Author's note : Bessy's photo above
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Chapter 41 - A collision of past and present
Olena leaned back in her chair, knuckles kneading her temples.
She had been going over their financial statement for over two hours, looking for possible errors before finally sending it to their accountant, and her brain was about to burst from all the numbers she forced herself to absorb.
Finance was never her forte, but between her and her business partner Bessy, Olena was the one who had more experience dealing in business. Bessy was in charge of sales and PR while Olena handled the numbers and concepts for their accounts.
But at least the headache was worth it, Olena thought, as their small events company was getting more and more profitable.
When they started it three years ago, they struggled with bad decisions they had made which almost led them to bankruptcy.
If she were to be honest with herself, Olena had to admit that it was partly because her heart was not in it when they were starting. She just accepted Bessy's invitation to help her organize events because she saw it as an escape from the uncomfortable atmosphere at home.
Two years of cold treatment was too much to bear, and Olena thought she would go crazy if she did not find an outlet. So when her high school friend Bessy floated the idea of setting up an events company, Olena gladly accepted.
Bessy used to be in sales in an advertising agency and she knew Olena had a solid career in marketing and events so it was a perfect match. But it was their first time managing their own business and they realized it was a totally different ball game.
Then a former client asked them to handle her wedding, and they found their niche.
It was something both women enjoyed doing, which reflected in their work, and led to word of mouth spreading about the unique, memorable, and professionally managed weddings that they worked on.
That was how their company Dream Weddings was born.
Olena smiled at the memory. Dream Weddings was her lifesaver in more ways than one. Having this had made her financially and emotionally independent, and had allowed her to make difficult, life-changing decisions that she would have been too afraid to do otherwise.
She closed the file and attached it to an email she sent to their accountant. They were done with their financial report for the first half of the year, freeing her to help out Besssy in the two weddings they were organizing this month.
After a quick glance at the wall clock, Olena decided to invite Bessy out for lunch to celebrate their small victory. It was already half past ten, and the tailor shop where Bessy was scheduled to be in today was not too far from the office, so the timing was perfect.
Grabbing her phone on the desk, she sent a quick message to her partner.
"Finished the report! Yay! I'm free the rest of the day. Are you still at the tailor's? Why don't I pick you up there and let's have a quick lunch to celebrate?"
"I just have a last fitting scheduled at 11, then the next would be at 3pm. Late lunch okay?"
"That's fine. I might as well drop in early and help you out. I've been feeling guilty letting you carry the burden this past few weeks."
"Oh please! I'd gladly do all our projects if it means I get to escape looking at numbers," Bessy teased back.
Olena chuckled softly and turned off her computer, preparing to head out. She was planning to treat Levi out after school as well, so she won't be going back to the office for the day.
"Mara," she called their office assistant slash all around girl. "I'm meeting Bessy outside. If there are any client calls, please forward them to my mobile number."
"Got it, Lena. Have fun!"
"Thanks. By the way, go ahead and order lunch, charge it to the office. We had a good quarter and we deserve a bit of a treat."
"Wow, that's good to know. Will do. Thanks again!"
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Olena arrived at the tailor shop half an hour later and quickly looked for her partner.
It was not easy to spot her, though, as her flaming red hair would stand out anywhere.
Bessy glanced her way and immediately waved her over.
"Hey, how's it going so far?"
"Quite good, actually. This entourage has a thing about punctuality," Bessy told her with a laugh.
"I guess that's because of the bride. I got that impression when we met Anna for the first time."
"I guess so," Bessy shrugged. "So we're just waiting for the last fitting of the morning, he'll probably be here in a few minutes."
Bessy paused then started to giggle like a schoolgirl.
"But I better warn you... this guy is a total hottie. I mean, literally drop dead gorgeous! Plus a voice that could melt chocolate, oh my god. The first time I met him, I was speechless for a full minute, it was embarrassing!"
Olena laughed at her partner's exaggeration, but only believed half of it. With a background in sales, Bessy has a tendency to over promise things.
"I'll be fine, for sure," Olena told her confidently.
"Don't tell me later that I didn't warn you... Anyway, since you're now free, I'll be turning over this wedding to you since what's left are mostly on the day coordination. I need to focus on Sarah's wedding - her entourage still can't agree on a dress style."
"Sarah's wedding is in two months, right? And they haven't started on the gowns for the entourage?"
"I know, right? So I need to put my foot down and force those girls to choose something asap. Then I'd have to rush the gowns at the dress shop. So I would probably be tied up there for a few days. Can you handle the James wedding for about a week?"
"Sure! Just update me on what's done and what's left to do then leave me to it. Oh, and I would also need introductions to the rest of the entourage since I've only met the couple and their daughter."
"And you'll meet the son in a while. He's the hottie," Bessy replied with an impish grin. "A bit cold, though, and stricly business like - but don't take it personally. He's like that with everybody."
They heard the door chime, signalling that someone entered the shop. Olena's back was turned while Bessy was facing the door so she instantly saw who entered.
Her smile widened as she recognized the new arrival.
"And he's here... Turn around and look, quickly before he comes over."
Olena was not interested in checking out the guy but she knew that Bessy will keep pestering her until she does, so she hesitantly turned around to face him.
Then she got the shock of her life.
She had carefully avoided anything related to her previous industry, just to avoid this exact situation. It was difficult, having to start again from scratch, but she thought it was something she had to do if she wanted a new life.
Patrick was a part of her past. A past that she had been struggling to forget and move on from.
But the past has a way of coming back to bite you in the ass, in ways you least expect.
Olena saw surprise register on Patrick's face as he saw her and he froze for a fraction of a second before he regained control of his reaction.
His face a mask devoid of emotions, he continued his approach and was standing in front of her before Olena could gather her thoughts.
"Hello again... Olena."