Chapter 32
CHAPTER
She would be ecstatic, if the comments that weren’t praising her for her honesty or drooling over Cruz weren’t so mortifying.
She should’ve turned off commenting last night but had thought the more views, the better, so that when she admitted what she’d done to Cruz, he would see the funny side and be thankful to her for raising the farm’s profile.
Kinstead Avocados had quadrupled their followers overnight and that could only be a good thing.
Somehow, she had a feeling Cruz wouldn’t see it that way.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the studio door and stepped outside. She could hear voices, Cruz and another guy’s, around the corner and she paused, not wanting to interrupt what sounded like a heated conversation.
‘George, your market is the biggest in the region,’ Cruz said. ‘If you don’t stock our avocados, that’s a massive hit for us.’
The other man, who sounded old, cleared his throat. ‘Look, I know I’ve been doing business with your father for twenty years, but we pride ourselves on family values. Hell, it’s part of our brand, and unfortunately, that video isn’t aligned with it.’
Elora pressed a hand to her chest, dread making her sway. Cruz would lose a lucrative business contract because of her mistake?
So much for boosting the farm’s profile. She’d scuttled it.
‘I’ll get our marketing manager to take it down.
’ The desperation in Cruz’s voice made her heart skip a beat.
‘You know us, George. We’re upstanding, we always deliver and our produce is the best. You wouldn’t have been selling our avocados for all these years if we weren’t a good team.
So please don’t let a silly video that I had nothing to do with ruin our business relationship. ’
‘I’m sorry, Cruz, my hands are tied. I can’t afford to let the market suffer by association, and I’m too damn old to get embroiled in any drama.’ George’s chuckle sounded forced. ‘But for what it’s worth, you may attract more female customers now.’
Footsteps clomped away and Elora peeked around the corner in time to see a bow-legged octogenarian walking to a beaten-up produce truck. He climbed in the driver’s seat, surprisingly nimble, and drove away.
As if sensing her presence, Cruz turned towards her, his expression a mix of devastation and anger. It would’ve been difficult enough explaining the video if he hadn’t seen it, but hot on the heels of him losing vital business because of it … This wouldn’t be good.
As she approached him, his ominous silence raised the hair on her arms.
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I was coming to find you to discuss the video,’ she said in a rush.
‘I thought you might not have seen it, but sounds like you have, and I’m really sorry.
I wanted to explain last night but it was late.
Anyway, I wanted to boost the farm’s profile and thought a thirst trap might be the way to go, as I’ve used them to great effect in the past. But unfortunately, I’m an idiot, and the app I use must’ve malfunctioned, because the music I added to the reel was muted and my mortifying commentary on your body wasn’t.
’ Blood rushed to her cheeks. ‘Anyway, I can take it down. I contemplated doing it last night, but thought the publicity might be worth it, though by what I just heard, maybe not. So once again, I apologise.’
By his frigid expression, her apology had fallen on deaf ears.
As the awkward silence continued, she racked her brain to think up something to say.
‘Do you have any idea what you’ve done?’ When Cruz finally spoke, his icy delivery matched his expression. ‘You’ve cost us our oldest client, who bought tonnes of avocados from us annually.’ He shook his head. ‘Without their contract, we lose millions.’
Her stomach knotted and her palms grew clammy. This was so much worse than she thought.
She reached for her trusty optimism, despite the fury in his eyes. ‘With a little luck, we can drum up new customers. The farm is on the map now after that reel, so we should—’
‘There is no we,’ he muttered, his tone contemptuous. ‘You’re fired.’
Stunned, she watched him walk away.