Friday morning we all met in the boardroom, Al Greenly, the head of the sales department, showed everyone the stroller add that was being used in the magazine. Charles glared at me. “That's the park that you mentioned, the one that would be better for the client,” Charles grumbled, a little louder then I would have wanted.
“April does things a little different around here, but she always has our client's best interest at heart,” Al laughed. I smiled at him; we have always gotten along, since the first day we met.
Charles leaned in and whispered, “Oh, I see how this works.” I wanted to ask what he meant by that, but I didn’t want to spend another moment sitting so close to him. I shimmy my seat closer to Anna, the receptionist.
The meeting went well, each department gave their input and we all took notes. It was afterwards that angered me most. Charles explained how I should be a model to Al, while he handed him a folder with pictures of me.
Al smiled and asked, “How did you get her to agree? We've asked April many times and she clearly has no interest in being in front of the camera.”
I marched over and looked at the photos in Al’s hand, and then I glared at Charles. “If I have any interest in being a model, then I would have pursued it on my own accord! Now I suggest you destroy those,” I growled and I pointed to the pictures.
“I don't think so,” Charles mumbled.
I stormed out! I wanted to hit him. “Charles, you share a studio with her, you may want to stay on her good side,” Al whispered in a low tone. I don't know what or even if Charles had replied. I was already halfway up the stairs, and I was too angry to care.
Charles came upstairs just as I was leaving for lunch. I needed fresh air, and had to calm down; it was for his benefit and not mine. I was going to review his work, and I wanted a clear, nonbiased opinion. I had my purse in hand, and was just about to leave when he walked in.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“Lunch!” I snapped.
“Great, can I join you?”
I shook my head. “No, but I'll be back in an hour to review your work,” I grumbled.
“April, do you already have lunch plans? I don't, and would like to join you.”
I stopped and sighed. “Look Charles, I'm a little upset and it would be best that I cleared my head before your review. You’re the reason that I'm upset, I don't think having lunch together will help either of us. I'll see you in an hour,” I muttered. He nodded, or at least I think he did. I stormed out hoping that he understood that this was personal, and I didn't want it to affect our professionalism. I walked over to the sandwich shop down the street ordered a salad and a large apple juice. I sat down at a table and started to read the paper that was left behind.
“Can I join you?” a deep voice asked.
I looked up and it was Brad. “Okay,” I said with a shrug.
He sat across from me and smiled. I couldn't help but smile back, his smile was cute. “I wanted to apologize for the other day. I thought that you were a flunky of his; you know… a model that was following a new photographer around. I couldn't understand why you were down there with him, I recognized you from the pictures I had developed earlier for him, and I wasn't sure if he was showing off or trying to get away from you. Although I don't know why he would want to get away form you,” he said with a light chuckle.
I nodded. “Now I understand, I had no idea that he took all those pictures of me,”
He gave me a surprise look. “What do you mean?” he asked.
