Helping Sarah

Chapter 34

Sarah

"Thank you, Mr Gillett. I really appreciate it." I held my hand to the smiling CMO of Zen Media, struggling to keep my own smile within bounds. If I let it free as I wanted to, I would only scare him away.

In truth, what I really wanted to do was to jump up and down and cheer and whoop with joy.

"It was our pleasure, Mrs Graves," he replied, gesturing back into the firm's conference room where we had just left Mo Malik and her agent with their heads together over my drawings. "We all love your vision for the goats. It's just what we were looking for."

I kept my feet still instead of doing a little jig and only inclined my head. I couldn't wait to tell Michael how well my presentation had gone and how excited Miss Malik was. Even though, I reminded myself, I didn't have the job quite yet. There was still the hurdle that was Michael Bradford.

"I'll see you out." Mr Gillett held his hand towards the corridor leading to the front of Zen Media's large building.

"Actually, would it be possible for me to see Lisa? I'd like to tell her how the presentation went." And maybe ask her why she was avoiding me.

"Of course. I'll show you to her office." He turned the other way and led me deeper into the building. "We can take the opportunity to see if Mr Bradford is, for once, in his office too. Maybe he can tell you his decision in person, then."

Mr Gillett chuckled, and I smiled politely. I would be happy not to meet Mr Bradford until he had seen my drawings, but I really wanted to see Lisa. She still wasn't answering my calls or replying to my texts, but surely she would want to know that the presentation had gone so well. It was, after all, her doing that I had even gotten this chance.

I smoothed down my dress and tugged the loose strands of hair behind my ears as the CMO led me past rows of cubicles and through a door into an empty office.

I recognized the coat on the hanger and the bag on the peg, but there was no sign of Lisa other than a steaming cup of coffee on the desk.

"For fuck's sake, Michael. You haven't told her yet?"

The exasperated voice of my friend came from the open door on the other side of the office, and I had to press my lips tight to not laugh out loud. Poor Mr Bradford, it sounded like Lisa was in the middle of giving her boss an earful.

Mr Gillett must have more than a passing acquaintance with Lisa's temper. He cleared his throat loudly as he hurried to the door. "Miss Graves," he stated, disapproval lacing his tone, "Mr Bradford. There's someone I'd like you to meet."

He waved me into the office.

I took a deep breath before I entered, but managed only a few steps in. My fingers almost let go of the portfolio case I was holding. My lips parted, but I couldn't say a word. I simply stared at the two people there; at Lisa standing before the massive desk in the middle of the room and the man sitting behind it. Michael. My Michael.

Both of them were staring at me with shock; Lisa's eyes huge and her mouth open, and Michael's face utterly ashen.

"Mrs Graves," Mr Gillett continued, oblivious to the heavy silence around him, "this is Michael Bradford, creator of GoatRace, and of course you know Miss Graves."

His voice sounded miles away, or maybe it was the boulder in my stomach that was weighing me down, that I was once again struggling to free myself from under. It made my blood rush so hard in my ears I could barely hear a thing.

Except for the piercing sound of a phone ringing.

I jolted, but it was Mr Gillett's. He stared at the screen and then gave a tight smile to Lisa. "I have to take this. Miss Graves, can I trust you to see Mrs Graves out when you're done?"