A couple of whiskey miniatures and a beer had left Adam Stroe in high spirits by the time they collected their luggage. He even offered to haul Yuiko’s suitcase and was curtly refused. Things were shaping out to be the exact headache he had expected the week to be, but Adam was a strong believer in will power, so he was not going to let such details as an annoying little tyran and crushing professional pressure ruin his mood.

What mattered was that he was on solid ground, and his mother taught him to be grateful for the small things.

One crisis averted, they stood in the shadow of another.  As soon as they cleared the gates, Yuiko had discovered their hotel booking had fallen through.

Adam didn’t see the big deal, except the obvious irony that Miss Perfect Scheduling had failed trip planning at such a basic level.  She, on the other hand, was taking it as an extinction level judging by the pinched expression of her pretty face. Maybe it was the alcohol he’d consumed during flight, but she looked funny, all dressed up in her yellow business suit, trying to balance her laptop on her suitcase, her phone held against her shoulder as she spoke in rapid English.

He was fine with sleeping on the beach for all that he cared. He was confident in his invention, and everything else seemed like unnecessary corporate tango. So he let her do her thing as he watched the couples and families rushing around them to and from vacation destinations. After a while the scenery became repetitive: track suits, hawaii shirts, beach hats, excited kids, rinse and repeat. Finally, he decided to try and extend his good mood to his trip partner one more time.

“Common, lighten up,” he said, looking down at her. She didn’t look up from her laptop but he noticed her shoulders square in annoyance. “Just try some smaller town near Malaga. They’re all great, if anything we’ll be closer to the beach”

Yui shot him a glare that could freeze lava. "Do not talk to me until I've sorted this mess. We have no car and no decent hotel," she snapped, her voice slightly raised as she continued her phone calls.

Sensing no chance of success and the impending doom of a potential lecture if he pushed the subject further, Adam raised his hands in mock surrender and headed towards the exit

He smoked two cigarettes by the time Miss Corporate joined him announcing an Uber would be picking them up. After a four hour plane trip, Adam wasn’t particularly concerned about any other kind of motorized ride. Until they got in the car with one Mister Schumacher, actual Uber app name,  a man who started the car with a screech of wheels the exact second they closed their passenger doors. He drove like a man possessed by the spirits of all the past, future, and present Formula 1 drivers.

"We could've rented our own car instead of dealing with van Schumacher here," Adam growled at his partner, once in the car, gripping his seat as the man drove like this was his last chance at the title. 

Yuiko just shook her head dismissively. She was already engrossed in her work again, fingers flying over her tablet keyboard, oblivious to both Adam and their daredevil driver. After about 15 minutes, she finally looked up. “I've finalized our schedule for the week and sent you an email.”

Adam stared at her, unblinking. She stared back, her absolute confidence restored. It lasted about 15 eye watering moments, only to be interrupted when Schumacher took a sharp turn, causing them to jolt to the side. She straightened, adjusting her shirt with a hint of annoyance. Adam ran his fingers, she made him feel inadequate without saying a single word.

“I'm right here. You could've just told me whatever that email has to say,” he pointed out.

“Email is more efficient,” she replied, her focus already back on her laptop.

"I have over 1000 unread emails. Might take a while to find yours.”

To his satisfaction, Yuiko looked genuinely shocked.

"You don't check your emails?" The disbelief in her voice was strident. Even Schumacher seemed to find the situation amusing, glancing at Adam through the rearview mirror.

"Why would I?" Adam leaned back, posing more relaxed than he felt as they entered the picturesque streets of Marbella. "My team and I use phones. We call each other."

Yui seemed baffled. "How do you stay organized? How do you track tasks?"

"We just get them done.Time spent answering emails is time taken from actually building things.”

"I'd appreciate it if you checked your emails, Mr. Stroe." she ended the argument abruptly, voice clipped like he had insulted her extended family.

Adam just shrugged. "You can always call me."