The Writer's Dilemma

The Fan and the CEO

Audrey hit the clock on her bedside table for the third time, grumbling as she looked back at her phone, the picture of Kerem and her alighted the screen. She was still in denial that everything that had happened yesterday actually had in fact happened, even with the proof staring her in the face. Looking back on yesterday, everything seemed a blur, but she could still feel Kerem’s hand on her shoulder, his warm, coffee-scented breath on her cheek, as though he was there with her in the room. She stared at Kerem’s chiseled chin and deep chocolate brown eyes in the photo, making her heart skip a few beats. She felt for the necklace she kept chained around her neck to comfort her, when suddenly her phone dimmed as a call appeared on her screen, along with a photo of her manager, Jocelyn Fay. She sat up quickly, brushing the hair out of her face, wiping her finger across her screen to answer the call.

                “Audrey! You better be out of your bed!” Jocelyn’s shrill voice echoed around the room before she could even greet her. It was a busy time at her work, Blank Multimedia, with several deadlines approaching on projects that had yet to be completed. Audrey rolled out of her bed, grabbing a towel as she headed for the bathroom connected to her room.

                “Don’t worry! I’ll be on time!” Audrey tried to sound nonchalant as she raced to turn on the water for her shower. “What’s the first thing on the schedule?” She asked, setting her items on the sink counter, undressing as fast as she could, revealing a few scars and bruises on her sides and upper arms. She took a moment to inspect them as she listened to her manager spout out the day's schedule. She grunted at the phone to give Jocelyn a heads up that she understood before hitting the red end button to hang up the call. She swiftly dried showered, dried her hair, and threw some clothes on before running into the kitchen. Her mom was busy setting up plates and a to go cup of coffee on the breakfast table.

                “Mama, Good morning!” She bounded over, planting a kiss on the tiny woman’s wrinkled cheek, grabbing a piece of toast and the cup of coffee. The woman frowned as she patted her arm.

                “Late again? You need to take better care of your health! Eat a full breakfast!” The woman chided her daughter like she did every day of the week. Audrey beckoned for the door.

                “I’ll eat more when I get to the office. Bye, mama! Bye, Papa!” Her father had just walked into the kitchen. She waved at them before darting away. The bus stop at the bottom of their apartment took her directly to her office, twenty minutes away. Although she was already a grown woman, who had graduated from college and who became relatively successful at her company, she couldn’t yet bear to part from her family. Audrey sighed as she bit into her toast as a text message chimed on her phone.

Joc: You have 20 minutes to be in your office

Joc: I’m warning you!

Joc: Don’t make my life harder than it has to be.

                Audrey laughed. Her manager was an older lady with hair as dark as the night’s sky, except for a few gray hairs starting to pop up here and there. She acted tough on the outside but was really the kindest lady, who cared deeply for the people she cherished. Jocelyn was always there for Audrey when she needed her to be and they had formed a pretty close friendship over the years. Audrey also knew she was one of the people that Jocelyn cared a lot for. She was about to reply to her manager when another message popped onto her screen from an unknown number.

Unknown: Hello Audrey. This is the manager

From yesterday’s book sign. I hope this isn’t too forward but

I just wanted to tell you again how big of a fan I am of yours

Since I got your number. Meeting you was like a dream come true

For me. I hope that we could become good friends. My name is Wyatt. I’ll

Understand if you don’t reply to my message as I’m being a bit forward.

I just wanted to let you know that you have a fan who supports you!

Good luck!

                The bus lurched to a stop, alerting Audrey to the fact that she needed to get off. She gathered her items and hopped off into the gloom of the towering multi-story building of Blank Multimedia. Jocelyn was standing there, tapping her heels on the concrete anxiously.

                “There you are! Let’s go!” She crisscrossed their arms together, pulling her to the front doors of the building. “You need to be early if you want to get a better story,” Jocelyn was rambling on again. They were headed straight into a department meeting on the fifth floor. The first floor was painted a fresh mint color with simple decorations hung on the walls. A security device was set off to the right side of the front desk. They briskly walked through them after tapping their company badges on the magnetic reader. They continued walking straight ahead to a set of elevators that would take them up to the fifth floor. Jocelyn pressed the up button, turning to study her. “Why do you look so happy today? Normally you have a frown on your face,” She tapped her chin curiously. Audrey held her phone out, displaying the picture she had taken with Kerem. Her manager gasped excitedly. “You’ve finally met him? I’m surprised you were able to keep this a secret for so long! He looks gorgeous!” Jocelyn continued to ramble.

                “That’s not it,” Audrey opened her phone to the message she had just received, handing her whole phone to Jocelyn to read as the doors to the elevators rolled open lazily and they stepped inside.

                “Wait a minute!” Jocelyn’s voice echoed loudly in the confined spaces of the claustrophobic elevator as it shook upwards. “The agent of a national best-seller… The person you’ve been a fan of for forever wants to be your friend?!” Jocelyn’s voice continued to ring in a high pitch as they reached the fifth floor and the doors once again opened, this time showing off the multiple five-by-five cubicles and the few larger offices and meeting rooms of Blank Multimedia. Towards the back was a small kitchen adorned with simple amenities and a round wooden table with four chairs surrounding it. Audrey’s manager pulled her into the closest meeting room where a few fellow writers were already seated in preparation for their meeting before she could even reply. They took two seats towards the front of the room where a large projector was hanging down, covering the entire space from ceiling to the floor. On the screen, the day’s agenda was being displayed which Audrey glanced at briefly. Jocelyn handed back her phone which she switched off and replaced it with a laptop.

                “Has everyone arrived?” The booming voice of her CEO, Mister Jacques, echoed through the room. There were a few affirmations before the door to the meeting room clicked shut. Audrey glanced up for the first time, tucking her hair behind her ear as she did. Mister Jacques was an older male with balding grey hair and a friendly smile permanently plastered on his lips. Towering over him stood another man, nearly six feet tall with black hair that was shaved on the sides but longer on top that was gelled up in a way that made him seem even taller. Audrey took notice of his brand new navy Kiton suit that accentuated his body. His face was hard, attractive, and held a pair of deep-set jet black eyes that rounded out his entire persona and every inch of him made Audrey bristle in her seat. She instantly grabbed at her necklace, willing her heart to start beating at a normal speed again.

                “I hope that you all will welcome Mr. Marius Alarie, the CEO of Stygian Studios. We have come to an agreement to collaborate this quarter,” Mister Jacques announced as the two of them walked to the front of the room. Jocelyn covertly grabbed her hand underneath the table, her grip tightening increasingly around Audrey’s fingers. A few greetings rang around the room to welcome Marius to their office. There was a silent pause while the CEOs took their seats, then the meeting continued as normal. Several hours later, the CEO finally stood, clapping his hands together.

                “Now that we have most of the agenda settled, I have one final thing to announce. As we are beginning a new collaboration with Stygian Studios, Mr. Alarie had agreed to be interviewed for a story, which will be the main focus for our next release. I would like it if Miss Marchand could take charge of this story for us,” The announcement came as the biggest shock of Audrey’s life that she could hardly move from the sudden blow and fear that ran through her.

                “I look forward to working closely with you,” Marius Alarie stood, leaned over the table, and extended a hand towards her. It took a few moments for Audrey to register, stand and hesitatingly take his hand as she watched a wicked grin flick the edge of his lips up.