Everyone on the Catalyst Marketing team had been anticipating their victory and the dinner planned for at Ambrosia. This could effectively be a sharing a time to rejoice for they successfully created something great. People drank, people laughed, and the usual dagger of working seemed a mere dream on the horizon.
One person, however, had been notably absent from the RSVP list: Ryan Turner.
"Well, of course, he said no," Priya grumbled to Sarah during the planning meeting, and rolled her eyes. ''Does the man even know how to have fun?''
'No, you don't' Sarah said as she laughed. Perhaps the best way to sum up what he cares about is this – if it's not in a spreadsheet, he's not that into it.
Maya though, did not have this feeling.
That afternoon Maya had to go to Ryan's office and knock on the door. "Come in," he said with his usual hateful tone. Maya entered the room holding a folder that she never used in the first place. She should have a preamble, but all she could think of was to directly tell him, '" You should come tonight."
Ryan looked up and gave her a blank stare. "I already declined." "I know," Maya replied taking a position at the opposite side of the table. "But it's a celebration. You should be there. This campaign was done by all of us and I am grateful for the efforts that you have invested in this matter. Ryan raised an eyebrow. There is no doubt that I am not necessary for the team to have fun. 'It is not about requirement,' Maya said raising her arms across her chest. "It's about showing up. You're the boss, Ryan. They know when you are not there, and it does count."
He looked at her, and after a few seconds, the barriers were back up. But there was no backing down to this challenge, Maya looked right back at him firmly and with sincerity.
'I will consider,' he said after a while, though he did not know to whom he was speaking and what he was considering.
Much to many people's surprise, Ryan was there.
At the dinner It was evening and the team members started growing more comfortable and consequently started speaking more freely. "Hey, do you remember what he looked like during the final presentation?" Sarah giggled, mimicking Ryan's glare.
' This slide isn't efficient enough.'
"Oh, don't forget the classic: Even in a throwaway scenario like this, I can still tell you
'Is this supposed to impress me?'. Priya continued, and in a straight face saying more that had the table crack into laughter.
People were drinking and even laughing to make what everyone appeared to be enjoying their fortunes. "I won't see Ryan today," Priya told Sarah when they had both taken sips of their drinks. "Yep," Sarah said, "This isn't his scene. He'd probably implode." As remarked by Sarah the moment she stopped speaking, the restaurant door opened and there stood Ryan Turner.
The effect was immediate. People were startled clicking their tongues, opening their mouths to different degrees, mid-words frozen like eating, drinking, laughing, and even alarm reactions. For a short time, space seemed to have ceased to exist as though the room had been evacuated.
"Shit" Liam spoke softly quite out of the blue. Instead of losing his temper, Ryan looked round the room with a blank face again, until his gaze met Maya. She beckoned him over with a warm flourish of her fingers and called him with a cheerful-looking face. "You made it," she said to him when he got to the table. "Well, you did tell them you would get back to them with your decision," he said sardonically. Maya put her arms on the table and pointed at the chair opposite her. "Well, sit down. It's important to note that everyone is just getting started.
It took some time before Ryan could sit down. There was a long uncomfortable moment of quiet at the table and even that stretched out a bit longer, it was clear that the company and its sole diner had not been expecting him.
"Don't worry," he remarked sarcastically, looking around. "I don't bite."
The team laughed uneasily and, gradually, the discussion started again. As you would imagine, getting a breather and a momentary relief.
But soon the two leaves of the door to the private dining area opened one woman confidently strolled in.
Claire Turner, younger sister to Ryan, leaped up energy-filled as she approached the table used by her older brother. "Ryan! You didn't say that you'd be here," said the girl, not realizing she was teasing him, and then she turned to the rest of the people. "And you must be his team. Let me introduce myself, my name is Claire and I'm his much more attractive sister.
If the team had been leery of Ryan, they would have been put completely off guard by Claire. She first walked up radiating friendliness and the ability to make people like her. "And Claire huh?" Ryan said in a mix of frustration and laughter, "What doing you here?"
