Page 1 of True Colors

CHAPTER 1

Anouk

Our new CEO looks like he stepped off a marble pedestal in the Louvre, and I’m pretty convinced he’s going to fire me.

“This is your work?” He taps the edge of a printout, as if it has personally offended him.

I have looked up the man since the announcement of his ascension to his lofty role was made a few weeks ago.

Luther Grant. Thirty. Made the Forbes 30 Under 30 list last year. He’s worked at companies in the Grant Conglomerate and is now at HelixSphere Analytics. His father, Jacob Grant, is training his son to take over after him and sending him for one- to two-year tenures in various parts of the company.

Nepo baby alert!

I looked him up, yes, but I didn’t think I’d ever meet him.

I never met the previous CEO, and he was here for the five years I worked out of my quiet cubicle on the second floor.

So, long story short, I’m not prepared for this.

Prepared for him.

Not even close.

I thought the pharma data analytics team would come to conference room 4B and listen to the CEO give his spiel, and then we’d all go back to work.

I’m not good at meetings.

At all.

This is why I only attend the ones in our team where I know everyone, and my anxiety doesn’t overcome me. My boss understands this.

I look at Dot Harper, who’s two seats away from me.

She smiles, nods, tacitly tells me that it’s okay for me to speak. Safe.

Are you sure, Dot?

Because…God!

“Well?” Luther challenges as he holds up my report, Pipeline Stability & Procurement Impact Analysis: Scenario C.

“Y-yes,” I manage to whisper.

My throat is tight. I’m suffocating in the presence of all these people who’re staring at me, waiting for me to talk.

I’m usually invisible. I work hard at it.

It’s a good strategy for me—hiding that is.

I don’t interrupt.

I don’t attract the spotlight.

If I have questions, I write them down and hand them to Dot after the meeting, and she finds the answers for me.

If I have to speak or present at a meeting, Dot makes sure I have at least a week to prepare. It’s not a courtesy. I literally need the time.

It’s a system that works for us.