“Rafael, please call me Raj. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Lead the way.” She gestured toward the open workspace behind reception.

Raj didn’t know why she was so surprised that Ajay had a male EA. As someone who hated stereotypes about women in the workplace, she shouldn’t automatically believe stereotypes about Indian men, too. She knew enough professionals that she had to stop assuming they were all sexist predictable pigs. Ajay could have a male EA instead of an attractive woman supporting his sexist fantasies. But then again, Ajay wasn’t an average Punjabi man and he’d done nothing predictable.

They followed the perimeter of the floor until they reached the far corner office. The glass walls were covered with a privacy screen, but Raj could hear voices coming from behind the double doors.

Rafael entered first, then stepped aside for Raj.

The skyline was the first thing that she saw. The river, the harbor, and glinting steel stroked in sunlight. In front of it was a large mahogany desk with dual monitors. A matching table was situated in the corner with a Polycom unit and telepresence screens hanging on the wall above it. A couch and two armchairs bracketed a coffee table off to the right of the desk.

Ajay wasn’t alone. He stood from his high-back leather chair just as Mina and a man Raj didn’t recognize turned to face her. Hem, Mina’s boyfriend and the eldest Singh brother, leaned against the side of the desk.

“Sir,” Rafael began, “Ms. Hothi is here for your one o’clock. Raj, can I get you anything?”

“No thank you, Rafael. I appreciate it.”

He nodded and shut the door behind her quietly.

Raj turned back to the expectant faces and started with the familiar.

“Mina.”

Her best friend’s lips quirked. “Raj. I want to introduce you to my father, Tushar Kohli. Dad, this is my best friend, Raj.”

The older man extended a hand, but Raj brushed it away. “Uncle, family doesn’t greet family like that.” She kissed his cheek and gave him a friendly hug.

Tushar Kohli patted her shoulder and pulled away. His lips quirked in amusement. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

Raj turned to Hem. She grabbed her earlobes just like her mother used to when apologizing. “Sorry, yaar. I made a mistake and tried to fix it,” she said in Punjabi.

“Find a better way to fix it next time,” he responded in kind.

“You have my word.”

She pivoted to Ajay, who stood, arms crossed, watching her the whole time. The intensity of his stare had her hesitating, but she forced herself to relax. “Ajay Singh.”

“Rajneet Kaur Hothi.”

“Thank you for making the time to see me.”

“You called this meeting. I wasn’t sure what it was about, so I have Tushar, our head of Legal, and our outside counsel in attendance. Does that suit you?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”