"I own this place, remember?" she said, winking. During a break, I was in the back room waiting when I heard there was going to be a Catalyst dinner. Thought I'd crash."
The entire team let out a combination of laughter and whispers.
"Wait, you own Ambrosia?" Priya asked, wide-eyed. Claire shrugged. "Part of it. Only one of the family business. Hey, don't be fooled by Ryan's laid-back attitude – he's the most serious one of all, and he has a very talented eye for business.
The team looked at each other in recognition. But after more than half an hour of rather serious and intense conversation, Ryan finally felt that he was revealing very personal information about himself. That dinner had a lot of interesting moments the longer Claire stayed and finally, she moved closer, sitting directly opposite Ryan and Maya.
As the conversation flowed, Claire zeroed in on Maya. "So," she began with a mischievous glint in her eye, "you're Maya. The famous Maya."
Maya blinked. "Uh... famous?"
"Oh, he talks about you all the time," Claire said breezily.
Ryan nearly choked on his drink. "Claire," he hissed.
Ignoring him, Claire leaned forward. "He doesn't shut up about you, honestly. 'Maya suggested this brilliant idea,' 'Maya nailed the presentation.' I was starting to think you were imaginary."
The table fell silent, all eyes darting between Maya, who was turning red, and Ryan, who looked like he was plotting his sister's demise.
"Well," Maya said awkwardly, trying to deflect, "I think Ryan's just being kind. It was a team effort."
"Kind?" Claire said, laughing. "Oh, that's a new one for him. Isn't it, Ryan?"
"So, Maya," Claire said with a mischievous smile, "what's it like working with my brother?"
Maya hesitated, unsure how honest she could be with Ryan right there. "Um... he's very focused," she said diplomatically.
"Focused," Claire repeated, raising an eyebrow. "That's a polite way of saying 'intense,' isn't it?"
The table erupted in laughter, and Ryan shot Claire a warning look.
"I think he just wants the best out of everyone," Maya added quickly.
"See? She's nice," Claire said, grinning at her brother. "You lucked out."
Ryan looked like he wanted to melt into the floor.
The team, emboldened by Claire's playful energy, began piling on.
"Wait, Ryan mentioned Maya by name?" Liam said, grinning wickedly. "I thought he only referred to us as 'resources.'"
"Maybe he has a favorite resource," Ahmed chimed in, her voice dripping with mock innocence.
"Enough," Ryan muttered, his ears turning red.
As the night wore on, Claire continued to charm the team. She coaxed stories out of them, poked fun at Ryan, and even got Priya to spill a hilarious anecdote about a team-building exercise gone wrong.
The mood lightened significantly, and soon, even Ryan found himself chuckling at the antics around the table. The atmosphere also turned jovial afterward, and even Ryan was laughing at some pranks on the table for a while. But Claire wasn't done. She bent towards Maya, her voice just loud enough for Ryan to hear.
"So, are you single?" Maya choked on her drink. "Um... yes, I am." Claire's eyes sparkled. "Interesting. And my brother – has he been good to you? Ryan interjected quickly. "Claire."
"What?" she said innocently. "I'm just asking. You know it's not every day that I get to see you socializing with someone.
The table burst into laughter and Maya could not help but laugh also, though she was blushing redder than beetroot.
By the end of the evening, the team had witnessed something extraordinary: the unflappable Ryan Turner being teased into submission. For the first time, they saw him not as their intimidating boss but as a human being—one with an embarrassing sister and a clear inability to hide his feelings.
When the dinner was drawing to an end Ryan shot Claire an evil glance.
"You're enjoying this way too much," I heard him say.
"Of course I am," Claire replied, her grin stretching wide. "But don't worry—I'm pretty sure Maya likes you, at least as a friend. Your grumpiness doesn't bother her in the slightest."
She gave his arm a light pat before stepping away. "You should tell her," she added with a wink.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Ryan's mouth, but instead of responding, he let out a resigned sigh. For once, he didn't feel the need to have the last word—and, surprisingly, he didn't mind.