Alexis' POV
It was the weekend and Harper had invited me to a conference that was being hosted by the NGO she worked for. According to her, and the little I've heard of the corporation, it was a non-governmental organization that aided women and supported the empowerment of the female gender. For this conference, she'd mentioned they were going to discuss career opportunities for new graduates and at the end of the conference, there'd be various job opportunities waiting for my grasp. At first, I wasn't interested in attending but seeing as she'd convinced me to help me find the right career path, I'd decided to honor her invitation.
It was an hour to the event and I was yet to find a befitting outfit. Harper, who would have helped me find one had left early as an employee that couldn't afford to be late for the program. Iris on the other hand was still at the dance studio where she worked, hence, I was left to pick out an outfit myself. Luckily for me, finding the right outfit didn't take long. I'd ended up going with a black dress Ted had gotten for me on my last birthday. Staring at myself in the mirror, all wrapped up in the lacy material of the little flare dress that stopped midthigh and paired with strappy heels, I smiled to myself.
I couldn't let a cute dress go to waste just because it came from an asshole. Those were my comforting thoughts before I settled to fix my makeup and my hair. In the end, I came out looking better than I'd expected with my usually pin-straight hair, now falling to my shoulders with soft curls, and my makeup done with soft pastel colors. Smacking my glossy lips once more, I reached for my clutch and my phone before strutting out of the house, feeling more confident than I've felt in a while_what a cute dress and an amazing hairdo can do to you.
In about twenty minutes, I arrived at the venue for the conference and stepped out of the cab to see the event had started already. The place was filled with different expensive cars, telling the caliber of people that were in attendance even without going in. For some reason, this alone made me feel out of place and I felt my nervousness rising as I considered leaving quietly and telling Harper I couldn't make it but as if she was reading my mind, her call came in and I had no choice but to answer it, informing her I'd already arrived.
A few minutes later, a cheerful Harper rushed out with a smile on her face.
"Damn, girl…" she drawled, taking in my appearance, her smile widening. "You're gonna be turning heads," she winked at me.
"As it should be," I returned her wink and we burst into a fit of laughter before she linked her hands with mine, leading me into the large room that was already filled with the attendees all seated at their different tables.
"So, I know I dragged you here but you wouldn't have much of me for the night. But, I'll put you at a table with my colleagues and friends from the office that will be available so you won't feel so bored and out of place. You know most of them…" she trailed off as we got to the table and a smile claimed my features on seeing the familiar faces.
"Heyyy…" one of them, who I recalled was named Gina, called out to me the moment her eyes landed on me. "It has been a while, Alexis,"
"Damn… You keep getting hotter every day," another man, Liam, said, wiggling his eyebrows at me and I responded with a giggle, before taking the only available seat, which was next to him.
"Y'all look amazing. It's been a while," I finally responded after making myself comfortable. By this time, my nervousness was gone and long forgotten. Soon, I got lost in the light chattering between Harper's colleagues and myself, until a voice cleared from the stage, calling our attention. Just like me, everyone else in the room glanced at the stage to see a petite woman dressed in a crisp business suit standing behind the podium, with a bright cheerful smile on her face.
"Good morning everyone," she began, her eyes darting around the room. "I welcome y'all to the fifth annual conference of The Elevated Women's Society. To everyone in the house, thank you for honoring our invitation and I promise, as always, you will not regret this. Please join me, as we call on the CEO and founder of this great organization, and also the CEO of Fits and Lifts," at the mention of Fits and Lifts, my attention, which was on my phone screen, quickly diverted to the stage. Fits and Lifts was the gym where I attended my yoga classes. I had no idea the owner of the place was the founder of The Elevated Women Society, well it wasn't like I knew the owner but it was surprising to know. My eyes remained glued to the stage, as the woman called the name, but I wasn't prepared for who it turned out to be. "Mr. Alexander Quinn," my eyes widened on hearing it. It was my gym instructor, the same man I'd been avoiding with every part of my being.
Hands jammed together, as Quinn climbed onto the stage, dressed in a three-piece Armani suit that fitted him to perfection, doing nothing to hide the mass of muscles underneath all of that heavy clothing. His jet black hair was slicked back away from his face, giving him a fierce look.
"Good morning, everyone," he spoke, his deep voice resounding through the room and commanding respect and silence that had everyone waiting on his words like they were their next breath. I was so transfixed by this version of the man that I couldn't look away. My gaze remained on him, just like the way he'd stolen the attention of everyone in the room, as he began to speak. His speech was carefully worded, displaying his humility and intelligence. The audience listened intently to him as he commanded and controlled the room like they were under a spell.
Quinn was an intelligent man and it showed in his gait and actions, and the confident aura he exuded was just another feather in his cap. By the time he stepped down from the podium, a round of applause resounded in the room, as everyone rose to a standing ovation, elated and pleased with how much he'd amazed them with his words and plans for the feminine gender. He'd also mentioned that his organization wouldn't only be fully invested in helping women in need, but children included. Right there, was when he captured my heart.
In these modern days, it was hard to find wealthy people that cared about the suffering and plight of the less privileged but seeing as this man, who put all Greek gods to shame with his looks, was so humble and caring that he carried the cross of thousands of helpless women and children around the country, it arose a sudden urge in me, to get to know him more, and stop running away from him like I'd be doing since our first encounter.
As the event proceeded, I couldn't get over the new light that Quinn had shed on me by revealing this side of him I hadn't known existed. Inwardly, I was thankful to Harper for inviting me to the event. Not only did I get to know more about the man, but I was also educated on how to carve out a successful career for myself as a newly graduated young adult. Truthfully, I'd been lost after our graduation, not knowing where to proceed from, nor the next line of action to take. While you're in school, no one tells you nor truly prepares you for how much real life would crash into you as soon as you seize to become a student. You might think you've got it all figured out until the time actually arrives and then there are a bunch of important decisions to make that will become a setting stone for your future and the life to come. While struggling with making the right decision, you also have to fight to succeed at it. But after listening to what each of the invited speakers had to say, I could see a new path with many more opportunities waiting for me to explore.
I enjoyed the rest of the event, with Harper coming once in a while to check on me. By the time it came to an end, it was evening already. The night sky, covered with millions of stars and the twinkling lights from different buildings surrounding our environment greeted us as I stepped out of the building with Harper beside me.
"Thank you so much for coming. I hope it didn't bore you to death?" she inquired, grabbing my right hand and linking her fingers to it.
"What? No…" I exclaimed, chuckling. "I should thank you for inviting me. Seriously, I'm glad I came and it was lovely. Thank you," I smiled at her, pulling her into a side hug.
"You're welcome, love. I knew you needed it," she winked at me and my smile broadened. Words couldn't explain how much I loved my best friend. She was always looking out for me like an older sister, rather than a friend, who was just the same age as me, and it was really refreshing that I didn't have to carry many loads of life alone, with someone like her around me.
Playfully, I pecked her cheek but she swatted my arm, laughing.
"What do you think you're doing? I need a man in my life, Alexis Chapman. Do you want these gorgeous men around to stay away because I'm giving off lesbian vibes?" she scolded me, playfully pushing me away but I chose that moment to wrap my arms around her torso, resting my head on her shoulders.
"Finally!" I exclaimed, wiggling my brows at her when she stared down at me. "The world will know you're mine," I giggled but then, a deep voice that I'd become very familiar with interrupted our light banter.
"Ladies,"