eyes flared up instantly. I definitely just fueled the fire.

"You...you didn't just do that."

"I'm glad you understand."

"What?!"

"You're very understanding," I added with a grin.

She groaned, her frustration boiling over as she smacked me with her bag. Her reaction triggered a laugh from me.