The company dinner was in three weeks and Seraphina threw herself into it with the particular energy she brought to tasks that had many moving parts, which was: complete focus, a running list, and the ability to hold twelve things in her head simultaneously without dropping any of them.
Guest list. Dietary requirements. Venue communication. Roman's schedule restructured around it. Eleven follow-up emails. A seating arrangement that accounted for three known professional tensions and one person who could not be within eyeline of another for reasons the calendar note described only as 'historical.'
She loved it. The more complicated the logistics, the calmer she got, which was the opposite of most people and something she had accepted about herself some time ago.
She was in the middle of confirming the venue's audio setup when her inbox produced a new item.
Subject: Secretary Position. Formal Complaint. From: HR Department.
She opened it.
