She's gonna meet Pierre at the hotel bar

“Sorry to be that guy, Jess, but I’ll have to keep you from relaxing for a little bit longer.”

She felt the tension in her tired muscles intensify. “How so?”

“Like I said, Pierre’s a rockstar. And he’s living the rockstar life. Seriously, I’ve met him at a couple of parties over the years. Let me tell you, Jess, every evening with him is a story. He likes to indulge, doesn’t matter what… booze, women, ****. Guess it feeds the inspired mind.”

She could see where this was going. As she listened to Mark babbling on, she turned toward the big mirror that occupied an entire wall. Staring back at herself, she gave a little smile. She didn’t look nearly as tired as she felt, the decent amount of rouge giving her cheeks a vibrant hue while the dark mascara successfully hid any signs of exhaustion from view. Her hair, brunette and shiny, was currently a little more than shoulder length. While she had straightened it, her natural waves were now beginning to show through and she brushed a few loose strands behind her ear.

Her outfit had also held up. She was particularly proud of the ensemble, as for a day loaded with numerous different tasks that required her to fulfill numerous different roles, she really felt she had nailed it with the dark business suit. Blazer and pants were made from smooth silk, glamorous while also being chic, and tailored to perfection just for her. Below the blazer, the white body she wore gave a nice contrast to both the suit and her bronze skin as it showed a hint of cleavage while hugging the shape of her torso, adding a touch of casual sexiness to the outfit that she could always reduce by simply closing a button, if the situation required it.

Turning slightly, the Latina indulged in admiring her own butt. Hugged and framed tightly by the thin silk of her pants, the fabric flowed over her contours, clinging to every inch of her womanly curves, showing her rounded backside off without being vulgar about it. The strappy three-inch heels she wore did all that was required to push her naturally thick booty up, accentuating it even further. Her feet were killing her at this point, but it was hard to argue the results. The accessories pulled it all together. A black Chanel belt with a golden buckle as well as a thin necklace, watch and ear studs, all stylishly simple. Over the years she had really mastered the look of the Hollywood actress/business professional.

“You know that now he’s a free agent there’s a lot of companies after him.” Mark’s voice had taken on an urging quality. “The most exciting players on the market! He’s sought-after, Jess, and we aren’t exactly the George Clooney of companies with how things are looking at the moment… But we have something, someone, all those other companies don’t have.”

The sigh came out before she could stop it. She really didn’t like doing this, using her celebrity status as an attribute to get things. But she was well aware that her high profile was the most valuable asset she brought to her company. It wasn’t like she was in the lab, developing the new formula for the Honest mascara or re-organizing the company’s inner structure. She was the public face of the company, the representative. Charming potential business partners was part of the job description. Still, it felt dirty.

“I know him, Jess. I know he’s gonna love having drinks with a famous actress, the star of Sin City. It’s going to tickle his ego and get us into the game. You give him a bit of that Hollywood charm and he’s gonna reward us for it, trust me...”

“Alright, Mark,” she rubbed her temple, cutting the CEO’s sales pitch short, “When do I meet Mr. Gane?”

“Right now.”

“What?”

“Sorry, Jess, I saw an opportunity and I pounced. I heard he was in Stockholm to negotiate with a few potential suitors so I had to act quickly. I called him and he is ready to meet you. He’s waiting for you up in the hotel bar.”

“Mark, I…” she stopped for a moment, realizing how whiny her voice sounded. She knew what she had to do, no matter how tired. She was Jessica Alba, she prided herself on her damn work ethic. Nonetheless, her shoulders sagged a little as she felt her bathtub slip from her reach. Her day wasn’t over after all. “God damned, Mark…”

She could hear the smile in his voice. “You’re the best, Jess. Hit it out of the park!”

Instead of replying, Jessica simply hung up. For a moment, she stood in silence in the empty cabin, then she heard a ‘ping’ and the doors slid open. She was on her floor. Lifting her head, she could see the door to her suite down the hallway, less than 20 yards away. She grimaced. “Fuck…” she muttered in frustration before reaching out to press the button marked “SKYLOUNGE BAR”.

As the cabin slid further upwards, she turned back towards the mirror. Reaching into her purse, she produced a small, black hairband and quickly tied her brunette tresses into a tight ponytail, leaving just a few loose tresses to playfully frame her gorgeous features. Then, she quickly and skillfully applied a fresh layer of shiny, rose-colored gloss to her full lips, adding another sensuous tinge to her look. If Mr. Gane would be swayed by a bit of female glamour, she could deliver that in spades…

The elevator ‘pinged’ again and the doors slid open. Closing her eyes for a moment, the actress took another deep breath. Once more into the fray…