“I do.” I look up at the clock above Lisa’s desk. “In five minutes.”
“Great. I’ll let her know you’re here. Can I get you anything? Coffee?”
God, no, I might barf. “I’m fine. Thanks.” I take a seat on one of the chairs in the reception area, and then I dart my gaze toward every corner, waiting for Addie to emerge.
Instead, Eugenie appears, looking sleek and professional as always in a light green suit, her short gray hair styled to perfection. I rise.
“Skye!” She takes my hand in a firm grip. “So great to see you! Come on back.”
She leads me to the same conference room where Shaylie, Brian, and Louisa wait. They all smile when I walk in.
“Hi,” I say, trying not to sound nervous.
“This won’t take long,” Eugenie says. “Shaylie has put together a PowerPoint on our social media marketing plan for the new Power of Pink Susie Girl nail polish. Brian will take you through the numbers. But what we’re really here for is to decide on the actual color.”
I smile. “I appreciate you allowing me to have input on the shade.”
“Absolutely. You came up with the name, and you have a keen understanding of color. We definitely want your opinion.”
Shaylie and Brian make their presentations, and as Eugenie promised, they’re quick and entertaining.
Louisa, the intern, speaks up, her voice commanding but slightly wavering. “I’ve put together some samples of colors that are different from what Susie Girl is currently offering. I hope you like them.”
“I’m sure they’re all lovely,” I say.
Louisa distributes color swatches to all of us. “I thought about putting these into a PowerPoint, but you just don’t get the vibrancy of the colors that way.”
“I totally agree.” I flip through the ten swatches. “They’re all beautiful.”
“I agree,” Eugenie says. “Skye, which one do you like best?”
“It’s still hard to say without seeing how the polish looks on an actual nail. It might change a little. Color can be funny.”
Shaylie nods. “You’re so right. I’ve bought nail color and lip color in the past that looks amazing in the package, but when I get home it looks terrible on me.”
I nod. “There are certain shades, though, that flatter almost everyone.”
“Definitely,” Eugenie says. She flips through the swatches, throwing three into the center of the table. “For me, it’s these three.”
Her choices are on point. “You have an excellent eye for color.”
She smiles. “Coming from you, that’s a compliment. Thank you.”
I throw one more into the pile. “I’d add this one. It’s a little more neutral but still quite vibrant.”
“Shaylie?” Eugenie asks.
“I’d throw in this one.” She tosses a neon pink into the mix.
It’s a beautiful color, but it won’t work on all skin tones. I don’t say anything, though. It’s not really my place.
“Brian?” Eugenie asks.
Brian’s cheeks flush. “I’m just a numbers guy.”
We all laugh.
“Louisa,” Eugenie says, “you put these together, but do you have any favorites that we haven’t put into the pile?”
Louisa chooses one more, a soft, pale pink. “This one is lighter than the others, but it’s such a beautiful hue.”
I nod. It is beautiful, but it’s way too light to be called The Power of Pink. Again, though, I don’t feel it’s my place to say this.
“All right. Nice job, everyone,” Eugenie says. “I’ll give these six to the art department, and they’ll put some samples together for us. Skye, I’ll be in touch when they’re ready. We want you here when we choose the final color.”
“I’m honored,” I say, my skin warming. “Thank you.”
A sense of triumph settles through me. I did this. And I did it without being Braden Black’s girlfriend.
Eugenie walks me back out and we say some quick goodbyes. I still expect Addie to crawl out of the woodwork, but so far so good.
I step into the elevator, descend, step out, walk to the revolving doors where my driver waits.
Still no Addie.
I smile, feeling the sense of triumph once more.
For a woman who managed to lose the love of her life, I feel like I just won a battle.
Not a war, but a battle.
Addison isn’t here at Susanne today, but she’s not gone.
She lurks around some corner.
I can feel it.
Chapter Seven
I’m flying coach, of course.
No more private jets for me, and you know what? It feels kind of good. So good that I do a selfie on the plane from my window seat. I don’t mention coach, but I do mention that I’m heading to my hometown. #simplyskye
And yes, I know Braden will see it, but that doesn’t matter. If he’s interested, he has the resources to find me wherever I am.
Besides, he’s not interested.
I miss him, though. I truly do love him, and I know he loves me, too. Somehow, we’ll figure this out. But before that, I’ll figure myself out.
I have a three-hour plane ride ahead of me, so as soon as the flight attendants announce that we can use our large devices, I whip out my laptop to write to Eugenie.
Dear Eugenie,
Thank you again for your hospitality yesterday. I enjoyed working with your team again, and I love the marketing you’ve come up with for The Power of Pink. I won’t let you down!
I’ll be in Liberty, Kansas with my family for the next week, as you know, but I have my computer and phone and will be doing all my posts as scheduled.
Have a great day!
Skye
I hit send with more force than I mean to.
I was honest with Eugenie, and it paid off. I did the right thing. Influencing was never my dream job, but I stumbled into it and it’s paying the bills.
And damn, it feels good to be honest.
But the influencing game is full of dishonesty. Look at Addie, for example. She hates coffee, but Bean There Done That pays her a fortune to hawk their drinks.
I’m heading home to get real with myself, so why not start now?
Influencing can be lucrative, and it allows me the chance to take photographs. So far, though, I haven’t really flexed my creative photography muscles.