Alicia

I tried to not let Cameron's words mess with my head. I couldn't be working for the guy while wondering if he had the hots for me. Which I was pretty sure he did not.

One blessing about the whole situation was that I could scrap all of Patrick's awful ideas and actually present something that would actually better the company. Hopefully Mr. Evan's would think so too.

As I prepared yet another presentation, I prayed after this one I would actually be able to put my strategies into practice. I knew that I was good at what I did. I just needed someone else to see it too.

The week went by unreasonably fast and soon it was Thursday night. Now on Thursday's I attended TNBL, Thursday night bible league. It's when the young adult group gets together to have a bible study at Pastor Dave's house. I was extremely tempted to sit this one out. My big meeting was tomorrow and I had yet to sort out my feelings over the engagement with Olivia and Devon. But deep down I knew I needed to go. Being a Christian meant putting God first, even when I didn't feel like it. So with my work day over, I, begrudgingly, made my way over.

Pastor Dave rented a small house in a nearby suburb. Because let's face it, who could afford to buy in Toronto? It was situated on a quiet street that almost made you forget you were in a bustling city.

I knocked before entering though I could already hear voices inside. Everyone was crammed into the living room, chatting over chips and dip. Being one of the last to arrive, all the good spots were taken, so I sat down on a dining chair that had been pulled over.

Olivia and Devon sat together on the love seat (how fitting), while Liam and Jessica lounged in the armchairs. The space wasn't big enough to hold a three seater sofa.

"Where's Dave and Ashley?" Noticing they weren't anywhere on the main floor. Ashley was Dave's wife.

"They're just putting the kids to bed," Jessica answered. "They should be down shortly."

"No roomie tonight Alicia?" This came from Liam.

"No, she believes there's a dress code of having to look like an old granny to attend."

Liam laughed. "Well according to Jessica, that is the dress code."

"Hey!" Jessica tossed a throw pillow at Liam's head.

The two exchanged a few more throws at one another when Pastor Dave walked into the room. "Hey now, I thought this was my young adult group, not my teen titans."

"She started it," Liam pouted, pointing at Jessica.

Olivia snickered. "I don't think that's helping your case."

"Thanks mom," Liam said, throwing a pillow at her.

"Alright, alright," Pastor Dave placated, "Let's pull out our bibles and begin reading in Daniel where we left off. Devon, why don't you lead us?"

As we read through the passages and discussed their meaning, I found my mind drifting to work, worrying about the future of Hope Digital.

"Alicia," Dave pulled me from my thoughts. "You've been quiet tonight. Is something bothering you?"

I hesitated, wondering how much I should share. "Work is just a little crazy right now," I hedged. I really didn't want to get into the whole ordeal right then about possibly losing my company. Oh, and how I had to make a deal with basically a complete stranger to try and save it. Not exactly bible study material.

"Can we pray for you?" Pastor Dave pressed. "Looks like it's weighing heavy on you."

You had no idea. Yet a part of me didn't want to accept his prayer. Like I wasn't entirely sure if this was the path God would want me to take. But I couldn't see any other road that would save my company from going under. "Sure." Because to refuse would only raise more questions that I did not want to answer.

As I bowed my head while Pastor Dave prayed over me, I could feel tiny tinges of guilt press in on my consciousness. Thankfully the prayer was kept short and the focus taken off me as we went around the circle to listen to other prayer requests.

"Thanks for coming out tonight guys," Dave wrapped up. "Don't forget about the worship night in a few weeks. Liam, my main man, will be leading on guitar." The two men fist bump. "Feel free to stay for as long as you like and fellowship."

I immediately rose, knowing I needed to call it a night. "I gotta run. Got a big meeting first thing in the morning."

"Would you like a ride?" Jessica offered. "I have my parents' car tonight and should probably call it a night anyway. I have a full day of wedding dresses to alter."

Leaving the house together, I shot a grin over at Jessica. "I think it's so cool that you're a seamstress. It seems like such a lost art nowadays."

Jessica gave a small laugh. "Thanks, though I hope to be designing dresses one day, instead of just sewing them."

