The open curtains cast light into Ray's eyes in his sleep. He turned the other way to see Tim dressed up. "Good morning sir. Happy anniversary!" Tim said cheerfully, removing the duvet around Ray.
"Thank you, but go away." Ray mumbled, half asleep.
"You need to get up now, or we'll be late for the anniversary celebration," Tim urged.
Ray groaned as he sat up on his bed. "I had better call my dad first," he said, dialing Mr Stevenson's assistant's cell. "Hello?" He said as he heard breathing on the other side.
"Hello mister Ray. Happy Anniversary." Ray's dad's assistant said.
"Thanks. Is my dad awake?"
"Not yet, but I'll let him know you wish him a happy anniversary when he's up." The man had a fixed professional personality.
"Thank you. Bye." Ray flipped his phone on the bed and struggled to get out of bed. I had at least slept like a baby this time. He thought.
"I'll be in your living room." Tim said, after ensuring Ray was fully awake.
Ray pulled himself to the bathroom, keeping his eyes half shut all the way. He took a quick bath, picked out his dad's best colors, navy and black, then got himself ready. "Dad will be so proud when he watches from his hospital room later." Ray thought as he brushed his hair into place with a smile on his face. He had promised to handle Bloom just like his dad would if he were present.
"I miss you dad." Ray said out loud, wishing in his heart that his dad was present and healthy. "Thankfully, you will be back home in a few days." He said, reassuring himself. His dad's health was top priority at that point.
Ray's mind wandered to the first day he visited his dad's office as a young boy. He was in complete awe, staring at the elegance of the structure and the exquisite furnishing. Ray was awestruck. "It felt like I was in a presidential building or a King's Palace." He said out loud, smiling to himself.
The staff treated him so well that day, and he felt extremely special. It was already obvious he was to be his dad's heir, so they all wanted to be on his good side. "Hey boy, are you comfortable?" Everyone who came into his dad's office kept asking even as he focused on his game. He nodded his head in response, too shy to look up at any one of them.
Dad has shined like a Legend in my eyes since that day. Ray thought as he nodded his tie. Anybody who came around him could always tell that he doted on his father and really looked up to him.
His dad had made sure he was indoctrinated into work culture since that very day. "You, My son, can be anything you want to be." His father had always said, tapping his shoulders affectionately. Ray, however, always only wanted to be just like his father.
"And my first day at the office was the day I first met Tim," Ray thought as he stepped out of the room. He saw Tim seated on the couch munching a morning snack. "Remember the first day we met?" Ray asked Tim. "As children, I mean."
"Yes sir, I do. I think you were one of my first real friends." Tim said, and Ray smiled as he stood in front of a large mirror on the wall.
"It's funny how we lost touch after a while. Your dad moved out of town, right?"
"Yeah." Tim's dad was one of Ray's father's workers. "Those were the times when life was less complicated."
Ray smirked, already defending his negative thoughts and feelings. "Life is always complicated, we just come to realize it ourselves over time," Ray said.
"You have a point," Tim replied, nodding slowly, in agreement. "You know, I was glad I met you again on the day of my application as your assistant. When you recognized me, I felt like I would lose the Job."
Ray laughed, "My criterion was dependability, and I knew you had that. I could see through you." Ray said. He then turned and urged them to leave.
Tim got up and followed behind Ray. "And," Ray said, stopping to face Tim. "Thank you for taking care of my dad too."
"It's no bother sir." Tim admitted.
"Still, thank you. Perhaps one day, your dad could come to LA and spend time with my dad to reminisce.
"That's possible." Tim concurred, smiling a bit.
Ray nodded and continued walking. They both took long strides out of Ray's large house. It was going to be another long day for them both.
On the other hand, Lenae and Janette had just gotten ready for the auction. Lenae zipped Janette's dress, and Janette zipped Lenae's, with both of them adding finishing touches to each other's look. "It's fun to play dress up again," said Janette, giggling as they hurried to take their portraits from their workspaces.
Lenae managed to give a weak smile. She had had a rough night. "Now isn't the time to tell her about my nightmare." Lenae decided in her heart as they maneuvered their dresses in their hurry downstairs.
They hailed a taxi and carefully got their art inside it. "Bloom Auditorium," Janette informed the driver and he nodded in understanding.
Lenae's nightmare flashed before her eyes again as she looked out the window. My baby was crying, she thought. And I couldn't reach her to pacify her. She shook the feeling off. I never had a baby. She reminded herself, determined to let sleeping dogs lie.
They arrived at the venue and it was already bustling with people outside the auditorium. "We're late," Janette said to Lenae, handing the driver his cash in a hurry.
They both dashed out of the taxi and hurried towards the back of the hall. "My goodness! Lenae, I forgot my pass!" Janette said, almost screaming, as they both joined the line of artists submitting their art.
"I took both our passes, Janey." Lenae informed her, tapping her shoulders from behind."
"You're a lifesaver Lenae," Janette said, calming down.
Janette looked like she was going to cry as Lenae handed her her pass as it got to their turn. "Thank you." She said calmly.
They were both cleaned to pass, and they walked down the hallway into the area for art submission. Just as Lenae entered into the office for submission, with Janette walking footsteps ahead, Lenae bumped into someone at the entrance. "I'm sorry." She said as she looked up at the stranger.
He has a certain familiarity to him. Lenae thought the second their eyes met. Something fluttered in her chest. He nodded for her to go through the entrance before him and she did.
"Janette Cruz," Lenae heard Janette say as she walked closer to the lady at a counter. Janette handed her art over to the person.
"Your name." The lady at the counter told Lenae as she drew closer.
"Leane Grims." She said, the lady nodded and Lenae handed her art to her as well.
Lenae and Janette locked hands as they walked into the hall. The whole place looked like a royal ballroom, and they both looked around in awe. "It's amazing," Janette said, and Lenae cooed in response.
With their signed passes, they located their table and took their seats. Others began to join in on their table and Lenae maintained a gentle smile. "Hi," she said in reply. Janette wasn't paying attention to them, she had lost admiration of the place.
It was a ball-like dinner and everyone was dressed like royalty. "Thankfully, my mom had sent me this dress on my last birthday." Leane thought. The entire hall had a nice feel to it and Lenae let her thoughts wander. "The interior goes to show that they know their art." She mused.
The celebration began with the welcoming of guests. "We're glad to have you all here with us." The anchors spoke with a great level of confidence. A round of applause followed from the audience.
Different personalities were introduced, and it was time to introduce the most important person of the day. "And now, for the man of the moment and one of the reasons we're here, let us give a standing ovation. Mister Ray Stevenson, CEO of Bloom!"
The audience rose to celebrate him and Lenae realized, "It's the same man I just bumped into." She had known he had a certain familiarity with him.
"You can have your seat." One of the anchors said. One was male and the other was female. They had matching colors. "Don't they look so cute from afar?" Lenae told Janette, referring to the anchors.
"They do," Janette said, with half her attention.
"Are you okay Janey?" Lenae asked.
"I'm okay, just nervous," Janette replied.
Lenae tapped her hand on Janette's lap, reassuring her.
"I need to powder my nose," Janette added.
Lenae understood that Janette's stomach always acts up whenever she's nervous. I wonder how she'd handle it, She thought. Shortly after, Janette rushed out of the auditorium leaving Lenae sitting alone. She was up to another mischief.