Chapter 35 #2
Once the kids enter the room, I make my way back to my station and wait as the kids shuffle down the assembly line.
As the children make it to my section, I place a small jar of peanut or almond butter in their backpack, depending on allergies.
As always, their sweet faces bring me back to second grade, and I remember the relief and happiness on Maya’s face when it was time for us to sit and eat our double lunch.
It’s a bittersweet feeling. I’m happy to be a part of the program that provides that food, and yet I hate that it’s a need in the first place.
When we finish up with all the children, I stay for a few more photos, then head out as the reporters begin to speak to the school administrators.
The NYPD has arrived and set up a barrier to keep the paparazzi away from the school, and I notice that there are a few more news outlets parked behind the barrier as well.
Jenkins and Waters surround me to escort me to the car, and it hits me again how insane this all is.
Last month when I volunteered here, no one knew who I was or cared that I was here.
And now, the NYPD is here to keep the premises safe because of the stir surrounding my appearance.
It’s mind boggling that people are fascinated by such mundane things like my volunteer efforts.
And yet, here we are. Asher’s sentiments about sometimes feeling like a zoo animal hit a little differently, and it makes me wonder if maybe Lucy has a point.
This attention is unnatural, and who knows what the future will hold.
But at least it served a good cause today.
An hour later, my heels click clack against the marble floor of Vericom Technologies’ vast, new age lobby.
Emily, Heather, and I are helping the marketing team launch the tech watch today since they’re still feeling like they’re on shaky ground, and our team doesn’t have much to do since Asher’s out of town.
The lobby is massive and exactly what you’d picture for a tech company.
Clean lines, modern aesthetic, lots of white in the design and architecture, and ample amounts of natural light.
Vericom is one of Langford Holding’s largest subsidiaries, but lately, there has been tension over the partnership, and it’s no secret that Vericom wants to buy out their contract and separate themselves from Langford Holdings.
So today needs to be perfect.
One hang up that Vericom has with Langford Holdings is that they offer a lot of their services in-house.
Instead of hiring a marketing firm, Langford Holdings bought one, and now that team works in the Langford building on my old floor.
Same with PR, advertising, and all sorts of other divisions.
Langford Holdings doesn’t pay other companies for services when they can pay themselves to do them.
But Vericom believes this approach creates sub-par results.
They feel that companies competing over business creates a better end product, and in some ways, I can’t blame them.
I will admit, the change of the guard on their account three weeks before their launch was a major problem, but I think the team has rallied well, and everything is in order. Now we just have to perform.
The press is gathered around the focal point for the launch, which is a small stage lined with display tables, banners, and a screen to project the launch video. The banners Jerome designed look even better printed in person than they did on the computer, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
I meet up with the team as they’re all flitting about, getting the last-minute details put into place.
Models are being fit with the watches, Jerome is setting up the projector, and Emily and Heather are passing out marketing packets to everyone in attendance.
The watch doesn’t hit the market for another five months, so this is a soft launch announcement, but it still must make an impact.
Vericom needs five months of buzz and excitement to get consumers salivating and counting down the days until the watch is available.
“Can you pass these out?” Heather asks me, handing me a stack of glossy information packets.
“Of course.”
I take the stack and make my way through the crowding lobby, greeting newcomers and handing them packets. A camera flashes, and I think nothing of it since there are several press outlets here.
Until I hear my name called.
“Ella! Is that you? Are you working the launch?” a photographer to my right calls out.
Shit.
I don’t want my presence here to overshadow the launch.
More photographers start to pique with attention and look at me. Soon, more cameras are flashing my way, and my name is being shouted over and over.
“Yes,” I answer in the general direction of the press. “Vericom is one of the largest subsidiaries of Langford Holdings, and we couldn’t be more excited about their new smartwatches.”
I continue handing out packets while trying to dodge personal questions and photos, but when the barrage of attention won’t die down, I finally look toward Vericom’s executives for a clue as to what they want me to do about the situation.
They are huddled around Blake Covington, Vericom’s CEO, and two of them are looking my way, having noticed the change in the photographers’ attention.
As I hand out my last packet, Mr. Covington catches my eye and waves me over. My stomach drops, but I shift my shoulders and walk toward him and his executives, ignoring the growing buzz of the press.
“I’m sorry,” I say as I near Mr. Covington and his executives. “I’m not trying to draw unnecessary attention; I can leave if it’s a problem.”
“Of course it’s not a problem!” Mr. Covington says, flashing me a bright smile.
“If anything, you’re an unexpected prize.
” He brushes his hand along my elbow, and gestures for me to stand near the display on the stage.
He’s young for a CEO, probably somewhere around Asher’s age, and, also like Asher, he’s stupidly handsome with his dark blonde hair, gray eyes, and the bone structure and build most men would kill for.
“Can we get you fit with one of the watches?” he asks me. “We’d love for you to wear one with the models.”
“Oh, um . . . okay,” I say, relieved that he isn’t annoyed that my presence has shifted the attention in the room.
An assistant places a watch into the CEO’s waiting hand.
“May I?” Mr. Covington asks, holding out the watch to fasten around my wrist.
“Sure,” I say, and hold my wrist out for him.
He fastens it as he gives me a rundown of the product.
“This is our top-of-the-line model, and it’s fitted with one of our luxury watch bands from the designer collection.
One criticism we heard from our original watches was that all of the band options were too sporty.
Many wearers wanted an option to turn their smartwatch into something more sophisticated for evenings or events, and with this new design, I think we’ve achieved that.
