Where my Heart Lies

Sit still, look pretty.

"Ah!" Jessica let out a little whimper as her feet tripped when she had hardly taken one step inside the meeting room, thanks to her choice of shoes. Her face turned red at the thought of falling face flat in front of the same people she had to prove her ability to run the company. 

"Good morning, gentlemen." Liam, on the other hand, sounded like he owned the room, which he did, in the face of Jessica. He had managed to steady her and gather all attention on him somehow, with such ease and flow, one could say he was honey with the consistency of water. For a moment, Jessica looked up at him, appreciating the aura he spread in the place. It was unlike the one he had when he was with her. She had seen him on calls, and media, appearing all magnanimous and stately, but to see him there was like never before. She looked at him like a refugee would look at their savior. She was in awe, and it took some whack to return her thoughts to her body. She noticed the men had all rose up from their seats.

The room had a central table arranged in a rectangular shape, with smooth, round edges. The side at the entrance had a single chair, waiting to be occupied by the one who owns the spot. Jessica was determined to not even look at that spot for herself. The only other spot was at one of the longer sides of the table, left to the mighty chair. She had set her eyes on that. 

"Mr. Anderson." A man from the far-off seats nodded his head in acknowledgement. His eyes then shifted onto Jessica. "Ms. Adams."

Jessica nodded back. She tried moving towards her target to place her hips on, but Liam was quicker to move and stood right next to the place she had mentally reserved for herself.

"Great! Why didn't we discuss this before!? Is it getting awkward?"

Mr. Williams adjusted the chair for her as she sat down and scanned the room for a split second, then nervously looked down at her lap, her hands all sweaty, and mental reminder of the faces that were anticipating her speech. 

"Go ahead. Speak something. It will be fine." She told herself. "We'd all die at the end. It doesn't matter if you embarrass yourself being the newbie that you are!"

But she had done her research and came prepared. Her academics were something, and that was the only quality she gave herself full credits for.

She looked straight ahead, smiled at everyone present in the room, who had their heads and eyes all turned to her

 and spoke the very first words in the past fifteen minutes, the ones that she was really sure of.

"A pleasant morning to all." She came out softer than she had expected. But this was the last time, since her voice only grew firmer and bolder with each word. "I'd take this chance to formally introduce myself, expecting people to at least know my name", she added, trying to add humor to her words. "I am Jessica Adams, a fresh college graduate who has been entrusted with the responsibility of leading this organization further ahead in times to come, towards new milestones, growth and achievements, not without the due assistance of others who are a part, by Mr. McCallum himself. And I would spare no effort to prove my capabilities at par with the position I hold. Of course, it required mutually-coordinated efforts from all of us. I hope we can all grow together, as a company, and even as individuals, while on this journey."

Her words were followed by a few seconds of obligatory applause.

"Likewise, Ms. Adams." The youngest looking man amongst the board members replied with a genuine smile. Jessica's eyes fell on the place card in front of him that read Jason Smith. She had read about the board members as part of her reading about the company but found the faces she saw in person were rather different from the ones in the virtual way.