Less than four hours to rework something that had taken weeks to put together.Chelsea looked at Ellen.“What now?”
“Now you need to work some magic.”Ellen stood.“Let’s go.”
Chelsea followed her boss out of the room, the tension returning ten-fold.
She received the unspoken message loud and clear.
This was all on her.
Four hours later Chelsea watched the new ad and smiled, the tension of the morning finally dissipating.She’d done it.“You’re a genius, Kylie,” Chelsea said to the video editor who’d reworked one ad in record time.“I owe you big time.”
“Dinner’s on you next time I’m in town,” Kylie agreed and hung up.
Chelsea checked the time.Two minutes to midday.She saved the video to the folder along with the updated proposal outlining how to restructure the campaign without Aria.She rubbed her temple where an insistent throbbing had taken up residence three hours ago.
“Are you done?”Ellen walked into her cubicle.
She nodded, pressing print on the proposal.“I’ve redone one ad with a voice over by rock star, Kent Downer.”
Ellen’s eyebrows raised.“How did you arrange that?”
Chelsea smiled.“I have contacts.”It was good to remind Ellen she had value.Her boss didn’t need to know Kent had married one of her friends from primary school.She pressed play on the ad Kylie had reworked.
Kent’s Texan drawl was recognisable on the video and at the end he did a shot to camera standing in his living room wearing an Akubra hat, suitcase in tow as if he was about to embark on one of Tours Australia’s tours.The video quality was excellent.
“This is fantastic,” Ellen said.
Chelsea grinned as she fetched the proposal from the nearby printer.“We’ll need to arrange payment to Kent for his work.”Aria had never been a great representative of Australia, whereas Kent’s transformation from goth rocker to guy-next-door rock star after his secret identity had been revealed was perfect.
“How much?”
She named a very reasonable price.Kent hadn’t wanted any money, but she wasn’t letting her boss have him for free.“Is Vivian coming back here for the presentation?”
“Harold and I are taking it to her,” Ellen said.“Get some lunch and I’ll let you know how we get on when we return.”Ellen took the proposal and walked away.
Chelsea watched her go.She liked her boss, but Ellen was very career focused, and willing to blame mistakes on others rather than admit they were her own fault.
Chelsea lowered herself into her chair, enjoying being back in her space.She’d been excited about touring around Australia for the campaign, but then she’d had another project which had kept her in Melbourne for a month, and she hadn’t been at her desk for about six weeks.She watered her small pot plant.It was looking sad, its leaves wilted.
“Chelsea, I’m getting souvlaki for lunch,” Jo called from the cubicle next to hers.“Do you want one?”
“Yes, please.”She transferred money into Jo’s account.
“Crisis averted?”Jo asked in a murmur, coming to stand at her cubicle.
“I hope so.”She swallowed two headache tablets.Right now, all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep for twenty-four hours, but her inbox was already full of emails asking her to comment on Aria’s post, and she needed to update Toni on the progress.
Maybe Aria was right.Maybe it was time she did something else, something she had more control over.
She shook away the thought.She had a steady, well-paying job she enjoyed… most of the time, a tidy apartment and a good relationship with her family.She was grateful for what she had.It wasn’t right to wish for more.Life had taught her how hard it was when she didn’t have stability.
She wouldn’t risk her security on a whim.
With a sigh, she got to work.
“Chelsea, can you come into my office?”
Chelsea glanced up at Ellen’s voice and checked the time.She’d been working solidly for three hours.Ellen and Harold must have spent a lot of time smoothing the waters at Tours Australia.
