Business Affairs

S I X

I feel refreshed the next morning as I step out of Iain's personal car, a big shiny Cadillac, Iain's hand reaching into the car like it had at lunch yesterday, helping me from my seat. Anna had sent him to my apartment this morning, bearing my favorite latte and a bouquet of pink roses that match the yellow poppies on my Ted Baker tea-style dress. I emerge from the Cadillac with my hands full from his little gifts. 

I grin uneasily as our hands meet, noticing the waiting reporters outside the building, all lined up against the sidewalk and waiting to speak to Iain. Iain pulls me anxiously towards the bronze double doors, releasing me once we're inside the warm lobby.

"We have a meeting with Mr. Power and Mr. Jones today, Elouise." 

"I know," I reply, logging into my email as we step towards the elevator. It's hard to type with the bouquet of flowers in my hand so I hand them to one of the elevator men, smiling graciously as he takes them without complaint. 

"Make sure you bring the summary of the last merger we made with Denton--the up to date one. Then we have a meeting with Anna and... lunch in the park."

"Yep, I got it all. I had Mr. Zabini update our files on Denton last night." 

"Good. Do we have a Denton rep coming to the meeting?" 

"Already emailed Calinda about it." He nods approvingly and the elevator dings, floor seventy-two, and we step off the elevator together, both feeling a little uncomfortable about arriving at work together.  

"I'll see you at ten for the meeting. Morning Calinda," Iain says as he heads to his office, his eyes squinched up at his phone.  

"So, what's up with that?" Calinda asks as I pause at her desk.  

"What are you talking about?" I ask, eyebrows knitting together in a knot of confusion.  

"You and Iain," she whispers, tacking a giggle to the end of her sentence. "I just knew it was going to happen!" 

"Calinda..." I want so desperately to tell her the truth, to let her know that we're only doing this for show, but I am bound by that stupid legal contract to keep it to myself. Instead, I opt for a different approach.

"What do you mean?"  

"I could always see you following him around with this look in your eyes. You still have it." Oh, Calinda. I'm not in love with Iain... I just want to be him. I want to rule my own company with the same finesse and swagger. My longing for power must've been mistook as a longing for love, because (unfortunately) I was a woman. And a woman can only want love and marriage in the sexist world.  

"Oh." I reply dully, at a loss for what to say. "Have you made any more wedding plans?"  

"Yep! I'm thinking of going to look for my dress this weekend! Come with?" Calinda had just recently gotten engaged to the boy she'd met in college. They'd been dating the entire time I'd known Calinda. Calinda was over the moon about the engagement, and I'd been trying to help her plan their wedding. Most of our planning had just been possible ideas through the form of pins on Pinterest. 

"Oh, I wish I could. I... I have to go out of town this weekend, though." I frown. I'd much rather help Calinda pick out her dress. 

"Oh, really? Where?--" 

"Elouise!" Iain's gruff voice snaps as his door flies open, allowing his frowning face to appear through the crack.  

"Yes, Iain?" I ask in a confused tone, spinning on my heel to meet him. 

"My office, now!" He roars, causing me to whimper and follow him, wondering what I could've possibly done wrong. In all my five years of working for Iain, I'd never faced his "wrath".