Sawyer was waiting for Mari outside the little French restaurant where they were about to meet their investors. The way the soft glow of the restaurant's light from the windows crept around his frame made him look like a star had chosen to shine just for him. "You made it," he said with a breath of relief.

"Sorry I'm late. There was a shouting match on the freeway and people kept stopping to watch," Mariana grumbled. The embroidered lace overlay of her dress brushed over her exposed knees as she ran up the front steps. Well maintained flower bushes lined either side of the walkway like miniature gardens leading up to the front doors. A late hummingbird zipped by from one of the flowerbeds. It startled Mariana as she took the last step and she stumbled into Sawyer.

He caught her and held her up with an arm around her waist. "Easy there, I can't have you taking a trip to the emergency room when I need you to wow those bores," he cautioned her. His warm hands rested on her bare shoulders just above the off the shoulder sleeves. "Ready to head inside?"

Mariana nodded and clicked her little black heels together. "Aye aye, captain." A bit of pride swelled in her chest when her joke made him laugh. She ducked through the door he held open and gave their name to the hostess. The rest of their party wouldn't be there for a few minutes still. It would give them time to go over their proposal for the hundredth time.

They ordered drinks and appetizers in preparation for their guests. Mariana had never been much of a drinker but she found a few sips of red wine helped to settle her nerves. It was odd to her how shaky she felt. This wasn't the first time she'd had to convince someone that their money would be in the best hands with her client. She was well known for her charming twist of words and steady results.

So why was her heart going a mile a minute?

"You look nice," Sawyer said. He picked at a piece of fluffy bread from the basket at the center of the table.

"Oh, thanks. I thought I should do my best to look less like a cave sloth," she joked.

Sawyer shook his head, smirking slightly. "You never looked like a cave sloth, dummy." His eyes turned from her as a small group of three men and two women entered the back room where they sat.

The distraction was perfectly timed as it gave Mariana a second to regain her composure. Even still, her smile felt far too big for her face. She forced herself to breathe and shake their hands with a firm and steady hand.

The dinner went as smooth as any she'd ever had. The investors were eager to see their designs and hear their plans. Their questions were easy to answer after all of their prep. Several times, Sawyer flashed an excited grin her way. They were all but signed on by the time the waiter brought around small cups of coffee after dinner.

The most talkative man, named Stephen Rhett, held up his cup to toast them. "I believe I speak for all of us when I say, we are delighted to be signing on with such a respectable young man."

"You're really too kind, Mr. Rhett. I couldn't have done anything like this without Mari. She's been my savior in all of this," he said.

Mariana laughed and tried to wave off his compliments. "I just got everything organized properly."

"I hope you're paying her well, Mr. Wheatley. Someone like her is worth their weight in gold. I still remember some of the imbeciles that I had to deal with when I first entered the investment game," Mr. Rhett huffed.

"Well I did try to pay her more, but Mari was insistent on giving me a discount since we've known each other for so long. Like I said, I'd be lost without her," he gushed. Their glasses clinked together in a quick toast.

The others followed suit and began to gather their things. Mr. Rhett hung back to say his final goodbyes. "I was surprised your fiance didn't join us tonight. I'd been looking forward to meeting her after spending so much time communicating with her."

The color drained out of the world in Mariana's eyes. It felt like her knees would give in at any moment. Somehow, the smile stayed frozen on her face. It felt almost painful on her cheeks now.

Sawyer laughed and shrugged. "She needed to rest. It's hard work being a mom, or so I've heard. She doesn't let me forget," he joked. "Two years and she's still trying to keep me in line."

"A good wife will do that," Mr. Rhett sighed. He turned to Mariana. "I'm sure you do the same with your husband."

A forced laugh flew out of her mouth. "Oh, I'm not married. Single as they come, actually."  Mariana could feel her fingernails digging into her palm as she clenched her fists. How much harder would she be able to press them in before they broke skin?

"That's probably for the best. You're just getting started in life. You'll find the right person when it's time," Mr. Rhett assured her. They shook hands and he followed the rest of the party out.

"I didn't know you were engaged," Mariana said softly. A bead of sweat rolled down the back of her neck. At that moment she was glad she'd left her hair down to cover her upper back. The restaurant's air conditioning kicked in then and cooled her flushed cheeks. "You'll have to introduce me some time."

Sawyer nodded but held out a cautious hand to her. "Do you want to grab a drink?" He looked nervous.

"Oh no I think I'm just going to head out. I already scheduled a ride back to the hotel." Mariana covered her mouth with the back of her hand to stifle a yawn. She hoped it would look convincing enough to distract from the way her leg was jittering from the coffee.

"Your hand. What happened?" Sawyer took her hand and flipped it palm up. The crescent moon marks dug into her hand were an angry red. He ran his thumb over them gently.

Mariana pulled her hand back reluctantly. It was like she could feel the weight of the ring that would soon sit on his left finger. "I guess I was more nervous than I thought. I'll be fine though. You should get home."

She watched him leave in his car while pretending to check her phone for her driver's location. Once he was around the corner and gone, she headed back inside to the bar situated just outside of where they had been sitting. Dark wood stools topped by plush blue cushions lined the side of the bar. The bartender nodded to her as she threw herself into the first one she passed.

"I'm not driving, I don't want to stay here all night, I just want a distraction for a few hours," she said quickly. Her eyes scanned the row of bottles lined up behind the man. "Something strong but not gross?"

The bartender nodded and slid the first drink her way.