The night air felt cool on my skin and I couldn't help breathing in the earthy scent of the trees that lined the street. It was one thing I missed having in my area of the city.

Hopping into a white Honda Civic, Jess slowly pulled away from the curb and steered the car back towards the bustling downtown.

I sat enjoying the quiet ride, until Jessica asked out of the blue, "Are you sure you're okay Alicia? You don't seem like yourself lately."

I stiffened. "What do you mean?" Though I think I knew exactly what she meant.

"You're usually more bubbly. Ever since last Sunday, you've been...distant."

I hated to admit it but she was right. I couldn't bring myself to share that my company was failing. That I was a failure. So I brought up another topic not related to work. "I was a little thrown off by Olivia and Devon's engagement."

"Really? Why?"

"I don't really know to be honest." I glanced out the window, unable to look Jessica in the eye. "I mean, I'm almost thirty and still single. I think I feel guilty for wanting what they have, you know?" I thought about my sister Erica, who although was a couple of years older than me, was already married with two kids.

Jessica nodded in understanding. "I hear ya. I'm in the same boat. But we have to trust in God's timing right? We all have our own stories."

"I know, it just doesn't make it any easier."

"You obviously don't have a problem gaining a guy's attention." She sneaked a side glance at me. "Liam for example."

I groaned.

"What's wrong with Liam?"

"Nothing. He's just not the guy for me."

"I don't think he's got the memo."

I snorted in agreement. "There's definitely a barrier in communication somewhere."

Jessica smiled. "I don't remember ever having a girl to girl talk with you like this. It's nice."

"It is," I realized I meant it. It was nice sharing about Olivia and Devon. The burden felt lighter somehow.

The last few minutes go by in companionable silence and then we're pulling up to my apartment.

"Thanks for the ride Jess." I pulled at the door handle to let myself out when Jessica placed her hand on my arm to stop me.

"I know we haven't always been close friends but I want you to know Alicia that you can come talk to me about anything. I'm here for you."

Tears pricked my eyes at her words. It made me realize how alone I really was in the big city. "Thank you," I choked out. "That means a lot."

Giving me a reassuring smile, she patted my arm. "Now go show that client who's boss! Er, I mean show him how to advertise."

I couldn't help but laugh at her antics and it carried me all the way up to the 8th floor.

+++

Colin

I sat waiting in the boardroom for Alicia to arrive. I definitely did not want to meet in my office again. Things felt too close and personal last time, even with the blinds pulled up.

After our last meeting, I felt so restless that I could barely do my job. My mind was that distracted. This week was supposed to be a time of cementing my role as the new CEO. Patrick Kinesman had run things poorly, and that was being generous. I had kept on the original staff but I wasn't afraid to let anyone go that didn't come up to my standards.

But instead of whipping everyone into shape, I hid in my office attempting to work while trying not to think about her. Needless to say, I failed miserably. The amount of times someone walked by my office and had to stop to stare at the twenty origami creations on my desk has been reason enough to drive me mental.

I started doing origami a few years ago as a de-stressing technique. There's just something about folding straight and exact lines to make a creation that brings a peace of mind that I can't explain. It reminded me a little bit of coding which was maybe why I enjoyed it so much.

I kind of wished I had a square piece of paper with me right now while I waited for the meeting to begin. I kept doing sideways looks at the elevator, expecting them to open at any moment.

Peeking at my watch (for the umpteenth time), I saw that we weren't scheduled to start for another five minutes. Maybe I should put a pot of coffee on. Did she even drink coffee? Knowing Alicia, she probably only drank those fat-free lattes from Starbucks.

I let out an audible sigh. I was being a doltz. I didn't know how to act around Alicia in high school and I still don't know now. Could I be any more pathetic?

The sound of clicking heels caught my attention and as I glanced up there was Alicia strutting through the office like she belonged there. She was dressed a tad more relaxed this time as she had foregone the blazer and opted instead for a long sleeved pink blouse and black slacks. How she balanced on those three inch heels I'll never know.

Her eyes collided with mine through the windows and without missing a beat, she changed course and headed towards the door. I made sure my face showed no emotion as she entered and I gave only a slight nod in greeting. She returned the gesture then immediately went to the whiteboard to set up her laptop.

