Love, Inc

by Lily Zante

  With only a few days to go before the big presentation, Lexi found herself in limbo.

  She tried to analyze her own feelings for Wayne. Looking back on some of his exchanges with Terri, she wondered if he had simply used and abused his power. It was evident to anyone that Terri had fallen for him like a puppy dog and that he really didn’t have any feelings for her. Maybe he was using her only for his needs. Just as he had used Lexi to help put together a top notch business presentation.

  She pushed thoughts of Friday out of her mind and focused her attention on the twenty three orders that had come in that day while she had been at work. And this weekend so far she had received another thirty four orders. It had been a busy Sunday morning. Having cleared her large back log of orders for the week, a milestone in her young business and a sign that things were going in the right direction, Lexi decided to meet with her two closest friends Rita and Kelly, for Sunday brunch at Peaches, the local diner.

  Rita and Kelly were waiting for her at their usual table, in the corner by the window.

  “Hey you!” She said excitedly, kissing Rita on the cheek and feeling ecstatic to see her dear friends again.

  “Hi!” She hugged Kelly, “Your hair has grown!” she exclaimed, gently pulling Kelly’s blonde locks, which were sitting just over her shoulders.

  “If we saw you more often, you wouldn’t notice things like my hair growing,” observed Kelly sitting back down again and tucking into her pancakes.

  Rita was hungrily devouring her kedgeree. “What?” she asked looking at Lexi in mock anger, her fork poised mid-air. “We were hungry and we didn’t know whether you were coming or not.”

  “I know, I know. It’s been a while.” Lexi sat down and took off her denim jacket.

  “You look great Lexi,” Kelly noted, sipping her coffee. “Care to tell us what has brought this on?”

  “I do?” Lexi was genuinely surprised. “That’s hard to believe because I’ve hardly slept all week.”

  Rita’s eyes opened wide in amazement, “Tell us who is he and how did you meet?”

  Lexi shook her head quickly, killing this story before it took root. Kelly sat down her cup of coffee, waiting with anticipation for Lexi’s news.

  “It’s nothing like that,” gasped Lexi, looking from one to the other. She felt the color rising to her cheeks and knew it would be a dead give away. “I have an announcement to make! My business, my own business is taking off, slowly. I’ve been getting orders everyday!”

  She hadn’t told them exactly what it was that she did but they knew Lexi was always trying new ventures one after the other. She scanned their faces excitedly, eager for their response. But her good news failed to pique their interest. They barely batted an eyelid.

  “Oh,” was Rita’s reaction.

  “No. There’s something else,” said Kelly, eyeing Lexi carefully as she curled her fingers around her coffee cup. Lexi blushed a deeper tone of pink. “So, there is something else!” blurted out Rita, seeing the tell tale signs on Lexi’s face.

  “I knew there was a reason you looked so….so…..so…..,” began Kelly.

  “Content,” said Lexi.

  “Sexy,” finished Kelly at the same time. The waitress came over and Lexi placed her order of maple syrup pancakes with bacon and strawberries and a cup of green tea.

  “Come on Lexi,” teased Kelly. “I know you’re hiding something.”

  Lexi groaned. This time even Rita stopped eating for a moment. They stared at her across the table.

  “It’s really nothing,” Lexi began slowly. She felt odd talking about it. After all, nothing had happened, nothing even remotely physical. It was all speculation and feelings. Intangible emotions. There wasn’t anything to tell them. She stared back at them both. Rita’s light green eyes stared at her questioningly. Kelly’s blue eyes, wide-eyed with wonder. She had to give them something.

  “There is this…….this….person. At work.” She stopped and groaned, not quite sure what to tell them. “I like him. A lot. There, I said it.”

  “You do?! Tell us more!” Rita leaned forward conspiratorially. “What’s he like? What’s his name? Do you have a picture? Have you kissed him yet? First da-” As was her manner Rita lurched straight forward into all the questions that popped into her head. She usually said whatever came into her head and in that order and sometimes this had consequences.

