A murmur of ascent follows, and the meeting is adjourned. I stand on shaking legs. Before I can dash out of the room, Renata touches me lightly on the shoulder. “Congratulations,” she murmurs, offering her hand. Her grip is firm but not overpowering. A diamond-studded wedding band sparkles on her ring finger.

“Thank you,” I say, a bit breathless.

She leans in and drops her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “You’d better say yes to this promotion, you know. It’s high time we had another woman on the board, especially one as intelligent and determined as yourself.”

I offer an apologetic smile. “I still need more information before I can make a decision.”

“I don’t blame you. It can be difficult, working your way to the top in a man’s world. You’ll have plenty of naysayers, and imposter syndrome can be a constant struggle. But Seaquest is a good place to be. Marlen is an outstanding boss. He values hard work and honesty, and he appreciates work-life balance. Not that it’s a cakewalk, you understand. There will be long hours at times, and high stakes. But it’s better than at a lot of other companies, and here, you’ll have a chance to make a difference.”

Sucking in a deep breath, I nod slowly.

“Tell you what,” she says. “Before you talk to Marlen on Monday, you come see me. I’ll give you my two cents about working at the executive level and share some negotiating pointers.”

“Thank you, that would be wonderful.”

She inclines her chin. “Life doesn’t give you many of these opportunities. My advice? Seize it, mold it, and make it everything you want it to be.” With a final encouraging smile, she breezes from the room.

“Holy shitballs, chief strategy officer?” Christina screeches after I fill her in on the news.

Walsh squeals at a decibel high enough to shatter glass as Graeme lifts me in his arms, twirling me on the spot. My heart soars while Walsh giggles.

“I knew you could do it,” he murmurs, and sets me on my feet.

“Hey, do you mind?” Sadie grouses.

“Sorry, Sadie,” I call, and begin edging across the lobby toward the elevator. The rest of the executive board has left the conference room, so besides Sadie, we’re alone in the lobby.

“Do you know how much money you’ll make as a chief strategy officer?” Christina croons. “You could pay off your student loans in, like, three years instead of thirty. You could move into a nicer apartment. Get another cat… one that doesn’t eat its own hairballs.”

“What about workload?”

“Dude, you already work the hours of an executive.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to. I want balance in my life.”