Claire
My mind is in a state of disquiet.
I haven’t been able to sleep all night.
Today will either be a great success or an epic fail in my life. But one thing’s for sure, I’ll never forget what happens. My presentation will make or break my company.
We’ll either soar to the pinnacle of prosperity and triumph, or we’ll fall and all my work will have been for naught.
I try to calm my nerves by picking out the perfect outfit. Fashion always soothes me, but today even the tallest Manolo Blahniks do nothing to tame the tension in my body.
I choose a sleek black pantsuit. I want to look nothing but professional. My career is literally riding on how I do today.
But what’s really got me concerned is the fact that other people are depending on me, too. I know that my team and my designers can easily find jobs at other places. But I just hate to have put them in this position.
It’s the territory that comes with being a boss. People’s livelihoods depend on me. It’s an honor, but also a huge responsibility.
My vanity is stocked with shelves of makeup and hair products. I’ve been working so hard lately that I haven’t had time to spruce up the place.
I pin my long hair back and let a few loose tendrils fall around my face. Then I smear some lipstick on and practice my confident face in front of the mirror.
Normally, I’m so much more assured than this. Normally, I don’t have to practice confidence—I just own it.
But with such a big campaign before me, and with people’s jobs on the line, it’s an unusually stressful day.
I grab my stuff and head out the door to once again make my way to the headquarters of Velvet Luxe.
My jitters on the way are only enhanced by the fact that I know I’m gonna see Liam. He hasn’t escaped my thoughts for a minute, especially after the other night.
I want to impress him as much as I want to impress the other executives. For some reason, I value what Liam thinks. I want him to see me as a success.
I endure the whole ride with a fast-beating heart, although I check the rearview mirror from time to time to make sure my nerves aren’t showing on my face.
The taxi finally delivers me at the doors of the big building. It’s a huge corporation for sure, and the idea of being in charge of all of their advertising from here on out is a very big deal—but it also excites me.
It’s time to thrive under pressure. I go inside and walk through the marble lobby, up the elevator, and to the floor where the conference room is.
An assistant approaches me. “Claire, they’ll be ready for you in about five minutes. Today, we’re doing the presentations in private, for the executives alone.”
A part of me feels relieved that I won’t have to stand in front of my much richer colleagues and competition. I only have to present to the Velvet Luxe people.
I take a seat on the stainless steel bench outside of the room and go over my notes, but it isn’t long before I’m interrupted.
“You look nice today,” I hear a familiar voice say.
I turn my head and see him. My heart thuds in my chest. Adrenaline starts pumping throughout my body, and it’s a high that nothing else can equate.
“Liam,” I say, standing to greet him. “Hi. I didn’t know if you’d be here.”
He kisses me, and the feel of his touch, of his lips, makes me relax a little bit.
“I’m here because I’m gonna do the presentation myself,” he says.
“You are?” I’m surprised. “Does that mean you’re actually being a hands-on boss in your company?”
“Well, I took your advice, after all. I developed this entire campaign, and figured I should be the one to present it.”
I look into his dark green eyes, and I can tell he’s thinking about more than just the presentation. His gaze lingers on my tits, and he pulls me in for a deeper kiss.
The assistant comes out and interrupts my moment with him. “Claire, we’re ready for you.”
“Good luck,” Liam says.
Here goes nothing. I leave his side reluctantly and walk into the big conference room. There are only a handful of execs in here, but their opinion will virtually determine the course of my life.
I walk to the front of the room and set up my laptop so that I can show them my ideas on the big screen against the wall.
“So,” I begin, trying to hide the nervousness from my voice. “Our conception is that Velvet Luxe should be based on love. Lingerie is sexy, and it’s meant to be shared.”
I’m not here to waste their time, so I figured I’d go straight to the point. There’s a long list of people who’ll be presenting today, and I figured a strong beginning statement about our campaign direction will set me apart.
I see a few approving nods.
“With this campaign, we’re centering on a TV ad that will encompass the message we’re getting across to our target market. What do I mean?
“Well, you’ll see a lovelorn woman. She’s beautiful, fashionable, and she lives a busy life, but internally, she’s hoping to meet that one right person.
“That’s when the guy shows up. He’ll be handsome, rugged and strong. They have a happenstance meeting, fall in love over the course of the ad, and in the end, he presents her with—what else?—the most beautiful lingerie Velvet Luxe has designed.”
I look around at the faces of the suits before me, and I’m happy to say they seemed pleased.
