Chapter 6
Alexis leaned against the wall in the hallway near the door of the conference room, staying far enough back to not be noticed but close enough to where she could see what was going on in the room ahead. The room was made of glass with metal slats holding up the clear, solid divider. Vertical blinds, about four inches in width, were hung from the ceiling to offer a little bit of privacy, though they were open enough for Alexis to see into the room.
Through the opening in the blinds, Alexis could see a tall, African man standing in front of a large projection of several charts and graphs. She moved her body down the corridor a bit to see what was on the chart, noticing that, while she could not figure out exactly what was on it, she could tell that it was related to the finances of a specific company, and from her vantage point, it did not look promising. “That decline looks staggering,” she thought to herself, trying to rationalize what was on the chart without having all the information in front of her.
Inside the room, the people were from many different backgrounds, spanning the entire globe. “This meeting must be incredibly important,” she thought as she repositioned herself back at her perch to wait for the door to open, thinking on the global ramifications of the conversation. She shook it off, trying not to think of how any scenario could negatively impact her career and focused her mind back on Nathanial, though not for long.
Her mind dwelled on her best friend, Hannah, and how she told her to go and get what she wanted, and if it happened, it happened. Alexis was never good at letting things happen, always opting for a detailed strategy with a projected outcome instead of letting the pieces fall where they may. She wasn’t very good at reacting to people’s emotions, that was Hannah’s strength, and Alexis accepted that she would be much better at doing this than she was. “If I could just borrow her balls for a day,” Alexis thought to herself as she started to panic, getting into her own head about whether or not this plan would work. “This is so not like me,” she continued in her head, as she considered aborting the plan from here and trying a different strategy. Sweat started to form around her temples as she looked toward the room, noticing that the men and women inside were starting to stir, hinting that the meeting was coming to a close.
She looked through the room as people began to shift in their chairs and saw the man she was hoping to see. He looked incredibly stone faced and stoic, though still very handsome; just as she remembered him. Once her eyes found him, thoughts of leaving the area immediately left her mind as she placed her back against the column and stared at him, though only able to see him briefly from the shifting of the blinds and other people in the way. She knew this was the plan, even though she was putting herself out there, this was what needed to happen if she ever wanted to achieve happiness. To find someone like this, who she felt an immediate natural connection to, was something she had to take a chance on. She did not know the man except from their brief conversation, but he already had control over her heart and it terrified Alexis.
Thoughts about the previous day suddenly raced into her mind, starting with how Hannah was having a terrible morning and drug her to the break room, opting to complain about her day and her future meeting over coffee, instead of in the confines of her temporary cubicle. She reminisced about how passionate her best friend spoke about things, especially on the phone later that day while she was trying to come to terms with everything that happened and how emotionally frazzled she had become. Hannah comforted Alexis by providing her the motivation she needed to calm down, opting to spend a night out on the town together and break their professional rule about going out before a meeting with their boss, just to make sure her best friend was alright. Alexis smiled warmly, thinking about how her best friend was the best thing to ever happen to her and how, no matter what happened, she would make it a point to always be there for her, no matter how crazy, irrational, or impulsive she became.
While enjoying her time in Dubai, Alexis knew she was here for her employer, though she couldn’t help but try to help herself. She was incredibly loyal, always doing what was best for the company no matter what the request or demand was, but finally, Alexis Matthews wanted something in her personal life that could also help her professionally. She weighed out the positives in her head for potentially dating someone like Nathanial Jenkins and what being connected to him would do.
His influence could also give her the ability to relocate to Dubai and that would be incredible for her career, though she worried if Hannah would accept a reassignment. “She did have a great time with that Italian,” she thought to herself, referencing back to the story Hannah told her earlier that day about her encounter the day before. Hannah and Alexis were inseparable, meaning that if Alexis wanted to relocate herself to Dubai, Hannah would have to make an incredibly difficult decision.
Dubai had proven to be one of the greatest moves Alexis and Hannah could have possibly made. On her own, Hannah was able to propel both of their careers even further than before, putting them on the path of becoming board members or operational directors in the very near future. The city was amazing and the people were incredible, almost larger than life. The atmosphere was something that could never be duplicated or even mimicked, as the architecture of the buildings and the culture of all the various peoples made Dubai perfect for the two ladies.
