Finding Our Way

Chapter 5 - Pink is my new favorite color

Truth is, I don't really date or hookup with anyone. Anytime a guy shows even remote interest in me, I panic and shut him down. I don't have the best history at being alone with a guy, so I avoid it at all costs.

"Good morning class, let's get started." The professor says, setting her massive binder down on the podium. "We need to get through all thirty-six presentations then sneak in a lecture on the first five chapters of the textbook. Who wants to go first?"

Silence falls over the room as everyone avoids eye contact and stares at the floor. I keep my eyes focused on my desk as if it became the most intriguing thing in the world.

"I'll go." a voice says from the back of the room.

Now I'm not a betting person, but if I was, I'd guarantee that it belonged to Mason.

Also, because he's the only guy in this class and I don't think any girl has that deep of a voice.

I refuse to be one of his gawking fans who's spun around to drool over him, so I keep my eyes focused on my desk. I can hear him getting closer to me as he makes his way down the steps until he stops next to my desk. I can feel my body heat rising with every inhale of his woodsy cologne.

God is it possible to fall in love with someone simply by catching a whiff of them? Seriously, where the hell did he get this stuff? I'm losing my mind and he hasn't even said a word.

He clears his throat, forcing me to look up at him. His eyes twinkle at my embarrassment while a smirk plays at his mouth. "Can I use that?" he asks, gesturing towards my empty smoothie cup.

"Uh...sure." I stutter like an idiot. He grabs the cup and heads for the front of the class with his baseball bat in hand.

Dumb bitch. So easy just like last time.

I shrink back into my seat and try to silence the voice before it gets too loud. I watch as he sets the cup on the table then turns towards the class.

"Today I'm marketing to you a baseball bat. This piece of equipment is versatile in many ways. Not only can you use it for entertainment purposes." he says, throwing a baseball in the air and lightly hitting it. The ball flies two feet in front of him then rolls to a stop at the edge of my chair.

"You can also use it for self-defense." He explains, lining the bat up with my empty cup. He winds up then swings it forward, obliterating my cup. It rests on the ground with the straw and lid a few inches away.

"It's perfect for both men and women for a pickup baseball game or if an intruder breaks in. It's also cost effective, selling at a very affordable twenty-five dollars."

"Thank you, Mr. Young, you may take your seat. How about Miss Olson, why don't you go next." the professor says, marking something down in her binder.

Oh great, I get to follow up that performance with a bra. Fantastic.

Mason walks past me, brushing my arm as I fumble around in my bag for my product. I pull it out in time to hear a low whistle escape his mouth. My dignity officially in the toilet, I hurry to the front of the class to get this over with.

"The product I'm marketing today is a pink pushup bra." I stammer, my voice high pitched with nerves.

My stomach is in knots having to stand up in front of a bunch of strangers. I hate public speaking with a burning passion. How the hell am I going to be an A&R manager if I can't speak in front of my peers?

My professor glances at me over her podium and I think she's intrigued. I take a deep breath and continue delivering the speech I prepared this morning.

"It's an everyday product that a woman needs. Sure, there's been a free the nip movement, but there are times where we have to wear one like to work or out on a date. It comes in many different shapes, sizes, and colors which helps ensure a consumer will find one to meet their needs." I hold it up by the straps and push forward in my spiel.

"Not only is it a necessity in a woman's life, but it's also a right of passage. Young girls begin wearing them as they enter into their adolescent years, expanding the demographic. It's also something a man loves to see on his girlfriend or wife and will buy for a holiday or special occasion. With that being said, there isn't a ton of competition, so the market isn't saturated, making it a highly profitable product."

I look over at my professor for permission to sit down while she continues to process what I said. "Excellent Miss Olson, now that's how you pitch a product. Alright, Miss Rotteire, you're up."

With a nod, I silently thank her and scurry back to my seat, shoving the bra in my bag like it's on fire. I don't want to hold this thing any longer than I have to.

I shouldn't be mortified having to present a product that over half the class is currently wearing but when the hot baseball player in the back is giving you "fuck me" eyes, you get a little frazzled.

I sit back in my seat, relieved that the presentation is over when my phone buzzes on my desk. I wince at the sound and apologize when the professor shoots me a glare. I silence it then look at who it's from.

Mason Young: I think pink's my new favorite color.