“That’s not the point, Elena.” For some reason he’s upset. “If you had no plans of going, why did you even offer to go in the first place?”
“Because,”I groan, frustrated that my plan did not go as intended. “I thought Brennan was going to be there,” I admit.
Suddenly Gavin stops in his tracks. I glance over, expecting him to be mad, but he’s not. Somehow Gavin finds this funny.
“So that’s what this is about.” He makes a show of leaning his head back and laughing theatrically.
“What?” I say, irritated.
“El, and I mean this in the nicest way possible—”
“Doubt that.”
“—in what world do you think Brennan would be interested in you?”
My cheeks flare. Just because Gavin can’t appreciate my charmdoesn’t mean others can’t. “I’ll have you know, Gavin, people love me. There wasn’t an event in LA that I attended that wasn’t sold out. AndEntertainment Weeklyhailed me as ‘a tabloid’s gift that keeps on giving.’I’mthe life of the party.”
“I’m not talking about superficial stuff. I’m talking about what’s in here.” He taps his chest. “I spent the day with Brennan, and I know enough about him to know he’s too…wholesome for you. He’s the type of guy who’s looking for his soulmate, not a good time. He’s monogamous, long-term material, while you…” He eyes me from head to toe. “You don’t even have girlfriend energy. It’s actually kinda scary.” He shudders.
Suddenly my insides twist along with every muscle in my face. Not only is Gavin insinuating I’m not good enough for Brennan, but is he making the serious accusation that I’m not good enough for anyone? Red-hot anger pulses through my veins.
Thisis why Gavin and I stopped being close. Not because Mom and Dad prefer him over me. Or because his future is secure and mine isn’t. It’s not even because he disapproves of my influencer business. It’s because Gavin is, and always was, my biggest hater.
When theVoguearticle insulted my intelligence, Gavin didn’t reassure me that the article had it wrong. He made me feel like they had it right. But despite what he—or anyone for that matter—might think, turning what he considers a brainless catchphrase into a brand doesn’t happen on its own. It takes intelligence to make it happen. And if Gavin can’t see it now, then he never will.
“I think we got along better in LA.” I fold my arms across my chest. “You know, when we didn’t have to see each other.”
“Then it’s a good thing we’ll be back there in a week,” he says, matching my tone, which is confusing. What he has to be mad at me about is a mystery.
“Why wait, then? We should start now.”
He chuffs incredulously. “Fine.”
“Fine,” I say. But when I notice he’s still right by my side, I glare at him. “Stop following me.”
“I’m not.” He scowls. “This town isn’t big enough for both of us.”
Frustrated he’s right on both accounts, I cross the street, and we walk the rest of the way on separate sides of the dirt road.
Excerpt
“Lead with authority. If you are confident, people are confident in you.”
The American Dream Achieved: The Story of Dale Ok, Founder of It’s Ok!
Transcript
60 MinutesInterview with Gloria Ok
Interviewer:Shouldn’t Dale be proud of achieving success despite his humble beginnings?
Gloria:Dale doesn’t see it that way. You see, by the time we immigrated to the United States, we were married and had to start working right away. No time for a college education. Dale started the business without a formal education, and there’s a stigma attached to that. Many executives questioned his intellect. Often he’s had to overcompensate by presenting himself as overly confident. And it worked in the beginning. We were able to get the business deals we needed to open our first store based on his assurance. Can you believe that?
Interviewer:He must have been very convincing.
Gloria:He was. But the bigger the company got, the bigger the stakes. And I warned him about letting his insecurities get bigger than him. The truth is, if he’s not careful, his feelings of inadequacy will be the ruin of him.
