Page 29 of The Mastermind
As I headed back to La Luna, I checked my cell phone. No messages from Audri. Did she receive any more random texts from the prick? Did Grayson know about the texts? Probably not. She’d always wanted to handle everything herself, even when she was younger.
My evening plans had just changed with a plausible reason to stop by Audri’s home, even if it was just a short visit to see how she was doing. We were friends, and it was perfectly normal for friends to visit each other.
It was alsoperfectly normalfor the friend to cancel his scheduled conference to drop off food to a woman he had no right wanting.
Yeah, sure. It’s normal to make convenient excuses, Remington. That’s what cunning businessmen do. They twist things to suit their needs.
Curling my lips, I scolded my other self for trying to sway my decision. There was nothing wrong with shifting my schedule around for one evening. Hell, I deserved it. I certainly didn’t have to explain it to anyone.
The meeting wasn’t important, so I didn’t need to be present. They would send a copy of the recording to my inbox within hours of it ending. Besides, I’d already agreed to help Grayson.
Satisfied with my pep talk to myself, I hopped into the shower to wash off the sweat from the gym before heading over to Audri’s.
CHAPTERELEVEN
AUDRI
Normally,I reserved weekends for myself, but life was about making adjustments when necessary.
I hadn’t expected to put in extra hours for work on a Sunday, but I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to sign up a new client. With my new position, I had more creative flexibility and decision-making without jumping through hoops or waiting for approvals from various departments.
Since Remi took over the company, things had changed drastically. His business vision and model differed from the Lafayettes’. I could see why he was successful. He didn’t require several signatures from people who weren’t involved in a project to approve said project. That wasted time and energy. From what I observed, he gave people the opportunity to share their opinion and run with a project if he deemed it to be worthwhile. He could also be an ass, impatient with incompetent or lazy people who didn’t perform thorough research on their projects.
Yes, I had paid attention when he wandered the halls and attended meetings, even when he snuck into one of mine, tossing my stomach into a whirlwind of nerves. I had felt his presence but had given him no indication I saw him.
What had he thought about my speech to the new client? Why should I care about his opinion? Why should I care that he was my boss? Though I didn’t directly interact with him, he was my employer, more involved than any other CEO I’d worked for. If he started micromanaging me, I’d quit. I couldn’t work like that. I’d had enough terrible experiences to know my mental state would be safer elsewhere.
After sending off the marketing proposal to Organic Cosmetics, I took a half-hour for some yoga to clear my head. After a hot shower, I put on my ultrasoft cotton nightshirt that stopped just below my knees and headed to the living room. I turned on my essential oil diffuser, and the aroma of lavender, jasmine, and a hint of vanilla filled my home. Gathering my jewelry box, portfolio, journal, and pen, I plopped down on the rug.
Excitement thrilled me every time I worked on my jewelry collection, Epiphanii. Thanks to Kiera, I still needed more samples for the New York City Jewelry Exhibition and the charitable fashion show in August. I had a couple months to create more necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings. It was always better to have more than not enough.
Going through my portfolio, I looked at the exceptional photos Kiera had taken for me. Having worked in advertising for so long, it should be easy for me to create a marketing campaign for my own brand, but it was harder.
Removing a few samples from my jewelry box and images from the plastic sleeves of my portfolio, I laid them out on the floor, moving them around to create a storyboard. What did I want the world to know when they wore my necklace or earrings? What symbolism did I want to convey? Nothing came to me.
Iwastooclose to Epiphanii. It mattered too much to me. I needed to look at it objectively to come up with a motto or something I was happy with, which would take time.
I opened my journal and glanced at the few haikus I’d done for fun. They soothed and brought me to a place of contentment. I had stopped when the fiasco with Lawrence started.
My mind had been too cluttered lately. I had to wipe my mind clean if I wanted to be productive. Exhaling, I shook my body free of irrelevant things, then leaned against my sofa and, I imagined my mind like a blank piece of paper. The first image that appeared would be a starting point. The method had worked in the past.
I let my mind wander, and Remi’s face surfaced. I blinked, which usually made the image disappear, but he remained in my vision, at the center, growing larger and larger. I couldn’t stop it.
My doorbell rang and yanked me out of my trance.Who’s ringing my doorbell?I wasn’t expecting anyone. Friends usually called or texted before they came over. Could it be my neighbors, Henry and Mandy, the elderly couple who lived in the city because the quietness of rural life bored them? Mandy made the best spaghetti, though.
I ambled over to the door and looked through the peephole.
Why washehere?Clutching my chest, my heart performed a twirl without my consent.
How did Remi get into my building?
Nervousness set in as I glanced at myself in the mirror. I finger-combed my untamed hair and straightened my nightshirt, which wasn’t even wrinkled.Who cares if it is?
I was at home, not expecting company. He should’ve called or texted ahead of time if he wanted me presentable. Though Remi didn’t seem like the kind of guy to call ahead andaskfor permission. He just bulldozed in and did whatever he wanted, which was annoying.
The doorbell rang again, and I yanked it open. “Remi, what are you doing here? How did you get through the front desk security?”
Wearing a gray T-shirt with dark denim jeans, he looked casual, relaxed, and too perfect. I hadn’t seen him like this in a long time. At the moment, he didn’t look like my boss but more like a friend I’d known since my teens.