High stakes - part 3

ACT 4 - seven.

"Alright, let's start" I said as I walked in Juliette's penthouse, my old penthouse before I moved in with Lando permanently.

It was only one day after the Monaco Grand Prix and by the look on Juliette's face, she didn't expect me to start so soon.

But I needed her to be ready in 7 months, preferably much sooner.

I walked to Zayden and hugged him before turning to Juliette. "Are you ready?"

"Uh-yes yes I'm ready" she stuttered.

"First of all, we don't stutter" I pointed at her. "And stand up straight, don't show them you are nervous"

"But what if I am nervous?" She asked, but she was standing a little straighter than before.

"Well, that was the reason why I smoked" I chuckled. I was nervous all the time and it was the only thing that kept me sane.

"Don't start smoking" Zayden yelled from the living room.

"Since I stopped, I realized sex is another great thing to relieve your stress" I winked at Juliette.

"I like that suggestion much more" Zayden laughed from the living room.

Lando definitely did too.

I grabbed my laptop and sat down with her on the kitchen table.

"You need to make sure the best employees will come back" I already did some research and a lot of important employees left.

The best cooks, the best waiters, people who worked for us for more than 10 years. We needed those people.

"How" Juliette sighed. "Bring everything back the way it was" I said.

"But the stakeholders-" she said. "Fuck them" I interrupted her. "They don't know how to run this business, but you do"

She nodded confidently, that's exactly what I wanted to see.

"So you make sure everyone will get paid more, get their benefits back and I'll call the employees we lost" I said as I looked at her.

It was gonna be a lot of work, but a call from the owner will definitely make them feel important, which they were.

"Then another thing, you have to lead the monthly stakeholders meetings and unfortunately you have two major disadvantages" I said which made her frown.

"What's that?" She asked.

"You're a woman and you're young" unfortunately when you're young they assume you know nothing.

"But I have one huge advantage though" she smiled. "I have you" she nudged me and smiled even wider.

I laughed. "Okay, you're pretty good at sucking up to people"

"Oh yeah, she's pretty good at sucking-" Zayden said but got interrupted by the doorbell. "Saved by the bell" Juliette said as she got up.

"Jules" someone greeted her, which obviously was Lando because he was the only one who called her that. "I desperately need my girlfriend"

"Why? What's up?" Juliette asked but I was already getting up.

"Well, nothing is up" he said. "Yet" he added with a smirk.

"Okay, shut up" I laughed as I walked to the door. He was sometimes such a horny teenager but I love it.

"There she is" Lando bit his lower lip, grabbed my hand and pulled me next to him. "My beautiful girlfriend"

He pecked my lips a few times, quick, small pecks but he definitely wanted to deepen the kiss.

He put a strain of my hair behind my ear, leaned closer and whispered. "Jace is with Max, so we are all alone tonight"

That definitely got my attention.

"Okay goodbye, something important came up" I said as I quickly grabbed my stuff, while looking at Juliette. "It isn't up yet though" Lando added, once again with that damn smirk.

"Yeah okay, please leave and go have sex, I don't wanna hear about it" Juliette scrunched her nose but had a smile on her face.

I knew she was gonna do the same exact thing tonight though.