Shantelle
"Are the items we need already prepared?" I informed my team.
We're meeting with our soon-to-be business partner at the last minute. Even if Gavin requested a cooperation, we must exhibit all that the Star Food Company has to offer in order to secure their favor.
If we succeed today, we will have a great chance since our firm will be renowned after Gavin's business is thriving in Standford.
"Yeah, we're ready. All of the paperwork have been reviewed and finalized. We're ready to go,” Cara said.
I was grateful to have Cara by my side. She was a wonderful friend and co-worker of mine. I didn't think I'd make it through the day.
I eventually decided to address the suggestion with the team the day after Dani asked me to a party.
Everyone gave the same response. We should not pass up this opportunity without giving it a go.
I had no idea Gavin's Adams Enterprise was well-known in Standford, much alone here in Kensington.
Gavin's business was a nice find.
They possess hotels, restaurants, and resorts in Lambherts and Standford, in addition to Wilderford.
Our company was doing well, but we still needed additional investors and customers.
I was certain that many people would enquire about us as a result of our collaboration with Gavin.
That could cause me a personal difficulty in the future, but I shouldn't be selfish this time and forsake all of the misery that my staff had through over the years.
I should concentrate on what I need to accomplish right now and quit thinking about what could happen to me later.
"Well, if we're through. You may have your lunch before heading to the office to avoid being late. The meeting has been adjourned."
My colleagues began to leave the meeting room, but I remained.
I wanted to sleep, but my thoughts wouldn't allow me since Gavin's words had continued repeating themselves till now.
It was one of the reasons I didn't get enough sleep, but the other was because I've been focusing all of my attention on preparing for the presentation today.
Numerous individuals would undoubtedly attend later, so there was no room for error.
Generally, I wasn't the one who brought up our suggestion. I delegated the task, but I was still there at every meeting.
If I'm unavailable, I'll delegate responsibility for an appointment or meeting to a representative.
But Lance informed me that his employer wanted me to be the one who discussed everything with them.
I felt nervous and a little terrified for some reason. Is it because we'd meet again later, but this time on his territory?
When it was time, I exited the meeting room and headed to the parking lot.
I got word that my unit had eaten and was approaching the extended company of Adams Enterprise.
I made my way there by car. I couldn't eat because I was afraid I'd vomit up, and I didn't feel like eating when I was worried.
When I arrived, I was astounded by how large his firm was. Their main building in Wilderford was considerably larger than what I was witnessing, yet it was only three times the size of ours.
It was simple for me to go through, and I was directed to the floor where the meeting would take place.
I walked smoothly with my head held high, yet deep down, I was worried and afraid, but also exhilarated and motivated.
My emotions have become jumbled. I wasn't sure what I was feeling right now.
I was one meter away from the conference room when I came to a halt because Gavin's face flashed across my head.
I paused for a while and considered backing out, but then I recalled my previous boss's counsel.
Professional and personal problems are distinct, and I should avoid conflating them.
I didn't pay heed to what she said since I understood my limits, but I couldn't completely follow her advice because I allowed my judgment mingle with my emotions.
I took a big breath and attempted to be more composed than I had been.
I need to ignore all of those bad ideas and concentrate on what I should accomplish.
My objective was to acquire their approval before providing them with our services.
As I walked into the meeting room, Gavin and others were already there.
They were talking amongst themselves as I walked in, so they turned their heads in my direction.
"Everyone, good afternoon! We have five minutes until we begin. I recommend that the Star Foods Team prepare your presentation today so that we can begin promptly at afternoon.” Gavin mentioned this.
"Yes, sir," I said, drawing his attention to me.
I told my crew to put the presentation on the screen right away and handed out the hand-outs to the seven guys in this room.
I could tell Gavin was watching every move I made, but I didn't let it upset me, even though I was growing aware.
After we were through, I returned my attention to him in the same way he had gazed at me.
I began my presentation by describing the Star Food Company and the services we could provide to them.
It took me thirty minutes to explain everything to them, such as what we provide our customers, how we differ from other organizations, and how transactions between our company and theirs work.
Except for one individual in this room, everyone cheered and congratulated me after I finished.
Gavin did nothing except gaze at me the whole time, but when everyone else closed their lips, he said.
"Has your organization handled transactions and received customers with a large corporation like us?" Gavin inquired. I knew he wasn't going to let me off the hook.
"Not yet, sir, but we serve fifteen customers every month, including small businesses and individual entrepreneurs," I said firmly.
"Even if you can manage fifteen customers, our branches here expect three times the amount and quality you provided, so what will you do if you can't satisfy those demands?" He responded, dissatisfied with what he received from me.
"I know our firm can manage it, and we can make some adjustments to accommodate you and our existing customers, as well as new customers. If you agreed to have us be your food researchers and formulators for your branches here, we could grow at any moment and add excellent staff."
Gavin kept asking me questions for half an hour, but the final sentence he said upset me.
"Ms. Clarkson, thank you for addressing all of my questions. You and your team did an excellent job of preparing for this day. But we still need to study everything, and we wanted to take our time before making a choice because I want to be sure we won't be sorry." Gavin mentioned this.
