CHAPTER TWO
1114 Words
I’m in my office trying to go through the proposal I’m meant to present to the investors that are coming today. I still don’t understand why they decided to stay anonymous until the day of the presentation. My mind begins to wander, when I stop to glance at the picture frame on my table, it’s a picture of me and Chloe. I smile fondly before I remember why it’s just me and Chloe in that picture.
I’m reminded of the toxic relationship I had with my parents and why I cut them off. I plaster a fake smile as I try to convince myself that I’m like the main character of a movie, the object of hate. I grew up with complete certainty that my parents hated me, and I think I started to hate myself too at some point. Well, all this was until I met him, Mi Luz, I would often call him. Adrian Blake, it was quite a surprise that he could even look at me that way. Well, because I was me, I hated myself so much I didn’t think it was possible for me to love.
“Lia?” a soft voice pulled me from my thoughts. Chloe entered the room, a bright smile on her face, holding a hot cup of coffee. “Hey” I replied, forcing a smile despite the storm brewing inside me. “I thought you were busy with your clients today?”
“I rescheduled a few things. I couldn’t possibly let you face this alone. This is a big deal, Lia, the big break you needed”. She said enthusiastically as she set her cup of coffee on the table. She must have noticed my pensive look as she took my hands in hers as she said “I’m here for you Lia, every step of the way”. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without Chloe. Now feeling a sense of serenity, I give Lia a hug before calling on my secretary, Megan, to give me an update on the investors. She informs me that they’re on their way. I go over my presentation again before going to the conference room.
For a little bit of context, LUXE, is a luxury fashion brand, well, start-up fashion brand and this emphasizes the need to bag this contract. I just wish my parents could see the feats their “disappointment” has achieved. I’m daydreaming about the huge boost in business, “Lia to Earth, Earth to Lia”, Chloe says as she snaps her fingers, snapping me out of my daze in the process. She’s about to say something when Megan slips in through the opaque glass doors of the conference room.
I get up to adjust my clothes, feeling confident in one of my own pieces. I welcome the three men and a grumpy looking woman who wore an expression that said “let’s get this over with and be on our way” but I won’t be deterred by just one grumpy little woman.
I plaster the best smile I could possibly give as I begin to start up a friendly conversation with the crew. I am interrupted by the oldest looking man, he’s dressed quite fancily, he looks to be in his late 40s. “We have been sent as delegates from Mountain Co”, I flashed a very surprised look to Chloe who had just spilled her drink in surprise. It suddenly occurred to me why they had decided to remain anonymous and why they had adamantly insisted on coming to Luxe.
My mind is racing with questions like how did it get to this and why my past just doesn’t want to remain in the past. I straighten my back as I give a fake smile and tell myself I won’t let this break me. The delegate who had just spoken introduced himself as Mr. Theodore, and the other men are Mr. Simon and Mr. Jack, the grumpy little lady, Mrs. Cathryn, I smile as I make a mental note of their names.
I quickly start show the slides for my presentation, although I’m still shaken by the revelation but I don’t let it distract me. I glance at Chloe who is obviously still dazed but is still trying to be as helpful as possible. I’m standing at the other end of the long desk, my heart racing. I feel awfully self-conscious as the keen eyes of the Mountain Co delegates are fixed in my direction. I take a deep breath, the presentation slides on the projector glowing behind me.
“This is more than fashion; it’s a statement of individuality. Our pieces are crafted with sustainable materials, appealing to conscious customer. The luxury market is evolving and we’re leading that change”.
One of the delegates, Mr. Simon raised a brow, “how do you plan to scale this?”
I smiled, anticipating the question. “We have a robust digital strategy. By leveraging social media influencer and targeted marketing, we can reach our audience effectively. Our pre-launch campaign generated buzz, with a waiting list of over a thousand eager customers”
They all exchanged glances with smiles, even Mrs. Cathryn smiled, definitely a first today. I was about to start rejoicing when Mr. Theodore said “you’ll be hearing from our boss”.
Well for some backstory, Mountain Co is owned and managed by Adrian Blake, my ex. I let out a sigh, mostly because I don’t know how a meeting with a man I have successful avoided for years is supposed to look like.
I smile, as I normally do and tell the investors I’ll be ready to meet him whenever he wants to. The tension in the air thickens slightly and as usual, Chloe rushes in to save the day “What she means is that we are eager to work with Mountain Co as soon as possible”. I give a nervous laugh as the delegates inform me that they are about to leave. Chloe offers to see them out as she gives me a knowing smile.
I sink into one of the chairs in the conference room, I’m tense and I need to relax. I can’t believe I’ll be meeting Adrian after all this time. Honestly, if I didn’t need this investment I probably would have rejected the offer the moment I realized it was from Mountain Co. What could Adrian possibly want after all these years? Could this be his shot at redemption? No, I’m probably overthinking. Whatever this is, I don’t know, but I have to get the bottom of it.
- Writer
