by Annora Green
Elle smiled a sad smile. “I appreciate that. I’d hate to leave. I love this store.”
Sophia smiled. “I do, too.”
“But can you picture yourself working for them? It would be quite a promotion, wouldn’t it?” Elle asked.
Sophia took a breath. “I suppose that working for a company as well-known in the industry as the Gaulle-Boisvert Groupe was something I saw myself doing at one point. You could even say it was a dream job, back when I was a student, or struggling to get this line started. The road to reach this point has been long. As much as I’ve loved growing and building FORBIDDEN, it could be nice to no longer shoulder the burden of running all of this, and finally reap the rewards of my work.”
Elle studied her. “It sounds like it might be the right opportunity for you.”
Sophia nodded. “Maybe. Elle, would you keep this between us, for now? I don’t mean to announce it to anyone else until I decide what to do.”
“Of course,” Elle said.
Sophia thought about going next door to get coffee, but decided she did not want to go into The Little Cafe right now. She quietly went back upstairs and for a little while and just sat, alone in her office, tapping a pencil softly on the blank notepad in front of her, contemplating what had just happened.
¨°¨
“Someone upset your apple cart?” Seth asked as she eventually ventured out of the wood-paneled cocoon of her office to get a coffee refill, this time from the office’s machine which was, by some small miracle, working today.
“You could say that,” Sophia said quietly.
With Seth standing next to her, suddenly it hit her that she needed to find out more about what this deal entailed. She was responsible not just for herself and her company, but an office full of people who depended on her for work. Sure, during the call she had casually asked whether she could keep this store, but what about everyone who worked here on making her pieces? Or, what if they wanted to open up other FORBIDDEN shops in other cities... would she have any say whatsoever about those stores? How they looked, what they sold? She could not quite imagine putting her beloved empire in the hands of strangers. Suddenly, the thought of relinquishing control over everything she had built made her nauseous and anxious.
“Anything I can help with?” Seth asked.
“Not now,” she said quietly, and returned to her office and closed her door.
The first thing she did was call her lawyers. She had not needed to draw upon their services very often, thankfully. They were not exactly budget-friendly. She explained the situation to them, requesting that someone read over the contract that the Group had emailed her, then arranged a meeting for them to discuss it with her.
Once that task was underway, her thoughts turned elsewhere. There was Ari to think about.
Sophia was not going to see Ari that evening. Ari had said earlier she was working late because there would be live music at The Little Cafe that night and she expected larger crowds than usual. Sophia had also invited Isabella and her father over to have dinner (she had promised Percy a while back that she would. The timing turned out to be very good: she welcomed the distraction).
Their schedules continued to be in conflict with each other through the weekend and she did not end up seeing Ari at all for several days. At the last minute, Ari said she needed to work all day Saturday and had to cancel their plans for dinner. Sophia, who was going over the designs for an upcoming New York fashion show, spent the time working. Or at least, pretending she was working. In reality, she delegated most of the work to some of her employees who had come in to help her finish up the pieces, and so she could mull over things on her own in her office.
Finally, on Sunday, she and Ari scheduled a lunch date for Monday.
“Everything okay?” Ari asked as they picked up sandwiches from a kitschy, retro-style delicatessen and planned to drive to a park outside of Palo Rosa to eat.
Ari suspected something was up. Sophia could tell she was suspicious.
“I know we’ve both been busy, but I feel like you’ve been avoiding me,” Ari said.
“It’s fine. Just distracted about some work things,” Sophia said, hoping Ari would accept that answer.
Sophia needed more time.
She knew she should not keep the news from Ari for long. She knew that as time wore on, it was not going to get easier to tell her. At the same time, she had to sort out what she was going to do. She had to decide it on her own. She knew that much... it was her decision.
Other than that, she did not really know how to proceed.
As they ate their sandwiches, overlooking a little pond that seemed home to various types of ducks and seagulls, they made small talk. Ari updated Sophia on her progress managing The Little Cafe’s finances, which seemed to be going smoother ever since Sophia had lent her a hand.
They were both calm and relaxed, the sun bright, high in a blue sky, a light breeze causing Ari’s golden locks to stir around her shoulders.
“How do you think we’re doing, Sophia?” Ari asked, looking at her with her pretty, soft blue eyes, taking the last bite of her sandwich and licking something off of her thumb.
Sophia smiled regally at her, trying to come off as calm and relaxed, but she was sure Ari had the faintest hint that something was off.
“I have no complaints,” Sophia said carefully, giving Ari what she hoped was a relaxed smile. “Why do you ask?”
Ari leaned back and sighed, staring at a duck that was a little smaller than the rest in the pond, floating off to the side on his own.
“Relationships I’ve been in are usually messy after a while. It’s difficult to get two people to figure out how to... coordinate their lives enough to ever really come together as a unit, you know? It’s hard. And yet, the past few months, minus a few weekends like the last one when we were both pretty busy with work, have been pretty easy.”
