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Kayla
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Bethany and I woke up early on Monday morning. We ate a quick breakfast, helped each get dressed and put on makeup, hoping to be out of our hotel before eight-thirty.
“So, what’s the game plan?” Bethany asked me.
“I don’t exactly have one,” I admitted. “Leila will be going off the cuff, so I figured I might as well not over-think it. We’re just going to be ourselves, be direct, and hope that she’s merciful. That’s really all we can do.”
“You don’t have any talking points in mind?” she wondered.
“We just have to do whatever we can,” I said, still tired from my lack of sleep. “We love the company more than any amount of money we would receive in the deal. We have the check that she sent to us, un-cashed. We return it and tell her that we won’t accept any other checks that come our way. Maybe we try suggesting a partnership again, where we sell our products through them as a third-party.”
“Do we love the company more than any amount of money she could offer?” Bethany asked. “What if she got desperate and offered a huge-ass sum. Like, what’s our line?”
“I don’t know. We should think of something really big—something so big that she won’t offer it to us.”
“A million dollars?”
“I think we’re dreaming if we think she’d even offer us half a million,” I said, as I brushed my hair. “She’s not going to offer up more than she already has. I don’t know why we’re even entertaining the idea. She’s going to tell us it’s a done deal. I signed the company over last week. She’s going to tell us we’re wasting our time.”
“Only one way to find out,” she concluded. “I’ll follow your lead. But don’t go where I can’t follow. Don’t segue into something crazy.”
“I’ll do my best.”
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WE ARRIVED AT THE BUILDING where Vicki Verelli Enterprises had their studio and office space. It seemed intimidating this time, where on my prior visit, it hadn’t. I felt sure that the building itself only seemed especially towering because of the objective ahead.
“So, this is where Vicki Verelli headquarters is, huh?” said Bethany.
“Well, it—it’s not the entire building,” I stammered.
“I know that,” she said. “I’m not dumb.”
“It’s on the eleventh floor, if I’m remembering correctly,” I thought out loud.
“Do you think they’ll even let us in without an appointment?” Bethany wondered.
“That’s a good question. I hope so.”
Before either of us took the next step; suddenly, from behind us, came a familiar voice.
“Kayla?”
Turning around quickly, I immediately found myself face to face with Leila Camden.
I was shocked to see her, not expecting to encounter her outside of the building at all, and surely not this early. It was a few minutes after nine.
“Leila!” I exclaimed. “Hi!”
“Hello!” replied Leila. “What on earth are you doing here!?”
We laughed awkwardly, pulling ourselves into an equally uncomfortable hug.
“Well, we were hoping we could maybe talk to you about stuff related to the company,” I replied.
“Oh,” said Leila. “Are—is there a problem?”
“Not—well, I wouldn’t call it a problem exactly,” I said, clumsily. “We were just hoping that maybe we could talk about K-Plus and everything that’s been going on lately.”
Leila attempted to hold a smile, but worry was etched on her face. “Are you hoping to finalize the transition? I realize we didn’t set an official date, but I assure you, I wasn’t blowing you off.”
“I was just hoping to be able to discuss the company with you in general,” I said. “Do you think we could talk, maybe?”
“Well, to be honest, Kayla, I’m already running late as it is,” said Leila. “I’m afraid I overslept after a pretty crazy night last night. I had my Saturday night on a Sunday, you know? I’m late for a meeting up in my office, and I’m going to be tied down a bit for most of the day, how long will you be in L.A.?”
“For a little while,” I answered vaguely. “If you can’t do it today, we could come back tomorrow.”
Leila looked over at Bethany. “Can I assume that this is Bethany?”
“Yes, you can,” replied Bethany, extending her hand. They shook each other’s hands firmly and quickly.
“Pleasure,” said Leila. “Tell you what, ladies; why don’t you both come back at, say, two o’clock? I don’t have another meeting scheduled until two-thirty, so I have some time after my lunch. Sound good?”
“Sounds great,” I replied.
Leila flipped her hair back, her face contorting from concern to a look that I had grown accustomed to before. “If I may ask, what is the nature of your visit? It just seems, so sudden, is all.”
“Bethany really wanted to see the west coast,” I answered. “She’d never been to L.A. before. All my talk about it made her want to see it for herself.”
“Okay.”
“We want to discuss the future of K-Plus products and more,” said Bethany. “There has been a lot weighing heavily on our minds regarding letting go of this company. We just want to have an open, fair conversation about all the dynamics.”
Leila smiled wider than I remembered her capable of. “We can discuss whatever you like at our meeting at two. Okay? Meet you then?”
Before we could give her an official reply, she was already storming off into the building, not looking back. I felt like running back to LAX.
“We’re not getting the company back,” I groaned. “It’s hopeless.”
“It doesn’t look good, but let’s not give up,” said Bethany. “She was shocked to see us here, and I think it did fluster her, just like you thought it would. We can’t show weakness, dude. We have to be strong, especially you.”
“I don’t know what it is about her that makes me lose my composure,” I said.
“She’s really fucking hot,” commented Bethany.
“A lot of women are hot, and I barely notice them.”
“Leila is definitely one of the hottest women I’ve seen since we landed here.”
“I get it,” I said, bitterly. “It’s not her looks. I think it must be her confidence. I can’t figure it out. I feel like I’m confident right up until I see her, then everything turns around. It’s like she’s a witch or something.”
“Just don’t let her get to you,” said Bethany.
