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“You know why I’m bitter…” she replies in the same tone.
“So, Alex,” Bella takes a seat in one of the guest chairs and starts up the digital recorder. “Tell me a little about what you do here.”
I take a deep breath and look outside. The sun shines brightly, inspiring me.
“We fulfill dreams and create a better future,” I tell her, deadpan.
Bella snickers. She’s sitting, and I’m leaning against the desk with my hands in my pockets, and Liv snaps yet another picture at that same moment, making it look like I am really amusing my interviewer.
“This is a solar panel factory, not some amusement park, Alex,” Bella remarks, teasingly downplaying my words.
“Some of our many clients are amusement parks. Did you know that?” I retort back, not batting an eyelash. “We power up resorts all over the world using our solar panels.”
I look at Bella, and she nods, looking impressed. She motions me to go on talking, and that’s exactly what I do, feeling like I’m hitting my stride. It’s easier for me to talk about things that I’m passionate about.
“Imagine a life without electricity. I mean, I can barely stand a half-hour power outage, let alone the thought of living far away from the closest power grid. Then all of a sudden, you can see in the dark! You have a few more hours to do your tasks, or for simple leisure time. Kids can study, parents can listen to the news, and grandparents can avoid accidents in the dark, all because of a solar panel powering a lamp and a radio. This is what we do: we give people comfort and a hope for better tomorrows.”
“Can we see other parts of the factory?” Liv asks, taking pictures of the view from my office.
“Oh, of course!” I leave my lunch box on the desk, and we head out.
“And why do you do what you do here, Alex?” Bella proceeds with the questions.
“Okay, first let me just situate you: this is the third floor, it’s where the offices are.”
Liv stands a few feet behind us and takes another picture.
“It’s not visually interesting, but it’s where the decisions are made. Answering your question, um…”
I feel myself blushing again. “This is kind of personal, but I wasn’t born a rich man. You know that better than anyone, but when I did have the wealth, I decided to focus my means on ways to help benefit the planet and others. One of those ways is through solar energy, which is why I created this company.”
“And it doesn’t hurt that it made you a fortune in the end!”
Before I can reprimand her for talking so distastefully about money like that, she continues, “And why do you believe solar panels help people if they’re still so expensive and time-consuming to assemble?” Bella asks it straight and direct like a good journalist.
“The more we produce, the more research goes into streamlining the assembly process and the easier they are to assemble, driving down costs. Our factory operates at a near-zero carbon footprint, and we’re helping other businesses around the world to be more environmentally friendly too. This not only makes solar technology more accessible but also contributes to a greener world. It's about securing a promising future for our children. I have a son, and I'm committed to creating a better world for him.”
By now, we’ve reached the end of the hallways and are turning around for the elevator lobby. Liv is running circles around me taking pictures, making me slightly dizzy, but I’m not about to complain — I know she is just doing her job.
We move the action down to the second floor, which is a mezzanine overlooking the first floor. The first floor is where production takes place.
“This is the second floor, where quality testing and secondary administration happens,” I explain.
Liv leans onto the railing to snap a picture of the first floor, but I stop her in her tracks. “No pictures of the first floor, please.”
She blinks at me, immensely confused, splays a hand toward the ceiling, and says, “But it’s the most interesting part.”
“Yes,” I agree. “To you, and to my competitors. This place is full of industrial secrets, Liv. I can’t possibly let you take pictures of it.”
Liv frowns and gives me a stare, dead set on piercing through to my very core. “Do you have some sort of vendetta against me or something?”
“Liv…!” Bella exclaims in shock, apparently not recognizing her friend.
“It’s because of what happened at the party, right?” Liv places her hands on her hips and starts to tap her foot with irritation.
“What happened at the party?” Bella looks from me to her friend, getting more and more confused by the minute.
I place a finger over my lips, silently begging for Liv to keep quiet. If Bella knows about any of this, my life is going to be a living hell for the foreseeable future dealing with Bella’s drama.
