by Lena Skye
A little after noon I was sitting in a restaurant across from Ken.
“I bumped into Patrice,” he said with a raised eyebrow.
“Oh yeah?”
“She sure is a fiery one I tell you that. She just came out and asked ‘When are you planning on proposing to my friend?’. I didn't even get a hello first..” He said as he mocked her mannerisms.
I snorted as I laughed because his impression of her was spot on. He held his head in a regal position and his no nonsense tone was exactly how she does it. Patrice has a way of asking questions that make you squirm. You never want to disappoint her with your answer because you don’t want to be the recipient of her death stare.
“Wow, that is definitely Patrice” I said. I was happy that she’d come through for me but I didn’t expect her to do it so soon. When she says that she’s going to do something, she sure doesn’t waste any time.
“That’s definitely your friend,” he replied, “Because she doesn’t play around when it comes to you.”
I laughed a little and then I reiterated the question because I really needed to know the answer,
“When are you planning on proposing?” I asked.
“Hold your horses, I’m going to do it eventually but I just want to wait for the right moment.”
His answer annoyed me, because a perfect moment would have been when he invited all of my friends out to dinner, a perfect moment would have been when we woke up next to each other the next day. Shit, he could propose to me at the grocery store for all I cared.
“There have been plenty of moments,” I responded.
“Michael and I really want to concentrate on a new business opportunity. You know that I’m recouping now that the portfolio of clients has been snatched from me by Amanda's father,” he said.
I rolled my eyes, “That’s such bullshit. You were doing just fine before you started with that company and so it’s not hurting you. Granted, it would have really increased your income, but you didn’t need it. You already have more clients than you and your associates can handle,” I said.
He was giving me excuses and I really didn’t want to hear them.
Kenneth sighed deeply, “Okay, I’ll admit it.”
“Admit what?”
“I’m still kind of afraid. After the horrible experience with Amanda, I’ve been seriously put off of the idea of marriage for now.”
I calmed my temper down a bit because I felt a little guilty. He had just gone through a lot and it has only been two months. I didn’t want to drag him down the aisle or try to guilt trip him into marrying me the way that Amanda did. It did hurt my feelings a little that I was put into the same category as her because I was there before her.
“Okay,” I said to put an end to that portion of the conversation.
“Babe, don’t be upset. We love each other and a right doesn’t matter right now. Let’s just focus on building a strong foundation for our relationship. I want us to be together for the long haul so we have to do it right. I would much prefer to get married and propose to you once my head is right.”
I could agree with that point of view. We shouldn’t rush into marriage just because I was ready to wear a white dress. Our relationship needed to be solid before we entered into that kind of commitment. So it was best if we were sure of what we were doing. It probably wasn’t the best time to bring up my job opportunity but it had to be done.
“I did want to speak to you about something,” I said.
“What about?” He asked.
“I have a possible job opportunity,” I said with a huge smile.
“A job? You work for yourself, why would you want to clock in a 9-5 unless it’s for Macy’s or something. Is it for a major retailer?” He asked excitedly.
“No, it’s not. It’s for the fashion house that Reuben works for,” I said.
“Nice, so what does it entail?”
“Well I would be their Senior Buyer,” I said.
“Wow, that’s amazing. How did you score such a huge opportunity?” he said.
“I’ve known Reuben since high school and he really believes in me, so he’s going to put in a good word for me,” I said.
“Oh I just bet he will,” he said suspiciously.
“Stop it, he’s gay.”
“He sure doesn’t look gay,” Kenneth said.
“What in the hell does gay look like? Stop being a jerk,” I laughed.
“You’re right, I’m just a little jealous when it comes to you. I don’t like the idea of men trying to get close to you. As you know, I will punch someone,” he said.
“I’m very aware of this,” I said, “But the dilemma is that I would have to move to Paris.”
Kenneth’s face dropped when I made my admission. He was visibly disappointed and I did my best to try to make him feel better.
“Nothing is set in stone yet. I’m going to do the interview and see what happens from there. I didn’t want any of this to be a surprise to you and so I had to say something sooner rather than later,” I said.
“When did you find this information out?” He asked.
“I found out last night and I wanted to talk to you about it face to face. So much gets misconstrued over the phone, and via text.”
“I appreciate you letting me know,” he said as he finished his dinner. His entire mood had changed. His mood had been dampened and it made the last portion of our lunch rather awkward.
