Exactly the kind of person who might give Emma a chance to tell her story.
I stare at the name, my mind racing through possibilities. I could call Chelsea. Tell her about Emma. Set up a meeting.
But that's still me solving the problem. Still me being the fixer.
Unless...
Unless I'm not solving anything. Unless I'm just creating an opportunity. Opening a door that Emma can choose to walk through or not.
The distinction feels razor-thin and monumentally important at the same time.
I lean back in my chair, thinking it through. What Emma had expressed wasn't just about money. It was about autonomy. About being able to make her own choices, succeed or fail on her own merit.
If I make a call, if I use my connection to get her a meeting, is that robbing her of that?
Or is it just... using my resources in a way that empowers her?
The question doesn't have an easy answer.
I stand again, moving back to the window. The city has brightened slightly, the gray morning giving way to something that almost resembles sunlight.
My phone buzzes again. I glance at it, hoping it’s Emma. Of course, it's not. Just Thomas again, this time asking if I'm ready for my ten o'clock.
I text back.
Me:Cancel everything today.
Thomas:Everything?
Me:Everything.
I set the phone down and look at Chelsea's name again in my contacts.
The thing is, I know Chelsea would take the call. Would probably be intrigued by what I have to tell her. She's always been interested in discovering new talent, in supporting women building businesses in the beauty space.
But if I call her and say "Do me a favor," if I frame this as cashing in a chip, then the whole thing is tainted. Then Emma's success will always have an asterisk next to it.
*She only got the meeting because her billionaire boyfriend called in a favor.
That's what people would say. What Emma would think, deep down.
I sink back into my chair, thinking more about what to do.
I can't make this about me.
Can't make it a favor I'm owed, or a connection I'm leveraging for my girlfriend.
It has to be about Emma. About her work. About Chelsea seeing the potential on its own merit.
Which means...
The idea comes fully formed, and I know immediately it's right.
I don't call Chelsea to ask for a meeting. I call her to tell her about something interesting I've come across. Someone whose work she might want to know about. Not as a favor to me, but as information she might find valuable.
And then I step back. Just let Emma and her work speak for themselves.
I chew on the inside of my mouth as I pick up my phone. This could backfire spectacularly. Chelsea could say no. Could be uninterested.
