Chapter 1
MAYA
“Cecil doesn’t look happy.I hope you didn’t mess up.”Katherine, my devil-in-a-corporate-suit boss snaps at me in a voice that I’m all too familiar with.
Her gaze bounces from Cecil, who is across the room from us, gaping at his laptop screen and jabbing the keyboard ferociously.
I look around, wondering where Tom is, but Katherine glares at me with her beady venomous eyes.
We cannot have Stella’s Chief Operating Officer frowning.
Stella is one of New York’s most discreet fashion houses.It’s a global, luxury brand, best known for its handbags and leather goods, and tonight we’re hosting an exclusive event for our VIP guests—celebrities and many of the big buyers.It’s a big night for us and the pressure is on.Everyone is on edge.Sparks are flying, and there’s a buzz of excitement whizzing around backstage.
“Don’t just stand there.Fix it!” Katherine snaps.
“I’ll take care of it,” I say, quickly putting away the event binder and printed slide deck I brought along with me, just in case the tech fails.I always come prepared, and my desk is a chaotic jigsaw of items I might need.
Katherine looks like her head’s about to pop and fly off her tiny shoulders.I brace myself, because it feels like she’s about to lash out at me, like a snake.But she won’t.Not here, in our temporary office just behind the stage.She’s far too professional to make a scene.
She has a snow-white bob, dark, arched eyebrows, and a flawless complexion, and a gorgeous figure.No one would think she’s about to turn fifty, but she’s acutely aware of this fact and it seems to haunt her, as far as I can tell, from the odd phone conversation I’ve overheard.I can’t tell if she’s talking to a therapist, or a dating agency consultant.
Her Botox-smoothed expression makes her face unreadable, and I can never guess, just from looking at her, what she’s feeling or thinking.But sixteen months of being her junior marketing assistant has given me a sixth sense.I can often sense the riot of emotions fizzing through that sharp mind of hers.
“I was under the impression that you had checked everything.”
“I did,” I answer calmly.I checked everything numerous times.
“Hurry up!”
“I’m going.”I refuse to quake in my shoes the way others do.I’ll go over and take a look, and fix whatever the problem might be.I’m used to being the glue here.The person who holds all the chaos and madness together, even though I didn’t join Stella for that reason.I joined as a Junior Marketing Assistant, working under Katherine Potts, the Global Director of Marketing & Communications.But I’ve ended up doing more than my job description required.I’m not just doing the marketing, I’m handling the PR & Communications as and when Katherine sees fit.
The real PR coordinator left from burnout, and the company “temporarily” merged roles.I’m the walking embodiment of that merged role, and though I’m getting burned out, and disillusioned, as well as feeling frustrated and bitter, I can’t say anything, because this job pays well enough to keep me afloat.It allows me to also help my mom.She’s worked hard jobs for many years; she was once a housekeeper to a filthy rich family who didn’t deserve her, and since then she’s done various cleaning and service jobs, all of which are taking a toll on her health.She refuses to give up work, boasting that she’s still young—she’s only a few years older than my boss—but she’s had an extremely hard life.I want her to stop working and enjoy her life, for a change.
Katherine suddenly softens, and her gaze falls somewhere behind my shoulder.Without even turning my head, I know Cecil is approaching.He’s the only one who has that effect on her.She sucks up big-time to him.Though he’s her boss, he’s not cut from the same cloth as Katherine.He’s not cruel, or dismissive.On the contrary, he’s polite and thoughtful, but sometimes, I can’t help but wonder if he’s in the wrong job, the wrong environment.
The fashion world is cutthroat—which is why Katherine seems so at home here.Cecil, not so much.
He’s what I’d call an old-school gentleman.In his late sixties, immaculately dressed, and approachable and kind, Cecil is all the things that Katherine isn’t, but I have a feeling, call it a hunch, that he hasn’t done much to elevate Stella since he joined a year ago.I remember it clearly because my colleagues were saying that he would help take Stella to another level.But from what I see, nothing has changed.
“He’s coming over,” Katherine says, fake smile in place.
Tonight’s event is taking place in the ballroom of the Plaza hotel.No expense has been spared.We have the best caviar and the best champagne; everything that the rich and gilded elite would expect.
And it’s about to start very soon.
“Ladies.There’s a problem with the presentation.The slides have a mind of their own.They’re moving too fast.”Cecil smiles warmly at us both, looking completely unfazed.“I can’t find Tom anywhere,” he says, voice neutral, no hint of annoyance that his IT guy is nowhere to be seen.
“Don’t worry, Cecil.Maya will have a look.”Katherine’s glacial expression has completely melted and she nods at me, straight white bob bouncing above her shoulders.
“Could you?”
The word dangles in the air.Lately, she’s suspected a hint of subordination in me.I feel as though I’ve lost some of my sparkle and bounce, the things I had in abundance when I first joined back when I wanted to shine.I wanted to impress, and I worked all the hours, and weekends, holding the fort when she jetted off to shows around the world.I stayed behind even though, for many of those events, I was supposed to go with her.
Its taken a while, but I see now that I can’t impress Katherine.
“I’ll fix it.”I offer a reassuring smile to Cecil.“I wonder where Tom is?”I murmur loud enough for them both to hear.Tom is the one who should be here, doing his job.He only has one duty tonight and that’s to make sure that Cecil’s laptop is working correctly.
“You don’t have long.Ten minutes.”Katherine’s smile is unrecognizable because I see it so rarely, but she’s playing the kind, considerate and helpful boss in front of her boss.
