Eventful Attraction: A CEO Romance.

Chapter One. SOPHIE MILLER

Word Count: 1,305.

Sophie sat hunched over her desk, her head cradled in her hands. The once-neat stacks of notes and plans were now scattered haphazardly across the surface, a testament to the chaos that had unfolded over the past few days.

She had poured her heart and soul into this project, convinced that it would be her big break in the event planning world. But instead of basking in the glow of success, she was now left to pick up the pieces of her shattered dreams.

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she thought about all the sleepless nights, the missed meals, and the sacrifices she'd made to bring this project to life. It had all been for nothing.

Taking a deep breath, Sophie reached for a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. She couldn't afford to wallow in self-pity—not if she wanted to salvage her career and prove to herself that she had what it took to make it in this cutthroat industry.

The shrill ringing of her phone broke her out of her inner turmoil. The name that lighted up her screen made her heart even heavier, she hesitated for a moment before swiping the answer button.

"Hey girlll!"

Her best friend Annalise screamed

"How was it! Can I come over with the celebratory champagne and pizza, to re-watch The Vampire Diaries?!"

At that, the dam she'd been holding back broke. Sobs racked her frame as she hunched over with the phone held tightly in her two hands, pressed to her face.

"Oh, baby girl, what's wrong Butterfly?"

"I-im sorry Annalise! I.. I failed, I... I f****d up the project and they took it from me. But I was....I was so careful, I made sure, I'd don't know how this happened. I-

"Shhh my love, it's fine. It's fine. I'm coming over now my butterfly, I'll be there right now okay? Keep me on"

"Okay"

Sophie whimpered

The line remained open as Sophie sat in her bedroom, the sound of Annalise's voice a small comfort amidst her overwhelming despair.

Minutes later, there was a knock at the door and Annalise burst in, concern etched on her face. Without saying a word, she rushed to Sophie's side and wrapped her arms around her trembling form.

"I'm so sorry, Butterfly," Annalise whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "I can only imagine how hard this must be for you."

Sophie sniffled and leaned into her best friend's embrace. "I just...I don't know what to do, Annalise. This was supposed to be my big break. And now...now it's all gone. What am I going to do?"

Annalise stroked Sophie's hair, her voice firm and reassuring. "You're going to dust yourself off, that's what you're going to do. This is just a setback, Sophie. It doesn't define you or your talent. You're an incredible event planner and I have no doubt that you'll bounce back from this stronger than ever."

Sophie looked into Annalise grey stormy eyes and found nothing but love and confidence there, confidence that would be wasted on someone like her.

"Maybe Mom was right Liss, maybe I'm not cut out for this, maybe I should -

"I swear, I will snap your neck so hard even your Gilbert ring won't save you"

Annalise joked and Sophie couldn't help but snort.

"You are amazing Sophia Tamsin Miller, you kick ass at what you do and you will find something even bigger than this, it was s**t anyway"

Sophie gasped

"It was for the Lakewood company! You said The CEO was hot"

"Yeah well...that was before he and his suck ass company fired my best friend "

Sophie sighed quietly and leaned her face into Annalise's neck. The Blue haired girl Hugged her best friend tightly. It was peacefully quiet for a few minutes before Sophie remembered her predicament and let out a dramatic wail which had Annalise shushing her

"Shhh, shhh, it's okay. We'll figure this out together, I promise." Annalise gently rocked Sophie back and forth, her own voice threatening to crack with emotion. "I know it feels like the end of the world right now, but it's not. There will be other projects, other opportunities. And you'll crush them just like you always do."

Sophie sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "I just...I don't even know where to start. What if no one wants to hire me after this? What if I'm blacklisted or something?"

Annalise pulled back and cupped Sophie's face in her hands, forcing her to meet her gaze. "Listen to me, Sophie Miller. You are not going to be blacklisted. You are a talented event planner and any company would be lucky to have you. And if they can't see that, then screw them. You don't need them."

Despite her emotional exhaustion, Sophie couldn't help but crack a small smile. "You always know what to say, Liss."

Annalise shrugged, her sky blue hair falling off her shoulder

"What can I say? I'm just That best friend"

Sophie snorted and fell heavily into Annalise's chest.

"I'm so sad"

Sophie admitted.

"I know butterfly, but like I said, it's not the end, you have such a bright future Infront of you"

Sophie shook her head, her pump lips curling up into a smile.

"Let me guess, you?"

Annalise cackled. Sophie shook her head with a smile.

"I love you liss, you make everything better."

Sophie sighed and Annalise kissed her forehead

"Of course I do sophe. "

Sophie groaned and fell back on the couch

Annalise flopped down beside her, the springs creaking under their combined weight. The room fell silent for a moment, save for the distant sounds of traffic outside the window.

"Soph?" Annalise's voice was quiet, hesitant. "What if...what if you started your own event planning company? I mean, you're brilliant at what you do, and you've got the passion and the drive to make it work. Why wait around for someone else to give you a chance when you can create your own opportunities?"

Sophie's eyes widened as the idea began to take shape in her mind.

"You think i couls do it?"

Annalise grinned, her grey eyes sparkling with excitement. "Of course you could! And I'd be your first employee, obviously. We could call it 'Butterfly Events' or something equally fabulous."

Sophie laughed, feeling a sense of hope bloom within her. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Sophie sighed.

" I would love to open up something of my own, but for that, I'd need a big ass loan, and I don't want to owe anyone anything actually. So I'll keep looking for jobs, then maybe when I'm finally able to bag one with a good company, we'll see how the rest will go?"

Annalise nodded and twirled a strand of Sophie's chestnut brown hair around her finger.

"That sounds like a plan. And hey, who knows? Maybe you'll land an even better gig than the Lakewood one. The universe works in mysterious ways, Butterfly."

Sophie sighed and closed her eyes, allowing herself to bask in the comfort of Annalise's presence. "You're right. I just need to keep my chin up and keep moving forward. But for now, can we please order that pizza and binge-watch The Vampire Diaries?"

Annalise chuckled and reached for her phone. "You got it, boss. One large pepperoni with extra cheese, coming right up. And don't worry, I'll make sure to have the Kleenex ready for all the Delena scenes."

As they settled in for a night of comfort food and their favorite show, Sophie felt a sense of calm settle over her. Sure, things might be tough right now, but with Annalise by her side and a little bit of Netflix therapy, she knew she'd make it through.