Chapter 44

“Natalia, do you agree?”

The sound of her name pulled Natalia’s attention away from the window and back to the United in PRIDE board meeting. Francis was staring at her, face pinched. Like a vulture spotting carrion, she’d zeroed in on Natalia’s distraction and tried to exploit it.

Natalia replied with the thing Francis hated most. Being ignored. “Alright, that’s the last sponsorship solicitation. Lola, did we finalize numbers for queer prom?”

Without missing a beat, Lola launched into reporting about their annual event. Francis muttered under her breath, but stopped short when she felt Natalia’s eyes on her.

Determined not to drift away again, Natalia looked away from the bright May morning. She told herself that she didn’t care that Sam had gotten in that morning after being away for two weeks. That she didn’t care that she’d gotten in on a red-eye and had to go directly to the university to teach a seminar. That she hadn’t thought about her a thousand times a day. That she hadn’t missed her touch or the sound of her voice or the way her body felt curled against hers.

Closing her eyes too hard to count as a blink, she shook off the stupid winged irritations fluttering around her. She pushed away the tingle on her skin and took deep breaths until her heart rate slowed to something less embarrassing. This reaction was absurd. She and Sam were just having fun, nothing more.

Her phone flashed when she was trying and failing to pay attention to Tom’s accounting rundown. Distraction was becoming unavoidable. She’d normally leave her phone face down, and she certainly wasn’t looking at it hoping for another text from Sam. It was bad enough that Natalia had been forced to text with Sam for half her flight because neither of them could sleep.

The notification banner was impossible to ignore. Adriana had sent her an email. The truncated part of the subject line reading, Ks Executed in Prof. Reyes…. After a month of being in the dark about the negotiations, she couldn’t wait another second.

Breaking her own rule about phones at the meeting, Natalia picked it up and glared at Francis before she could say anything. Abandoning her attempts to listen and deciding she’d read the minutes later, Natalia opened the email.

Scanning the endless contract she would pick through and parse later, she found the clause she was looking for. To her pleasant shock, there it was in no uncertain terms: Dr. Samantha Reyes shall retain final cut privilege over the completed motion picture. This grants Dr. Reyes authority over the final edited version of the film that will be released, including but not limited to final creative edits, scene selection, music selection, and runtime. Any significant deviations from Dr. Reyes’ approved final cut shall require her written consent.

Natalia allowed herself a small smile. This was a huge win for Sam. Final cut privilege would give her creative control over the film’s final form. Natalia knew how important maintaining the integrity of Lilith’s story was to her.

She typed back to Adriana and copied Lola: Excellent work securing this for Samantha.

Feeling lighter, the worry she hadn’t realized she was harboring lifted. Unable to focus or sit still, Natalia shifted and tried to find her place in the presentation. It was no use.

All she could think about was seeing Sam and telling her the good news in person. Her thigh muscles twitched as if threatening to carry her out of the room against her well.

But she tamped it down, clenching her hands together under the table. No, it would be unprofessional to rush out of this important meeting for personal reasons. She needed to get through the rest of the agenda first.

Willing her body to remain in place took every ounce of her energy. There was none left to marshal her racing thoughts. Sam consumed her. She pictured all the ways Sam might react. How she would delight that her girls had made the nearly impossible happen.

The second the meeting ended, Natalia gathered her things in a swirl and strode briskly outside into the warm summer morning. She was definitely not rushing to her car to go see Sam. She didn’t crave her. Didn’t ache to drown in the scent of her skin and the softness of her lips.

She was simply being efficient. At least that’s what she told herself as she drove perhaps a little too quickly toward campus, heart racing with anticipation the whole way.

When she arrived after braving the tail end of rush hour, it took a few tries to find Sam’s lecture hall. After finally being directed to the right place, she slipped in and found every single seat occupied.

Finding a spot in the corner, Natalia didn’t care that her heels were too high for standing. Didn’t mind that she looked like an obsessed fan when Sam caught sight of her and grinned.

Confident and poised, Sam commanded the room with authority. Hair a little longer, and a little blonder against her dark roots, Sam had her hands in the pockets of her relaxed trousers, the outline of her torso alluring in her fitted vest and dress shirt.

Natalia was entranced as Sam lectured passionately about the demonization of female sexuality in mythology and folklore. She managed to make her encyclopedic knowledge infinitely interesting.

Watching Sam in her element ignited a swell of pride and admiration in Natalia’s chest. She was so impressed by Sam’s poise, her intellect, her ability to engage and inspire her students.

And deeper than that professional esteem lay Natalia’s razor-sharp longing. An ache that went beyond the physical and dug into the vulnerable parts of herself she worked so hard to protect.

Being apart from Sam had been excruciating. Natalia wanted nothing more than to lose herself in Sam’s smile, her touch, the foreign feeling of the home she found in her arms.

But she couldn’t acknowledge the web of emotions Sam provoked in her. Wouldn’t examine too closely the effect Sam had on her usually disciplined heart.

This thing between them was temporary, Natalia reminded herself. Getting attached would only lead to pain when it ended. It would all be fun until Sam realized how grossly incompetent at relationships Natalia was. But the disappointment hadn’t arrived yet, and until it did, Natalia was going to take everything she could get.

Sam concluded her lecture to thunderous applause and cheers from the students. As the room began emptying out, Sam’s eyes found Natalia’s. Her expression softened, lips curving into a smile meant only for her.

Natalia’s heart stuttered, but she maintained an impassive mask. With effortless poise, she turned on her heel and walked out, adding an extra sway to her hips.

She didn’t need to look back to know Sam’s gaze followed her out. Natalia allowed herself a small, secret smile as she made her way toward Sam’s office.

Letting Sam watch her retreating form, imagination sparked by thoughts of their reunion. Natalia was in control. She set the pace, kept the upper hand.