Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, events and incidents are the products of the author's imagination. All characters depicted in this fictional work are adults of legal age. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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Ebba assumed her power stance in the meeting room opposite her team's contract negotiator, Sarah. Legs poised elegantly atop dark blue four inch heels, hands on her generous hips, her well-made face pursed in concentration at the visual aid on the screen projected into the wall.
Sarah stood in front of her and the others, barely able to see over Ebba's ample chest. She was blonde and her hair flowed in straight strands down to her shoulder blades, framing an almost perfectly oval face pointed with two icy blue eyes.
Ebba's high cheekbones were framed by dark brown curls that flared out and stopped just at her jawline.
Sarah was lithe, teetering in her red shirt dress on legs the size of Ebba's forearms. Meanwhile, her voluptuous supervisor stood statuesque and in proportions that bent intimidating curves into the navy pencil skirt she was wearing. Ebba crossed her arms under her prodigious bust tightening the fabric of her white blouse, scrutinizing the problem Sarah was articulating for her. Six members of her team occupying the large semi circle table behind her looked on. Every eye locked on the full-figured, toffee-skinned woman towering over the blonde furtively seeking guidance on an issue.
"Cerebra Tech is insisting on maintaining a separate research and development division post-acquisition. They want autonomy over their core tech." Sarah's tone was even as she laid out the problem, but there was a hint of resignation in the sigh she let out after. The question thickened the air and beckoned a response to break through.
Ebba felt seven pairs of eyes scanning her for an answer.
"Let's counter. Agree to a separate R&D division, but with joint oversight. Let them feel in control."
The blonde hesitated, weighing Ebba's words. Before she could answer, her boss turned to the woman seated at the meeting table behind them. "Maria, can we make that work?"
The seated woman adjusted her black and white checkered tweed jacket and continued clicking at her laptop as she had been for what seemed like the entire meeting. Her cat eye frames reflecting the screen. She adjusted the frames on her perfectly square nose as she raised her eyes to answer.
"It's doable, but...complex...ensuring data security...intellectual property rights...I'll draft something up." Ebba looked back at the hesitant blonde expectantly. Slowly, her spine straightened and a smile appeared on her face and tightened her cheeks. "I'll get to work on the counter."
Sarah rejoined the team at the table. Her slender fingers were a blur on the keyboard of her laptop, conjuring words and formulating them into a new proposal.
Ebba could feel progress returning to the room, but her face remained expressionless. Each person seemed to be zipping through small tasks to add to the overall project. She could feel the steering wheel of it in her palm and the rhythm of typing like the sound of their engine driving them forward.
"Based on some new consumer sentiment data, there seems to be a growing concern about the safety of these implants. It might dampen initial adoption rates." Liam's pale face expressed a clear sign of regret at needing to speak. The concern seemed to slow the sounds of typing and productivity to a crawl and suddenly the faces were turning to Ebba once again.
"Let's schedule a focus group. We can address their safety concerns, showcase Cerebra Tech's testing procedures, quiet the background noise."
Liam's expression instantly became more positive. He nodded and typing resumed anew. The meeting felt back on track again. Ebba slowly strolled from chair to chair finalizing and approving her team's work. At the end, a voice like waves against a cliffside came in over the speaker on the table.
"Excellent work, everyone," A bassy, disembodied voice oscillated through the room. The work didn't cease, but a conscious effort was made by all to hear what it said. "And Ebba, good call on the focus group idea. Sharp thinking."
There was a brief sensation of heat in Ebba's chest, the warm cozy feeling of recognition brought a self-satisfied smirk to her face.
"Thanks, boss." she let out nonchalantly even as the warmth circulated to her chest. Ebba adjusted her white blouse and signaled the meeting's end to the others.
Then, her voluptuous frame stilled in the well-lit meeting room, scanning the face of each member of her team as they cycled out of the room offering her a parting gesture. None noticed the look of longing darkening her eyes. She read the assuredness on their faces, a person given clear direction and task with nothing to think about except the directive from a firm hand guiding them.
A light sigh sounded through the empty meeting room. The strain of the day on her mind began to slow her thoughts. Ebba stretched and felt her body stiffening.
The walk back to her office helped a little, but her thoughts danced off, flitting from one subject to the next. The bright screen of her phone was suddenly washing colors of light over her face as she skimmed over the junk mail filling up her personal email.
Another sigh as the middle aged executive settled into her comfy leather office chair and began scrolling through the sea of digital trash. She began highlighting the ones she wanted to delete, but then her eyes got caught on a subject line.
**Can The Servant Love The Master**
She recognized the sender and it filled her screen suddenly with the landing page. Her eyes seemed glued to the tagline.
