Love's Second Act

Two: Lexi

As I walked into the coffee shop, I spotted Sam sitting with a woman who looked like she just stepped off the cover of Vogue. Suddenly feeling self conscious, I smoothed down my blue dress and looked at the small ‘heads-up folder’ my best friend sent.

It was something we had been doing since high school, telling each other any important info before meeting a new person. Lily Grant, the creative director of Blackwood Corporation, was a two-time winner of the “Director Award of the Year” hosted annually in Connecticut.

Still, she seemed more intimidating in person. Her firm balance on the chair and impeccable style made me feel like a mess. Heck! She looked like she owned the place.

"Lexi, my love!" Sam exclaimed when she saw me, instantly standing up to give me a hug. "This is Lily. We were just discussing the charity gala."

I extended my hand, trying to hide my nervousness. "Lexi, nice to meet you."

Her handshake was firm, her eyes scrutinising me like a bug under a microscope. "Oh. It's…lovely to meet you. I must say, I was expecting someone a bit more... polished."

I felt a twinge of defensiveness, but decided to play it cool. "Sorry to disappoint," I replied with a smile, trying to sound confident. "I'm more of a 'get the job done' kind of girl."

Lily raised an eyebrow, her expression still skeptical. "Well, let's hope you can deliver. Blackwood Corporation doesn't settle for anything less than perfection."

My eyes moved to Sam, who slowly shook her head with a hand to her heart. I needed to calm down. I was not going to let this snobby attitude get to me. "I think I can handle it," I said, meeting her gaze head-on.

Sam chimed in, her voice reassuring as she led us back to the seats. "Don't worry, Lily. Lexi is one of the best in the business. She'll make sure your event is nothing short of spectacular."

The director's expression remained unyielding, but I could sense a hint of curiosity beneath the exterior. She would eventually c***k. I had that effect on people. "Let's hope so," she said finally. "Now, shall we get down to business? I have a lot of ideas to share, and not a lot of time to waste.”

With a nod, I pulled out my notebook and pen, ready to get down to business. “Okay, let's get started,” I said, looking at Lily

expectantly.

Oh, it's a charity gala, darling,” she replied, her voice dripping with faux comaderie. We obviously didn't like each other. “For the city's most elite philanthropists, and of course, the less privileged kids of Connecticut. We need something that will dazzle and impress.”

I scribbled some notes, my mind already racing with ideas. “Dazzle and impress, got it,” I said, looking up at her. “What's the theme?”

“The usual. Black tie affair. Something like a masquerade ball,” she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “But there should be a hint of something different. I want it to be a night to remember.”

I smiled, feeling a thrill of excitement. This was going to be a challenge, but I was up for it. “Love it,” I said, my pen eagerly scratching across the paper as I brainstormed ideas. “And what's the budget looking like?”

My eyes moved to Sam's again, and the wide grin on her face gave me my answer before Lily leaned forward, her lips curling up in a sly smile.

“Unlimited, darling,” she purred. “Money is no object when it comes to making a statement.”

Still, my eyes widened slightly as I processed that information. No budget? This was going to be a dream project. “Well, in that case, the possibilities are endless,” I said, my mind racing with ideas.

Lily's eyes gleamed with intensity. “Exactly,” she said. “I want this event to be the talk of the town for weeks to come. Can you make that happen, Lexi?”

I grinned, feeling a surge of determination. “Absolutely.” I said, my confidence growing by the second. “Consider it done.”

We spent the rest of the afternoon, discussing colours, sitting arrangements, and the type of decor. I didn't quite like her personal approach to me, but she was a hell of a good director.

Beside us, Sam pitched in her input and as a creative team lead herself, the ideas were top notch. It felt nice to be sitting across a duo of powerful women. After a while, we started to order and Lily tapped us both.

“Lunch's on me.”

Seizing the opportunity, I sampled one of the new dishes on the menu. By the time the waiter brought it, Lily had gone outside to take a call, and Sam was on a love call with her long term boyfriend.

I quickly took a picture of the meal, and caught my best friend's eyes as she slightly shook her head and used her phone to take a better picture. When she finished, I glanced at her.

“You know, Lily's not so bad.”

“Really, is that the food talking? She called you unpolished,” she responded, but I just shrugged.

“I think she's just putting up a tough exterior,” I said, putting another spoon in my mouth. “And yeah, the food is definitely talking too.”

By the time she came back, we were already done eating, so we just continued arranging and dissecting plans. Finally, around four p.m, Lily glanced at her watch and rubbed her neck.

“I've got a meeting in the next half hour, so we would have to stop here today,” she said, standing up as we followed suit. “It was nice meeting the both of you today.”

She was off before we could say anything else, so we took more pictures before leaving the cafe. On our way down the building complex, Sam stopped to use the toilet so I went forward to the ground floor to wait for her.

As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, a large group of people bundled themselves inside and I didn't even have time to blink before the door closed shut. Just then, someone brushed past me and hurriedly started to press the buttons.

“Hey!” I called out, trying to pick my bag off the floor as I stumbled backward, but the guy, dressed in a suit, only turned for a moment before looking back at the elevator.

“You should watch where you're going more often,” he barked, tapping a foot on the ground. “Yeah, you were saying…”

“Sorry.”

He glared at me, his eyes flashing with anger. "Just watch it, okay?"

I rolled my eyes, feeling a twinge of annoyance at his harsh tone. "Hey, no need to be rude. It was an accident."

He snorted. "An accident? You ran into me."

I stood my ground. "And I said I was sorry. What else do you want?"

Just then, a loud voice boomed from the lobby speakers. "And now, a word from our CEO..."

The large projector screen on the wall flickered to life, displaying a sleek advertisement for Blackwood Enterprises. My eyes widened as the man's face appeared on screen, a confident smile spreading across his face.

"Hello, I'm Julian Blackwood, CEO of Blackwood Enterprises..."

My eyes snapped back to the man in front of me, my mind making the connection. This was Julian Blackwood, the guy I was working for, and we were standing in the lobby, arguing over who hit who.

My jaw dropped as my eyes narrowed, hung between feeling sorry and claiming a right. “You're the CEO? Lily's boss?”

His expression darkened. "And you are...?"

I smiled sweetly, and started to walk away. "Just an event planner. No need to worry about me, Mr. Blackwood.”

“Oh, I will,” I heard him say, just before the elevator dinged and Sam came out. Not meeting his gaze, I mumbled another apology and quickly dragged her out of the building.