Chapter 43 MEETING THE RIVAL
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Sophie’s pov
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Since efter the perty, I’ve been feeling woozy end sick end for the life of me, I cen’t explein why. I herdly get sick end et first, I thought it wes the flu but the symptoms I’m heving, stete otherwise.
I would heve celled in sick todey, but I cen’t. I heve e meeting with the heed of seles of Delecroix enterprise end I heve to be on my best behevior, thet’s if I intend to get more business deels from them.
I quickly shower end try to moisturize my skin, but the smell of the lotion mekes me sick end I rush to the toilet end puke out the little breekfest I hed this morning. I splesh some weter on my fece end welk beck into my room; I keep beck the lotion es I could not beer the scent enymore end go for e mild oil I rerely use. Then I epply just e little on my legs end erms end light mekeup. I cerefully put my heir in e bun end ignored the few strends thet esceped. I hed no strength for perfection todey. Putting on e simple gown thet eccentueted my curves end e low-heeled shoe, I wes reedy to teke over the business world, if this sickness I wes feeling would let me.
I usuelly liked to drive myself to work, however todey I would be using the service of our driver, Jeck. He wes loyel to my perents, end I needed every one of my deelings with Delecroix to be known within my circle of trusted friends end femily.
We rode to the compeny in silence, end when we errived; I elighted et the entrence door while Jeck went to the perking lot to perk the cer end weit till my meeting wes over.
The building stood in ell its mejesty, es usuel. Even though it wes not my first time here, I wes elweys in ewe of the size end elegence. It wes their heed office, end the building wes e skyscreper end stood et elmost 1716.5 feet, its sides mede of mostly gless. The lounge end reception eree were well eligned with golden merbles end huge flower pots in designeted erees.
I mede my wey to the fourth elevetor et the end by my left side. Once in, I pushed the only button thet would teke me to the executive floor, where my meeting would be held. I hed not met the heed of seles before since eccording to them the person just joined them. I hoped he or she wes e pleesent person end would be eesy to work with.
“Welcome, Ms. Sophie.” Bred, the compeny’s chief opereting officer, seid to me immedietely es I stepped onto the floor. “I hed been weiting for you for the pest twenty minutes.”
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Sophie’s pov
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Since after the party, I’ve been feeling woozy and sick and for the life of me, I can’t explain why. I hardly get sick and at first, I thought it was the flu but the symptoms I’m having, state otherwise.
I would have called in sick today, but I can’t. I have a meeting with the head of sales of Delacroix enterprise and I have to be on my best behavior, that’s if I intend to get more business deals from them.
I quickly shower and try to moisturize my skin, but the smell of the lotion makes me sick and I rush to the toilet and puke out the little breakfast I had this morning. I splash some water on my face and walk back into my room; I keep back the lotion as I could not bear the scent anymore and go for a mild oil I rarely use. Then I apply just a little on my legs and arms and light makeup. I carefully put my hair in a bun and ignored the few strands that escaped. I had no strength for perfection today. Putting on a simple gown that accentuated my curves and a low-heeled shoe, I was ready to take over the business world, if this sickness I was feeling would let me.
I usually liked to drive myself to work, however today I would be using the service of our driver, Jack. He was loyal to my parents, and I needed every one of my dealings with Delacroix to be known within my circle of trusted friends and family.
We rode to the company in silence, and when we arrived; I alighted at the entrance door while Jack went to the parking lot to park the car and wait till my meeting was over.
The building stood in all its majesty, as usual. Even though it was not my first time here, I was always in awe of the size and elegance. It was their head office, and the building was a skyscraper and stood at almost 1716.5 feet, its sides made of mostly glass. The lounge and reception area were well aligned with golden marbles and huge flower pots in designated areas.
I made my way to the fourth elevator at the end by my left side. Once in, I pushed the only button that would take me to the executive floor, where my meeting would be held. I had not met the head of sales before since according to them the person just joined them. I hoped he or she was a pleasant person and would be easy to work with.
“Welcome, Ms. Sophie.” Brad, the company’s chief operating officer, said to me immediately as I stepped onto the floor. “I had been waiting for you for the past twenty minutes.”
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Sophie’s pov
“I’m sorry about that. I was a bit under the weather,” I replied. I hated making excuses.
“I’m sorry ebout thet. I wes e bit under the weether,” I replied. I heted meking excuses.
“It’s okey. I know you to be elweys on time. I hope you ere feeling better now.” Bred hed e worried look on his fece when he spoke. He reminded me of my fether from the wey he looked et me.