This band is twenty-four carat gold, but it also comes in white gold, platinum, and tungsten.
This is a slender design for women, and the men’s line has a thicker band.
More designs will be out later this year. ”
“It’s beautiful.”
And it is. It looks like a more traditional watch band from a time before smartwatches existed, but it’s more than that. It almost looks like a bracelet-watchband hybrid.
“Thank you,” Mr. Covington says, flashing me another smile. “It looks even better on a beauty like you.”
I blush.
He keeps a hold of my hand and turns to the cameras. I’d noted that there were many flashing lights during our exchange, and the cameras are still snapping frantically. I cross my fingers that my press attention will help the launch and not overshadow it. You never know which way a story could go.
But Mr. Covington doesn’t seem worried. In fact, he seems elated by the attention. After a few more photos, he walks me over to stand in front of the display with the models. He motions for me to stand at the center of them, but Emily notes that my clothes don’t match theirs.
“I’ll just move out of the shot,” I say.
“Nonsense. I want you here at the main display. We’ll move the others around.”
I squirm and pretend not to notice the surprised and annoyed looks the models shoot my way as they’re dispersed away from the center display to the smaller ones.
“I don’t feel like I match the aesthetic,” I whisper to Emily while Mr. Covington is distracted.
“You look great. You’re wearing Chanel. Chanel goes with anything. And who knows, it may help sell the luxury watch band. Vericom is pushing for sales of the watch band almost as much as the smartwatch itself to set themselves apart from other tech companies with smartwatches.”
Let’s hope so.
I do my best to not look awkward, and the event passes by in a blur of video and oral presentations, flashing lights from the press, and questions for Mr. Covington and the Vericom team.
I smile and pretend like I know how to model, and I let out a huge sigh of relief when the event wraps up and the models are excused.
I start to make my way over to Emily and the rest of the Langford team, but Mr. Covington catches me before I reach them.
“You were an unexpected and delightful surprise today,” he says, brushing his hand along my elbow again.
Seriously, what is it with this guy and my elbow?
“I’ve never seen the press so excited for a product launch before.
They normally hate things like this, but your presence quickly changed their perspective. ”
“Oh, no. I’m sure they were just excited about the product.”
Mr. Covington laughs. “No, no, Ms. Hale. Believe me, it wasn’t the watches that excited them. It was the woman wearing the watch. Now they’re guaranteed a lot more clicks and website traffic for writing about our product launch.”
“Then I’m glad I could be helpful.”
I remember that I’m wearing the watch and start to remove it to give it back.
“No, you keep it. You earned it.”
“I hardly earned it. I stood there and smiled.”
“Which is more than enough.”
“I can’t accept it, Mr. Covington. It’s too much.”
“No Mr. Covington; call me Blake. And trust me, you more than earned it. My team is over the moon with the launch. Three of them posted pictures on our social media accounts with you wearing the watch at the beginning of the launch, and the posts are already blowing up.”
“Wow, that was fast.”
He smirks at me. “It seems you’re still unused to your new power. Asher is a lucky man to have a jewel like you shining for him. You certainly brighten his dreary demeanor in the media.”
I let out an unsure laugh. “Well, I do what I can. Even if it’s an impossible task.”
Now he lets out a real laugh. “I like you, Ella Hale. If Asher didn’t have you, I’d snatch you away from him.”
I blush again with no idea what to say to that. He leans down and gives me a little bit more than a business-type peck on my cheek, and then I tell him goodbye and scurry away.
What the hell was that?
Blech.
I finally make my way over to the Langford team, and they give me small whoops and hoots and applause when I reach them.
They came into the launch terrified because of the last-minute changes three weeks ago, but thankfully all of their hard work and persistence paid off.
The launch was a huge success, and I can practically see them all deflate now that it’s over.
“You may be Langford Holdings’ new little ace in the hole,” Emily says as we say our goodbyes and leave the Vericom building. “I haven’t seen a launch with that much excitement in years.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“Ella, I just got a thank-you email from Chanel. Between the school charity this morning and this, their website and stores are being flooded with purchases of the shirt and pants you’re wearing.
Whether you realize it or not, you are a living, breathing billboard.
The clothes and accessories you wear are gobbled up as soon as you’re photographed in them. ”
“The world has only known my name for, like, three weeks.”
She shrugs. “But it’s known the Langford and Rothschild names for decades. And now that you’re associated with them, you’re the shiny new toy.”
I let out a sigh. It’s all so overwhelming at times.
Emily leans low and whispers in my ear. “At least when things end with Mr. Langford, you’ll have lots of options. Mr. Covington was openly smitten with you. He may not be a billionaire yet, but he’s on his way. It’s good to have options.”
“Oh, god. You’re trouble.”
She gives me a devilish smile. “Just don’t tell Mr. Langford I said it.”
I make a “cross my heart” motion, and we both laugh.
And while part of me feels a little weird and guilty about that line of thinking, I can’t help but accept the logic of it.
Everything between Asher and me is a confusing mess.
I can’t deny the power and draw of our connection, but he has made it very clear that this is a professional and physical relationship only.
And he has never wavered on the fact that the relationship has a to-be-determined end date.
It goes against my gut to think about future options, but what choice do I have when that is, in fact, the plan?
I let Emily’s words sink in a little deeper, and now I have some hope that when it’s all over, I may come out on the other side okay. Maybe if I quietly keep my options open, I’ll have a life to salvage on the other side.
And maybe I’ll even come out ahead.