The biggest negative to being with a man like Nathanial Jenkins was that Alexis might have to separate from Hannah. While apart in college, the two girls still tried to remain in touch and working together was the greatest thing to happen to their friendship. They complemented each other well by accenting each other’s strengths and hiding each other’s faults. Alexis was able to keep Hannah focused while Hannah was able to keep Alexis confident; they were perfect for each other.
She looked back at the door to see the people on the inside of the room starting to standing up. The rumbling of the metal chairs on the floor echoed through the nearby cubicles with the scrapes and low rumbles of the executive’s voices in the room. Alexis closed her eyes and focused on listening to the few words she could hear from the room, continuously hearing the words failure, guidance, and Australia. She thought about it for a moment and tried to determine what the meeting could have been about, though she remembered the comment Nathanial made the day before about them needing someone like Hannah and her in Australia. Clearly, whatever was said in that room regarded the struggling company.
The Australian Oil Trade and Refiners was, at one time, the third largest oil purchaser in the world. After a few years of gross mismanagement and the misallocation of funds and resources by the Australian CEO, the company was no longer regarded as a prominent member of the consortium, but as more of an anchor. Their influence waned and they were no longer seen as a company who others could model their success after, instead, becoming a model of what not to do.
The glass door swung open and the people began to emerge from the room, all with a look of bewilderment across their faces. The first man who emerged wore a large turban with a shaggy, salt and pepper beard. He walked with a great pace, though clearly not as disturbed as some of the men behind him. His face was relaxed, as if he just left a calm meeting regarding some moderate success, which ultimately confused Alexis. She looked past him at another man, swearing profusely into his cell phone in a thick, British accent as he emerged from room. “I feel sorry for the man on the other line,” she thought to herself as she listened to the berating he was delivering, watching as the man became flush in his face from rage.
“Why the hell did you let me cast my lot with these bastards!?” he screamed, though restraining from what he said before. Alexis shook her head as he walked past the corridor where she was leaning to see another man emerge from the room, though in near tears as he slowly dredged down the small walkway in between the cubicles. His eyes were already starting to look swollen as his jaw quivered with his body slouching. He looked defeated as he slowly walked by with his hands in pocket and his head tilted towards the ground, almost as if someone had passed away. Every man or woman who walked out of the room either carried a frown, a scowl, or looked emotionally depressed and seriously contemplating the rest of their lives.
Nathanial walked out of the room with a scowl across his face as Alexis started casually walking down the pathway between the cubicles. His tan jacket looked a bit wrinkled as it covered his powder blue, button up shirt, though matched his pants and shoes. His feet pounded against the ground as he looked forward, walking with a complete determination as if he had somewhere to be. His facial expressions were similar to the others: a wide-eyed gaze, blinded to anything that wasn’t right in front of him. Anger filled his eyes with every step he took with his well chiseled jaw quivering in a state of disbelief. He stood tall as he walked, not slouching, though considerably rigid in his posture, as if he was trying to make a point in an argument. He continued to walk forward, not noticing Alexis moving up beside him as they walked side by side without him paying her a bit of attention.
“Fancy running into you here,” she said, drawing his attention as she tried to keep up with his frantic pace, walking quickly through the corridor of cubicles without any knowledge of where they were headed. “How have your meetings been?” she asked, only then noticing him turn his head to acknowledge her.
He blinked slowly and exhaled, shaking his head while turning back to see where he was walking. “Terrible, if you must ask,” he said with a harsh tone, seeming a bit dejected after the meeting.
Alexis kept up with him step for step, walking through the hallways and past the location of their first encounter. “Oh, well I’m sorry it was so bad,” she continued as they walked hastily through the building. Her calves were starting to burn as she kept up with his incredible pace, looking down to see him walk quickly through the various corridors and cubicle farms, finally reaching the door to the parking garage.
Nathanial didn’t speak much as he continued to walk toward his pearl white Lamborghini Aventador, walking to the door with Alexis following him. She stopped behind his car, looking around to see that she followed him all the way to his car without realizing she made it there. She started thinking about what Hannah told her about it may not be meant to be. Alexis’s jaw started to quiver a bit as her lips started to quake as she thought about her failure, doing her best to cope with the loss she was about to be dealt. Alexis was not good with failure, having not dealt with it very often.
