Page 66 of Loving the Enemy
Chapter 27
Zaira
We’ve been home now for two weeks. I still miss Florence and look forward to when we can go back. Michael has been really busy with family stuff. I know what it all is, and I am trying my hardest not to think about his retaliation. Hopefully today will help. It’s my first day at Bella Celeste. As soon as we got back, Michael talked to Domenic, and he was thrilled with the idea of me taking over the agency.
When the elevator dings, I prepare myself to face Laurel. Michael made the announcement that I would be taking over as CEO about a week ago, and it was well received. Many employees seemed glad to see a full-time CEO at the helm, and even Laurel offered me her congratulations. I decided to keep her on. If she and I can remain professional, there is no reason for her to lose her job. And from what I hear, she does a really good job. I’m hoping she is beyond the Michael thing and we can work together.
“Good morning, Mrs. Vitali,” she says as I walk off the elevator.
“Good morning, Laurel.” I stop at her desk. “I’d really like it if we could spend some time together this morning so you can help bring me up to speed on things.”
“Absolutely,” she replies eagerly, and I am immediately put at ease.
“Give me fifteen minutes to get settled and then why don’t you come on in.”
She nods, and I proceed to my new office. Michael ordered all new furniture for me. When he originally showed me around the company, he noticed my frown when I walked into his dark, manly office. I didn’t even have to say anything to him. He volunteered to get me whatever I wanted to brighten the place up. All the heavy wooden furniture has been replaced with sleek contemporary pieces. The walls have been painted a light-cream color, and my new glass desk sits pristinely in the center of the room, adorned with a beautiful bouquet of red roses. I walk to it and pull out the card.
Knock ’em dead, gorgeous, the card reads, withAll my love, Michaelat the bottom. I smile. I truly lucked out in the husband department.
I put my bag and coat in the closet and walk to the mini kitchen and see a pot of coffee has already been brewed. I pour myself a cup and walk back to my desk and sit, taking in my surroundings.
A few minutes later, there is a knock on the door. “Come in,” I say.
In walks Laurel. She stands awkwardly, and I can see she is nervous. I think it is best to put her mind at ease, right from the start.
“Have a seat, Laurel,” I say, and she sits. “I want to start by saying I hold no ill will against you. Michael and I were separated at the time, and he was free to date anyone he chose.”
She lets out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank God!” She exclaims. “I was so worried you would replace me.”
“Oh, goodness no. I’ve heard a lot of good things about you and your work. I’d be a fool to replace you. Actually, I am counting on you.”
“Mrs. Vitali, thank you so much. I promise I won’t let you down.”
“First of all, please call me Zaira. I don’t work well with formalities.”
She smiles.
“Secondly, why don’t you tell me, from your perspective, what it’s like working here, perhaps some information about your coworkers.”
She fidgets in her chair.
“Nothing you say will be held against you in any way. I promise.”
She nods. “Well, this is the second modeling agency I have worked for in the last eight years. I love my job, and I love this industry. You know, most people think working in a place like this is glamorous, but to be honest, we are nothing but pimps without the sex.”
I laugh at her analogy and realize she is absolutely right.
“Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not dogging this industry but trying to make you understand I am not here for the glamour. Many of my coworkers, I believe, are absolutely insane. Actually, I think most are just unhappy with their lives because their lives revolve around the lives of others. We are forced to be incredibly selfless with our clients yet act selfishly on their behalf. It’s a weird balance, but I believe Bella Celeste does an excellent job with the balancing act.” She pauses a moment. “You’ve got a lot of egos you will have to deal with, Zaira, but I assume you expect that. You’ve got a lot of people who work hard enough for our models because they reap the benefits and the payoff is quite lucrative. You’ve got a good team, and with you at the helm, we can turn an amazing agency into the top agency in the country.”
“You’ve thought a lot about this, haven’t you?” I ask.
“I have. I see where we can fix things, and I see where we can make the good things even better. Fashion has been my life ever since I was a little girl.”
“Well, I’m definitely open to suggestions. I want this to not only be one of the top modeling agencies in the country. I want it to bethetop,” I reply. “Now tell me about some of our clients.”
“Frankly, they are all a bunch of egos like I said, but I believe our account managers know their clients and know how to deal with them. You know, each one is different and each one has their own special needs. Our managers cater to those needs and deliver.”
“Good. I definitely want to keep things that way. If we don’t, we will lose clients instead of gain them.”