One of them says, “So your entire idea revolves around a story of falling in love, is that correct?”
“Yes,” I say. “But imagine it against the backdrop of fast music and snow falling, elegant interiors, and the most beautiful models we can find.”
“This sounds fabulous,” a woman exec says. “I like the theme of intense, romantic love. That’s really what this brand is about.”
“And here is the color scheme I was thinking of,” I say, switching my presentation to a slide with a pink-hued color palette. “And here are some mood boards that represent the overall energy of the entire campaign.” Again, I switch to the accompanying slide.
We talk for a while about the logistics, and I show them everything my designers and I have been working on. I’m really proud of what we’ve done, and we’ve given it our best so that’s all we can do.
The meeting ends, and I thank them for their time before making my way back out to the hallway. Liam’s waiting for me there.
“How’d you do?” he asks.
“I think it went okay.”
Soon, it’s his turn to go, and he strides in easily, with all manner of certainty. He has poise and fearlessness, likely because he’s done this many times before.
This client is not gonna make or break Liam. His company is gonna thrive no matter what. And that’s the difference between him and me.
He’s doing this presentation as a kind of thrill, to get off on the artistry of it. He’s not invested like I am.
I have an actual need for this client, and if it doesn’t push through…
I don’t know what I’ll do.
I wait in the hallway and realize that some of the competition is here waiting, as well. I try to remain calm and to exude a certain sense of self-possession, but it’s hard.
I click my pen open and closed, waiting for Liam impatiently.
Eventually, he comes out and has a smile on his face.
“That was fun,” he says.
My stomach drops as I think of how well he must’ve done. Liam is the most charismatic, handsome, talented person I know. He probably won them over within the first second of that meeting.
I like him so much. I have this connection with him, and yet I find myself hoping beyond hope that I win this campaign.
We all wait in the hallway, and a few more people go in to present their ideas. Liam sits with me, and it makes the minutes tick by quickly. Being in his presence is always pleasant, whether we’re sitting in a boring hallway or not.
This is the kind of charm I’m talking about. Liam possesses a certain sense of magnetism that makes hanging out with him easy.
He takes my hand and walks me around the hallway to look at the lingerie that’s illuminated in boxes set into the wall. This company really does have great products. The lingerie is so stunning that I wish I could take some home with me.
Though we’re in a corporate building, the expensive lingerie on display does add a certain level of sexiness. There’s the familiar palpable tension between Liam and me.
He walks me around the halls, and we look at each magnificent piece of lingerie. He whispers in my ear, “I’m imagining you in some of this lacy lingerie.”
I blush. I wish he could take me out of here and that this was all over with. I wish I could go with him back to his penthouse and finally focus on our relationship and nothing else.
I see Evan and Charlotte emerge from the elevator and walk down the hallway towards us. Apparently, they’ve met each other now.
“What are you doing here?” I ask Charlotte.
“Well, I came to support. Have you presented yet?” she asks.
“I have. It went pretty well.”
Liam introduces me to Evan. “Claire, this is Evan, my vice president.”
I shake his hand, “It’s very nice to meet you.”
Evan looks at me in an odd way, and I wonder why he’s being unfriendly. I wonder what his problem is with me?
We all talk in the hallway for a few minutes before one of the executives comes out and asked us all to please join them once again in the conference room. I look at Liam, and he flashes me a comforting smile.
We walk into the room, packed inside with all the competition, and I’m nervous as they make the announcement.
One of the executives stands, motioning for us to settle down enough so he can be heard.
“We’ve been shown several presentations today. We would like you to know how much we value all your time and work. We can clearly see how you’ve invested yourself and your companies into perfecting this ad campaign.”
My heart is thudding in my chest. What even are the chances of us winning?
“But with that said, we’d like to offer the contract to Epica. Congratulations, Miss Claire. We look forward to working with you.”
I can’t even believe what I’m hearing. Time stands still as the truth of what’s happening sets in.
I won? The campaign is mine?
The thrill of the moment overwhelms me as I realize my company’s gonna be okay. And what’s more, we’ve landed one of the biggest clients there is.
We’re gonna be okay for a long, long time.
And not only that, I’ll be able to have a creative purpose for some time to come.
The executives are clapping, and they come to congratulate me. My competitions are clapping, as well.
“Thank you guys so much,” I say to the executives who come to introduce themselves. “I can’t tell you what this means to me. I promise you that Epica will bring you our finest work.”