He took a quick look at his watch and excused himself, “I’m so sorry but I have another meeting that I have to be at in a half hour. Thank you for meeting me for lunch.” He paid cash for the bill, kissed me on the cheek, and promised to give me a call later. He didn’t give me a chance to say much of anything. I really wasn't sure how to take his reaction but I knew I had to at least still go to the interview. This was my career after all.
I pulled out my phone and called Reuben to double check the details about the interview.
“Hey Reuben,” I said brightly.
“Hey hon,” he replied.
“I was just calling to confirm the details and to see if I should bring anything outside of my portfolio, resume, and references,” I said.
“All of that is great, I’m sure your portfolio will speak for itself. We will be meeting tomorrow, I will call you with all of the details a little later.”
“Sounds good, talk to you then.”
“Ciao.”
I giggled a little bit when I hung up because I’d thought that he was trying to flirt with me earlier. He wasn’t interested in me at all; I didn’t have the right equipment.
In the back of my mind I hoped that the prospect of my leaving would be the thing that spurred Kenneth into action. I didn’t want to manipulate him into making the decision but that’s the way that things were. I didn’t set them up; it was a set of real circumstances that caught us both off guard. If I was lucky, it would turn out in my favor.
#Chapter11
“So what is this foolishness that you’re speaking of?”
Patrice
To say that I was nervous would have been a complete understatement.
I had to fake a calm façade during the meeting however I was anything but calm. I felt extremely ill prepared, because an interview like that one is one that I would have usually spent weeks prepping for. I was fortunate because I always updated my portfolio and asked my clients for letters of recommendation. My reputation was everything and I did my best to keep it in tact.
Each time a client was satisfied that raised my stock, and I could leverage their satisfaction to get the next client.
I took a few deep cleansing breaths before I entered the restaurant with my materials in tow. The waitress showed me to where they were seated. I showed up 20 minutes early and they were already there so that told me that they meant business. When they saw me they rose to their feet and greeted me with handshakes. Reuben was impeccably dressed with a tailored grey suit and a pink bowtie.
I turned my attention
to Raphael the CEO and gave him my brightest smile, “It’s an honor to meet you.”
He returned my smile, “Likewise, I’ve heard wonderful things about you. Now please have a seat so that we can get started.”
I quickly complied with his request, he looked to be in his 50’s and he had a very refined look about him. Reuben immediately began to lead the conversation and that took me by surprise because I expected the CEO to do that. I was provided with a huge element of comfort that I wasn’t counting on. Reuben was a lot more influential than he first implied.
“Nicole is one of the best in the industry right now. She offers a fresh perspective that is rivaling what we’ve been seeing for the last 3 major fashion weeks. Look at her portfolio,” Reuben said as she grabbed my portfolio and handed it over to Raphael.
Reuben winked at me as his boss flipped through my portfolio silently. I remained quiet because I wanted my work to speak for itself. Raphael kept a neutral expression as went from photo to photo. Eventually he looked up and turned his attention towards Reuben, “All of her references have checked out?”
“Yes they have, I’ve spent the last two days speaking with all of her clientele and they are all extremely happy. She’s dramatically increased all of their sales, and the level of quality that she’s brought to all of them is ridiculous. She doesn’t just go for who is popular; she goes for who is innovative, classic, and sometimes trendy.”
I was shocked to hear the news because I didn’t know that Reuben had been checking out my references.
Raphael gave a silent nod and then kicked it into high gear. He pulled out his iPad and started showing me the office, the apartment and the car that would be mine if I got the job. He spoke a mile a minute and all of the pictures looked amazing. He asked me what I thought about some mainstream designers, as well as some popular indie designers. With each comment, he became more and more impressed because I was blunt. I was even blunt with him about his own line.
“Wow, so you think that our current shoe line is subpar?” He asked.
“Yes I do. I think that you all followed a trend instead of setting one. Don’t get me wrong, trends sell and you want to get in on the best ones. But you’re better than that. You should have everyone dancing to your beat and you haven’t done that in at least the last 5 years,” I replied.
“I think that you would fit in great with the culture at our fashion house. You came highly recommended by Reuben and I wouldn’t just fly out for anyone. I’m a very busy man, and so I hope that this isn’t a waste of my time,” he said.
He was all but offering me the job and my hands began to shake. My life could possibly change in that moment. It was clear to me that there were no other interviewees, and if there were they weren’t any competition. Raphael was sold on my talent.
“No sir, I can assure you that I’m not a waste of your time. My results speak for themselves. I don’t follow trends, I create them. I find the designers that people don’t give a second thought to and I make them stars. Most of my designers have moved on and have lucrative careers in New York, and some of them are even in Paris. I’m the real deal,” I said confidently.
