Gwen
I can say that meeting up with Zuri Roy was one of the most ecstatic moments of my life. She was such an amazing and pretty woman. Contrary to what people thought about celebrities in general, she out all that thought to shame.
She was so adorable and cute. She commended all the works I've done saying she already saw some of them and liked them. I just knew that I will not go wrong with this one and it will give my clothing line more fame than it had.
I looked outside of the door that she just left and I smiled as I rolled the chair I was sitting on in the conference room. I had asked to walk her out, but she said not to worry. She insisted and I said okay.
Tam was literally blushing as soon as she walked out of the room.
"This is soooo huge gurrll." She said and I nodded, still having that smile on my face.
I looked at the contract in front of me that she just signed and I smiled in content. This had to be one of the biggest achievements I have had since I started in this business.
Astrid would go crazy when she sees this on the magazines again. I know of the reactions she get about my line anytime they came out and I didn't give a flying fuck about them.
Zoe's clothing line had taken over NY and the surrounding states. Even the whole nation. And I've been thinking of expansion.
I want to see Astrid on her knees. I want to see her at her lowest and see her crumble just like she did to me.
"Our next proposal is out though. I dropped by HR to get them." She said and fell into the chair that was beside me to the left.
"Okay. What is it about this time?" I asked her.
There are times that I don't know about some contracts. They were brought in by some workers. So it depends on me to work with it. If I wanted it or not.
"Okayyyy." Tam dragged out and I looked at her like she had two heads. She was looking at me too with a glint in her eyes.
"What?" I asked her, pushing the chair I was sitting on forward to peer at the documents in front of her.
She pulled away and shifted, pushing the other chairs to the side in the process. I raised my eyebrows then.
There was something she didn't want to tell me.
"What is it, Tamara?" I asked more firmly this time. She got serious as soon as she heard that I used her full name.
I only do that when I'm serious. And right now, in damn serious. She was making me too curious and I didn't like it one bit.
"This proposal, that has been drawn up, about to be sent to the other company to review it if the terms meet their condi…." She was dragging this out and I frowned deeper.
"If you don't say what this is about in the next few seconds, I'll…." She cut me short then.
"It's from Emmett Inc." She replied me a sharp voice. Rushing it out, I almost didn't hear anything she said if not because that name was already stuck to my mind.
"What?" I asked silently and calmly. I could not have heard wrong right?
"What are you taking about, Tam? Which Emmett?" I asked the name rolling off my tongue like it was acid.
"Same Emmett, Gwen." She said silently and I felt my knees go weak.
Even though I was sitting down on the chair, I felt like I would collapse anytime. There was no way he was reaching out to me now right?
He didn't even know that I was the one since my face was not anywhere at all.
"It's a proposal about buying some designs of their choice and giving it to the models of their company to wear." She said not looking at me.
Not that I was looking at her either, but I knew she was avoiding to face me.
I hated that I felt like this. I should not feel like this just by the sound of her name. It should not be like that. I frowned deeply and stood up from the chair.
Walked to the window that showed what was going on down in the city.
"No."
"No, what?" She asked me.
She knew what the no was for.
"I don't want anything to do with this." I asked, schooling my voice to be as calm as possible. Not wanting the anxiety that I was feeling to show in the way I was talking.
"Reject the proposal."
"What? No. You haven't even read through the contract yet. This is good, Gwen. The payment option and all that. And it is even stated that you could increase the price if you wanted to and…."
"I. Said. I. Didn't. Want. It." I emphasized on each word as I faced her again.
She stood up to face me this time around, and walked towards me.
"Do you know that this is business? You are letting you personal feelings to get involved with this and that's not like you. This is nor the Gwen I know. You used to have history, fine. Agreed. But this is business, girl. You don't have to give a flying fuck about Charles. And again, you don't have to see him at all. All the meetings that will be happening will be with me. And you only have to sign the contract when it is brought to you. We've done this a thousand times already and you know the fucking drill, Gwen. Don't let this guy rob you of your money. Cause this," she raised the documents in her hand up, tapping on the hard back, "is your freaking money. And you're getting it."