  “Give her a chance,” hissed Kelly. She had at last finished her breakfast and sat back, replete and content, ready to hear this delicious bit of news from Lexi.

  “Nothing’s happened,” Lexi muttered softly.

  “Nothing?” Rita wanted to ask more, but an elbow from Kelly silenced her abruptly.

  “He’s the boss,” she faltered, not wanting to say his name, because saying it out loud would be like making public an admission of her private feelings. Instead she said, “I think he has a girlfriend.”

  “You think?” Kelly asked gently.

  “Does it matter?” muttered Rita. Kelly shot her a withering look.

  “I don’t know. I’m not sure if they’re together or not. I thought he liked me. He loves my work.” She stopped as the waitress appeared with her pancakes and green tea.

  “He loves your work?” repeated Rita, “What the hell does that mean? He likes your spreadsheets?” Lexi seemed hurt by this. Because although Rita meant it in jest, unfortunately, she wasn’t far wrong.

  “Does he know how you feel about him?” Kelly asked.

  Lexi made a face. “No. He has no idea. I’m not really sure how I feel about him myself. It wasn’t until I mentioned it to you now. I mean its the first time I’ve even said it out loud.” She chewed away thoughtfully. “But I can’t sleep at night.”

  “Is that because you’re working on your own business, whatever that might be this particular month?” Rita was trying to be helpful but it wasn’t really helping.

  “I can’t sleep because I think of him. And then my own stuff has gotten so busy all of a sudden so its like…” her voice trailed off.

  “You’re burning the midnight oil at both ends.” Kelly finished for her.

  Lexi nodded, “That’s exactly it.”

  “And you’ve been too busy with stuff at work and stuff in your own business to sit and think about things.” Kelly added.

  Lexi nodded.

  Kelly continued quietly, her voice was almost a whisper, “And now you’re really glad you came to see us because we can sit here and analyze it all for you?” She had hit the nail on the head. Lexi nodded her head vigorously. She felt better already. Being with her two closest friends was just the tonic she had needed. As a person who played her cards close to her chest, Lexi was guilty of putting a lot on herself. She had high goals and high ambitions. Not only was she secretive and hard working about her side business but the emotional roller coaster she had been on with Wayne, including her doubts and insecurities that he was the slightest way inclined towards her, was also weighing her down. She felt better for having met the girls and for having told them a little snippet of what was going on. Just the mere act of letting out her thoughts to her friends, lifted some weight off her chest. She felt her appetite returning and ordered a second plate of pancakes.

  They sat for a few more hours, happily dissecting the goings on at WB Enterprises. It also gave Lexi the chance to catch up with what her friends had been up to, which was not as earth shattering as her news had been.

  After a couple of hours at Peaches, the girls were done with their updates and they all got ready to leave.

  “You’ll figure it out Lexi,” said Kelly kissing her softly on the cheek as they got up to go.

  Rita suggested, “Let’s meet next week, same time? Maybe you’ll have an update?”

  “I’ll be in touch.” Lexi kissed them both and headed off back to her apartment.

  Tomorrow was going to be a big day and she wanted to make a big impression.

  Chapter Twelve

 
When she looked at the reflection in the mirror, Lexi knew she had made the right choice in putting her hair into a chic little French pleat. It made her look more professional and polished. Sitting in her VW Beetle, she slipped off her sneakers and slid on her Prada high heels. She glanced once more into her rear view mirror and applied a touch of her Chanel nude colored lipstick. Not bad at all, she thought. She pressed her lips together to evenly spread out and seal the lipstick onto her lips.

  “Wow,” was Greta’s first and only word when Lexi walked into the office. She was speechless. But her expression said it all. She knew Lexi would dress up smart for the day, but she had failed to understand how much the crisp and well cut suit would enhance Lexi’s figure and how the neatly done French pleat would show off her perfectly oval face with its breathtakingly perfect features. Lexi hadn’t even sat down at her desk yet. She laughed at Greta’s reaction, taking it to be the genuine compliment that it was.

