Chapter 1: Damage Control
2210 Words
The phone on Valentina's desk was ringing loudly. It was an annoying high-pitched sound that cut through all the noise in the Apex Public Relations office.
Valentina did not answer the phone. Instead, she took a sip of her cold coffee, looking at the screens of her computers. On one screen, she could see that many people were posting negative comments about her client on social media. On the screen, she saw a photo of a famous pop star throwing a glass at a photographer. The photo was going viral fast.
"Valentina!" her assistant Chloe exclaimed, rushing into the office. Chloe looked really scared.
"I see what is happening, Chloe ", Valentina said, sounding very calm. She did not look up from her computers. Her fingers were already typing away on her keyboard, writing three press releases at the same time.
"The client's manager is on the phone ", Chloe said, still sounding really scared. "The owner of the venue where the incident happened is threatening to sue us. And TMZ just called our office, " Chloe added, breathing heavily. "Valentina, the pop star, threw a glass at someone's head. We cannot make this look good. Marcus says we should drop the client away."
Valentina stopped typing. Looked up at Chloe. "Marcus wants to drop a client who pays us three million dollars a year just because he cannot think of a way to fix this problem?" Valentina said, sounding really calm. "This is why Marcus is the director of the agency, and I am the one who actually does all the work."
She put on her headset. Said, "Chloe put the manager through. Inform the venue owner that we will pay double for the damages and offer them a feature in a magazine if they agree to overlook the security footage. Ignore the tabloids for now."
Chloe asked, "What about the manager?"
Valentina said, "I will handle him." She pressed a button on her console. Said, "Jason, tell me your client is not in jail right now."
Jason's voice came through the headset, sounding really panicked. "He is in his hotel room ", Jason said. "Valentina, I swear, the photographer jumped out of nowhere. It was self-defense!"
Valentina said, "Self-defense is using pepper spray, not throwing an expensive glass at someone." She looked at the pop star's schedule. Said, "Here is what we are going to do. You are going to take his phone. You are going to change the password to his media accounts. If he tries to post anything, I will go to his hotel room. Throw a glass at him myself."
Jason was silent for a moment. "What about the photo that's all over the internet?" he asked.
Valentina said, "We are going to say that the pop star was really tired and dehydrated from his tour. He did not throw the glass at the photographer. He was just startled. Dropped the glass. You are going to call an ambulance to the hotel in five minutes. They are going to take him to the hospital. He needs to look really sick."
There was a silence at the end of the line. "An ambulance?" Jason repeated.
Valentina explained, "If the pop star goes to the hospital, people will feel sorry for him. They will not be angry at him anymore." She leaned back in her chair. Said, "I already have a press release written. Just do it, Jason."
She hung up the phone. Let out a deep breath. It was nine in the morning, and she had already saved her client's career.
Chloe was standing in the doorway, staring at Valentina with a lot of respect. "Did you really just make up an emergency?" Chloe asked.
Valentina said, "I just helped a tired artist get some rest." She smiled a little. Said, "Now go talk to the venue owner before he calls his lawyers."
As Chloe left, Valentina looked at her computers again. She watched as the news about the pop star changed from bad to good. It was what she had planned.
Valentina did not feel happy about it. She was twenty-eight years old. She had spent the last five years cleaning up messes for famous people. She was really good at it. It was not fulfilling. She wanted to work with companies, not babysit pop stars.
The door to her office. Her boss Marcus walked in. He was wearing a suit that was tight and had too much cologne.
"Job on the hospital story, Valentina ", Marcus said, leaning on her desk. "I just got off the phone with the board. They are really happy with how we handled it."
Valentina said, "You told me to drop the client, Marcus, twenty minutes ago."
Marcus said, "I was just testing you." He was not bothered by his lie. "Anyway, as a reward for your work, I am putting you on the Henderson account. He is a reality TV star who got caught cheating. I need you to make people feel sorry for him by Friday."
Valentina looked at Marcus. She thought about all the times she had to clean up messes for people. She thought about how she was not happy with her job. Then she said, "No."
Marcus was surprised. "What do you mean?" he asked.
Valentina said, "I mean, I am not taking the Henderson account.. I am not taking any more accounts at Apex Public Relations."
Marcus said, "Valentina, do not be dramatic. You are just stressed. Take a break."
Valentina was not stressed. She was done with her job. She stood up. Said, "I am resigning."
She opened her desk drawer. Pulled out a white envelope. She had written her resignation letter three weeks ago, waiting for the moment to give it to Marcus.
Marcus stared at the envelope like it was a bomb. "You cannot resign ", he said. "You are under contract. If you leave now, you will not get your bonus."
Valentina said, "Keep the bonus." She grabbed her bag. Said, "Consider it my gift to you to help you with the next crisis you will not know how to handle."
Marcus said, "You have else to go! Nobody will hire you if I tell them not to."
Valentina was not worried. She said, "I highly doubt that." She walked around Marcus. Said, "Goodbye, Marcus. Good luck with the reality star."
