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As I pack up my things, a surge of gratitude swells within me for how my life is unfolding. The job I once thought would break me is becoming a career I’m excited to build. The girl who used to panic over writing the subject line of an e-mail just led a pitch in front of the Senior Creative Director.
And not just any Senior Creative Director.
Marcus. The one who told Stephen I could do this. The one who toldmeI could do this, back when I barely believed it myself.
Could it be possible, in some reckless stretch of the imagination – that he could just be… the one?
***
NOVEMBER 2024
The next few weeks fly by in a blur of meetings, design reviews, and content creation. I throw myself into the work with everything I have, often staying late into the evening.
Eric, the owner of the club, has asked to meet me, saying he’s impressed with the direction of the campaign. Stephen has arranged for me to visit the venue ahead of the opening and get some footage for the key opening night video.
“You must be Lila,” Eric says, extending a hand as he comes up to me. “Welcome to Sapphire.”
The building is impressive from the outside, but inside, it’s breathtaking, even without the finishing touches in place. The large dance floor is surrounded by raised seating areas and intimate private booths – exactly the immersive, elevated vibe we’re aiming to capture.
“We’ve spared no expense,” Eric says, leading me through the space as I take it all in, already framing shots in my head. With his permission, I spend the next two hours gathering footage, my iPad catching the shifting light and angles as I move through the space.
By the time I step back out into the crisp November air, the entire video has begun to take shape in my mind.
Start with the slow reveal – shadows, pulsing, flickering. Then building anticipation – the edges soft, silhouettes of bodies moving. Then – colour – the transformative moment when darkness gives way to light. The dancefloor reveals. Tease transforms to impact. Not just a place. A feeling. A transformation.
The Sapphire campaignwillbe my masterpiece, the project that defines my career. The grand opening, and with it, the presentation of the final materials to Eric, is just weeks away, and I’m determined to provide something unforgettable.
And as for everything else – perhaps those things just take time. Or maybe… they’re never going to happen at all.
It’s been two years of polite smiles in the hallways, and not-so-accidental run-ins at the coffee shop. Two years of making excuses to go to the fifth floor to pass by his desk on the way to the supply closet. Volunteering for projects just because his name is attached to them. Staying late when I know he is in hopes of catching the lift at the same time. And now, his belief in me leading this campaign.
Two years of moments almost realised – at client events in dimly lit bars and elegant restaurants, where his eyes meet mine across crowdedrooms with an intensity that makes my pulse hammer against my throat.
So many times, I’ve come close to convincing myself I’m imagining it all – a fantasy constructed from tiny nothings, little moments stitched together into something bigger, because I want them to mean more.
But then he looks at me – like I’m the first bit of sunshine after a week of rain – and I wonder.
It’s been two years of wondering what might happen if either of us ever dared to cross the line.
But now – with Stephen trusting me with this project – with a promotion to full-time project manager on the line if I succeed – maybe crossing that line isn’t brave.
Maybe it’s reckless.
And for once – I’m starting to think I can’t afford to be reckless.
Chapter 13
JANUARY 2025
“You ready?” Angela grins at me from across her desk, her eyes sparkling with that mix of mischief and encouragement I’ve come to rely on.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I reply, trying my best to sound confident, but low in my stomach, a familiar flutter of nerves bubbles up. It’s not about the presentation – the promo video is solid. It hits every beat Eric asked for and then some.
No. The nerves are about something – or someone – else.
Marcus has been Creative Director on this campaign since day one, always present in meetings, always listening. He’s offered the occasional note, always thoughtful, always right. But today’s the big reveal. Today, he’ll see the full scope of my vision. And that has my heart doing a ridiculous rhythm in my chest.
As if on cue, the lift doors chime and I turn around to see him.