snowed-in | clexa

one

"Of course I'm capable of handling the company!" Clarke tries to convince her father, who stands in the doorway of her office with crossed arms. She's starting to despair.

They've had this conversation before, and Clarke is running out of ideas to improve. "I've been doing everything I can, haven't you seen my sales for the last years? I showed up here every morning before everyone else and I'm the last to leave. Nobody gets as much done as me. What else do you need me to do?"

Jake sighs and runs a hand through his greying hair. "Yes, you're dedicated to your work and very ambitious, but- that's not everything, Clarke."

"Then what is everything? What can I do?"

"Do you remember Frostford?"

"Mom had a friend there for a while, didn't she?"

"Yes. Maria. I want you to visit her. As I trust you know, Frostford is where I made my first sales, and she still has my journals from the early days of this company. I'd like you to get them, I've been wanting to go for a while anyway."

Clarke raises her brows. "You're going to change your mind about me being a suitable CEO if I bring you some old journal like everyone could?"

Jake smiles and sits down on Clarke's office's couch to pour himself a glass of water. "Small towns are a terrible home to strange people, but I think it could be a good place to visit for at least a day or two. Some of these people really do have the capacity to teach you something about... well, life. Humility is a very good starting point." He points at her and Clarke frowns.

"You're saying I'm not humble so I should go look at poor people for a change? What are they, zoo animals?"

Jake hums. "Interesting point to consider."

"I wasn't serious."

"Well, I was about Frostford," Jake says and gets up with a big sigh. "You're leaving tomorrow."

"You want me to abandon my job for at least two days to get a journal? Why can't 'Maria' just send it per mail?"

Jake raises his brows and Clarke sighs.

"Fine. Maria who?"

"You'll find out. There aren't a lot of Marias in Frostford."

"Yeah, I bet it consists of 3 people overall," Clarke snorts. "You do know that you're making me abandon New York during Christmas, which is the best time to be in the city and shop, so that I can get an old journal with sale entries?"

"Yes. Now go home and pack, I already let a car be prepared for you."

Clarke watches her father with a dropped jaw. "This was never a discussion?"

"You agreed."

"Well what if I hadn't?"

"Pack warmly and don't pack too much, you'll only be gone for a day or two," Jake says on his way out and shuts the door behind him. Clarke stares incredulously at the closed door and immediately throws her things into her purse, calling Raven on her way out.

"Hi babe," the woman picks up and Clarke, ignoring the people in the full elevator, doesn't hesitate to start telling her best friend the misery of the day. "But Clarke, Trikru's annual Christmas ball is happening next Saturday. Finn Collins asked you to go and it's the event to be, there's not a single more exclusive place you could be at, you can't just be gone."

"Raven, it's Monday. I leave early tomorrow and I should be upstate by afternoon. I'll find that Maria, leave again and be back tomorrow. I promise you, I would walk back to New York to get to Trikru's ball."