Crystal
Yesterday was wonderful. We spent the whole day walking the streets of New York and, even though the city is empty because of the holidays, it didn’t stop me from enjoying it in full.
Jack surprised me by being very patient; he spent the whole day holding my hand and showing me around no matter how much he wanted to just come back to our hotel room.
I smile when I think about all those things we did yesterday. I never knew I could be so open with a man I barely know.
But that's the point: it doesn't feel like I barely know Jack Harden; it feels like we've known each other forever.
I almost lost hope that I'd meet someone special someday, and not because of my age. It's because I never really believed that I deserve happiness.
That was one of the reasons I changed the name on the file when I sent my marketing strategy to Jack's office. I never thought I'd be lucky enough to win the competition with my real name.
But now, I feel lucky. Very lucky.
And happy.
Jack asked me to start on breakfast by myself while he made a couple of phone calls in the suite. I saw that he's worried about something. Maybe it's because he just lost his massive investor (mostly because of me), and now he doesn't want me to hear his conversations about it. But no matter the reason, I'm sure Jack will tell me what happened. Soon, when he's ready.
While I'm alone, sitting at the restaurant eating my eggs Benedict, I have time to study my new job contract in detail.
I can already see that it's nothing unusual. I signed almost the same contract when I got my current job a year ago.
Except for two little details: my position in the company and my new salary.
This contract also ensures that my salary rises fifteen percent every year until it reaches a quarter of a million dollars. And, according to my calculations, this will happen in four years.
Wow. Just wow, I have no other words to describe my feelings.
Have I ever dreamed about it? Of course, I have. Did I ever expect this to become a reality? Never. I couldn't even imagine that one day a Puerto Rican girl who came to Vermont when she was three and gave birth at seventeen could get a job like this one.
But here I am, a new head of marketing in one of the biggest beauty companies in America.
"Excuse me, it’s Crystal, right?" someone says, and I realize that they’re talking to me.
When I look up, I see a woman, probably fifteen years older than me, in a beautiful tweed Chanel skirt suit and a Jackie O hairstyle.
"Yes," I say, surprised, and put my contract away.
"May I?" She points to the chair, asking if she can sit.
I nod silently, trying to remember if I’ve seen this woman before. She speaks with an unmistakable French accent, and I've never been to Europe, so it's unlikely that we’ve met.
Although her face seems familiar to me.
"My name is Virginia Fleurant," she says with a smile after taking a seat, "I'm the founder of Jardin de Fleurant. I'm sure you’ve heard of it."
Fleurant.I can't believe it! That's where I know her from. She's the owner of one of the biggest cosmetic brands in Europe. I am literally in love with their eye serum for dark circles; it's magical. I only tried it once because it's quite expensive, but the effect was phenomenal.
I thought this woman was about fifty years old when she came to my table, but now I know for sure that she's around seventy! That's more proof that her company's creams are magical.
"Madame Fleurant, it's such an honor to meet you," I say after a long pause.
I was simply staring at her until I realized that I had to say something, or at least something in return.
"It's Virginia, dear, and thank you." She smiles, holding her hand out to me.
While I shake her hand, I notice a massive engagement ring on her finger, covered with emeralds and diamonds, and lots of golden bracelets on her wrist.