Katie Turner, a successful businesswoman in Los Angeles, becomes gravely ill from her cystic fibrosis and is forced to leave in order to regain her health. While her friends maintain the work back home, Katie ends up in the small town of Paducah, lo...
The morning alarm blared loudly in Katie's ears, and she launched up from the bed with a start.
It's time, she thought with slight panic.
She darted around the house at the speed of light, combing her black hair and applying makeup at the same time.
Her phone was pinging with tons of messages, no doubt from her best friend and boss, Emily and Leah.
Usually, Katie would have answered, but she was in too much of a rush to answer them, so she silenced her phone and put it in her pocket.
Since her house was fifteen minutes away from the Forever 21 headquarters, Katie decided to skip breakfast in order to get there on time, and she closed the front door so hard that she thought she had accidentally torn it off of its hinges.
She glanced over her shoulder to make sure everything was in place, and she breathed a sigh of relief at her unharmed door.
Slow down before you hurt yourself! a little voice yelled in her head. This isn't good for your lungs.
Katie chose to ignore the thought and hopped into her 2022 Toyota Avalon, igniting the engine before she had even closed the car door.
The radio came to life, instantly blasting Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" into the small space.
Katie was a fan, but she didn't have time to jam out to her favorite singer, so she shut it off and continued on without any distractions.
Luckily, the traffic wasn't terrible since it was around eight in the morning, so she calmed down the slightest bit and relaxed her grip on the steering wheel.
Today's going to be great, she assured herself. You've got this.
Eventually, Katie made it to the headquarters with three minutes to spare, and when she stepped out of her car, she felt confident and ready.
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Just as she started towards the entrance, a voice called out, "Katie! Wait up!"
Katie turned around and saw her long-time friend, Emily, running toward her.
She smiled and embraced Emily once she was close enough, squeezing her tightly in her thin arms.
When she pulled back, Katie said, "It's good to see you. I'm going to need the support."
"Of course," she patted her shoulder. "I'll always have your back."
The two women then proceeded forward and walked inside to the usual bustling atmosphere.
Mannequins stood tall by the entrance, displaying the most current fashion designs that were days away from being released to the public.
Katie was so proud of how far they had come as a business, and she knew that today would be special.
She and Emily's high heels clapped against the floor as they both rushed up the stairs to the second floor, where their boss awaited them.
Once they reached the meeting room, Leah was sitting at the head of the long desk, patiently waiting for her two main assistants.
When she spotted them, she smiled warmly and said, "Right on time, ladies. I really don't know how you manage to do it."
"Careful planning, Leah," Katie smirked. "I always have a schedule."
"That seems about right," Emily poked her teasingly. "I remember how you had to eat your lunch in exactly ten minutes so that you could go read in the library afterwards."
Leah playfully raised her eyebrow and tilted her head.
"Was this in school?"
"Yep," Emily nodded with a chuckle. "She was quite a handful."
Katie rolled her eyes.
"Can we just get on with the business part, please?"
"Alright, fine," Leah sighed dramatically. "But when lunch comes around, I want to hear more about your tight schedules."
Emily held back a laugh as Katie shook her head with disbelief and sat down, her face taking on a professional look.
"I believe you will be quite happy with the progress we've made, Mrs. Rose," she began. "Our sales have gone up fifty-percent since 2022. The ending of the pandemic has definitely helped with that."
"That's great to hear," Leah replied, her tone enthusiastic. "Thank God that blasted pandemic is over. Everybody can finally start living again."
"I agree," Emily chimed in. "It's obvious that people are noticing our products, and Katie and I believe this is a very good sign for the business."
"Good, good," she muttered with a nod.
Then, after a moment, Leah asked, "Ms. Collins, may I speak with you alone for a moment?"
Katie looked over to Emily for approval, and her friend smiled in response.
"I'll be right outside if you need me."
She then got up and exited out of the room, giving the two some space.
Leah turned her attention over to Katie and said, "I am very proud of you and Emily's work, my dear."
"Thank you," she smiled gratefully. "It's been a rough few years, but I know that Forever 21 will come back and be stronger than ever."
"And that's the spirt I love about you," Leah pointed at her. "No matter how many obstacles you go through, you are always the most positive person in the room, same for Emily. It's good to have people like you in this business."
Katie nodded her thanks and glanced somewhat shyly at her hands.
She was a confident woman, but she still struggled to accept the compliments that were given to her so often, and she wanted to get over that hurdle, fast.
She was knocked out of her thoughts when her boss suddenly asked, "How would you feel about a promotion?"
Katie's head instantly snapped up, and her eyes slightly widened.
"A...a promotion?"
"Yes," Leah smiled. "I believe you have earned the position of CEO for this company."
The young woman's heart sped up wildly in her chest, and she had to pause in order to process what had just been said.
The CEO of Forever 21?
Me?
After a moment that felt like hours, Katie quietly asked, "You want me to take your place? As CEO?"
Her boss smirked at her reaction and nodded.
"You are a strong, lovely woman that could easily guide the staff members here. To me, you are the perfect leader, and I'm sure everyone else would agree."
Katie tried to say something back, but nothing came out, leaving her with a stupid expression on her face.
Leah chuckled and stood up, smoothing her white dress.
"You don't have to make a decision right now, darling. Take all the time you need to figure this out."
Katie stood up as well, albeit hazily, and reached out to shake the older woman's hand.
"It might be awhile," she laughed nervously. "This is a lot to process."
"I know it is," Leah patted her shoulder. "That's why I'm giving you time to think on it."
"I appreciate it," she nodded as they walked over to the closed door. "It's an honor that you think of me so highly."