“Oh okay, done,” I replied sarcastically. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Remember why you got on that plane in the first place and why we’re here,” she said. “You love K-Plus, and you’re not going to let it go for next to nothing. It isn’t about the money, it’s about the feeling.”
I nodded in agreement. “It’s not about the money, it’s about the love. It’s not the money, it’s the love.”
Suddenly, my phone started to ring. I looked at it. Justin.
I picked up, “Hey—”
There was an odd noise in the background, rattling and filling the earpiece with noise. Through it all, I made out a faint, “Hey!”
“Where are you?” I asked him.
“I’m in a car,” he answered. “Sorry, it’s noisy I bet. What are you up to?”
“Oh, nothing much. My meeting is at two, today. Bethany and I are all ready to go. We went to the beach yesterday.”
“That’s cool, babe,” he replied. “So, what did she think?”
“What did who think?” I asked, confused.
“What did Leila think when you actually sold K-Plus to her?” he asked, with some disappointment in his voice.
I was astounded by what he said, and I didn’t know how to respond.
“I saw the news story about Vicki Verelli opening new lines of underwear and sleepwear for plus-size women,” he explained.
I was even more astounded by that. “What?”
“Do you not know about the story printed about you and K-Plus?” he asked. “Yeah, there was a news report that said they were looking to expand.”
“Damn it,” I muttered. “That’s it, then.”
“Where are you right now?” he asked.
“I’m, wait, where are you?”
“I asked you first,” he said.
Looking over at Bethany, I thought of her repeated urging for me to be honest.
“I’m outside the Vicki Verelli building,” I told him.
“Wow, that is perfect timing, then,” he said. “Are you just out front?”
“Yeah, what are—?”
Bethany grabbed my shoulder and twisted me around to face the other way.
I had been shocked to see Leila, but that was nothing compared to what I was feeling as I faced the next special guest. There was Justin, his phone to his ear, grinning at me.
“Surprise,” he said into his phone.
We both hung up. As he walked up towards me, Bethany walked away.
“Where are you going?” I asked her.
“Giving you some privacy,” she answered. “Talk to him, Kayla.” The gentle tone and encouraging smile from my friend touched my heart.
She waved at Justin, who waved back. When he got up to me, he took both of my hands in his and held them tightly.
“I took the first red-eye I could get after I saw the story online,” he said. “So, am I right? Did you sign K-Plus over to Vicki?”
Nodding weakly, I was unable to look at him.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, with sincere puzzlement.
“I didn’t want you to feel like you left here for nothing.”
He squeezed my hands. “Are you for real right now?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“Kayla, you didn’t make me do anything,” he said. “I made my choices on my own. I left Leila Camden’s operation because I didn’t want to work for someone like her, no matter what the job was. She’s a sociopath, and I’d had enough. You and your company’s dealings with Leila gave me the chance to see the kind of a person she really is. Even if it hadn’t been your company—even if you were no part of the equation, I still wouldn’t have wanted to work for her.”
“Keep going,” I mumbled, as I shot him a quick look before looking back down at my feet.
“I got on the plane because I was hoping that maybe the article I read was preemptive, and that maybe things weren’t official. I was going to try and talk you out of it once again.”
“I signed over the company a while ago,” I admitted.
“Really? How long ago?”
“About a week ago.”
“Kayla, why didn’t you tell me you sold it when you did? Were you really that afraid I’d be upset or something?”
“Yes,” I said.
He kissed both my hands, keeping them on his warm face. “K-Plus is your creation. If you truly wanted to sell it, then you should just let my opinions be what they are. Don’t let me sway you. You need to do what’s right for you.”
“Justin, we came here to try and get Leila to give me the company back,” I said. “I haven’t been fully paid yet, and the transition isn’t officially complete. But, I signed the papers, so I don’t own the company anymore. We have a meeting with Leila at two, but I don’t think she’s going to just give the company back to me, especially if there’s a news story about it already.”
“Hmm,” he went. “Yeah, if you signed the papers already, that doesn’t seem good.”
“I’m tempted to just get on the next available plane and go back to Newark,” I said. “I feel like enough of an idiot as it is.”
“Or, I could go in with you and help you out,” he said.
“What?”
“I don’t think it’s a secret that Leila has a certain, shall we say, weakness for me, for lack of a better word,” he said. “She constantly used me, and wanted to use me for way more than I would allow. I’m more than willing to be of assistance to you. I’ll be your man-bait. Let’s give you an advantage: Let me be there to distract her, maybe occasionally say something that’ll get inside her head. So I’ll work her while you and Bethany do your thing.”
“Justin, I’m not going to use you the way Leila used you.”
“You’re not using me if I’m giving myself to you willingly,” he insisted. “Let me in there with you. I’m already coming up with some devious ideas on how to approach this. You also should understand that I worked directly under Leila every weekday for a month, and saw her on many weekends as well. I know her. Even if she can be a bit unpredictable, I know her character, and I think you should let me help.”
I pulled him in for a tight embrace. As I held onto him, his hand found the back of my neck, caressing me in just the right way. It was incredible how safe I could instantly feel when surrendering to his touch.
“Okay,” I agreed. “I think it’s selfish of me to even entertain this idea, but I know you being in that meeting will be good for us. And, I’m so happy that you’re here with me. This is like something out of a dream.”
“My mission right now is to try and help your dreams come true,” he said, softly into my ear, then kissed my cheek. I never wanted to let him go, and he didn’t seem to want to let me go, either. I was content with the idea of standing there in his arms until minutes before the meeting.
