Fay's blush deepened until her ears were practically glowing, matching the "serious doctor" scrubs she was so proud of. She huffed, stabbing another piece of karaage with more force than necessary.
"You're impossible," Fay muttered, though she didn't look away from Kei's warm gaze.
The moment was broken by the sharp beep-beep of Fay's pager. She glanced down, the soft expression vanishing instantly, replaced by professional focus.
"That's the ER. A multi-car pileup just came in."
Kei stood up immediately, already packing the leftover containers.
"Duty calls. Go save some lives, Dr. Sterling."
Fay paused at the door, looking back at Kei.
"The karaage… was good I guess??...."
With a quick, fleeting smile that made Kei's heart do a backflip, Fay vanished into the sterile white hallway.
.
.
.
Kei didn't linger. She had her own empire to run. While the restaurant was her passion project, the Luz Group Car Company was the heavy lifting. As she drove to the corporate headquarters, her mind shifted from ginger-soy marinades to horsepower and logistics.
When she walked through the glass doors of the Luz Group, the atmosphere was electric. Today was the induction of the new recruits the fresh blood that would keep the company's engineering and sales departments ahead of the curve.
Kei walked past the main lobby toward the glass-walled briefing room. Through the window, she saw a line of twenty young professionals in crisp suits, looking nervous and eager. Her eyes scanned the row, but they stopped abruptly on a woman standing near the end.
.
.
.
The woman had a sharp, familiar tilt to her head. She was laughing at something the person next to her said a bright, ringing laugh that echoed through the glass.
Kei froze.
"No way".
It was Angel
The memories hit Kei like a high-speed collision. In high school, Angel had been the sun that everyone orbited. She was Fay's absolute best friend, the one who knew all of Fay's secrets before Kei even knew Fay existed. She had also been Kei's classmate.
As if sensing a pair of eyes on her, Angel turned around. She recognized the tall, commanding figure in the designer suit.
"Kei?"
Angel just smile.
Kei felt a bead of sweat hit her neck. Fay's father was already picking out flowers and now Fay's gossiping best friend was working at Kei's company, the "Beach Hero" was about to have a very complicated afternoon.