As everything began to turn on, Alicia turned to me. "I wanted to thank you Mr. Evans for this opportunity. My goal at the end of this presentation is to solidify your opinion as to why my services should be an essential part of your company's plan for success."

I wanted to snicker at her little speech but she had already turned back to her powerpoint. The words "Hope Digital" flashed on the whiteboard. Is that the name of her marketing firm? I was expecting something more...flashy from Alicia. And why hope?

Before I could ponder these things further, Alicia dove right in and began explaining what her company's expertise were. When she got to the part about utilizing social media, my eyeballs almost rolled into the back of my head. I loathed social media and believed it had absolutely nothing of value to add to our society.

I was about ready to end our meeting right then and there. But then Alicia started to go into her specific strategies for CyberSecure. It was obvious she had done her homework. She knew exactly who the target audience was, as well as the type of markets we catered to.

The last slide read "Thanks for listening!". Alicia clasped her hands in front of her and simply stood there.

I stared back, trying to sort out who this Alicia was standing in front of me. She was different in some ways but in others it was like the last ten years had never happened. One thing I was sure of, I did not trust her.

"Not bad," I said, gaining me a smile. "But if I'm going to hire you, I will want to make a few changes."

"That's understandable. As long as they don't alter the overall structure, I should be able to accommodate that."

"Even if it means scraping social media?"

Her face instantly fell. "Why would you want to remove a tool that can potentially connect you with thousands of clients worldwide?"

"It's overrated," I deadpanned. "And pathetic that people need to feel affirmed through other people's approval."

Jutting out her hip, Alicia placed her hand on it. I remember this was the same stance and look of disapproval she had given me the last time. "You're going to let personal reasons get in the way of bettering your company? I would say that was a poor business choice."

I shot her a dark scowl. How dare she tell me how to run my company! I continued to fume at her while she continued to stand there, totally unfazed by my glare.

A part of me wanted to walk away from this deal and never see Alicia again. I didn't care how advantageous this would be for CyberSecure. It was doing just fine before she showed up on my doorstep.

"Mr. Evans, if you want CyberSecure to grow past the city limits and enter the farthest reaches of the world, then people have to know you exist. Social media instantly connects you to those people."

I scrutinized her for a moment. "What makes you think I want to take this company worldwide?"

A knowing grin spread across Alicia's face. "I know ambition when I see it. There's no way you're content with just dominating the Toronto market. With what you've already accomplished at your age, you plan on going all the way."

My eyes narrowed at her annoyingly accurate perception. Maybe she wasn't a complete ditz from before but that didn't mean I was just going to allow her to waltz in here and make changes to her heart's content. If I was going to go through with this, I needed her underfoot at all times. "I'll allow social media. But all posts have to be approved by me first before going online."

"Done."

"The second contingency is non-negotiable."

I could see Alicia's shoulders tense at my words. Good, it was nice to see her a little off balance. "For the next thirty days that you're on trial, I want you to conduct your work here instead of in your own office."

I could see her mind working overtime as she considered my condition. I knew it was crazy for even suggesting such a scheme. But if Alicia was going to have access to my company, then I wanted to be able to keep an eye on her every move.

"Okay," she finally said. "It might make my job easier anyway."

"Then I guess we have a deal." My heart was doing palpitations at the thought of going through with this. The way I saw it, Alicia needed my help all those years ago. Now she was returning the favor.

Alicia pulled out a contract for me to sign. I go over every single word, making sure that there are no hidden surprises. I think about writing in a clause about her having to work here for thirty days but I know I held the power in this transaction. If anything was not to my satisfaction, I would pull the plug.

Seeing that everything was in order, I signed my name in full at the bottom.

Picking it up, Alicia grinned. "I think you'll find this arrangement will be very beneficial for the both of us." Her eyes moved down to read my signature and I realized my mistake.

"Colin Evans," she read. Alicia's face suddenly looked confused and her eyebrows furrowed together into a hard line. "Colin..." she said again. And then her eyes moved back up to meet mine. And I knew that she now knew too.