Author's Note: All characters, events, and places described in this narrative are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Part 1 of this story was published in the Romance category but didn't get the exposure I was hoping for, so I've decided to publish this Part in Interracial Love. You don't need to read Part 1 to understand what has happened so far, but it is helpful to do so (and I did enjoy writing that Part!).
All comments and feedback are welcomed.
HF
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The legal brief sat open on the large curved computer screen -- the cursor slowly blinking, waiting for any input from the redheaded woman staring at the document. Although blessed with a sharp, analytical mind, one that had studied for a BA in Political Science with a minor in Business at Stanford University followed by several years at Harvard Law School to obtain her Juris Doctor, Catherine struggled to assemble her thoughts.
It was Monday morning. The beginning of another week at AscendTech, one of the new darlings of the tech industry. The large, clear windows of the office overlooked well-manicured lawns that stretched out towards the low buildings that made up the AscendTech corporate complex that was nestled amongst all of the other tech firms in Silicon Valley. Despite the impressive view from her office window, the comfortable chair she was sitting in, the well-remunerated job that she held, the upcoming meetings she needed to prepare for, Catherine was still unable to clear her mind. Clear Andre from her thoughts.
She sat at her desk, her fingers poised over the keyboard, but her mind kept wandering back to the events of Friday night. She still felt a sense of disbelief at what she'd done -- a night with a stranger, a one-night stand. Even more shocking and surprising, it was with a Black man, someone who's African-American heritage was so different to her own Irish-American one.
She had spent the weekend trying her best not to dwell on it, not to remember how good it had felt when they were in bed together, how much she hated herself for walking out of his hotel room on Saturday morning, but the thoughts kept creeping in despite her best efforts. She had woken up that morning with the same mix of satisfaction and unease, a lingering warmth in the pit of her stomach from the memory of Andre but also a nagging doubt about what she had done. And perhaps the possibilities she had walked away from.
What am I even doing, thinking about him? she wondered, biting her lip as she stared at the legal document on her computer screen.
Friday night was intense, unexpected, and exciting. It was supposed to be just a casual night out, an escape from the monotony of her life as a divorced, overworked legal officer, dipping her toes cautiously back into the dating game. Yet, she had found herself tumbling into bed with a Black man she had barely known -- tall, confident, successful, and, for reasons she still didn't fully understand, wildly attractive to her in ways that surprised her. Part of her regretted not staying longer. She had slipped out the next morning, half-convinced it had been a mistake or a way for her to have a release from all of the tension and anxiety that had filled her mind since the divorce. Just a one-night stand. A way to ease the pain that had filled her life since her ex-husband had cheated on her. But was it? Was that all it was?
She sighed and opened up a new window on her desktop, her fingers typing instinctively typing his first name and what she knew about him into the search bar:
Andre investment banker minority businesses Atlanta
She paused for a second, half-expecting nothing significant to come up, but the powerful Google algorithms immediately populated her screen with a lengthy list of results: profiles, articles, company websites, even a few videos.
Andre Johnson.
So that was his full name, she thought, a touch embarrassed that she'd spent the night with a man, had allowed him to fuck her in the most perfect and satisfying way she had ever experienced, and yet she hadn't even known his last name.
The first link at the top of the page was to his company -- Johnson Capital Ventures -- an investment firm that specialized in funding minority-owned businesses. She clicked on it, scanning the page.
Founder and CEO
There was his profile picture, looking as handsome as she remembered him from Friday night, a slight smile on his face hinting at his charming personality. She quickly scanned his profile; Financial Analyst at Goldman Sachs, New York, then Senior Manager at JPMorgan Chase, specializing in corporate lending in Chicago, and, finally, six years earlier, founding his own highly successful firm that was headquartered in Atlanta.
Catherine's heart sank a little. He wasn't just some random guy who happened to be charming and good in bed. He was successful -- very successful. She scrolled through the site, clicking at the links. There were articles about him, interviews with him discussing his approach to empowering small business owners, especially those from underrepresented communities, how he'd supported them, and made a generous return on the investments. She felt an unexpected wave of intimidation.
