The meeting ended with a gentle click. The screen went black.
Jessica let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Her palms were slightly sweaty, her notebook filled with underlined reminders like "Smile," "Speak clearly," "Don't forget the figures," and, in bold caps, "GOD GOES BEFORE YOU."
She leaned back in her chair, heart thudding from equal parts adrenaline and surrender.
"Thank You, Jesus," she whispered, hands over her face. "Even if nothing comes of it… I'm still thankful. You let me show up. You opened this door."
She didn't know if she impressed them. She wasn't sure if the finances she presented were compelling enough. But her spirit wasn't shaken.
The peace she felt—despite the pressure—wasn't natural. It was God.
As she picked up her Bible again, her younger brother knocked and peeked in with a mischievous grin.
"Mom wants to know if the corporate people were scared of your Christian vibes."
Jessica narrowed her eyes playfully. "Tell Mom I didn't throw oil on anyone, and no demons came out."
He snorted. "That's disappointing."
Jessica laughed, shaking her head. "Let me process this in peace, please."
"I prayed hard for this, Lord," she whispered again once he was gone. "If this is the door You want me to walk through… confirm it. If not—I'll keep walking where You lead."
She grabbed her phone. A message from Lydia flashed on the screen:
So?! How was it? Did you trip over your words or did your inner Queen Esther show up?
Also was anyone there suspiciously handsome?
Jessica grinned and typed back:
I think Esther came. But the budget tried to sabotage me. As for handsome? I didn't notice. I was too busy trying to remember if I said 'profit' or 'prophet' at one point.
I need samosas and a nap.
She hit send, then paused.
The name "Michael" flickered in her memory—but it didn't register as anything special. Just a name. A calm voice. A composed face.
She was focused. Grounded. Surrendered.
It was just a meeting.
Right?
Across town, Michael stood by his office window, his third cup of coffee still half full. The city buzzed beneath him, but his mind was still upstairs—in that boardroom, replaying every second of Jessica's presentation.
She had no idea how she affected him. That much was clear.
She wasn't trying to charm anyone. She wasn't even trying to be noticed.
That made her unforgettable.
He recalled the conviction in her voice when she said,
"This isn't just about a brand. This is my calling. I've prayed too long and sacrificed too much to let it stay a dream."
He found himself whispering, "She's serious… and she's real."
He walked back to his desk and sat down, cracking his knuckles out of habit. His assistant knocked and popped her head in.
"Michael, do we want to fast-track a second round of discussion with Jessica Maren?"
He nodded slowly. "Yes. But give it a couple of days. Let's not overwhelm her."
He wasn't trying to be strategic. He just needed time to pray. And think.
Because this wasn't just about a business proposal anymore.
Something had stirred in him.
He pulled out the leather journal he kept tucked in his desk drawer—something he only used when his thoughts ran deeper than spreadsheets and quarterly goals.
He wrote:
Lord, if this woman's part of Your plan, I don't want to rush. I won't force what You haven't written. But… I saw something in her. And I haven't been able to shake it.
That evening, Jessica's room was lit with soft light. Worship music played faintly in the background as she lay on her bed, journal open in front of her, pen tapping gently on her cheek.
"If this isn't the one, You'll provide another. You've never failed," she wrote.
Her eyes scanned the verse she'd circled that morning:
"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." — Exodus 14:14
She underlined it again.
Stillness wasn't passivity. It was trust.
Even when answers were pending.
Even when her bank account said one thing and her vision board said another.
Even when the man on the screen looked composed enough to be in a magazine—she couldn't afford to get distracted.
"I'm Yours, Lord. Business, future, dreams… even marriage. All of it."
Unbeknownst to her, a man she barely noticed had seen more in her than she could imagine.
And as Tuesday turned to evening,
Heaven quietly smiled…
Because two prayers, from two hearts, had just collided.