Can't Let You Go

Chapter 44

"What about the other one? Mr. Pham?" Uncle asks.

"He may only have two and a half million followers, but he's got A-listers of both the entertainment world and the one-percenters as clients and followers. His account has been design related for the life of it, five years. His top design post has nearly two million views, six hundred thousand likes and three thousand comments. His ratios are much higher, this indicates he has a stable and loyal fan base who make sure to not miss anything he does. His low performing posts still have more likes and comments than Ms. Smith's best performing one as a designer. Although the view number is lower, that just means the positive response ratios are even higher."

"Why don't we have Ms. Smith combine her content genres? Get her in a sexy ski getup or sipping hot chocolate in sexy pajamas by the lodge fire? Then we'll get her view count back up," Carter suggests.

"But that's not the point of hiring her to design the interiors. If the client wants to use sex to advertise the resort, that's a separate matter and there's dozens of current models for their marketing team to choose from Ms. Smith hasn't posted any so-called fitness shots since she started posting her design work, so it would also be insulting to her to ask."

"You've brought up a lot of valid points. I'm a bit disappointed that it had to come from you and not Cheryl."

"You can't exactly blame her for this. She was looking at it strictly from an advertising perspective, like Carter." I'm careful to not cast Carter in a bad light when I'm arguing against him like this to his father. "When what we want is the reputation of the designer. I recommend choosing Mr. Pham as the designer and leaving the sexy stuff to their advertising campaign."

"I recommend killing two birds with one stone and going with Ms. Smith." Carter sticks to his original position.

"Alright, thank you both. I'm going to think on this more." Uncle Robert dismisses us from his office.

***TALLY/HONEY***

"Knock, knock!" My office door is suddenly opened.

"Emily." I say tightly. "You're not on my schedule for today."

"I know, I'm here for a meeting with the legal team to go over my contract. I just wondered what you thought of my latest post. I did it to foreshadow the project. Get people thinking about a new ski season. Here, you can look at it on my phone."

"I've only been in #Alaris for a few weeks and my design calendar is filling fast. Reach out to claim a spot! But not for the last week of July. I've reserved that for a #skitrip. I haven't been since this photo was taken - #winterbreak my senior year at #UCLA. Where in the #southernhemisphere do you like to #ski?? Follow me @EmilyTravels for more content like this."

The caption accompanied a photo of her sitting on the side of a hot tub with a snowy landscape and ski lifts visible behind her. She was wearing a one piece bathing suit that had more cutouts than fabric and a knit cap.

"People seem to really like the idea of skiing in the summer. I've already gotten thousands of likes."

"I'm sure. Is this the type of work Bethany signed you on for?"

"I'll do what I need to get the attention I want. As far as signing me, my main account will remain under my control. I'm signing with SE to manage my new one, Emily Travels."

When another knock sounds at the door, the person waits for me to respond.

"There you are," Darius says to Emily, "I wondered where you disappeared to. This was the only place I could think of besides the ladies' room. We're waiting for you in the conference room."

"Duty calls," Emily sing-songs. "I have a feeling working here is going to be very exciting. Maybe we should do a double date to celebrate?"

"I doubt we could make it, we carefully prioritize our down time."

"We'll see about that," she replies cryptically as she walks out the door.

The next time my door opens unexpectedly, Ashton walks through it.

"You and Emily have been living just the two of you for too long. You've both forgotten that it's good manners to knock and wait for an answer before you enter someone's private space."

"We don't live together, yet. Not until I graduate and move into the apartment I bought."

"And where is that? LA?"

"No, remember I told you I'm joining Dad's firm."

"I remember, it was just my wishful thinking."

Ashton chuckles uncomfortably as though I was joking around with a false insult instead of stating the truth.

"Why are you here?"

"I'm Emily's manager. We just had a meeting."

"Then you should be with her."

"She left already for a lunch date with a friend. Hopefully, I can also have a lunch date with a friend, if you'll join me. We have a lot to talk about."

"I don't think we do, besides we're not friends."

"Honey, please. I know I hurt you. I know Emily hurt you. I just want a chance to make it right and get us back where we used to be."

"Is that the time when we were friends who flirted innocently, the time we were a secret couple, having sex, or the time when you were leading me on while screwing my best friend behind my back?"

"The first one, I guess, or a chance to start over with something new? You were my best friend, too, and I miss you. I won't do anything to hurt you ever again, even if I think it's for your own good."

"Are you trying to say that sneaking around with Emily was for my own good?"

"No! I don't mean that, I mean from now on. I'll protect you from pain even if I think you should know the truth."

With pursed lips, I squint at him. "You and Emily really are two peas in a pod. I don't understand half of what she's on about either. I've got things to do, please leave me to them."

"Okay, if that's what you want. I hope to see you again soon."

He stands there for a while, waiting on a reply that doesn't come, before leaving. Every time I talk with one of them, the stronger the sense is that the two of them have more secrets that I don't know about and I doubt I want to.