Love Beyond Every Word

Chapter 5:The Client Meeting Disaster

The email was already sent.

Contract Extension Pre-Approval – C. Cole

Rowan stared at his sent folder for 3 seconds, then closed his laptop.

He didn’t know why he sent it.

---

Tuesday. 10:00 AM. Conference Room B.

The room smelled like expensive cologne and bad decisions.

On one side: Rowan. Marissa. Two VPs.

On the other: The Boston client team. Three suits. One very loud CFO named Mr. Hale who talked with his hands.

And in the middle, standing by the projector with a clicker in sweaty hands: Calista.

This was her first client meeting. As a contractor.

“Ms. Cole will walk us through the new app UI,” Rowan said, voice flat. “You have 15 minutes.”

Calista nodded. Clicked.

Slide 1 came up. Clean. Bold. Exactly what they approved Thursday night.

She started talking. Too fast. “So we focused on accessibility and the new color palette reflects Crisoms’ brand heritage while also—”

Mr. Hale raised his hand. “Why is the logo smaller?”

Calista blinked. “Because user testing showed people tap the center button 40% more when the logo isn’t competing for attention—”

“We didn’t ask for user testing,” Hale cut in. “We asked for premium. This looks cheap.”

The room went quiet.

Marissa looked at her shoes. The VPs looked at Rowan.

Rowan didn’t move. “Continue, Ms. Cole.”

Calista clicked to slide 2. Her voice was steadier now. “The navigation was simplified based on heatmap data from—”

“Heatmaps?” Hale laughed. “My 12-year-old could’ve told you to put the menu at the top.”

Tessa, sitting in the back taking notes, shifted in her seat. “Mr. Hale, if we could—”

“No,” Rowan said. One word.

Everyone looked at him.

He leaned forward. “Mr. Hale. You hired us to increase retention by 20%. The current app is losing users because it’s cluttered. This fixes that. If you want ‘premium’ to mean ‘more gold buttons,’ we can do that. But it won’t sell.”

Hale sat back, arms crossed.

Calista took a breath. Clicked to slide 3. The final one. The one with the new checkout flow.

“This is where we saw the biggest lift in testing,” she said. “Fewer clicks. Clearer CTA. We project—”

“Project?” Hale interrupted again. “I don’t pay for projections. I pay for results.”

Calista’s face went hot.

Rowan stood up.

“Meeting’s over,” he said.

“What?” Marissa said.

“We’ll send the revised deck by EOD,” Rowan said, looking at Hale. “With the logo bigger. And the menu at the top. And whatever else makes you feel like you got your money’s worth.”

He walked out.

The VPs scrambled after him. Marissa gave Calista a look that said you’re dead.

Tessa stayed behind for 2 seconds. “Tough crowd,” she said softly. “Happens to everyone.”

Then she left too.

---

10:25 AM. Rowan’s Office.

Calista knocked.

“Come in.”

Rowan was at his window again.

“I’m sorry,” Calista said before the door closed. “I should’ve pushed back harder. I should’ve—”

“Stop,” Rowan said. He turned. “You did fine.”

Calista frowned. “He hated it. You pulled me out.”

“I pulled you out because Hale is a bully and he was going to keep talking until you cried,” Rowan said. “And we don’t do that here.”

Calista stared at him. “You’re not mad?”

“I’m mad,” Rowan said. “At Hale. At the VPs for not backing you up. Not at you.”

He picked up a printed copy of her deck. Red pen all over it.

“Logo bigger. Menu on top. But we keep the checkout flow. That’s the part that actually makes money.” He slid it to her. “Fix this. Send it by 4.”

Calista picked it up. “That’s it?”

“That’s it,” Rowan said. “You didn’t die. Client didn’t fire us. Go do your job.”

She turned to leave.

“Calista.”

She stopped.

“For what it’s worth,” Rowan said, not looking at her. “You didn’t stutter. Most people do in there.”

Calista walked out, red-marked deck in hand.

Tessa was at her desk when she got back.

“So? Fired yet?” Tessa asked, sweet.

Calista set the deck down. “Nope. Got notes. Due at 4.”

Tessa’s smile flickered.

Calista sat down and opened Photoshop.

She didn’t like Rowan.

But for the first time, she thought maybe he didn’t hate her either.

And that was almost worse……