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“You and the CEO, your grandfather, right? You could sport our tuxedos and jackets at events.”
“You think I’m a model?”
“Well.” I looked him over, he was wearing a suit jacket, tailored well enough. I knew my people could do better. It was a little bit too small for him, I could see the way his arms strained at the sleeves when he moved. Or maybe his tailor did know what they were doing. I could tell even as dressed up as he wasthat there was muscle under there. “I think you’d look great in one of our suits, Sir.”
“That’s not what I meant.” He pushed the photos back to me. “What makes you think I would want to model your work?”
“Having a personal style can help build your brand, and we can offer just that. I’ve done my research, Mr. Hirano, it’s likely that you’ll take over the company any year now. Once that happens, you’re going to need to create an image for yourself to sell yourself and your company to the world. Hirano Enterprises is seen as an older, outdated company. We can help you be seen as trendy, to recreate the company’s image to the modern world.”
“I think we’re done here.” He abruptly stood up from his seat and started heading out, not even glancing at me as he passed by.
“Excuse me?” I started to gather up my photos in my arms, dropping a few as I followed him out. “I’m sorry, what’s wrong?”
I watched his head shake and he turned to face me. “Do you always insult your investors before asking them for money?”
I sputtered. I thought it was going well, even after my lateness, how did it go so wrong so quickly? “I didn’t mean to imply anything—”
“I believe you,” He said. “I would advise watching your words more carefully next time.” He turned back around, heading for the elevator, which opened immediately for him, and then he was gone.
***
“He sounds like a dick.” My best friend, roommate, and co-owner of Sew Fit, Michael picked through his vegan wrap. We recognized each other’s talents while we were getting our degrees and we found that, when we collaborated, magic happened. He was also crazy enough to start a company with me. He was the one on the trends keeping my more, he mightsay, unrestrained ideas from blowing up in the bad way. He was like a chameleon, always looking slightly different each time I saw him, even though I lived with him. Today he had short cut bleached white hair and wore a large lilac crop-top, the color was very in.
“I was so stupid,” I mumbled, shoving my palms in my eyes. I looked back up at him, and pointed at him, narrowing my eyes, “You.”
“Me?”
“You told me it would be better if I went by myself,” I accused.
“I was sure your charm would cinch it for us: I thought all hot billionaires were sexist.”
“Mike.”
“He can be hot and a dick at the same time.” Michael rolled his eyes. “My last girlfriend was both hot and a dick.”
“He’s not a dick,” I said frowning. “He maybe needs to brush up on his people skills, and maybe he’s too shy to speak a lot.”
“Oh, come on Lydia, be a bitch for once in your life, we’re in the fashion world.” His smile turned softer. “I’m done teasing. I said you should go because you are the face of the company, and you’ve always been better at public speaking than me. I would have ended up getting kicked out by him much quicker than you. Anyways, that was only one opportunity. There will be more, and you’ll get the next one, I know it.”
“That was the best opportunity we had though. And I was late, and I offended him, and maybe his grandfather also? You should just fire me.”
“That would be like firing you from our friendship. No way Lyds; we will either rise to the top with Sew Fit or crash and burn in a fiery wreck together.”
“I guess that makes me feel better.” I was teasing but, it did. I wasn't going to let this end all of my dreams. I’d move past this and all of Hirano Enterprises.
“Now, try to get something to eat. No more of this too sad to eat shit. Then we can go to Millennium Park and I’ll make fun of the tourists at The Bean and you can point out to me the silliest looking pigeons.”
“You sure know how to cheer me up,” I muttered. I reached for my briefcase and found air instead. I swore my heart stopped then.
“What’s wrong Lyds? You got your panicked face on.”
“I raced here so quickly after the meeting I didn’t even realize I left my briefcase there. I was so flustered.” I was speaking so quickly I was running out of air. I grabbed my hair in frustration, the tight curls twisting in my fingers.
“I can go back for it, so you don’t have to see that jerk again.”
“No.” I took a deep breath and tried to center myself. “This is good.”
“It is?”
