They walked toward Sabine’s office, Narri keeping pace easily beside her, heels clicking against the polished floor.
“So,” Sabine began, pushing the door open and motioning Narri inside, “I know the onboarding’s dry, but once we get through this first week, I really want to plug you in with the analytics team. You’ll be working directly with our senior data strategist to refine user behavior mapping for the beta rollout.”
Narri’s eyes lit with interest. “You mean like A/B testing, traffic segmentation, all that?”
Sabine nodded, impressed but not surprised. “Exactly and eventually, I want you leading the weekly insights briefs. I know you haven’t been in the game recently, but your instincts are sharp. I remember your Capstone on predictive algorithms for community engagement. You don’t lose that just because you’ve been changing diapers.”
Narri chuckled, then turned serious. “Bine…I needed this. Not just the job, but the way you see me. I forgot what it felt like to be more than someone’s baby mama.”
“You were never just that,” Sabine leaned against her desk and smiled. “And Aderra’s gonna prove it.”
Narri smiled back, but before she could respond, there was a knock on the glass door and it slid halfway open. “Excuse me, ladies,” came a smooth, low voice. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Sabine straightened instinctively, eyes narrowing slightly but not unfriendly. “You’re fine,” she said. “Come in.”
Harlan Creed stepped through the doorway, crisp in his slate suit, no tie today, but still every inch composed. Confident. His cologne was subtle but intentional, and that small dimple when he smiled? Completely disarming.
Narri blinked once, then looked at Sabine like she’d just found the missing piece to a juicy-ass puzzle. “Well, hello,” she muttered under her breath, but loud enough for Sabine to hear.
Sabine ignored her.
“I was just stopping by to say I locked in the software vendor proposal,” Harlan said, handing Sabine a slim folder. “There’s some aggressive pricing if we decide by end of day, so I flagged the summary page.”
“Thank you,” Sabine said, taking the folder without meeting his eyes too long.
Harlan glanced at Narri, offering a polite nod. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”
“Oh, I’m Narri,” she said, holding out her hand. “New data hire. Just started this week.”
“Welcome to the team,” Harlan said, shaking her hand. “You’re in good hands with this one.”
“Oh, I’m sure I am.” Narri smirked.
Harlan grinned like he knew he was being talked about and didn’t mind. “Alright then. I’ll get out your way.” He dipped his head and turned, walking out just as smoothly as he came in.
As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, Narri turned, eyes wide with mischief. “Mmmmmhmmmmm. Sothat’sMr. Sexy Money Bags?”
“Please don’t start.” Sabine rubbed her temple.
“Girl, you should’ve warned me. I’d have worn my even gooderwig.”
“He’s not…it’s not like that.”
“Oh, but youwantit to be like that,” Narri teased. “That man look like he got old jazz and emotional intelligence on his playlists. I’m just saying.”
Sabine didn’t respond right away. She shifted, reaching for the folder Harlan had left but mostly to avoid looking Narri in the eye.
The truth was, italmosthad been like that. The night she and Harlan had gone out, they’d gotten close. Close enough that if Adair hadn’t still been sitting in her bones like a memory that refused to die, she might’ve let herself fall forward.
But she hadn’t told Narri the rest. That after she left Harlan’s condo—flushed, curious, open—she ended up in Adair’s bed that same night—very early morning. Or maybe it was his arms first. His apology. His ache. His hands on her. She hadn’t said a word about that night. Not even to Narri. Not yet.
Because it wasn’t just sex. It was confusion. Longing. History and something she still hadn’t made sense of. “Anyway.” Sabine stifled a laugh, then waved her off. “Focus, Nar. You’ve got a whole algorithm to build.”
“Fine, fine.” Narri raised her hands in surrender. “But let me know when we’r having a girls’ night because I got questions.”
Sabine rolled her eyes, but her smile lingered. She looked out her office window for a beat, heart full, head spinning. She was building something real. Something rooted in trust, brilliance, and the women she believed in. Even with the men circling. Even with the past looming. This? This was hers and she wasn’t about to let anyone—ex, maybe-lover—take that from her or distract her from it.
“Alright, last update before we break,” Sabine said, rubbing the bridge of her nose as the projector screen behind her flicked to the final slide. “Q2 onboarding projections, Narri?”