Two months later.

"Eva Hansen, welcome to Diamant Energy Services. I would like to introduce you to our CEO, Tariq Ibrahim," my new boss, Eric Voss, announced.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Tariq." I extended my hand to the man I addressed, whose eyes lit up with enthusiasm.

Tariq was Oslo's Elon Musk—a young entrepreneur who hit the jackpot with Diamant Energy Services (DES), an engineering firm that burst out of the woods of Norway and landed straight into the global scene.

DES was also the reason why Hudson Engineering's Oslo office lost business and closed down.

I had just joined one of Hudson's biggest competitors, and the package I received, which included a hefty base salary of six figures plus a generous bonus scheme, was a sweet deal.

I was bathing in sugar, baby, and the sugar was fine.

Fuck the handsome executives in power suits—that's so Wall Street from a bygone decade and I can tell you right now, these guys are a dime a dozen. We don't need Gordon Gecko, because we've got Eva King Hansen, ready to take the bull by its horns!

At DES,  I joined the big players on my own merit, as a rightful equal who would wine and dine in fancy ass restaurants and travel business class.

Do you want to know what real power is?

Getting there by yourself, and knowing that you earned it fair and square.

That's the taste of power and satisfaction.

I must admit that none of this would have happened if I hadn't leaped into the deep end and joined Sven in this amazing adventure.

"So, Eric, this is the woman who you handpicked for the role," Tariq commented. His chin rested on his curled knuckles, and his thumb stroked his jaw.

"She's the best of all the candidates who applied for the role, Tariq," Eric affirmed. He squared his shoulders and stood proudly next to me.

Eric was the company's sales vice-president—he was a seasoned veteran in the energy and petroleum industry, spending most of his time traveling to meet clients.

He also had a scorpion tattoo on his upper left arm—something I noticed below his polo shirt sleeve during the Sunday morning meeting with Tariq.

Tariq's schedule was hectic and he was flying to Houston that afternoon, so he squeezed in the Sunday slot to personally meet me before I started my new role.

"Take a seat, Eva," Tariq encouraged, as he and Eric sat on a comfortable leather sofa in Tariq's spacious office, which boasted shiny glass walls and a panoramic view to Oslo's grand harbor.

"Sure," I replied, sitting on a comfortable but expensive gray swivel chair that was engineered by a famous Scandinavian furniture design company—definitely not IKEA.

"You worked at Hudson Engineering before you moved to Norway," Tariq probed.

"Yes, I worked there," I confirmed.

"You were part of the team that secured the Emder contract. Is that correct?"

"I was a key driver to securing the contract," I answered.

Tariq paused, leaned forward, and stared at me. Eric, on the other hand, stretched back and casually clasped his hands behind his head.

"They were an international client. Our office in Australia tendered for the same project and lost the opportunity because of you," Tariq declared.

I was accosted with a strong stare and heavy silence.

"I could say I'm sorry, but I won't because I was doing my job." I defended myself.

The ever-so-cool-and-calm Tariq simply smiled. His warm, brown eyes revealed an appreciation for my outspoken nature.

"Eva, we are thrilled to have you on board as our new marketing and communication director." Tariq stood up and shook my hand.

"Thank you, Tariq," I responded, returning the handshake with a firm grip.

***

A few minutes later, I stood outside the car park with Eric—Tariq rushed home to spend time with his family before going to the airport.

"Nice ink," I complimented Eric on his scorpion tattoo.

"Oh this? Yeah, it reflects a time when I lived in Mexico for a few years. I killed fifteen scorpions in one month." Eric was proud of conquering his fear of arachnids.

"Wow, that's impressive," I commented.

"Good message with your tattoo." Eric's eyes observed my inked wrist.

"Thanks."

"Eva, as I mentioned during the first interview two weeks ago, our company has offices all over the world, including Brazil. If you ever need to move for any reason, we are open to relocating staff," Eric said.

"It sounds like there are exciting opportunities," I replied.

"We want to keep you. We believe that our best resources are the people who work in the company. We like our staff to try new things. We encourage office relocation and rotating roles," Eric added.

"I'll hold you to it." I grinned and shook Eric's hand.

Three years later

"Sven, I have important news to share with you," I announced.

"What's up, baby?" He asked, as he sat on his favorite recliner and stretched his legs.

I sat on the sofa next to his recliner and clasped my fingers on my lap.

I was confident that what I was about to disclose would be well received.

Okay, Eva.

Hold your breath.

Here goes...

"Are you still considering the role to lead the development team at Ventura's office in Rio?" I asked.

"Yeah, but I don't want to take you away from your own career goals." Sven gazed at me intensely.

"You won't be." I smiled broadly.

"Oh, why's that?"

"I have been offered a role in DES' office in Rio de Janeiro."

"Oh?"

"Well, I told Eric about your opportunity. I said that I wanted to prioritize my family and relocate to Rio."

"How did he take that?" Sven questioned.

"Well, he had to think about it. Afterward, he proposed a solution to keep me on board."

"He doesn't want to lose a good resource," Sven stated.

He got up from his recliner and sat by my side on the sofa. Catching his signature scent, I breathed him in deeply, as if I was a cat absorbing the aroma of catnip.

"Eric wants me to work on tenders and contracts with both the country manager and their lawyer in Rio," I revealed, grinning from ear to ear.

"You would be willing to do that for us?" Sven raised both eyebrows.

"Yes. I also want to spend more time with Alex and recharge my batteries, so I can pick up the pace again. I'm a long distance runner," I replied.

"You're running a marathon, my love," Sven murmured, kissing my neck, while rubbing his hands along my lower spine.

Ever since Alexandria Yvette Hansen came into the world two years ago, Sven and I had our hands full as parents. Our weekends were filled with birthday parties, play dates, and visits to play centers.

Gone were the days when Sven partied shirtless with cowboy hats—he gave up beer bottles for milk flasks and smelly diapers.

As for me, my body underwent some transformations after becoming a mother. I gained extra curves and my breasts weren't as perky as they used to be. Nonetheless, I wouldn't change it for the world, because this is who I am, love me or hate me.

"Now, will you accept your new role in Brazil, or shall I call your boss for you?" I grinned.

"I'll tell her in the morning." Sven removed his reading glasses, which he started wearing a year ago, and grinned. Damn, he was like a blond Clark Kent with perfect white teeth.

"Well then, it's set. Brazil, here come the Hansens!" I sang.

"Shh, you're too loud Eva." Sven frowned, as little Alex, with her golden-blonde curls, stepped out of the room, arms stretched out and mouth wailing.

She ran straight to her father, who embraced her with comfort and fierce protection. He then signaled a thumbs up at me to indicate that everything would be fine.

Honestly, my life with Sven was like a love bus driven by a crazy lunatic.

Was it worth the adventure?

Well, wasn't it?

A life lived in fear... is a life half-lived.
— Baz Luhrmann, Strictly Ballroom.

A/N: Thank you so much for sticking through to the end! The gif above is a scene from Strictly Ballroom, a classic Baz Luhrmann film worth watching.

I hope that you enjoyed this story and that it was fun and entertaining for you. 💝💋🍿