Sophia felt a pang of guilt. Should she tell her? She glanced at her watch. They both had to be at work in a half hour. Now was not the time.
“We had a messy beginning, Arianna. Perhaps we paid our dues early on and are getting to enjoy an easier time now.”
Ari laughed. “Remember how you didn’t use my first name for so long.”
“Arianna is such a lovely name. It’s a shame I called you ‘Ms. Little’ for so long,” Sophia said, biting her lower lip and taking Ari’s hand into her own.
Ari smiled easily and leaned back on the bench. Sophia leaned in and kissed her sweetly as the ducks continued to swim and the breeze continued to blow.
¨°¨
On Monday, Sophia heard back from her law firm.
To her surprise, she found out that the lawyer the office had scheduled a video conference with her to review the contract was someone who had been a frequent visitor to her shop.
It was Rupert.
Elle’s boyfriend.(If such a term could even apply to him? The man, well into his fifth decade and possibly older, was not exactly aboy.)
They exchanged pleasantries, then Sophia jumped straight into business.
“How is the offer? Sophia asked.
“I can only answer from a legal standpoint,” he said. “But it’s a solid offer. There are only a few redlines I’d recommend you go back to them with.”
“Is it too good to pass up?” Sophia asked.
“That is for you to decide,” Rupert said, maintaining a professional, distant tone. “But the main caveat I saw - and I am sure you did as well - is that you would need to move to Paris for two years in order to work in the consulting position they are offering you.”
“Paris?” Sophia repeated, floored by this piece of news.
Rupert nodded.
“Paris,” he said.
“I had not seen that. I was so surprised after the call that I could barely do more than skim the contract,” she admitted.
He pointed out a few other things she should take a look at before signing, but for the most part, he said, he didn’t se
e any reason why she should hold back if she felt she was in fact ready to hand over FORBIDDEN.
“It’s a solid deal,” he concluded, after going over everything with her, from intellectual property to the amount she’d receive from the deal.
All she could do was nod.
“Any other questions?” he asked.
She shook her head, glancing at her watch. She was sure she was being billed for all of this, so she should wrap up the meeting.
“No, thank you.”
“Have a good morning. And I’ll see you soon. I believe I am coming by later,” he said.
“For pleasure, not business, of course,” he added, grinning in a way that made Sophia feel a little unsettled.
¨°¨
Sophia agonized over the decision for another day, but she started to receive daily phone calls from Christophe, a Vice President at the Gaulle-Boisvert Group who seemed to have been tasked with following up with her and schmoozing - that was really the best term for the all-too-polite and upbeat calls she was receiving from Christophe - as the company seemed anxious for her to make a decision. They also seemed to be on a somewhat short timeline. This was not going to be a long, drawn-out offer; they wanted a decision from her, and soon.
It was a good offer and Sophia knew it. In an industry where so many businesses went bankrupt, thrived one year only to close the next, to have such a generous offer with both financial value, and value to her career, was outstanding. It would secure her - and Percy’s - financial future, allow her to live comfortably off of a small fortune that was her own making. Not just a hand-me-down legacy from her father. And that had, ultimately, at the heart of it all, been the driving force behind everything she had ever accomplished, the reason why she had not settled for the same lifestyle as her mother and sister. She had always pushed herself for more.
Sophia had made it. She had done it. She had created an empire, and was about to reap the rewards.
On top of the financial benefits, she would not be out of her career. Quite the reverse: this would be a big leap. She would go from being a relatively small business owner to someone who was a part of a legendary fashion name. Plus, their acquisition of FORBIDDEN would ensure that her vision lived on longer than perhaps it would have if she were indefinitely at its helm. It would give FORBIDDEN the broader audience that she felt it deserved and lend it more prestige, taking it from a niche line to a real label associated with luxurious Paris department stores and a well-regarded parent company.
The job they were offering her posed new opportunities as well. The consulting position reflected her level of experience and expertise, gave her the type of cushy position and prestigious title at a prestigious firm that she had always envisioned herself having one day. Career-wise, it felt like a step up. No more day to day petty management of a fledgling business, worried about coffee machines and shipping orders on time. She would have time freed up to think, reflect, and strategize about the larger picture. It sounded like an almost indulgent career move.
There was also Percy to consider. Although she could imagine he would be reluctant to move overseas, ultimately, she felt like he would get a lot out of the experience. He would be off to college in a few years, anyways. Working more regular hours during the week would mean that she could come home at night, cook dinner, spend time with him. Enjoy those precious few years they had left before he set out on his own path in the world.
There were, quite honestly, no drawbacks that she could see.
Except for one major one.
Sophia gazed out the window of her office, the very window that she had first seen Ari through nearly a year ago in December. Ari and her friends had been building a patio for her outdoor seating, and putting up those garish Christmas decorations. She recalled how the racket on the usually quiet street had given her a headache.