“Umm, so I guess I’ll see you around,” she continued, trying to engage in a conversation with the man who refused to pay her any attention. He placed his hand on the lever and pulled it back, opening the door as he pulled off his tan blazer, tossing it into the passenger seat before placing his foot on the side of the car. He looked forward, focusing his gaze on the wall of the parking garage without focusing on anything in particular, just staring into the blank emptiness.
Alexis nodded as she bit her lip, turning her body slowly before walking away without any discussion from Nathanial. “Alexis,” he stated, still holding his gaze into the vast emptiness of the garage wall. She turned to look at him as he didn’t change his stance, holding his leg on the frame of the car with the door open, resting his arms on the top of the car. “The work you and your friend Hannah did might potentially save three companies that are near the point of bankruptcy,” he continued, still focusing his gaze away from her. “Perhaps I underestimated the two of you, though your reputations for excellence were grossly off.”
“Oh, thank you,” meekly stated Alexis as she looked on as Nathanial appeared distant and uninterested. “We’re here for another nine days, so hopefully the two of us will be able to do a few more great things,” she stated humbly, realizing that her professional career meant more to her now than any loss she could possibly take in her personal life. With her mind starting to think more about how she could move on, she tried to seem a bit distant with her responses.
He looked down at the top of his car, breaking his gaze with the wall. “You are one of the most dedicated women I have ever met,” he stated plainly, turning his head and looking at Alexis standing at the edge of the garage. “You are an incredibly determined woman, and it serves you well.”
Alexis was confused as he complimented her, not knowing if he was trying to boost her ego or let her down gently. She thought about the entire encounter in her head, wondering if Hannah gave her awkward advice. With her best friend always around when she was trying to seduce men, she was always able to find her courage from her best friend. Alexis was never suave or debonair with the opposite sex, always treating it like a business relationship instead of allowing herself to personally be let down. “Thank you, Mr. Jenkins,” she said professionally, giving off a very serious tone, changing her position and stance, even though she was standing in a parking garage, following Nathanial in the manner of a stalker.
“Nathanial,” he said, pulling his foot of the frame of his car and turning his body to face Alexis. “What are you doing tonight?”
Alexis paused, stammering a bit while in a state of shock. “Um, nothing,” she answered softly. “I don’t have any plans yet.”
He chuckled while shaking his head. “Alexis, I’ve had an awful day, and I would love nothing more than to go home, decompress, refocus my mind, and then go and spend a wonderful Friday night getting to know a woman from back home.” He paused, looking at Alexis as she looked on with wide eyes. “And to see that you followed me to the parking garage, I’m sure you’d oblige my request.”
Nathanial smirked as Alexis nodded. “Yes, I’d love that,” she said. “Here, let me give you my number so you can text me where to go.”
“I already have it,” he informed her. “I took it from the employee database this morning hoping I’d find you again. I’ll make us a reservation somewhere and send you a text with the address.”
Completely surprised, Alexis shook her head while watching Nathanial step into his Lamborghini, start the ignition and pull away from the parking garage. Acting on Hannah’s advice and being impulsive paid off, though she was completely confused as to what had happened. “Was he planning on asking me out anyway?” she thought to herself, thinking back about the comments he made regarding already having her phone number. Though slightly bothered, she shook it off and walked back into the building, finding Hannah waiting for her just inside the door.
“When I told you to go get what you wanted, I didn’t mean chase him to his car,” she quipped sarcastically with a disappointed look on her face. “I meant follow him through the cubicles to the break room again, or maybe walk him down a hallway and pause, hoping he stops with you, not follow him to see what his license plate number is.” Hannah sighed as she placed her arm around Alexis’s shoulders, comforting her while she looked dumfounded. “Come on, we can try to find some pizza and ice cream to drown out your sorrows tonight.”
“He asked me out,” replied Alexis, causing Hannah to remove her arm and turn to face Alexis. “While we were out there, he asked if I wanted to have dinner with him tonight.”
Hannah nodded in approval. “Great, and you said?”
“He didn’t let me answer, saying that by me following him to the parking garage, he already knew my intentions.”
Hannah nodded again, this time agreeing with what she said originally. “Yeah, a little bit too over the top there, Lexi,” she said with an assured tone, placing her arm back around her best friend’s shoulders. “And people say I’m as subtle as a jack hammer; clearly they haven’t met my best friend.”