  Still with a big smile on her face, she instinctively turned her head. She could felt someone staring at her from the side. She looked straight at Wayne standing at his desk, equally mesmerized. She could tell by his expression, that he was equally as appreciative as Greta. But he looked embarrassed to have been caught staring at her. He put up his hand in a greeting then sat back down again.

  There, thought Lexi to herself with great satisfaction. I’ve made the impact I wanted.

  *

  About half an hour later, Wayne walked into their office, looking calm despite the impending arrival of the investors in the next hour.

  “Are you girls both ready?” He turned to face Greta and Lexi, fully confident and ready to get going. They both nodded.

  “I’m looking forward to it,” replied Lexi, wanting him to see that she wasn’t bothered by his Friday afternoon tryst with Terri. She wanted him to know that she didn’t care and she could still be alright with him.

  He walked over to Greta and discussed some figures. But Lexi couldn’t take her eyes off him. This was the Wayne she had never seen before. He was immaculately dressed, in a dark blue pin-striped suit that flattered his figure making him look slim and even taller. There was something else about it. Lexi pretended to be reading through some sheets of paper when she was actually sneaking a peek at Wayne. Then it came to her. He had no more five o’clock shadow tainting his face. This was the first time she had ever seen him so closely shaven. He had the most perfectly smooth, alabaster skin which showed off his intense dark green eyes even more. His dark brown hair looked even darker than ever, now that he had no designer stubble. Had he gotten a hair cut too? He looked so clean and sharp.

  Just like that, Lexi started feeling a warm glow spreading through her body. She could almost feel the attraction; it was so palpable. She wondered if he felt it too. Or felt anything at all? Whatever it was, it was invisible but right now to her it seemed there was a thin, gossamer string connecting her to him. She couldn’t put a name to it. But she knew there was a connection.

  At that moment, Wayne looked up abstractedly and caught her staring. She blushed and looked away at the screensaver on her screen. Her heart beat furiously and she just about managed to open up her email and daily to-do list. She wanted to at least look as though she was doing something. Wayne carried on talking to Greta then walked towards the door.

  Just before he walked out he turned around and said, “Here’s to good luck for all of us.” He stared at Lexi with an intensity she had never felt from him before. And though his gaze might have lasted only just a second, its effect on her was heart stopping.

  I can’t leave here without telling you how I feel - was the only thought that came to Lexi as Wayne walked back into his office.

  Just over an hour later, a rather dressed up and nervous looking Terri showed a trio of executives into Wayne’s office. It was the first time Lexi had ever seen her in a skirt and the chocolate brown color together with the beige colored blouse she had chosen, looked surprisingly good on her. Wayne must have had something to do with that, Lexi mused.

  After a little bit of small talk and preliminary introductions, they saw Wayne leading out the three executives from McKenzie and Co into the meeting room. He looked even more striking now that he had put on his dark blue matching blazer. His whole ensemble reeked of charisma and power. Though he didn’t see it quite that way himself. Wayne hated wearing ties and suits. He hated feeling the stiff collars around his neck but he knew that first impressions made a big difference. Which was why it had taken most of Friday afternoon to get his suit sorted and to get a decent haircut. He had bumped into Terri on her way to lunch and finding this to be a most opportune time, had asked her if she wanted a quick chat somewhere before she headed off. He had told her that they weren’t an item and had never been. He was sorry that things had got out of hand on that one occasion and that it should never have happened. He simply wanted to clear things up before the big presentation. Oddly for him, she had taken it quite well, telling him that she thought someone pretty and clever like Lexi would be more his type of girl. And because he was so relieved that she had taken this news so well, he let her take the afternoon off to go shopping because she too needed to spruce up her wardrobe. And then they had parted company soon after.