Funny, she thought, as she remembered that during the conference call with the Gaulle-Boisvert Group, someone had actually mentioned that press write-up, the one she had been interviewed for that day. Strange how things worked out.
She did feel sad at the prospect of leaving town. But more than that, she felt a strange sort of pain, almost a longing even though she had not yet left, when she thought about living in Paris. Ari would be so far away from her; her friendly, warm presence no longer comforting her in the middle of the day when she needed a break or late at night, when she needed to abandon the world for a little while.
Sophia sucked in a breath. This was not who she was. She was not the sentimental type. She always made a decision based on what was right, what made sense, what she felt was supposed to come next.
And if she took Ari out of the equation, she knew that signing the offer was the right thing for her.
It was, after all, everything she had been working towards professionally for so long. And on top of it all, it would benefit Percy. She could finally spend more time being his mother.
¨°¨
She read the contract, reviewed the redlines her lawyer had given her, and at long last, emailed it back to the Gaulle Boisvert Group. She explained to them she was attached to the store in Palo Rosa that she had lovingly designed and worked so many long hours in, and did not want to see it close. She was relieved when they agreed to put a clause into the contract that allowed her to keep the shop and run it as her own, as well as gave the store the right to continue to carry the line of FORBIDDEN lingerie there.
The rest of the label would be absorbed into their portfolio.
Shortly after, they sent the final version of the contract back to her to sign.
¨°¨
Sophia barely slept the nights following the receipt of that final contract. She sat wide awake in front of her computer screen, researching schools for Percy in Paris. She figured out the cost of living in the city, agonizing over and over again about the details on where they could live, what was safe but centrally located, close to transportation but also close to parks or open spaces where they could get out and get fresh air.
The only issue - the one provision she could not write into her contract - was Ari.
Of course it had crossed her mind to ask Ari if she would move to Paris with her. But Ari, she knew, would stay behind. For all she knew, Ari still had not even gotten a passport. Of course, the woman would not leave her parents behind, and more than that, she could not - and should not - leave behind The Little Cafe, which was really starting to take off and was finally on solid footing.
Finally, one Friday morning, Sophia made her decision, and she knew she could no longer keep this decision from the world. Except for the brief conversation she had had with Elle that day after the initial call, she had spoken about it to no one.
She knew she needed to tell Ari first.
That morning, she was slightly late for work. She walked into the shop a little after opening time to see a very upbeat Elle with a small group of FORBIDDEN employees - Seth, a seamstress that had come in for the morning, and the man in charge of mailing online orders - gathered around Elle, admiring something on her hand.
Elle looked up as Sophia walked in and gave her a wide smile and waved her over.
“What is this all about?” Sophia asked, walking over.
The small group parted so she could see Elle’s hand.
Elle held it up. “Rupert proposed to me last night over dinner.”
Sophia pasted a smile on her face. “Congratulations. Such thrilling news for you.”
She was happy for Elle, but she also inexplicably felt a little pang of sadness in her heart.
It briefly crossed her mind that she could very well never be one half of a happy couple again after today.
“Thank you,” Elle said. “Sophia, mind if I chat with you a moment?”
“Of course,” Sophia said. “Come up to my office when you are ready.”
Elle nodded.
Sophia went up to her office, leaving her staff chatting excitedly with Elle downstairs. She fixed herself a coffee in the sti
ll-working coffee machine and went into her office to look at her emails. She had barely sat down when she heard a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Sophia said.
“Hi,” Elle said, taking a deep breath and nervously smoothing out her skirt as she stepped inside.
“Please, sit down,” Sophia said, motioning towards the chair in front of her desk.
“Sophia, I just wanted you to know... I’m pregnant,” Elle said, still standing up.
“Goodness. Well, another congratulations is in order then,” Sophia said.
Elle smiled nervously. “Thank you. I had to tell you - I’m already four months along.”
“You have quite a few changes coming up in the next little while then, don’t you?” Sophia asked.
Elle nodded. “I wanted to let you know, because, well, I’m not going to come back to work after the baby is born.”
“I see.”
“And I wanted to give you plenty of notice. I’d be happy to train whomever takes my place, do whatever you need me to do.”
“I appreciate that,” Sophia said.
Sophia observed the young, flushed, excited woman standing before her. The woman had certainly chosen an interesting man to tie her future to, she thought, but opposites do attract.
“I’m afraid there are quite a few changes coming here as well,” Sophia said after a moment. “Please, sit down.”
“Oh?” Elle asked, finally sitting down in the chair in front of her desk. “I suppose that means you made a decision?”
“I was planning on announcing it tomorrow, but I might as well tell you now. Yes. I’m taking the offer. FORBIDDEN will be sold, although this boutique will remain open, I negotiated it as an exception in the acquisition of the line. In addition, I’m taking an offer by the company purchasing it to become a consultant for them. I’ll be moving to Europe to do that job. To Paris.”
“Oh,” Elle said, clearly surprised the news. “Paris. Now it’s my turn to congratulate you on your big news.”