He was being absurd, claiming that it may not be appropriate to partner with us when he was the one who proposed that we engage into an arrangement with them.
"It's simply that I believe my taste for everything has altered as a result of what has transpired in the past, not just for work but also for other concerns. I officially proclaim that this meeting has come to an end. Thank you everybody, and good luck."
He instantly departed without looking back after saying that.
Everyone gathered their belongings and exited the room.
No one in this room understood what he was saying, or if they did, they didn't realize I was the source of it.
I instructed my staff to return to the corporation and inform the others of the outcome. I also warned them they may go if there was nothing else to do.
"Are you free right now?" someone said behind my back.
"Well, I'm on my way back to my office. Why do you need anything?" I responded to him. Theo, one of Gavin's business colleagues, who was also present at the meeting earlier.
"Well, I'd like to ask you to a cup of coffee. What are your thoughts?"
"Well, okay as I don't believe I can go back to the business right now," I remarked as I began to walk out of the building.
As we arrived at the local coffee shop, he ordered us some coffee and spoke with us for a while. I had no idea he was so willing to explain things for Gavin.
Theo advised me not to misinterpret Gavin's statements. He's only being cautious about everything he should do since his father would disown him if he made one mistake.
After the wedding was called off, his father instructed Gavin to locate the wedding invader and the kid, which was me with my falsehoods.
But when Gavin couldn't locate me, his father became enraged and told him he was a shame to his family.
I felt bad since there was no unborn kid, and Gavin was undoubtedly aware that I was lying at this point.
I remained quiet the whole time since I didn't know what to say and didn't want him to suspect anything. I had just listened to Theo speak about his friend's life, and I had no right to say anything.
I was the one who ruined him and was to blame. He was not the sort to forgive quickly and would make certain that I spent eternity in hell for what I had done to him.
Maybe I was fated to suffer my punishment now, and he was the one who would administer it to me.
GAVIN
"What have you been up to?" I asked Theo, who was both a buddy and a business colleague.
"I simply went to the coffee shop in the rear of the building with Shantelle," he said as he settled into a comfortable seat on the sofa.
"On a first-name basis now, huh? Are you two friends already or something?" I inquired once again.
"No, we simply spoke for a while. That's all. So, when are you going to accept her proposal?"
"So you're intrigued by her. Well, sorry to burst your bubble but I'm not going to take it," I remarked casually.
“What?” He yelled and rose from his seat.
"I didn't like it, therefore I'm not going to accept it."
"Are you sure? Not everyone agreed, but they want to think about it."
"I know exactly what you did. You made the suggestion in the first place. You even sent someone to their workplace to discuss it. So what happens next? Are you playing a joke on her? Don't tell me you still want to get your revenge?" He inquired, surprised.
"No, I simply wanted to play with her for a bit. Don't worry, it'll be my first and last."
Once I stated that, he said nothing. He was one of the few individuals who genuinely understood what had transpired in my life, so he just let me off the hook for what I did today.
Ordinarily, he would nudge me until I realized I was in the wrong, but he didn't this time. Maybe this was what they called pity.
That may seem cringe-worthy, but I would let fate determine our fate. I didn't believe I'd be able to stop myself from playing with her if we ever met again.
I was still unable to forgive her.
‘Shantelle Clarkson, you have to prepare yourself for the worst.’
ShantelleIt's been a week since my firm met with Gavin, but I've received no feedback. Every day, I had multiple meetings with various customers, but I never heard from Adams Enterprise.“That man, really.”I was irritated because I believed we were missing, which was why they stopped contacting us. Gavin was the first to reject our proposition, and he should be the last.I couldn't believe him; it was his idea, yet he dared to fully reject us. I really wished we hadn't agreed to offer our proposition to them."Hi ladies, how have you been?" It was Dani.I gave her a quick look before returning to what I was doing."How did your idea with Adams Enterprise work out? Did you reach an agreement?" she said, her eyes bright with joy.On the contrary, I stopped writing and vented my rage once again.Cara tapped Dani on the shoulder and said she shouldn't bring it up since it was irritating me when others questioned me about it."It's all right, Cara. She has a right to know," I explained
ShantelleI stroked the temples of my head to relieve the ache. I couldn't sleep since I'd been conducting a lot of study and testing for Mrs. Thompson. I knew I wasn't alone in this, but I wanted to do it first-hand.I've always been like this when I've had new customers or when the client expected me to manage everything on my own. Star Food has recently received a large number of appointments and bids as a result of our regular customers' recommendation. That is why we sought out extra researchers to assist us in catering to all of our clientele."Remember to eat on schedule and take breaks if you want to continue working. If you didn't, you may become ill again." Aunt Trina's worry was directed at me."Thank you, and I'm looking after myself. You should not be concerned. My doctor said that the cancer cells were fully eradicated. Thank you so much for all you've done for us." I kissed Auntie's cheeks and said my goodbyes.I went to my office and collected all of the documents I
