She shakes her head, no, and that’s all it takes for me to release down the back of her throat. “Holy, fuck,” I mumble. Zaps of electricity ride through me as I come down. Mira wipes her hand over her mouth and smiles. Shifting upward, I grab her by the waist and pull her down on top of me. “That was amazing.”
A knock at the door has us both frozen in place. “Shit,” I whisper.
“Sawyer,” Rina says, knocking a couple more times. “I’m back. Are you two done talking?”
Mira and I look at each other and both combust into laughter, before hopping off the bed and getting cleaned up.
Chapter Nineteen
Mira
“You’ve got this, babe,” Sawyer says as he leans over the bed and presses a chaste kiss to my cheek.
“Easy for you to say. You’ve never presented for Layla Ames and been rejected before.”
Sawyer tucks his shirt in as he watches himself in the mirror, making sure he’s in tip-top shape for his second, first day at Glasson. “She’d be crazy to turn you down. Your ideas are golden.”
“You mean, your ideas?”
He sits down on the edge of the bed and slides his black dress shoes on. “Our ideas.”
I close the folder in front of me where I’m sitting with my legs folded like a pretzel. “I really wish you’d let my dad give you the manager position. Then, you could work up close and personal on the launch.”
“I know, but I told you, I don’t want special favors just because I’m banging the boss's daughter.”
My arms wrap around him from behind and I pull him back with a chuckle. “Banging the boss's daughter?” I huff in sarcasm. “Is that all this is?”
Sawyer rolls over and presses his hands on either side of me, hovering over my face. “Oh, it’s so much more than that.” His sweet lips meet mine as I wish that I could just lie in bed and kiss him all day.
“We better get going,” Sawyer says, straightening up and climbing off of me.
I blow out some air and nod in agreement. “You’re right. We don’t want to be late.”
My legs fling over the side of the bed and I get up. After I tug the end of my dress down a bit, I grab my folder.
Ready or not.
Sawyer takes hold of my waist. His fingers clenching my hips as he hums into the crease of my neck. “Tonight, we’re celebrating your victory.”
My head kinks to the side. “You’re being a little presumptuous, don’t you think?”
“Nope.” He sweeps my hair away and kisses down my collarbone. “Just confident.”
“Well, if you keep that up, we’ll have no reason to celebrate because we’ll never leave this room.”
Sawyer’s head drops in defeat. “Alright, let’s do this.” Then he perks up and smacks a hand to my ass and squeezes it.
I lead the way out of the room. If I leave it up to him, he’ll never walk out. This has been our morning routine since his sister, Rina, left last week. She stayed for a couple nights, and I got to know her better. She’s a sweet girl and I can tell she loves her brother a lot. Rina was also able to convince Sawyer to call his parents. They were ecstatic to hear from him and I’m proud of him for swallowing his pride and taking the leap. We’re planning a weekend trip to visit them soon and saying I’m nervous is an understatement. I’m just happy that things are looking up for us both.
While Sawyer has been working, I’ve spent my days designing swimsuits in hopes of launching my own swimwear line. I’m teetering on the edge of the idea and haven’t dove in just yet, but it’s been fun dreaming up ideas. I ran the idea by Dad, and he’s offered me his support if that’s what I wish to pursue.
Right now, though, I need to finish what I started. No matter the outcome, I’ll know I gave it my all. If Layla loves it, then I’ll work on the launch beside her for the next six months. If she doesn’t then I’ll continue chasing my dreams elsewhere.
My armpits are sweating profusely as I wait for Layla to come out of her office to greet me. Extending my arms, I try to get some airflow moving under there, but it does little good. I’m more nervous today than I was the first time. I guess it’s because I know this will be my final presentation. Working with Layla would be a dream, not to mention, the satisfaction of knowing I’d helped the company.
I suppose getting the Tanners off our back was helpful, too. But that was more Lance’s doing than my own. Apparently, Tanner Enterprises has gone bankrupt. They were desperate and willing to do just about anything to save themselves from losing everything—even if it meant taking from us. A restraining order is now in place and Lance bought their silence on anything regarding my family. Doesn’t matter though, when the launch is announced, I plan to stand beside Dad and proudly show the world exactly who I am.
“Good morning, Mira,” Layla says, snapping me out of the trance I was in. I didn’t even see her come out.
I get to my feet and fumble with the folder in my hand. “Hi. It’s good to see you again.”
“You as well,” Layla says. She’s looking gorgeous as ever in a sleek red dress with matching red pumps. Her hair is piled in a clean bun on the top of her head.
As we walk to her office, I continue you talk–one of my nervous quirks. “So, I listened to what you said and thought long and hard about how we can make H20 Vitality stand out. I think I’ve come up with a plan that will do just that.”
Layla smiles widely. “I can’t wait to hear what you’ve come up with.”
We enter her office, and she closes the door behind us. I make my way to the same spot I took last time. Only this time around, I won’t be using the projector. Everything I need is printed on the papers I set in front of Layla.
“As you can see, my design is fairly similar to the one I shared with you a couple weeks ago. However, this time, I’ve added some appeal. Instead of the neutral Glasson colors, I went with something that gives Vitality the pizazz it needs. Bright purple and turquoise. The V for Vitality would be centered on the front of the bottle. Under each cap would be a random inspirational quote. Such as, ‘without pain, we have no gain.’ H20 Vitality will encourage healthy behaviors such as exercising and running. An active body stays active.” Layla’s eyes perk up and it sends my heart rate into a frenzy. She’s digging it.
Her fingers tap the paper and she smiles. “I love these colors. They are bold, bright, and fun. Exactly what we need.”
“H20 Vitality will also stand out against our competitors with their biodegradable bottle. Of course, prices will likely increase with this option, but Glasson needs to follow in line with the ‘Healthier Planet, Healthier You’ Campaign.”
“Yes! We’ve discussed this option for the future and it makes sense that now would be the perfect time to start.”
“I’ve also spoken to the founder of the campaign and they expressed interest in having Vitality Water join their campaign. We’d be a top paying sponsor for their annual triathlon, as well as many other events they’ve put on.”