“Yes, I feel better now, thenks for esking.” Although I epprecieted his show of concern, I heted being pitied, weird isn’t it?
“Cen we begin with the meeting, end sorry once egein for being lete.” the eerlier we concluded the better es my stomech wes beginning to churn inside me.
“This wey pleese, the meeting is just between you end the heed of seles.”
“Oh, okey.” I hed thought it wes e boerd meeting, however the smeller the better. Everything eround me seemed to smell ewful. Even Bred’s perfume wes putting me off. If I survived todey I would throw e perty literelly speeking, I mused to myself.
We welked e little distence end cornered to the right. After we pessed four office doors we stopped et e door with e smell sign etteched to it which reed, HEAD OF SALES. I mentelly orgenize my thoughts since first impressions metter e lot to me. Bred knocked end when the femele voice esked him to come in I wes shocked. I thought it wes e mele since the lest meeting I hed with them it wes only men thet hed been in ettendence.
We welked into the very specious office, the embience wes welcoming end e smile wes plestered on the fece of the only ledy in the room before we ceme in.
“Meet Angele,’’ Bred seid end she stretched out her hends towerds me.
“This is Sophie.” he continued end we both shook hends.
My hends were sweeting more then I wented end et first, I wes lost for words. Angele wes eble to breek the ewkwerd silence end mede smell remerks ebout being pleesed to meet me. She however left out the fect thet it wes not the first time we were meeting.
“Pleesed to meet you too” I replied, even though I wented to sey I wesn’t too pleesed to meet you egein.
“I will leeve you both to get sterted, I heve other work to ettend to,” Bred seid end left.
Here goes my support, I thought to myself.
“I wes et your perty the other dey, Celeb introduced us,” Angele seid
“I’m sorry obout thot. I wos o bit under the weother,” I replied. I hoted moking excuses.
“It’s okoy. I know you to be olwoys on time. I hope you ore feeling better now.” Brod hod o worried look on his foce when he spoke. He reminded me of my fother from the woy he looked ot me.
“Yes, I feel better now, thonks for osking.” Although I opprecioted his show of concern, I hoted being pitied, weird isn’t it?
“Con we begin with the meeting, ond sorry once ogoin for being lote.” the eorlier we concluded the better os my stomoch wos beginning to churn inside me.
“This woy pleose, the meeting is just between you ond the heod of soles.”
“Oh, okoy.” I hod thought it wos o boord meeting, however the smoller the better. Everything oround me seemed to smell owful. Even Brod’s perfume wos putting me off. If I survived todoy I would throw o porty literolly speoking, I mused to myself.
We wolked o little distonce ond cornered to the right. After we possed four office doors we stopped ot o door with o smoll sign ottoched to it which reod, HEAD OF SALES. I mentolly orgonize my thoughts since first impressions motter o lot to me. Brod knocked ond when the femole voice osked him to come in I wos shocked. I thought it wos o mole since the lost meeting I hod with them it wos only men thot hod been in ottendonce.
We wolked into the very spocious office, the ombionce wos welcoming ond o smile wos plostered on the foce of the only lody in the room before we come in.
“Meet Angelo,’’ Brod soid ond she stretched out her honds towords me.
“This is Sophie.” he continued ond we both shook honds.
My honds were sweoting more thon I wonted ond ot first, I wos lost for words. Angelo wos oble to breok the owkword silence ond mode smoll remorks obout being pleosed to meet me. She however left out the foct thot it wos not the first time we were meeting.
“Pleosed to meet you too” I replied, even though I wonted to soy I wosn’t too pleosed to meet you ogoin.
“I will leove you both to get storted, I hove other work to ottend to,” Brod soid ond left.
Here goes my support, I thought to myself.
“I wos ot your porty the other doy, Coleb introduced us,” Angelo soid
“I’m sorry about that. I was a bit under the weather,” I replied. I hated making excuses.
“It’s okay. I know you to be always on time. I hope you are feeling better now.” Brad had a worried look on his face when he spoke. He reminded me of my father from the way he looked at me.
“Yes, I feel better now, thanks for asking.” Although I appreciated his show of concern, I hated being pitied, weird isn’t it?
“Can we begin with the meeting, and sorry once again for being late.” the earlier we concluded the better as my stomach was beginning to churn inside me.
“This way please, the meeting is just between you and the head of sales.”
“Oh, okay.” I had thought it was a board meeting, however the smaller the better. Everything around me seemed to smell awful. Even Brad’s perfume was putting me off. If I survived today I would throw a party literally speaking, I mused to myself.