GavinI instantly followed her as she turned her back on me. I couldn't help but feel furious with her, even though I noticed a glitter of tears in her eyes. I wanted her to pay for what she had done to me.I thought I'd forgotten everything that had occurred, but as I caught a sight of her, all the anguish I'd gone through surged back, and I was filled with wrath once again.Everything came apart when my beloved Loisa fled our wedding due of that woman. Loisa, like my father, had lost faith in me.…."Loisa! Let's speak about it. Everything is a misconception. I will never, ever cheat on you!" I yelled angrily outside their home."Loisa, please! Please give me a chance. We can go through this together!" I shouted it aloud, but it was her father who confronted me with a pistol."Bastard, get out of here before I murder you! What do you expect when you injure my daughter? To easily forgive you? That’s bullshit!" While pointing the pistol, her father informed me."Please, Dad! It was a
ShantelleGavin obstructed my path and refused to allow me return to my room. So there I was, being dragged to the bar by that dude. It was already late in the evening, so people continued arriving to this pub, and it grew more vibrant and crazy.I wore simply a thin blue dress since I never expected to be drawn by someone I didn't want to see.It was difficult to navigate the mob, and I had no idea where we were heading. My arm had already become red from Gavin's tight grip, as if he was afraid I would be out of sight, but it was real. ‘Fuck this guy! He’s really gone mad!’ I tried to move his hand away, but he wouldn't budge.When he realized it, he grabbed me and pushed me into him. He merely let go of my arm to hug my waist and murmur into my ear."Stop fighting, Ms. Clarkson, you can't get away from me anymore. Never, not even in your dreams. So bear with it!" I couldn't find myself against his words since his voice was so velvety.I've gone to a few bars. I got accustomed to
ShantelleI can’t believe he just did that. That was my, first kiss."How could you?" I shouted, putting my fingers to my mouth.I couldn't imagine it would be my first kiss with that man. I never saw me losing to Gavin. I was not the sort of person who would casually kiss someone, thus I had never been kissed since I didn't even have a partner.“What? That was only a kiss," he laughed as he look into my lips again."Since you are not my lover, you have no right to kiss me. Why in the world would you do that?" I couldn't stop cursing him."Oh, honey. Remember what you said before? We made love for, not only for a night, but more than enough that I couldn’t remember. That’s what you said when you interrupted my wedding, and you even want me to recall what occurred between us," he grinned."Maybe that kiss would help me remember how we made it, right? Did we do it twice or once? I'm sorry, I can't really recall," he added, delighted by our conversation."You already know it was a lie,
ShantelleThe next day, I awoke with puffy eyes and no recollection of when I stopped sobbing or went to sleep. My head hurt, but I had no option but to get up since we had a meeting. I wasn't here for a vacation; I was here to work.I was relieved to hear the clock strike twelve so I wouldn't be late. I stepped in front of the mirror to repair myself, but what drew my eye was the red and swelling kiss mark. I wished we hadn't crossed paths, and I wanted him out of my life.I didn't want to see him today or tomorrow because I didn't want to repeat what occurred last night. I would never agree with him again, no matter what.I sighed as I felt so frustrated.I didn't want to jeopardize my job, so I cleared my head and concentrated on my obligations today.I ate the food that was provided to my room; I didn't have an appetite since I was unwell, but I couldn't help myself. I took a warm bath and soaked for a few minutes. I needed to unwind and get rid of the ideas that were troubling
ShantelleOne of my teams had already polished the French cuisine dishes. So I tasked her with leading and cooking at a restaurant specialized in that style of cuisine. I didn't have to worry since she, too, was a chef, but I did pay her a visit now and again to make sure she was doing a good job of orienting them.Yet those days did not go as planned. Gavin would enter the kitchen and kiss me out of nowhere when he had time. I was relieved that no one had seen us, but I wasn't sure.I wasn't sure whether they were simply ignoring us since Gavin was a recognized Casanova with power, so they didn't bother us at all.I was stressed because of Gavin, not because of my job. He was too daring, caressing me whenever he pleased and kissing me no matter where we were.When Gavin invited me to cook for him a few days ago, I assumed it would be our last meeting. He didn't disturb me after he finished his meal since he needed to do something else.The next day, I didn't see him for the whole
ShantelleUpon waking up, I yawned and stretched my arms. When I glanced outside, it was still dark. I slept late last night just to finish all the revisions regarding the flavors of the dishes according to Mrs. Thompson's wishes. Fortunately, I had already finished revising it, and it was all ready. I'll just send it to Mrs. Thompson later for her to review.Striding over to the mirror, I glanced at myself and suddenly remembered what Irene asked yesterday."Are you in a relationship with Mr. Gavin?" It was more of a statement than a question. Irene witnessed the scene in the kitchen when Gavin suddenly kissed me.And apart from her, Gavin was also seen kissing me on the beach and most of the time in the central kitchen. Most of the staff and workers knew him well. What do I expect? He's Gavin Adams after all, a business partner and a relative of the Smith's.And because I became involved with him, I'm at a loss for words as to how I could explain myself to everyone and deny that