If he had to ask, he was a lost cause. Instead of engaging in this debate with someone who clearly didn’t realize what it was about, I smiled again. “Thanks again for your time. Good luck in the future.”
Without looking back, I turned and headed for the elevator. As soon as I was safely sealed inside, I slumped against the wall, mercifully alone in the metal box.
I’d been working my tail off to break into the next tier of clients, the ones who were the real movers and shakers, but I wasn’t having any luck so far. If they’d only give me a chance, I knew they would be happy with what I had to offer, but that door seemed locked up tight unless you had the right key—which was a dick.
All I wanted was to grow my business, but I just couldn’t seem to break through that lock. No matter how hard I tried, I was always faced with a wall of resistance. None of them took me seriously enough to give me a chance.
If I could just get one big client to prove myself, I knew all this would be a thing of the past. Getting that one client was tripping me up, though. Big time.
I sighed and straightened up when the doors slid open to admit another person, who traveled down to the lobby with me. All the bravado I’d had up there fled as soon as I hit the wall of people and humidity out on the sidewalk.
It was late afternoon and there were thousands of bodies streaming out of the office buildings all around me. Phallic or not, these buildings sure seemed to house a ton of people who were doing better in life than I was.
Defeat threatened to drown me, but I took a deep breath and strengthened my resolve. Whatever it took, I would get that one big client. Even if it meant I had to keep working through the night to do it.
With that thought in mind, I ducked into a coffee shop at the end of the block to grab a cup. If I really was going to stay up all evening again, I’d need the caffeine.
As I left with my takeout in hand, my phone rang. I did the New York shuffle, somehow managing not to drop anything while I fished the device out of my purse, which was hanging over the shoulder my laptop bag wasn’t occupying.
When I saw the name on my screen, I frowned.Why the heck is Nash Harris calling me?
Now there was one of the real movers and shakers. It was too bad his business didn’t need any help. He would’ve given me a chance for sure, but the guy was already a rock star in his industry and his recent nuptials had made him a darling of the press. There was absolutely nothing I could do for him that he hadn’t already managed to do for himself.
“Hello?” I said when I answered the phone, genuinely curious about why he would be contacting me. “Nash?”
“Oh, hey. Sorry, Iz. I wasn’t expecting you to pick up that fast. How are you?”
“All good,” I fibbed. “You? What’s up and why are you out of breath?”
He laughed, the sound warm and sincere. “I’m leaving the gym, which is actually why I’m calling. I’ve got a friend who needs your expertise as a consultant. Would you be interested?”
“Depends,” I said. “What kind of business is your friend in?”
“Fitness. It’s his gym I’m leaving. He’s developed this new system which works incredibly well. Parker Holmes. Maybe you’ve heard of him?”
I shrugged. “Not that I can recall.”
“Oh, well, it doesn’t really matter. The point is that he wants to sell, but he needs some polishing so he can get the deal he deserves.”
“Fitness, huh?” I brushed my hair off my forehead and held it on top of my head. “I’m sorry, Nash, but I’m not interested.”
I didn’t know too much about the industry but, with a few notable exceptions, I was pretty sure it was as male dominated as tech. While I’d been waiting for my coffee, I’d realized I needed a break from that scene.
It sounded like just another boys’ club and I knew how those were. I just wasn’t up for it right then. I needed to stop bashing my head against brick walls that weren’t going to give and come up with a new plan.
“Give him the benefit of the doubt. Please? For me? If it helps, he’s Lennon’s friend, too. You know she wouldn’t like him if he was an ass. I really believe he has a billion-dollar idea and that you’re the one to help him sell it.”
When he said his wife’s name, my curiosity piqued. Lennon was one kick-ass woman and I respected the heck out of her. If this Parker Holmes was her friend as well as his, maybe he wasn’t another brick wall I’d be crashing into.
Considering my options, I finally nodded. “Okay, I’ll meet with him, but I’m not promising anything.”
“That’s all I wanted to hear,” he said. “Thanks, Iz. I’ll pass along his contact details.”
“Thank you for the referral,” I said, which was what I should’ve said in the first place. “I really appreciate that you guys thought of me for this.”
“That’s what friends are for, right? I’ve got to run, but let me know how it goes. Bye, Isabella. Talk to you soon.”
After I hung up with him, I headed home and fed my cat. I dropped my things on my dining room table, kicked off my shoes, and set up my laptop. Exhaustion clung to me like a cape, but I still had a lot of work ahead of me tonight.
Deep down, I wished I didn’t have to come home to an empty apartment. I wished I would’ve walked in to the sound of the TV being on and the scent of dinner in the air. More than anything, I wished I could’ve walked into someone’s arms and gotten a long hug after the day I’d had.
But those were all silly wishes that I’d never admit to anyone but myself. Besides, being lonely suited me just fine. It meant I could work as much as I wanted without getting crap about it from anyone, and my work was my ultimate goal.
I would make it. Male-dominated industries and all. One day, the name Isabella Atkins would be the first name people thought of when they needed a consultant with my particular skill set. That was what I had to keep focused on. Everything else was just noise—and that included all those silly little wishes about finding someone to share my life with.
Even if I did find that someone, it would never work out. In my experience, things just didn’t happen that way and I would never, ever want to bring a child into this world only to have my past repeat itself with him or her.
That would be a travesty, and it wasn’t a chance I was ever going to be willing to take.