Episode: 2
Mia takes black coffee to Julian's penthouse office. As she steps near his desk, she sees a handgun and flinches. The coffee spills across a sole original contract worth twenty million dollars. Marcus and Enzo run into the room in a panic. An apologetic Mia offers to dock her salary. Julian ignores the ruined paper and focuses on her burned skin. He rinses her hand and commands her to join his afternoon negotiation.
Mia rides the elevator to the top floor of Vance Tower while carrying a cup of black coffee. Along the corridor, she quietly repeats the exact instructions given by Julian's assistant so she does not make an error.
Julian stands by his office window with a view over Manhattan. He speaks into his phone and delivers cold demands. He warns the person on the other end to sign before noon or leave New York entirely.
Mia walks toward the desk with the coffee. She catches sight of a handgun lying nearby and jerks back. The hot black coffee splashes over an original contract, and the cup crashes onto the floor in pieces.
Marcus and Enzo charge into the office after hearing the noise. They panic over the ruined original document intended for federal authorities. Mia trembles, apologizes repeatedly, and offers to have the money deducted from her own wages.
Julian looks down and spots Mia's reddened skin from the hot liquid. He pays no mind to the lost money. Instead, he sends Marcus and Enzo away and instructs the legal team to work overtime reprinting the papers.
Julian takes hold of Mia's wrist and leads her over to the sink. He runs cold water over her burn. Then he tells her that to repay the mistake, she must attend an afternoon business meeting alongside him.
“Tell them my patience runs out at noon. Either sign or get the hell out of New York.”
“Mia, that cup of coffee just wiped out twenty mil in commission.”
“On my turf screw ups come with a price. Since you're such an expert in Italian, you're rolling with me to the negotiation this afternoon.”
Julian holds Mia's wrist under running water at the office sink. Rather than firing her for the costly spill, he demands that she accompany him to an afternoon negotiation as an Italian interpreter. Can Mia keep up her fake Italian act in front of real business partners, or will her secret collapse during the meeting?