Karina
Today, Kareem was giving a speech at The Connaught Hotel in London. Many high-profile business owners either stayed at The Connaught or hosted their meetings and events there. There were over two hundred guests in the building waiting to hear him speak, but none were more excited than I was.
Kareem had practiced his speech on me yesterday as soon as we landed, and I wasn’t showing favoritism when I said it was the best speech I’d heard in a long time. It lasted about thirty to forty-five minutes and covered everything from the idea behind his business to what it took him to get to where he was today. He even touched on what he saw for his company in the future.
People from all over the world were coming to hear what was next for him and K&K Solutions. Among the crowd was the security firm looking to hopefully finalize its deal with Kareem. Sitting in the front were a few of the top Army generals representing the soldiers who would use Kareem’s inventions if the deal were closed.
On the right side of the building were the tech giants, and I could tell who they were from the aura they gave off. It was something about people in tech that gave meI’m better than youvibes, which is why I steered clear of them.
Kareem and I had basically gone our separate ways as soon as we walked into the building. We had our individual assignments, so as much as I wanted to be under him, I couldn’t. Not long after we walked in, Kareem was shuffled away by men in suits who were there to get him ready for his speech.
“We have to get you to wardrobe.” One of the men pointed in the direction he wanted Kareem to go.
I could see the excitement in his eyes when he turned back to blow me a kiss. He was happy to be finally sharing the next phase of his business with the world, and I was happy for him.
As they walked, another guy scanned the surrounding area. I figured he was probably looking for threats. The thought of someone wanting to hurt Kareem because of his products never crossed my mind but seeing that guy trail him made it real.
So many people filed in one after another until the seats in the room were completely taken. The only seat available was one next to where Kareem would be seated, and it had my name on it. The seat was right in my face, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to sit down much.
Kareem was still backstage, but I was already kicking it into high gear. We had ten minutes before the event started, so I went to check on the media team. I was to live-stream the entire event because I knew Kareem’s speech would draw a lot of eyes to his brand.
“Welcome, welcome. We are so excited to have you all here with us tonight. I hope you are enjoying your stay in London.” The host was English, and his accent was thick. He put me in the mind of Idris Elba but even more handsome.
The crowd was welcoming as he gave them an overview of what to expect for the night, then announced that Kareem Sheffield, owner and visionary behind K&K Solutions, would take the stage.
I started on the left side, taking photos of everyone in attendance. I wanted a clear shot from the front of the room so I could see real, live reactions to what Kareem was saying. Getting a front shot of the crowd would give whoever reads the article a clear view of just how packed this event was.
I wanted it to be clear from the photos that individuals from all over the world were flying to see Kareem speak. I made sure I got a shot of him that included the crowd so they could see him talking, his hand movements, and how engaged the crowd was. All of this was important in making sure we get the message across.
I made sure I got a lot of closeup shots of Kareem. He looked so delicious through my lens. I couldn’t wait until today was done, and I could get him all to myself.
Everything about the event was perfect. I could see people clapping all over the room after listening to Kareem’s speech. I could hear murmurs of how much of a genius he was, and I couldn’t agree more.
Everyone in The Connaught Hotel seemed to be obsessed with Kareem until I stumbled upon some people who weren’t. The one I knew as Bill from the last board meeting was whispering to another guy I didn’t recognize.
“Mr. Sheffield is an idiot.”
“Yeah, if he doesn’t close this deal. I hate to see what this company will fall to in the future.”
They probably thought no one could hear them since they were off in a corner by themselves, speaking in hushed tones. Clearly, they weren’t aware that it was my job to cover every inch of this room. Their ignorance allowed me to eavesdrop andhear exactly how they felt about the man putting money in their pockets.
“This is a rookie mistake. An experienced businessman would never even put himself in this position.”
“Well, clearly, he’s not an experienced businessman. He’s a soldier, and that side of him is showing more than the logical side.”
“Mr. Sheffield is a dummy if I ever saw one.”
“Man, who are you telling? Who’s going to let this kind of money walk away without them securing the deal?”
“It’s clear he doesn’t know what he’s doing. He’s basically leading us to the poorhouse.”
“Yeah, we should probably walk away while we still can.”
“There are so many startups right now. I’m sure we can find a safe place to land.”
I’d heard enough. These men had gone from talking about how inexperienced Kareem was to how they were ready to jump ship. The type of man Kareem was, he didn’t deserve this kind of disloyalty around him. If I had to be the one to curse them out and have them removed from this event, then so be it.
“Who are you two to say what Kareem Sheffield would do? If it weren’t for Kareem Sheffield, then neither one of you guys would have a job right now. He is the man with the plan. Mr. Sheffield is the brains behind the entire operation, not you. He has sole authority to decide which deals are best for K&K Solutions. Nobody knows what’s best for the company better than its owner, and since that’s not you, I suggest you shut your mouth.”
