Garcìa

chapter 8

A year has passed since Valentina started meeting with old clients. She had come to learn that people were quite willing once they saw who she was. She had also learned that they stepped away because her uncle was having trouble controlling the company because of all the grief. Which she completely understood. She had even more determination to get back the clients.

Her grandparents had been welcoming her home every time with big smiles and piles of food. Maybe a bit exaggerated but still a lot of food in Valentina's eyes. They also took care of Benji when she wasn't there. He had taken quite a liking to her grandparents, for which she was very grateful. He would come rushing to the front door every time she came home. Wagging his tail, tongue dangling out of his mouth and barking at her happily.

She had a list of 16 clients in total. She would need time in between every client which is why she decided to spread them out over a few years. She would meet up with four of them each year. After four years, she would finally be able to go home. That's ten clients away. Which is two and a half year.

She was currently on her way to the United Kingdom to meet with one of the clients. The tricky part about her clients was that she would need to meet the last six in the United States. It worried her but she wouldn't let anything ruin her (and Rafael's) plan.

She had been to the United Kingdom with her parents. They went there as a holiday but her parents met up with potential clients. The very clients she will meet with today to get them to go back to the company.

She had gotten better at approaching the clients and held more confidence in her step. Curtesy to her reeling in clients but also some help from Rafael. Who had stopped by her grandparents house a few times when he was in Spain for business. But he always insisted on coming over when her grandparents were gone. He had told her he didn't feel very comfortable yet, meeting them. She had nodded and let him be.

She was standing in front of one of the many big buildings in the city of London. She remembered small things from her little holiday with her parents. She saw a park nearby with people walking through it dressed for business. But she also saw families who probably had a day off. She found the contrast between the two worlds quite charming.

She took a deep breath before stepping into the building. The lobby was filled with business people, all looking the part. The front desk had three people behind it. One man and two women. They were animately chatting with each other, oblivious to their surroundings. It made a smile appear on her face, seeing workers get along so well.

She made her way over to the front desk so she could go up to meet Mr. Osborn. When she stood in front of the front desk, the three workers were still talking with each other. Not noticing Valentina at all. She didn't get frustrated but she was getting worried she might be late to her appointment.

"Excuse me." she called out to the three people.

They abruptly stopped talking before going back to their respective places behind the front desk. Smiles wiped off their faces. Valentina didn't like the development. But she shrugged it off and stood straight with her head held high.

"I have an appointment with Mr. Osborn under the name Ms. VI." Valentina said to the blond woman in front of her.

"I'll see what I can find." the woman replied, a bored expression on her face.

The woman typed away on the keyboard and Valentina didn't believe that it could possibly take this long. Now, she did start getting frustrated. They were supposed to be the welcoming view for the visitors of this building.

"Found it. Sixth floor, grey door to the left." the woman boringly told Valentina.

"I think you should start treating guests with respect. You are the first face they see when they step into the building. You should give them the idea that this company is successful and a bright smile will ensure that outlook. You can chat when there's no one in front of you. Thank you." Valentina said before swiping the card off the front desk and making her way to the elevator.

She had been getting better at standing up for herself over the past year. Mostly because she had to interact with the business world and realised that it's eat or be eaten. And as any normal person, she chose to eat.

The meeting with Mr. Osborn went quite well. He was a bit reluctant at first to sign the NDA. But she had convinced him with the promise of a feature in a line with Garcìa Jewellery, just like she had to the other clients. He then agreed to sign and she could reveal her identity. At first, he didn't believe her. But she showed evidence that it was really her and he accepted the truth. They talked a bit about the contract before she was on her way back to her car. The moment she sat down, her phone rang.

"Hello, how you holding up buddy?" she teased through the phone. She already knew who it was.

"Can you stop the stupid nickname?" Rafael's rough voice came through the phone.

"Hm, what about Raffy?" she said with a snicker.

"Absolutely not."

"Fael?"

"No."

"How about... Raffa?"

"No!"

"Oh I know! Raf!" she said with enthusiasm and humour.

"Oh god. At least it isn't as bad as the rest."

"So, you admit you like the nickname." she stated.

"I did no such thing."

"You kind of did when you said it isn't as bad as the rest."

"You're insufferable."

"Ahw thanks, you're really nice too." she said with sarcasm.

"How did it go?" he asked her.

"It went great. He signed both the NDA and the contract."

"I still don't know how you're going to convince your company to make 16 different lines with clients."

"They won't make 16. It'll be one line in which the clients can all make one item. Which leaves four items to design ourselves." she explained to him.

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh. Don't underestimate me mister." she teased.

"Oh, I could never." he said sarcastically.

"I take back when I said you were nice. You're not."

"You can't take something like that back."

"Sure I can. Listen, it was really... interesting conversing with you but I have to go back to my hotel and fly back in the morning. So, I'm going to hang up now." she said and he grumbled out a 'bye' before they hang up.