Moving out of her office, Amelia heard her phone ding. It was a reminder, holding her breath she remembered that tomorrow was a big day. Meeting with a potential investor. The idea of the meeting didn't scare her, but the possibility of them denying did. Her mother had been up in the game, since forever, and now when all the eyes were on Amelia, she didn't want to let anyone down. Reaching home, she prepared the presentations, and documents for the following day, and took out the dry cleaned two piece white suit, with a deep neck blank blouse, that fitted her perfectly. Packing her handbag with all the necessary things for the meeting, Amelia kept her laptop in the bag as well. Not wanting to lose the business spirit, she didn't write tonight. Though the thought of what was up with Tasha, crossed her mind several times, but she just slept on it, not writing a word.
Placing the mineral water bottles on the round conference table in front of each seat, Mrs. Fuller waited for Amelia to arrive. Holding the folder in her hand she exited the elevator.
"Here, give it to me darling," said Mrs. Fuller taking the folder from her hand as she came at an arm's length.
"Can you please keep it on my desk? And connect this to the system" She requested as she rushed to her office, handing Mrs. Fuller her laptop.
Closing the frosted glass door behind her, Amelia knew who could treat her anxiety. The one, who had been dealing with it before every examination that she gave, her mother.
As the call rang, she knew what her mother would say, but listening to it one more time from her voice would calm Amelia down, and she knew that too well.
"Hello, mother" she said blinking her eyes, and removing the strand of hair on her face, and placing it behind the ear.
"Hey sweety"
"I...uhm ..."
"What is it?"
"The meeting, I'll do good right?"
"Of course my love, you will do the best" she said giggling.
"Why'd you laugh?"
"Just... uhm... you are your father's daughter, always anxious" she said.
"Right, so I'll call you after the meeting"
"All the best, Amy" she said.
Keeping the hand which held her phone, she placed it on her heart, calming herself one more time, she brought herself together, being the confident one. Turning around, she walked towards the conference room. She knew the investors had to be sealed in, and there wasn't any way out. The people crossing her couldn't see her nervousness, because that is definitely what she wanted. Confidence. Fake it in your most anxious moments, and you will gain it, in that very moment.
She took the last few steps towards the glass walled conference room, only to be confused by the figure who stood inside. She could see the people already seated around the round conference table, only her seat was left empty, by now. But that one particular figure, was unbelievably recognisable. Not focusing on where she was, everyone heard a loud bang at the glass door, which was unbelievably clean, only for this day. And there lay poor Amelia holding her head from her right hand, bending to the ground.
"Amelia," called out Mrs. Fuller as she rushed towards her.
"I'm fine" she announced avoiding the created scene, her hand still on her forehead. Rubbing the spot, she looked back inside the conference room, only to see each and every person inside, turned around to look at her. Embarrassed she looked back at Mrs. Fuller only to realise who she had just seen. Widening her eyeball, she looked back inside the conference room, to see the two too familiar hazel eyes rooted at her. As her eyes went down to the lips, it held an emotion of concern, with a low pressed smile.
Without breaking the eye contact with the hazel eyed person through the the glass, she asked Mrs. Fuller, "Who are the investors?"
Fetching the right documents from her file, she said, "The Whitman's"
That is when Amelia heart skipped a beat. How will she possibly do it now? Convincing the investors didn't seem like a problem now, but the investors did.
Cursing internally, she held her head up high and entered the room.
Everyone in the room looked at her with concern.
"Are you alright Ms. Claire?" One of the attendees asked.
"Ah never better" she faked in stealing glances at Shawn.
That sounded dumb, she thought.
"Well I hope you aren't hurt, Li... uhm Ms. Claire" Shawn asked emphasising on the formal name after correcting himself.
"Shall we start the meeting?" She said bluntly staring right into his eyes, with an emotion that said so much for him to understand, and so less else to the other's understanding.
He nodded, cautious of her mood right now.
She opened the presentation on her laptop which was already connected to the projector, and started explaining the company's vision and mission. After an hour of explaining and answering all the queries that the potential investors had, she sat down on the chair, as the other gave thoughtful glances at her.
She looked out through the glass door only to see Mrs. Fuller and John standing their, raising her thumbs at her, telling her she did good. Taking their childish innocence in her view, she smiled widely back at them. That was all that she needed right now, a little motivation and assurance that she did good.
Shawn noticed the whole act as he raised his head from the documents kept in front of him, to look at Lia. He smiled seeing her smile at the two fellows outside the conference room.
Amelia felt two pair of eyes on her, and turned instantly to look at Shawn, catching him red handled staring at her.