I knew there was no turning back after what she said to me, but I won't be saying yes right now.
"I'll think about it." I said with a little hardness to my tone.
I walked away from the window, picked up the few things of mine that I had on the table, and headed out of the office.
I felt her on my heels. Like she was following me. I sighed and continued, zoning out on what she was saying.
*******
The last few days wentt by in a blur. Charlie was as hyper as ever, but my mood gad turned sour since the talk about Charles so I wasn't able to keep up with her. She noticed this but I made sure not to worry the child.
Not like I will be telling her that her father was about to be my business partner or anything.
Tam had been the one in charge of everything and I didn't involve myself in anything relating to it. Instead, I faced Zuri Roy completely, giving her all of my attention.
Making sure that her cloth came out nice. I made sure to do all he fittings by myself. Since the opening of this clothing line will be next week and there was going to be a launch and party, I had something to immerse myself into and get the thoughts of Charles out of my mind.
I walked out of the room where the clothes where stored and intot the large area where the photo props and all that were set up.
Today was the photoshoot of the clothes on the models, so I had to be on ground for it.
My phone rang and I pulled it out of my pocket. It was Tam, so I slid to answer immediately.
She had gone to meet with the Emmett Inc today to finalize the agreement, so the contract will be brought to me to sign.
"Hey."
"We have a problem, Gwen." She said in a hushed voice.
My heart skipped a bit. We hardly had problems anytime we do this. I knew it was not normal for both partners not to there at a contract signing. But we got away with that several times already.
"What is it? Are you okay?" I asked.
"I'm fine and not fine. You know Charles right? He's on his way to our office. We're on our way, I mean." She said in a more clipped tone.
"What?!!! To do what?" I was shouting now. Which caught the attention of the people around me.
"He said that he has to meet the second partner, which happens to be you and that there would not be a deal without that." She said.
I was infuriated.
The nerve of him.
How could I have expected for things to go smoothly? It was Charles though. A ruthless business man.
I had heard tales about how he does his business and how he was a brute.
"You could have as well said no, Tam. He is not supposed to come here. To see me." I said and I knew my voice was shaking now.
"Get it together, Gwen. He's just another man. And you've dealt with loads of them in this business. We are doing this and there is no turning back." She said firmly
She would not understand where I was coming from. The most fear I had right now was because I didn't want him to know that I had a child. If he knew, it would take a few seconds to put two and two together and he would know Charlie was his daughter. And he might take her away from me.
I wasn't sure that I would be able to survive that if it happened.
Few minutes after I had gotten off the phone with her, I had gone into my office and picked out a dress to wear and to take care of face as I was already stressed from all the work I had been doing before.
I had on a black pencil dress and strappy heels. Did my hair up in a ponytail to look more sophisticated. I didn't put on any jewelry except for a tiny chain on my neck.
When I liked how I looked, I left my office and went to the conference room to wait for them.
This is it.
I am doing this.
I'll be meeting up with Charles Emmett after almost seven years. The father of my child. The first and only man that I have ever fallen in love with.
My hands felt clammy and itchy but I put them behind my back. I was looking down at the city when I heard the door opened and I heard different steps that was when I looked back.
I didn't see him at first as he was shadowed by some people but he was not hard to spot. As he was a very tall man.
And I meant tall.
He was looking around with a firm look on his face. Then his gaze fell on me.
Just like a scene out of a movie, my eyes widened in surprise. As he came nearer, my heart was beating so fast, I thought it would fall out of my chest.
I swallowed hard and tried to focus my breathing. I didn't take my eyes off of him and he didn't take his eyes off me too.
I held his gaze.
If he was baffled at seeing me, he did a damn good job at not showing it.
He came with three people and himself making four. Including Tam, that made five.
The room seemed to be closing in and I was thanking my stars right now that I was not wearing any make up. Or I'd feel so awkward.
I closed my eyes for a few seconds, remembering what Tam had told me.
Opening my eyes, I sighed sharply and walked towards them, with a serious expression on my face.
"Hello, Mr Emmett." I stretched out my hand for a handshake.