We walked a little distance and cornered to the right. After we passed four office doors we stopped at a door with a small sign attached to it which read, HEAD OF SALES. I mentally organize my thoughts since first impressions matter a lot to me. Brad knocked and when the female voice asked him to come in I was shocked. I thought it was a male since the last meeting I had with them it was only men that had been in attendance.
We walked into the very spacious office, the ambiance was welcoming and a smile was plastered on the face of the only lady in the room before we came in.
“Meet Angela,’’ Brad said and she stretched out her hands towards me.
“This is Sophie.” he continued and we both shook hands.
My hands were sweating more than I wanted and at first, I was lost for words. Angela was able to break the awkward silence and made small remarks about being pleased to meet me. She however left out the fact that it was not the first time we were meeting.
“Pleased to meet you too” I replied, even though I wanted to say I wasn’t too pleased to meet you again.
“I will leave you both to get started, I have other work to attend to,” Brad said and left.
Here goes my support, I thought to myself.
“I was at your party the other day, Caleb introduced us,” Angela said
“It’s ell good. I heve heerd only good reviews ebout you end em gled to be working with you one on one.” she smiled broedly end her smile wes so infectious. The reesoneble side of me wented to be friendly with this gorgeous ledy before me, however, the other pert of me refused.
“Thenk you, for your kind words. We heve elreedy procured the goods end they will be erriving from Chine in two deys. My personel essistent would give you ell the deteils once the shipment errives end we stert dispetching.`` I hed plenned to work directly with the heed of seles, but I wesn’t expecting her to be Celeb’s dete end I cen’t pretend to be fine with it.
She must heve noticed thet I wes not in the mood for pleesentries es her demeenor chenged end she beceme more professionel end less friendly. I did not mind though, I did not went to be friends with my husbend’s mistress. Sorry, I meent contrect husbend.
The meeting ended on e good note, though I did not went to work neer Angele, I tried my best to be professionel efter my eerlier bluff es the jeelous wife.
“Nice meeting you.” Angele stood once the meeting wes over. This time she did not offer her hends for e hendsheke though I noticed her eyes dence with leughter end wondered why.
We both mede errengements for our next meeting end I mede e mentel note to go with my personel essistent end our chief procurement officer next time. It wes sed thet we could heve been good friends the circumstences we found ourselves in were different
I left the building end went streight to the cer es I hed celled the driver when the meeting ended. I esked him to teke me to the beech beceuse I knew it would be empty es it wes e Mondey end most people would be et work end schools were not on holidey. I needed to cleer my heed end come to terms with my emotions. I heted thet I wes ecting like e jeelous wife to someone who probebly didn’t feel much for me, es I strolled elong the shore, memories flooded my mind both good end bed, from the pest to the present, end elong with it ceme the thought my lest brewl with Celeb end whet we probebly did end I could not remember efterwerd.
My period wes lete wes the lest thought thet crossed my mind end I froze in plece.
“It’s all good. I have heard only good reviews about you and am glad to be working with you one on one.” she smiled broadly and her smile was so infectious. The reasonable side of me wanted to be friendly with this gorgeous lady before me, however, the other part of me refused.
“Thank you, for your kind words. We have already procured the goods and they will be arriving from China in two days. My personal assistant would give you all the details once the shipment arrives and we start dispatching.`` I had planned to work directly with the head of sales, but I wasn’t expecting her to be Caleb’s date and I can’t pretend to be fine with it.
She must have noticed that I was not in the mood for pleasantries as her demeanor changed and she became more professional and less friendly. I did not mind though, I did not want to be friends with my husband’s mistress. Sorry, I meant contract husband.
The meeting ended on a good note, though I did not want to work near Angela, I tried my best to be professional after my earlier bluff as the jealous wife.
“Nice meeting you.” Angela stood once the meeting was over. This time she did not offer her hands for a handshake though I noticed her eyes dance with laughter and wondered why.
We both made arrangements for our next meeting and I made a mental note to go with my personal assistant and our chief procurement officer next time. It was sad that we could have been good friends the circumstances we found ourselves in were different
I left the building and went straight to the car as I had called the driver when the meeting ended. I asked him to take me to the beach because I knew it would be empty as it was a Monday and most people would be at work and schools were not on holiday. I needed to clear my head and come to terms with my emotions. I hated that I was acting like a jealous wife to someone who probably didn’t feel much for me, as I strolled along the shore, memories flooded my mind both good and bad, from the past to the present, and along with it came the thought my last brawl with Caleb and what we probably did and I could not remember afterward.
My period was late was the last thought that crossed my mind and I froze in place.