She walked out of her office, ignoring the looks of her coworkers. She smiled at Chloe. Said, "Buy yourself a real coffee and start looking for a new job."
The elevator ride down to the lobby was really long. Valentina's heart was beating fast. She had just quit her job. She was not sure what she would do next. When the elevator doors opened and she felt the cool morning air on her face, she felt a sense of freedom.
She pulled out her phone. Saw an email from the recruitment team at Intratech Enterprises. Intratech Enterprises was a big company in the tech industry. They were looking for a new Lead PR Strategist to handle their Initial Public Offering. It was a big deal, and Valentina had applied for the job. She had gone through five rounds of interviews. She was waiting to hear back from them.
Valentina took a breath, her thumb hovering over the screen of her phone. If the email was a rejection, she had just made a financial decision by quitting her job at Apex.
She tapped the email to open it.
Dear Ms. Ross,
The executive board at Intratech Enterprises is pleased to offer you the position of Lead PR Strategist following your final presentation. Your new approach to corporate crisis management and your vision for our IPO are just what our company needs.
We expect you to join the team and meet with our CEO this coming Monday at 8:00 AM at our headquarters.
Valentina stopped walking. People were walking around her on the sidewalk, but she just stood there. She read the sentence again. Then she read it one time.
She had done it. She had actually done it.
A laugh came up in her chest, sharp and bright. She had landed the coveted corporate PR job in the country. No more working with reality stars. No more pop singers throwing glassware. She was entering the leagues. She was going to handle the image of a multi-billion-dollar tech empire.
She immediately typed out an email confirming she would be there on Monday morning. After hitting send, she checked her calendar. Today was Tuesday. She had five days of freedom before her life belonged to Intratech Enterprises. Five days before, she had to walk into that glass tower and prove she deserved to be there.
Her phone buzzed in her hand. It was her friend, Maya.
"Tell me you didn't actually quit ", Maya said the moment Valentina answered the call. "Chloe just texted me. Did you actually walk out on Marcus?"
"I quit ", Valentina said, a grin on her face. "I am officially unemployed."
"Are you crazy? You hate being unemployed. You get anxious if you aren't fixing a crisis every ten minutes."
"Well, I'll only be unemployed for five days ", Valentina said, walking down the avenue again. "I got the Intratech Enterprises job. I start Monday."
Maya let out a shriek on the other end of the line that made Valentina hold the phone away from her ear. "You got it! Valentina, that is amazing! We have to celebrate. We are going out tonight. Dinner, drinks, everything."
"Actually ", Valentina said, looking up at the skyscrapers around her. The city felt overwhelming suddenly. The noise, the traffic, the constant buzz of ambition. She was about to dive into an environment more high-stakes than Apex PR. She needed to clear her head. She needed a moment where she wasn't "Valentina, the Fixer." She needed to be nobody for a day.
"I'm leaving town ", Valentina decided abruptly.
"Leaving town? To go where? You start your job on Monday!"
"Exactly. I need a reset before I step into that boardroom," Valentina said, thinking fast. "There's that coastal resort two hours north. The one with the lounge and zero cell reception in the dining room. I'm going to book a room, turn off my phone, and do nothing for three days. No emails. No crisis management. No stress."
"You? Doing nothing?" Maya laughed. "I give you twenty-four hours before you start organizing the resorts desk.. Fine. You deserve a break. Just promise me you’ll actually relax. Drink something. Talk to a stranger. Be spontaneous for once in your planned life."
"I don't do spontaneous Maya. But I will drink something, " Valentina promised.
"Good. Have fun, boss lady. See you on Sunday."
Valentina hung up the phone. She hailed a taxi, giving the driver her apartment address. She had a suitcase to pack.
The drive up the coast felt like stepping into a world. By afternoon, Valentina was pulling her car up to the valet stand of a big cliffside luxury resort. The building was minimalist—dark wood, big glass windows overlooking the ocean, and completely isolated from the city.
It was the place to disappear.
She checked into her suite, unpacked her clothes, and took a hot shower to wash the lingering scent of Apex PR off her skin. When she came out, the sun was just beginning to set, painting the sky in shades of purple and gold.
Valentina stood by the balcony window wearing a black silk dress, her dark hair falling in soft waves over her shoulders. She felt completely free. It was an amazing feeling. For the three days, nobody needed her to fix their problems. Nobody knew who Valentina was.
She grabbed her clutch, leaving her phone face down on the bedside table. Maya’s words echoed in her head. "Talk to a stranger. Be spontaneous for once."
Valentina smiled to herself. She wasn't going to be spontaneous. She was definitely going to enjoy a quiet, anonymous drink at the resort's legendary oceanfront lounge.
She stepped out of her room. Headed down the softly lit corridor, unaware that her carefully planned stress-free weekend was about to change the moment she walked into the bar. She was walking toward a collision that would alter the course of her career, her heart, and her entire life.
Monday morning, at Intratech Enterprises was waiting for her. Tonight, the rules did not apply.
- Writer
