Page 83 of The Substitute Fiancée

27. Strategic Meeting

Alexander

I finish reviewing the final points of my PowerPoint presentation before heading to the conference room. I greet my colleagues—David, Claire, Thomas, and two members of the marketing team—when my phone starts vibrating in my pocket.

I glance at the screen. Sam.

Why is she calling me now? She knows I have an important meeting this morning.

Around me, the members of my team take their seats and open their laptops, waiting for me to start the meeting.

I’ll have to remind Sam not to interrupt me over trivial things. Kristel was a champion at calling me at the worst possible moments—always an emergency that wasn’t really one, always a need for attention at the most inconvenient time.

I switch my phone to silent and start the meeting.

“Alright, let’s begin. As you know, the IPO is in two weeks. Today, we need to finalize our communication strategy…”

We adjust the details of the campaign. The key messages to convey. How to respond to questions about algorithmic bias. The angle to take with the media. I’m focused, efficient. This is what I know how to do. Control. Predict. Manage.

My phone vibrates again in my pocket. I ignore it.

At lunchtime, the meeting finally ends. I glance at my phone. Two missed calls from Sam. No voicemail. No text message.

What could possibly be so important?

I’m about to call her back when David walks over to me, a journalist right behind him—the one we’ve been trying to win over for weeks for a favorable article.

“Are you joining us for lunch, Alexander?” David asks.

I hesitate for a fraction of a second, look at my phone. At her name on the screen.

“Yes, of course.”

I’ll call Sam after lunch. She’ll understand.

The restaurant is crowded, noisy. The journalist—Camu something—asks me a lot of questions, which I do my best to answer. How MatchMapping differs from the competition. Our vision of love in the digital age. Our commitment to algorithmic transparency. All the right words.

Lunch goes well. I think this impromptu interview will be very beneficial for our public image. David is delighted; I can see it in his satisfied smile.

Still, I can’t completely push Sam out of my thoughts.

Two calls. No message.

The more I think about it, the more I tell myself that Sam isn’t Kristel. She’s never called me during work hours these past few days. Never. So why today?

I make an effort to stay focused on the conversation anyway, laugh at the journalist’s jokes, explain our new recommendation approach.

After the journalist leaves, around 2:30 p.m., I finally take out my phone and dial Sam’s number.

One ring. Two rings.

Then the call goes to voicemail.

A slight unease grips me. I send a text.

Alexander: Sorry, I was in meetings all morning. Is everything okay?

No response. Not even a read receipt.