Chapter Four: The Jourdan Project

"Fine, I'll live with you." Kat took a deep breath. It was definitely a bad idea -- being close to him, living with him, seeing him every day. She wasn't ready to open the wounds she had tried so hard to heal, to get away from.

Freya Jourdan was already demanding a meeting and they hadn't even started work. There were other details that Rowland never mentioned concerning the project.

"But for three months, nothing more than that."

"This project requires our total dedication and concentration." His eyes rested on hers, causing her to look away immediately and focus on her bag.

"We'll talk about this tomorrow." She was careful not to say his name. Except during work, of course, anything aside that meant she was comfortable with him and that was the last thing she wanted.

Kat got out of the car before he could even say anything and closed the door. She didn't turn to wave him goodbye. Knowing where she lived was the height of it, they were not friends.

Tired and shivering from the cold, Kat wrapped herself in a towel and sipped some hot chocolate she made. She had to call Rowland, he had to explain why he didn't tell her everything about why she had to be transferred to GreyCorps.

"Kat!" Rowland's cheeky voice responded from the phone. "Tell me, how's GreyCorps? Are they as unfriendly as they say? Did you get to meet sweet, beautiful Daya?" He bombarded her with questions.

"You didn't even bother to ask how I am." She scoffed. "So much for being your 'favorite' team assistant." Even her best friend didn't call to ask how she was.

"Come on," he chuckled. "It's obvious you handled it well. You're still my favorite assistant. You didn't even miss us!"

"Of course."

Kat opened her laptop, going straight for the email he sent about the transfer. "I've got some questions, Rowland. About my transfer."

"Is Levi pestering you?"

"No!" Her voice was high. "No, not at all." She cleared her throat. She wasn't expecting the question. Levi pestering her?

Not that he wasn't but... "Focus on what's important Kat."

"Why was the project given to GreyCorps?"

"Freya said she wanted to create something different. As you know, she wants to create a smart clothing line as well as an application that brings people together. Something that brings loved ones together no matter the distance." Rowland explained.

"Like a dating app? But why was the project initially handed to Valtara in the first place."

"Yes, like a dating app. She needed a designer. I know that this might seem strange to you but this project is extremely confidential. Other companies will kill to have this idea and make it theirs."

Kat curled on the sofa, taking a sip from the chocolate.

"You are the best creative for this job. I've seen your designs and the way you bring out the beauty in every work. Miss Freya picked you herself and Levi put in a good word for you too."

"Levi? Why?"

"Seems he knows you before. He highly recommended you and I agree with him."

Kat didn't understand why Levi would do such a thing. She didn't even know when he moved back to the country or where he had even been for the past five years.

"But anyways Kat. Whatever it is that you need to do to make this a success, I believe you'll do a great job."

"Yeah... Even if it means living together with him." The thought of it was a headache.

But meeting with Freya when they hadn't even begun work... What would she even tell her? That she wasn't ready to cooperate with her new "boss" because she held a longtime grudge against him and hated him?

"And can you do me a favor?" Rowland's voice brought her back from her thoughts.

"What is it?"

"Can you put in a good word for me with Miss Daya? I hope to take her on a date..."

"Do it yourself." Kat put the phone away from her ear, about to hang up.

"Wait! Wait!" Rowland said quickly. "I have tickets to The Archers' concert..."

"Are you serious?" Kat asked eagerly. The Archers was her favorite pop boyband and it was a thing of luck to get their tickets.

"You know me, Kat. I mean what I say."

"Ugh... Fine. I'll talk to her, but you must keep to your promise." Kat said with a smile. Every time she wanted to get a ticket, it was always sold out.

The contract papers peeked from the bag as she hung up. Stretching to reach for it on the center table, she pulled the bag towards her.

"What are you really up to Grey?" She read the contract terms again. "Party B's cohabitation with Party A will solely be for the purpose of test running and creating essential parts of the project." Her phone screen came on with a notification message. It was from Levi.

"Memorize these before tomorrow morning, there's a meeting with Freya. I'll pick you up by 8."

"What the fuck?" Kat said out loud and quickly checked the time. "11:19?"

She opened the file and her mouth dropped wide open in shock. Memorize all of these in less than nine hours? Her brain was tired, her body was tired and not to talk of being drenched by that heavy rain.

She scrolled through again, counting the pages and then a thought struck her. Her clothes... She didn't even have what to wear. Most of her work clothes were dirty.

"Oh shit, shit!"

She removed a green knee-length gown from the hanger and checked it in front of the mirror.

"Nah, this won't do." She looked like an ice cream lady.

Another sleeveless sequin gown.

"Too flashy. It's not a date."

After spending what felt like more than an hour, her eyelids were already giving the warning signs of sleep. It was midnight and she had to prepare for the meeting.