Felling conscious, he lowered his head, as he placed a hand across his face to hide his smile.
Shrugging him off for the moment she turned around to face the investors now. It was almost lunch time, and a meal was set for the guests in the other room. Announcing the same, she showed them the way to the room.
After lunch, the meet at the conference room again, looking at her with doubtful eyes, they were making their mind.
Without standing up, Shawn looked at the nervousness that her eyes held, and seeing it, he sealed the deal without giving it a second thought. The publishers were reputed, and he knew that. There wasn't much to think about, but his team was taking to long to respond, just the way he had asked them to do in a meeting. But this was a little different. This was Lia.
And this was Claire publishing house.
It had to be invested in.
Seeing her face grow an emotion of anger in a second and then that of hatred, Shawn couldn't quite figure out her mood swings. Rolling his eyes at her, in an oh-so-childish way he looked at the documents, as he handed them to his legal head to be reviewed once.
Shaking hands with her, he exited the room with his team, leaving Amelia alone inside.
Mrs. Fuller seeing them off, received a text from Amelia, which said,
It's almost time, you may leave, the day's job is done.... :)
With that, the old lady took her handbag and left the premises in her car.
No able to move an inch, after who she met today, Amelia stood at the end of the table, as her hands were placed on both sides of it, thinking deeply, while the janitor and the help, cleaned the conference room.
The help had done her part and left the room, which now only had John and Amelia there.
Placing the empty bottles of water n a tray to wipe the table, John looked at Amelia, who hadn't moved an inch since the guests left.
"Are you okay, child?" He asked.
Before she could answer, they heard someone clear his throat. Turning around to face the door, they saw Shawn standing there, with his body leaning against the frame of the open glass door.
"What?" She asked plainly.
Raising his eyebrows at her 4th mood swing for the day, Shawn looked to the ground before opening his mouth, then closing it, not able to find the perfect words which won't piss her off.
"Nothing" he said as he made his way to her.
As soon as he did that, the glass door, closed behind him with a loud swing.
"What did you do?" John said as he rushed to the door.
"What?" He asked turning in his direction.
John bent down on his knee, to analyse the glass door's lock which was situated at the bottom of the door, locked with the ground now.
"What happened John?" Amelia asked.
"The door's locked" he stated earring confused look from the other two members of the room.
"Locked?" Shawn asked.
"I had placed the key in the hole, and the lock was half way on the ground, when you jerked off the door, it closed locking it" John said looking at Shawn.
"What? Shawn?" Amelia exclaimed frustrated now.
"It's my fault?" He asked looking at John.
"I didn't say that," John said looking at the ground, then raised his eyes to met Shawn's and said, "You did."
Amelia couldn't help but giggle at the last part a little only to come out as a whisper for the other two to hear. Clearing her throat, she looked back at the two pair of eyes which were on her now.
"Let me see it, John" she demanded walking towards the door.
He sat in her knees to look at the lock now.
"Can we just call someone? ", Shawn asked.
"If you're so smart why don't you do it, smart ass" Amelia said.
Shawn looked out though the glass door only to find the floor empty.
"What is it, half day?" He asked.
Amelia raising from the ground said, "It is jammed."
"I'll call Mrs. Fuller," she continued.
"That is what I said earlier," Shawn pointed.
"Oh, I didn't listened" she rebelled smiling at him sarcastically.
Moving towards the table, she picked her phone to call her only hope at the moment.
Explaining her the situation, she cut the call after Mrs. Fuller said she will be right there.
She looked out of the door once to spot anyone else, shouting twice to see if anyone hears her, so that they could get out of the room faster, only to find no one. Looking at the door she tried to kick it open with her black red soled louboutin heels.
"Well girl you are much of a fighter," John said looking at her little tries.
"Ahhhhh someone taught me the lesson of my life," she said looking bluntly at Shawn.
"She's talking about me," he confirmed looking to the ground.
"She is definitely talking about you," John stayed, earring an eye roll from Shawn.
She eyed them before looking back to the door.
"Why are you exhausting yourself?" Shawn said as he sat on the chair, next to the already seated John.
"Can you mind your own business?" She demanded.
Shawn has his head swing at her sassiness now.
John closed the distance between him and Shawn now and whispered, "She doesn't really like you."
He pressed his lips listening to the guy, and rolled his eyes, before smiling at him and saying, " I figured that out" flinching his eyes and nose, pointing at Amelia.
"Pardon" Amelia demanded.
Shawn shook his head in denial, not wanting to get more wounded in front of John, by her feisty little mouth.