I have my small team with me for the meeting because this is going to be a significant project that will require our attention for several weeks.
My phone vibrates in my purse and I check the unknown number on the screen, then I excuse myself. My team is handling the meeting pretty well, and they don’t seem to need me.
Outside in the hallway, I answer the call.
“This is Blaire Crawford speaking.”
“Hello, Ms. Crawford, I’m Calvin Surrey from Habitat Financial Group.”
I’m vaguely aware of the corporation that I’ve heard of in conversations. I’m not even entirely sure of what they do.
“How can I help you, Mr. Surrey?”
“I was wondering if we could set up a meeting for a quick informal chat. Nothing too serious.”
“Of course, I’d be happy to. I’ll need to check my calendar, of course, but can I ask what this is about? How can we be of service to you?”
“We can discuss the details when we meet, don’t you think, Ms. Crawford? Call me old fashioned, but I prefer talking face-to-face.”
I’m not sure if this is a phone call with a potential client or if there is something else involved.
“Of course. Why don’t I get someone from my office to call you with a potential date?”
“That’ll be great, Ms. Crawford. I hope you have a nice day.”
And that is the end of the call. I stare at my phone quizzically for a moment before I put it away. I have to do some research on the company, which I’ll get one of the interns to fill in for me. As far as I know, they are a big financial corporation, and if I can procure them as a client, it could mean big bucks for us. Even bigger than this hotel I’m standing in.
When I return to the meeting a few moments later, there’s a big smile on my face.
I sit in my chair and try to focus on what is being said but I can’t stop these feelings of pride that are coursing through me. A little over three years ago, I was just another employee at a company where I knew I wasn’t realizing my full potential.
The way Stephen had used me to get inside information on the company had left me feeling bad too. He had seen me as weak, as a pawn. He was the son of the company’s biggest competitor, and they were involved in a dirty game. A power struggle.
I had enough of it. I had tried very hard to forget about what Stephen did and move on, but I couldn’t.
I decided that the only way I could feel powerful again and be in control was if I started my own firm. That is exactly what I did and had no idea it would become this successful.
I sit through the rest of the meeting with a smile on my face and I can’t help but wonder what the next step is. What more can I do? How can I be even more successful?
“You have to tell him because he has a responsibility towards this…this baby,” I argue with Kim.
She is sitting on my couch, grasping a big bowl of popcorn to her chest. She’s pregnant. Kirk is the father. She still hasn’t decided if she’s going to tell him about the baby and I don’t get why not.
There are two people involved in a pregnancy. Kirk needs to know. It isn’t Kim’s sole responsibility to raise this child.
She looks up at me and breathes in deeply.
“Can we please just talk about something else? Anything. Something. I don’t want to talk about Kirk anymore. Not until I’ve decided what I’m going to do about him.”
I pour myself a glass of wine and her a glass of cranberry juice.
“Okay, yeah, sure.”
“How is your neighbor?” Kim asks, grinning now.
I roll my eyes. I have managed not to think about Trevor all day today, and I would have liked to keep it that way.
“My neighbor?” I say with a shrug as I join her on the couch.
“Yes, Blaire. Your neighbor. That sexy hunk of muscle we met at the bar that night. The one you were turning your nose up at and pretending not to want to talk to.”
I remember this night clearly from a few weeks ago. Trevor happened to be at the same bar as us that night, not far from our apartment building. I can’t recall exactly what was said but there had been some clipped snarky remarks. Kim must have caught the