Tired and sleepy, she threw herself on the stack of clothes on the bed. But she dared not sleep. Anything she wanted to wear would be tomorrow, the tiredness has worn on her too much to even continue searching for anything.

"Damn you Levi, damn you."

~~~

"Levi!" Freya's shrill voice welcomed them in.

Her elegant sense of style always stood out. Her hairstyle this time was different, a pixie cut. The last time she had a classic bob that stopped below her chin, framing her small face with a sleek fringe.

Levi kissed the back of her hand, making her smile. She turned to Kat and gave her a hug.

"Hello, Katherine."

"Hi, Miss Freya. It's Kathleen." Kat corrected.

"Oh! Forgive me." She hushed her with a big smile. "Please join me."

Levi's eyes met with Kat's as they walked in to the conference room. His expression softened a little. It was different, compared to the usual cold and grumpy face he always carried around.

He arrived at her place by 7. She was only able to get an hour of sleep. One thing about him was that he always kept to time. Kat managed to find something to wear -- an outfit that would make a statement without overshadowing her work. She finally chose a knee-length navy blue dress that complemented her skin. The fitted bodice accentuated her slender waist, the A-line skirt falling gracefully to her knees.

She didn't know how long the meeting was going to be so she settled on a pair of low heels. It was her first meeting with Freya Jourdan and the right option was something elegant, yet professional.

"Shall we?" Freya said as she took a seat. There were a few people at the conference table. Kat's heart was beating fast as she nervously played with her fingers.

"Good morning everyone," Levi began, his tall frame exuding confidence and, well, sexiness. "As you know, our goal is to create a social fashion-sharing app that brings people and loved ones together. We've made significant progress since we began. Kathleen?"

Kat swallowed hard. Her head felt like it would forget everything she had spent all night to memorize. Cold sweat streamed down her back despite the cool weather.

She felt a warm touch on her hand as she was about to get up. It was Levi. As much as she didn't want his pity, she really needed his support at the moment.

Summoning courage, Kat got up and began. The screen displayed a sleek interface, showing a virtual closet feature. "The goal is to create a feature where users can upload pictures of their clothing items, and our styling algorithm suggests outfit combinations and matches them with like-minded individuals."

Levi took over, "We've also developed a social event feature, hosting virtual fashion workshops and webinars. Our team has implemented a robust notification system, ensuring users stay engaged."

"We've conducted user testing, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Users love the app's unique blend of fashion and social networking." Kat added.

The screen transitioned to a graph, displaying user engagement metrics. Levi pointed out, "We've seen a significant increase in user retention and engagement, exceeding our projections."

"I'm impressed with your progress. How do you plan to monetize the app?" One of the investors asked with interest.

Levi smiled, "We'll be exploring affiliate marketing partnerships with fashion brands and retailers. We'll also offer in-app purchases for premium features and virtual styling sessions."

The room fell silent, Kat watched as they talked to each other. Her eyes met with Freya's who winked at her and then looked away.

"We're on track to launch HeartThreads within the next nine months. We believe this app has the potential to revolutionize the dating app landscape." Kat concluded. Levi gave her a thumbs-up and a smile.

The meeting concluded with Freya applauding them for a good job. Kat's eyes were so heavy that they felt they would close at any second.

"Good job back there," Levi said they got in the car.

"You too."

The drive was quiet. All she wanted to do was get some sleep, even if it was just for three hours.

"You can take the rest of the day off," Levi said as he put the car to a stop at the red light.

"Really?" Kat asked in relief. "Thank you."

"We still haven't talked about you moving in yet."

Kat was quiet. He never forgot things. She had tried to avoid bringing up the topic or talking about it again. Although she had agreed to move in with him, she had tried to avoid mentioning it again.

"I don't have any reason to let you move in with me if it's not work-related." He said.

"Ugh... Do you think I do? I'd rather live on the streets than agree to live with you even if something happened. "

"I know. I don't have any reason to even be with you either."

"We are going to be the first people to test the functionality of the app as well as you..."

"I understand it's about work. You don't have to announce it again."

"Just six months and I'm out of your hair." His eyes were fixed on the road.

"Three. I am only going to live with... I mean in your house for three months." She said, trying to hide the anger in her voice.

"Four."

"Three. You should be glad I'm even agreeing in the first place."

"Kathleen." He looked at her for some seconds and back on the road. "I know you hate me and definitely don't want to see me but you really have to let go of whatever you might be holding on to and allow us work together."

"What am I holding on to? Do you think I want this? To see your fucking face every day?" Kat said angrily. "If there's anyone that wants to talk about letting go of whatever, it's definitely not you! Don't act all cocky as if we're friends in the first place."

She was breathing hard, her ears felt hot. For the first time since their meeting at work, she looked into his eyes.

"Stop the car, now!"