“You don’t have to sell me. The position is yours if you want it, and the position starts in 10 days,” he said.
I closed my eyes to keep from squealing. I wanted to yell ‘YES!” But I had a boyfriend to think about. I couldn’t take a job without consulting with him first. This was a major decision and the effects would happen immediately.
“I’ll need a little bit of time to think it over. I have the work visa issue to work out, moving my belongings, and tying up loose ends with my clients,” I said.
Reuben shook his head, “Our team will take care of all of that. We can have a professional packing and moving company at your house by tomorrow if needed. We’ll also have your new place ready and paid up. You won’t have to worry about anything but getting on the plane.”
I exhaled loudly and I was speechless.
“I can see that this is a difficult decision for you,” Raphael said.
“It’s not difficult; it’s something that I definitely want. I just need a little bit of time to think about it because my decision doesn’t just affect myself.”
“Fair enough,” Raphael said as he stood to his feet, “It’s been a pleasure meeting you and I hope to have you in Paris soon.” He walked away without saying another word.
“I’m going to get ready to leave as well but I just want to give you a heads up. If we don’t get a yes within at least 48 hours, we will have to go with another candidate. He wants this position filled ASAP.
“Thank you so much for this everything, and I won’t keep you waiting. I’m going to figure out what the hell I’m doing and call you when I’ve made my decision,” I assured him.
“Just know that he really wants you because he doesn’t wait for many people. Usually people grovel, and there are a lot of people begging for this job.”
“I get it, please believe me. But I can’t make a rash decision, I just found out about this position 2 days ago,” I said.
“I know but you can’t hesitate when opportunity comes knocking because you don’t know if it will ever be back again,” he warned.
We said our last goodbyes, hugged, and parted ways. I’d just told the person who held my dream job in the palm of his hands to ‘wait’. I loved Kenneth more than anything and it was obvious at that point. If he proposed to me and asked me not to leave, then I would have stayed. I wanted to be his wife, and that was worth more than any other job. I hoped that I could have it all, but if I had to stay close to him in order to marry him then that was something that I was willing to do.
However, this was the chance of a lifetime. If I turned this down I might never get another chance like this.
I gathered my things and headed out of the restaurant.
I had to talk to my friends about what had just happened to me. They would give me some much needed perspective and would tell me if I was thinking crazy. I needed to hear some voices of reason and they would tell me exactly what was on their minds.
*
That night I met my friends, and I couldn’t wait to tell them the news. I hadn’t talked to Kenneth yet, and our phone conversations had been pretty short because we’d both been so busy. He didn’t know about my interview, and I wasn’t prepared to tell him that I’d gotten it yet. I met the girls at Patrice’s house, because she was trying her hand at cooking a new recipe. I was praying that me and Jasmine didn’t get sick because she wasn’t the greatest cook, but she was on this whole new “domestic” kick. She was tired of being single, and she’d read some book that talked about preparing for the life that she wanted. Everyone knows that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, especially a southern man.
“So I got the job,” I squealed as soon as I entered the door.
“Congratulations!” Jasmine said as she rose off of the couch and gave me a hug.
“I’m so happy for you,” Patrice said but I could hear the trace of sadness in her voice.
“Don’t be sad, I don’t even know if I’m going to take the job.”
“And why not?” Patrice said quickly.
“Well I haven’t talked to Kenneth about it yet, you both are the first to know.”
“Okay well come in and have a seat, the table is already set. We’ll talk about it over dinner and wine,” Patrice said.
I inhaled deeply and smiled, “What have you cooked? It smells amazing.”
“I made Pepper steak, red skin mashed potatoes, Asparagus, and we’re having brownies a la Patrice for dessert,” she beamed.
“Shit, I’m going to marry you if you keep this up. We can head to Cali tomorrow and make it official baby,” I said as I handed her the bottle of wine that I brought over.
“You’re so silly,” Patrice blushed.
“You may have to really do it,” Jasmine said, “I’ve been taste testing, and it’s the bomb.”
I was
happy that I didn’t eat anything before I came over, because I was tempted to. The dinner could have been a hit or miss, but I took a chance and it paid off. My stomach growled in anticipation. We went to the table, made our plates and got comfortable.
“So what is this foolishness that you’re speaking of?” Patrice asked.
“I said that I wasn’t sure if I was going to take the job yet,” I murmured before I took a delicious bite of the meat and mashed potatoes.
“And why not?” She asked.
“I haven’t told Kenneth yet and I don’t know how he’s going to react. We’re in a really good place, and this can throw a wrench in our plans,” I said.