Stefani's POV
My back hurts.
"I thought you said this was the best hotel in New York," I groaned getting up.
"It is, I swear!" Rachel defended herself i and shrugged.
Luckily with my hair being in its natural state, all I had to do was shake out my bun and I was practically ready to go once I did everything else.
I took one more look at myself in the mirror and I swear I see my moms everytime I look at myself..
"Do you have anything to hold on to for good luck while you're there and I'm in the lounge?" Rachel came from behind and helped me out on my pearl necklace.
"Just this," I pulled out an old photo of my mom from her wedding day...
"She's so pretty," Rachel gently took the photo from my hand and studied my mother and looked at me.
"I bet the spunk is from her huh?" She smirked at me and I shrugged with guilt.
"Can't help it for some reason," I continued getting ready and grabbed my keys and laptop.
"Okay, I'm asking a lot of questions because this is your first official pitch and im nervous but excited for you mainly because I helped put the project together- but anyways, are you sure you don't want to eat anything?" Rachel just kept running her mouth and I understand where she's coming from.
"We'll eat after I secure the bag," I started to feel more confident and ambitious about what goes down today.
Today is the first step I take out of alignment in my father's footsteps.
Today is important.
It has to be perfect...
"Stefani Edwards, you're expected in the left wing room 7B on the left," I snapped back into reality and I found myself at the front desk..
I didn't even smoke today and I haven't been keeping track of my surroundings. My head has been wrapped up in this journey I'm about to take in life..
"Right.." I got myself together and winked at Rachel as reassurance that I can do this.
I stepped into the boardroom and all eyes were on me- I wished I took a minute to breathe before entering but fuck it.
"Good morning," I greeted them subtly with a pleasant smile and they all returned the gesture.
"We're excited to have you here today," the seller smiled.
"Well, I'm happy to be here," I assured them and prepared my project.
"Let's see what you've got- hopefully your father's charm. That man can sell me a vacuum cleaner," he joked and I faked a chuckle knowing damn well I'm not in the mood to hear anything about Kent.
"I heard lad has a fiancé, how's the lady?" Another man jumped.
"She's- all the woman anyone could ask for," I took a deep breath and smiled politely.
The men stayed to their thoughts and awaited for my introduction but something didn't feel right- nothing did. I spent hours with Rachel making this into the perfect pitch about women and beauty and now I don't even want to present it.
"Is everything alright Ms. Edwards?" The head chairmen interrupted my panic- but this just gave me something else to panic about-
I'm not ready.
Yes I am, if money isn't my only interest, I don't know what is.
"As a matter of fact, now that we're on the subject of women, what's a better introduction than that?" I tried to recover.
I found myself tossing the laptop into the trash can and grabbing another chairmen's coffee mug.
"Hope you don't mind, do you?" I fluttered my eyelashes and he shook his head 'no' starry eyed into my captivity.
"She smells so nice..." he mumbled off informing the rest of the staff.
"What is it that captivates a man with women? It's certainly not her looks or her figure- we're not discussing boys, only men know this. It's a woman's aura. Her vibe. Her sensuality of what her nature brings to the table that men have built," I forced myself to swallow that last part. This room is filled with a bunch of traditional men and they know nothing about feminist unless it's in discussion of equal pay and abortion rights- I cannot let myself get side tracked into a touchy topic such as those.
I know my audience and I need to appeal to them- persuade... seduce.
"Go on..." one of them became curious.
"Men are captivated by a woman's charm when she is able to bring in the peace and love we all so very crave..." my thoughts started to get blurry but I continued.
"A woman nurtures, a woman heals, a woman loves.. a woman provides just as much as men but in their own lovely and enchanting way. The meals she cooks before you're off to work is fueled with her love and her love gives you the strength and will power to come back home with stable income in order to maintain a roof on her head because you wouldn't let a thing harm her as she ensures you're tendered to and cared for," I finally found myself thinking about Lillian and brushed it off.
I'm so tired of this shit.
"With my business, it will expose the femininity of the divine essence of the women we are very well so captivated by. I say this to you as a lesbian, what's more sexier than a vixen? A good woman that can do both: raise hell and give peace," I gave my final thoughts and I took a step back from the table to see all the men in the room captivated by my speech.
"Thank you..." I finished off out of politeness.
Goddamnit, I swear to god, this better sell.
I did not just pull shit out of my ass to take no offers.
"I'll invest 40 million," the head chairmen spoke.
My eyes lit up out of genuine speechlessness.
"Don't tell me that just because I told you I was a lesbian. Lgbtq recognition has nothing to do with this. I just want-
"As a matter of fact, 45 million," he changed his mind.
"I- thank you," I graciously smiled.
"Well don't just stand there, you sold me the moment I started thinking about my wife with that speech. She's a hellcat alright, but can't nobody beat her," he smiled brightly.
"I think I'm gonna call my wife and tell her I'm coming home early tonight," another man commented.
"Not until you finish that report boy," the head chairmen spoke as he reached for his vintage pen.
"Now where do I sign this off?" He grabbed his reading glasses.
I strode towards him with the paperwork and he didn't even blink twice about my business. It's not even that big in the beauty industry.
"I will take your foundation and build it into an empire," he promised me.
"Well that's just the thing sir. I'm not my father and I don't want to be. I'm a woman, I should be out roaming across the globe seeing the beauty of nature as nature has placed its beauty into creating the essence of women," I smiled making sure he got the message that I don't want shit to do with business.
"I see. A nomad exploring new boundaries and heights. I think day trading might be your suit," he handed me a card it's an invitation to the bettermens society- one just like Rachel gave me not that long ago.
"You surely know how to spoil a woman," I humbled myself.
"Don't tell my wife that, but have a good rest of your day Ms. Edwards," he waved me off and I waited until I closed the door completely before I did a dance with the check that was in my hand.
"Well?" I met up with Rachel in the lounge room.
"Let's go catch that flight," I showed it to her and we rushed out hand in hand.
"Oh my god we're really doing this," she was in disbelief with the changed events in our lives.