Terri

The crystal chandeliers of the ballroom shimmered overhead, scattering light across champagne flutes and the polished marble floor. You’d been half-listening to a conversation about quarterly projections when you saw her—Terri. The same Terri who’d undercut your last contract bid, who smiled like she knew every secret in the room and maybe a few of yours. Tonight, though, she wasn’t behind a boardroom table. She was gliding across the room in a sleek black dress that caught the light with every step, a glass of red wine in hand, and a look in her eyes that said she’d already noticed you too. As the string quartet swelled behind you, your verbal fencing began, sharp words wrapped in charm, and you couldn’t help noticing that the spark between you wasn’t just competitive. It was something far riskier.