Great, nice work, Cat... she thought, closing the tab abruptly, a scowl on her face. He probably thinks it was just a one-night stand. Now if I contact him, I'll look like I'm chasing him for his money.
She leaned back in her chair, shaking her head. She'd promised herself not to get entangled in something messy after her divorce. It had taken her a long time to realize that her relationship with her ex-husband, Harry, had been built on appearances, and she wasn't going to fall into that trap again. As much as she had enjoyed her night with Andre, how well they had connected, she couldn't shake the feeling that reaching out now would make her seem opportunistic. She could hear the whispers of doubt in her own mind:
Chief Legal Officer of a tech company falls for a millionaire CEO?
How cliché, she thought to herself with an exasperated sigh.
Resolving to push it all aside, she closed her eyes for a moment. It was a fun night. That's all it was, she told herself. Well, more than fun actually. Hmm, how could I describe a night of mind-blowing sex...? Sighing again as she glanced at the time, Catherine stood, grabbing her laptop from the dock and the thick stack of papers she needed for her next meeting. Work was her focus, and she wasn't going to let herself get distracted by a fleeting encounter. She headed to the conference room, her heels clicking against the polished floors, forcing her mind back to business.
*****
Catherine stepped into the glass-walled conference room, adjusting her navy-blue blazer as she moved toward her seat at the head of the table, a more formal outfit than was usually seen in the tech sector. Perhaps it was a hold-over from her days as an attorney when she was just starting her career or, more likely, to differentiate herself and her team from the multitude of techbros she worked with who seemed to think that a torn pair of jeans and a ratty t-shirt with whatever edgy logo was popular this week was suitable corporate attire. Despite the tech-based nature of the firm, she knew that her team was the real powerhouse behind the scenes, the people that made everything work and allowed the techbros to spend their time either coding or partying up on yachts with models.
Her team was already gathered, flipping through binders, prepping for the upcoming week of meetings they were going to attend in Washington. Four days of regulatory committee hearings and meetings with lobbyists lay ahead -- not something she relished.
"Morning, everyone," the redheaded woman said, offering a brief smile to them as she took her seat at the head of the table. Hopefully, no one asks how my weekend was...
"Good morning, Cat," Sarah, her assistant, greeted her with a warm but professional tone as she sat down next to her, her laptop, and an array of papers ready for the meeting. Sarah had been a godsend, Catherine thought. Sharp, supportive, studying law at night-school, she had been a rock for Catherine whilst she was going through her divorce, keeping her boss afloat as Catherine's marriage disintegrated around her.
"So," Catherine began, glancing over the documents in front of her, "I understand we're looking at finalizing our position on the new data privacy regulations. I need us fully prepared for the hearing in D.C. next week."
"Yes," said Andrew, her compliance officer, leaning forward, his brown eyes glancing at Catherine. "We've got your testimony drafted, but there's still some grey area regarding the language around encryption standards. We'll need to clarify how it applies to the smaller tech firms that are part of our incubator program." Everyone knew this was a key aspect of the upcoming regulatory hearings and something they would undoubtedly focus their attention on.
Catherine nodded. "Right. I want to make sure we're not throwing them under the bus. We need to argue that the regulations should encourage innovation, not stifle it with overreach." She flipped through the draft testimony, her sharp legal mind quickly processing the details, already spotting a few points she would need to tidy up. She looked up at the team. "And how's the lobbying on Capitol Hill going?"
Sarah chimed in. "We've got meetings lined up for us with several senators, including those who are sympathetic to tech start-ups. We'll be emphasizing that diversity in the sector depends on access to resources for smaller firms."
"Good," Catherine said. "I'll want all the talking points before we head out. The last thing we need is to be blindsided by a question we haven't prepped for."
The team continued discussing logistics for another twenty minutes, finalizing the preparations for their time in Washington before moving onto the next item on the agenda for their meeting. As the meeting wrapped up nearly an hour later, Catherine couldn't help but reflect that, despite her fiery Irish-American heritage, she always stayed focused, disciplined, always able to navigate the complexities of tech and government regulation, keeping the company's interests protected, even though the depths of her divorce. She could always compartmentalize it all. Stay focused on the task at hand. So why did the thoughts of Andre keep creeping back in to her mind?
*****