  Wayne took a big breath in and showed the investors into the meeting room. There were two stern looking men, in their mid-fifties. Jim Flaherty was as tall as Wayne and with a belly like Santa. Edward Simmonds, on the other hand, was thin and scrawny, balding and with silver rimmed spectacles. A woman, most likely in her early forties, headed the trio who were most definitely looking forward to this final presentation by the last of the three companies they had been interested in.

  They had heard a lot about this young man. He had a great looking business on paper but it was still in its infancy compared to the other two businesses they had seen. They wanted some new blood but they also wanted a business that was solid and could take the pressures that the technological years and recessionary factors put on everyone. They wanted to see for themselves what this young man had to offer and whether his business had what they had heard it had.

  Wayne made idle chit chat with the three of them. He was good at conversation but when it came to business talk, he really excelled. It wasn’t something that he had learnt or knew he had to do. He had an inborn passion, as many entrepreneurs did, about running a business and as someone who had spent countless days and nights throughout the years, working on building up his business, there wasn’t much that Wayne Blunt did not know about the construction industry.

  Susannah Henderson eyed Wayne with great interest. She had heard that he was single but she presumed that anyone who looked the way he did and with his body and credentials, would not be short of female company for too long. Nonetheless, she sat across the large table, running her fingers around the rim of the glass tumbler full of water, and silently observed him. She would let Jim and Edward grill him about the numbers. She toyed with the idea of getting in touch with him later that evening.

  After a few minutes, Greta and Lexi walked in. Wayne looked at them with more than a touch of pride on his face. He knew that with these two he had the perfect combination of age and experience as well as business expertise and a good grasp of technology. Greta gave the three investors her most winning smile. She noted with interest that Susannah Henderson, confident and ambitious as she was, seemed especially made up with a touch of too much make up. Lexi flashed her widest smile and sat down beside Greta. She saw that Susannah eyed her with interest, noting everything she was wearing with more than a passing glance.

  Wayne began by introducing his company, the history behind it and what they were in the business of producing now, five years later. He made a strong case for being one of the first and foremost suppliers of the comprehensive range of tools and products that helped alleviate most of the problems faced in the construction industry today. He demonstrated how WB Enterprises had been able to source all their orders and deliver them qui
ckly.

  Greta delivered her side of the accounts and figures presentation with a little touch of nervousness but she soon settled into her comfort zone when she realized that Jim, the taller and wider of the two was having problems keeping up with the figures. The other one, Edward, did not appear to be that interested and she noticed that Susannah had her eyes fixed on Wayne. She didn’t appear to be paying any attention to anything that Greta said. These things helped Greta to loosen up and make a more confident presentation.

  After Greta, Lexi came on and ran through her slideshow. She talked about the company’s work systems and about the many different types of products they were able to produce on a weekly and monthly basis. She showed them how WB Enterprises would be more than able to meet the requirements of McKenzie and Co.

  Susannah Henderson seemed a little taken back by how sharp and on the ball this woman was. She seemed especially perturbed to find that she was so young too. Lexi could never present standing in one place only. She didn’t realize she was doing it but she paced around, from one side of the projection screen to the other, gesticulating and referring to the figures on the slideshow without having to refer to her notes.

  She’s good, very good, marvelled Wayne, enjoying the show. The way she spoke about Wayne Blunt Enterprises, Lexi had the same passion and pride in the business as he did. He enjoyed looking at her, watching her and being able to do so with ease; not furtively seeking glimpses of her now and then as she sat at her office. Now in the presentation he could watch her properly. She looked stunning and she didn’t have the same smugness about her looks that many of the women he usually met had. She was refreshingly different and he loved that about her. He was glad he had cleared things up with Terri.

  Once the presentation was over, he would make his intentions clear to Lexi.

  “How long have you worked here?” Susannah asked, a little viciously. It was an odd question, so completely out of context with the sales projections that Lexi had been presenting. Even her two counterparts, Jim and Edward turned and looked blankly at her. They had been particularly interested in Lexi’s presentation, especially with regard to the figures. They wanted to hear about the predicted output from WB Enterprises over the coming year, to see if this company could really deliver on their promises.