Amanda Christmas paused to push the white picket gate closed behind her, humming pleasantly to herself as she strolled up the white sidewalk to the front door of the cosy cottage home where she was meeting the CFO of her organisation, Candace Vaughn. As the newly appointed CEO of Winter Enterprises, Amanda had been more than happy to accept Candace's invitation to her home, hoping that the more informal setting would allow her to smooth out any ripples in her relationship with the CFO that might have been caused by both women aggressively pursuing the recently vacated CEO position. Amanda's pink heels tapped softly on the front steps as she stepped up onto the front porch, a puzzled expression crossing her face as she lifted her hand to knock and caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection from the glass oval in the front door. In her usual fashion, Amanda was dressed professionally, her long obsidian black hair pulled back into a neat bun, a pencil skirt that ended just below her knees, under which her stockings gave her legs a polished appearance, a fitted satin blouse buttoned up and cinched by a belt tightly beneath her tightly fitted blazer, that was an inviting shade of pink like the rest of her outfit.
Amanda pursed her lips, feeling slightly confused as she could not recall owning any pink clothing and certainly couldn't remember putting on her current outfit, although she was sure that she must have just been preoccupied with other matters...
Before Amanda could give it any further thought, a pleasant voice called out from inside the quaint home, "Come in, the door is unlocked."
Amanda hesitated briefly, giving her reflection one last glance as the green foliage of the gently swaying trees in the warm afternoon sun behind her provided a perfect backdrop to her pink suit that shimmered and vanished as she turned the brass doorknob, pushed the door open, and stepped inside, feeling a rush of tranquillity as the door's embrace swept away all traces of outside noise, making her feel instantly relaxed and comfortable.
"In here..." a disembodied voice called out through the door leading into the front parlour to Amanda's right, accompanied by soft, pleasant laughter... hesitating for a moment, Amanda put on a cordial smile and then strode forward with a confident step into the cosy well-lit room to greet Candace.
"Oh, Amanda, there you are!" an enthusiastic Candace Vaughn called out warmly in an uncharacteristic display as she glided forward to greet Amanda, embracing her in a friendly hug that caught the newly minted CEO off guard.
"Hello, Candace..." Amanda murmured uncertainly as she did her best to return the greeting, realising as she stepped back from the smiling CFO who, like her, was dressed in a tight pink business suit that was perfectly tailored to her body, giving her a professional but fetching look that caused Amanda to stare a bit longer than she intended. Amanda's eyes widened in surprise at Candace's chestnut brown hair that had been transformed into a meticulously styled platinum blonde bouffant, exuding beauty and elegance... which, while beautiful and elegant, seemed somehow inappropriate for a business professional.
Amanda's attention shifted as she caught sight of a young woman in a short pink pleated skirt, white knee-highs, and a perfectly fitted white blouse beneath a tight pink vest, sitting primly on a softly cushioned lavender couch. The young woman's gaze remained fixed behind the rosy tint of her glasses, locked onto the petite tablet she cradled in her hands.
"Hello, Skylar, isn't it?" Amanda asked with a slightly puzzled look on her face, feeling a bit confused as to why one of the company's young tech interns would be there.
Skylar glanced up with a small, innocent smile as she turned her attention toward Amanda, "Oh, it's so lovely to see you and have you join us." Skylar said pleasantly as Candace guided Amanda toward an adjacent couch with a delicate touch that made Amanda feel even more relaxed and at ease.
Amanda nodded politely, "I didn't realise you had company, Candace..." she continued in a cordial tone, "I was hoping to speak with you one-on-one..." Skylar giggled as Candace smiled blankly back at Amanda without responding.
Skylar grinned as she stood up and slid her athletic body beside Candace, casually lifting her hand to the small of the CFO's back, "Oh, but that's precisely why I am here..." Skylar said with a note of confidence in her voice as she looked into Amanda's eyes, holding the CEO in her gaze for what seemed longer than necessary.
"I know that you and Candace were both competing very hard for the CEO position, and it would be silly for either of you to harbour any resentment over the outcome..." Skylar paused to glance at Candace, who continued to stand attentively with a docile smile on her face as Skylar continued, "That's why I insisted that Candace agree to meet with you today, even though she didn't want to at first... Isn't that right, darling?" Skyalr prompted pleasantly with another subtle caress of her fingertips as she turned her gaze back toward Amanda.
Candace nodded in docile agreement as Amanda began to feel something was a bit unusual about the way her colleague was behaving. Skylar smiled in satisfaction at Candace's response as her attention focused back on Amanda, "What about you, Amanda? Are you ready to kiss and make-up?" The tech intern said with a small glint in her eye.