Part 1:
Ethan Sterling can't stop staring at the cute guy sitting in his history class. Chris Davis is tall, dark, and certainly the most handsome guy in any room. So when he starts to call Ethan a friend, Ethan has to decide if staring is enough.
...
Seeing the words on his computer screen blur together, Chris pulled off his blue light glasses, rubbing his eyes with a groan. Maybe he should start taking more breaks from his computer because the constant use was wearing on him. Although, it seemed to wear on him more in the weeks since he last saw Ethan.
Chris was ashamed to admit that before he confessed to Ethan, he felt confident. Their connection had been so strong all those years ago and as they grew closer again, it started to feel like they'd never broken up. Chris falsely assumed Ethan felt the same way. It was stupid and with his confession going terribly, Chris turned to his work as a crutch.
There was always something to do and never-ending assignments took his mind off of ending relationships. Chris leaned back into his chair with a sigh. He was supposed to use work to distract him from Ethan, not the other way around. Chris quickly glanced at the bottom corner of his screen, pleased to see the time.
"We're meeting in conference room 2 in fifteen minutes!" He announced, his cheeriness being noticed by some of his subordinates. He couldn't help it. This meeting would give him something more stimulating to do. Comparing possible ambassador choices was sure to take his mind off of things.
The next several minutes weren't filled with getting last-minute work done but wasting time until he it was appropriate to move into the meeting room. Chris was the first one to head over there with five minutes to spare and his employees naturally began to follow.
Jung-hae was the last to enter the room, the soft swish from the door and ensuing silence letting Chris know that the door had closed.
"Alright, so we previously talked about finding some young queer celebrities to be candidates for a new ambassador position," Chris began. He trifled through the folder in his hand not because there was anything he needed to look at but simply to seem busy. He raised his eyes, meeting the stare of several employees, and smiled. "So, what do you got?"
The team went around one by one, suggesting people to hire. The presentations were fairly informal, some people not even showing a photo of their person. After the third suggestion, Chris noticed with a bit of concern that every suggestion was a lesbian woman. No bi men or asexual women. Not even a single trans boy. Just lesbian women. Jung-hae had just finished presenting the fourth gay man when Chris raised a hand, bringing the focus of the room to him.
"I don't wish to imply that my opinion is the most important here, but I was hoping to see a trans person in the mix. They are underrepresented and having a trans man or woman would help puma stick out from our competitors."
Chris watched as the group exchanged glances, communicating among themselves and leaving him out of the loop.
"I think that a lot of us chose lesbian women based on the research," Jung-hae answered.
"What research?"
In hearing Chris's question, Jung-hae opened her tablet and pulled up a scholarly article before sliding the device to Chris.
"Reactions from focus groups show that lesbian women are the most liked by non-LGBTQIA+ people," She explained, others in the room nodding along in agreement. "Choosing a lesbian woman to be our ambassador would make advertising easier, and advertising is our job."
A few people relaxed into their seats, making Chris wonder how everyone had seen this but him. Was it naive of him to want to choose someone regardless of the poles, hoping to change society's perception instead of going along with it? Chris remembered Ethan's reaction when he told him he wanted to make a young trans Canadian their next ambassador. Ethan had been so happy for him, talking about how excited queer youth would be when they saw that person's face light up a billboard. But it would still be a queer ambassador. A woman. Surely Chris couldn't complain about that.
In the pause, while Chris grappled with his disappointment and stared silently at the words on the small screen, Jung-hae stepped into action. She stood up, her black slacks and pressed shirt gleaming under the fluorescent lights. Everyone, including Chris, was forced to look at her.
"We should focus our research on lesbian women to increase efficiency," She announced, hands pressed confidently into the table. She looked around the room, catching the eye of her peers with an intensity Chris didn't expect from her. "Does everyone agree?"
Reactions to her question seemed to be mixed. Chris could see the gears in their heads turning as they thought of all of the possible people they would have to ignore. Or maybe he was just making it up, wishing that he wasn't alone. Either way, Jung-hae got enough verbal agreement and she sat back down, a pleased smile on her face.
Chris wasn't going to disregard to consensus of his team. So, with a sigh, he agreed as well and called the meeting to an end.
"For those of you who didn't present today, make sure your suggestion falls under the new requirement and we will revisit this soon. Let's get back to work."
His team made quick work of exiting the conference room but Chris stayed glued to his seat, watching them leave. His chest grew tight, a familiar feeling of being overwhelmed settling in. It's like his mind couldn't focus, the innumerable pressures and responsibilities clouding his existence. Sitting up silently, he reached for his phone. He wanted to call Ethan: to see how he was doing, ask if he was busy, and talk about anything other than what it's like to lead a team in corporate North America. But Chris stalled while looking at the contact, remembering that they hadn't spoken since Ethan rejected him. They didn't talk anymore. And it was all his fault.
Chris stood up, taking his time as he tucked his chair back in and grabbed his folder. He paused the readjust his tie, dragging the smooth fabric right up to the base of his throat, and left the meeting room.
The show must go on.
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Okay, this chapter is extremely short. Giving very much 2016 Wattpad. But this is all part of the plan and the next chapter will (probably) make up for it. I don't know, I haven't written it yet.
Anywhy,
Leadership is hard guys! I'm sure all of you have experienced accidentally becoming the leader of a group project because no one else wants to step up but you don't want to be too controlling because you guys are all equals.
Clearly, this chapter is personal
Anywhore,
Check out my socials!
Vote, Comment, Share, Follow, or anything else you can do with this book and I will see you next Friday! Bye!!!
Check out my socials!
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Vote, Comment, Share, Follow, or anything else you can do with this book and I will see you next Friday! Bye!!!
