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Chapter One

"Leaving already?"

I’d tried my best not to wakeon the hotel room table Riley Heas a heavy sleeper, especially when she’d been out drinking the night before, her favorite vacation pastime So I was surprised when she popped her strawberry-blonde head out froh

"Sorry I woke you I have toup" I’d been poring over the client strategy the previous night with my supervisor, Richard Haone over it dozens of tiotten back toevery detail, replaying in my mind the sequence of events that would lead to Richard and e deal for not only Waterbridge-Howser, but also for e analysts with only three years experience fly to Cape Town, South Africa to woo billion dollar clients It was only through a series of fortunate events--a group of senior e to start their own firm, my recent promotion, and a chance encounter with one of the directors in the cafeteria--that I was in this position To say this was big would be an understatement

"No worries" She yawned and rubbed one sleepy eye while le "I wanted to get up anyway Get son television It’s not every day you get to see Big Bird speaking Afrikaans You ready for your ?"

God, I hope so I’d better be after all the practice and preparation Thankfully the butterflies fluttering in ize me than a cup of coffee ever could "I think I’ He’s got years of experience doing this I’ sreat, Miss Harvard grad"

I stuck out ue playfully Riley was froh we both ended up working in the finance world, Riley was a corporate tax accountant thanks to her parents’ guidance, and often reotten to know each other over the past two years, sharing an apartment in the financial district of Manhattan to offset the exorbitant rent Despite our personality differences-- the weekend warrior--ere both single professionals in their mid-twenties, so naturally we bonded

When I’d told her I was taking a business trip to Cape Town for a week, she insisted on using her vacation ti on beautiful beaches and scoping out an exotic locale soundedat balance sheets Plus, I kneould have so out with her would be much more fun than by myself or, heaven forbid, with Richard

I packed up the last of ht blue blouse and black pencil skirt The outfit had been painstakingly put together to blend professionalisy "How do I look?"

"I’d trust you with my million dollars--if I had it"

"Hopefully bad boy billionaire Vincent Sorenson thinks the sa for a oing to have fun tonight Don’t forget about that"

Of course, a full afternoon and evening of adventure with Riley I was looking forward to it With a wave, I left the hotel room and took the elevator down to the lobby where I was supposed to meet Richard As I stepped onto thea clack, I checked reed tous plenty of time to walk the few blocks froo over any last minute details should they arise in our sleep God knows I’d had dreahtmares And for some funny reason, all of them ended with e of a cozy lounge chair, his eyes glued to his Blackberry He wore a slate-gray suit with a cerulean tie, giving hiht-year-old Only the few strands of gray hair would betray he was closer to forty

"Morning," I greeted him

"Have you eaten breakfast yet, Kristen?" His response didn’t include prying his eyes away from his device It wasn’t an unusual occurrence and I didn’t take offense to it as I usually would have If Richard could be boiled down to one word, it would be "business" It was both his strength and flaw In the six et his undivided attention was by saying so relevant to his career advancement In this, he was like e juice and a granola bar I could go for so then We can stop for a cup" He gathered his briefcase and I followed him as he left the hotel

As we stepped out fro of the valet area, the view of the ocean in the distance and a cool breeze helped calm my nerves It was theWe continued a leisurely stroll through the heart of don Cape Town We had only flown in the previous day and had been busy with prep work so I hadn’t had tis piercing the sky, honking cars, an eclectic ly every corner--in a lot of ways, it reht colors, unfaave this place its own char the e paused for a cup of coffee and Richard took the opportunity to review our strategy