Eye Candy (7 page)

“Good morning, Aaron,” said Mr. Bradshaw greeting me from behind his desk well dressed as usual. “I’m glad you made it a little early.”

“Good morning to you, sir.”

“Please come in and have a seat,” he said pointing to the vacant chair in front of his desk. “I’m sure you’re familiar with Mr. Black our firm’s CFO.”

“Yes, I am.”

Mr. Black was already seated next to a chair that awaited me. He sat there well dressed also with a stoic look clutching his briefcase. I nodded to him in a friendly gesture and he did the same.

“Just to make sure everyone is aware,” started out Mr. Bradshaw as the two of us looked on. “Ms. Towns’ consulting firm, headquartered in New York City, will be in attendance this morning. Aaron, I’m sure you’re familiar with them by now.”

“Yes, Topaz Consulting Group is a well-established and reputable company.”

“That they are, Aaron. That’s why your presentation should go without any glitches. Besides them, there will be members from the press there too.”

“Why will the press be there?” I asked looking anxious.

“I assume Topaz wants to garner as much attention to themselves on this project as possible. And who could blame them. This revitalization project is a great economy boost for the city of Atlanta.”

“Well, I’m fully prepared for the presentation, sir.”

“I’m confident you’ll make a well-executed presentation. Those initial drafts I reviewed were tremendous.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Alright, I believe our short briefing here is concluded,” he said rising up from his chair and affixing his eyes on me. “Are there any further questions?”

“No, none at all,” I replied.

“Very well, let’s mount up and leave. My driver awaits us downstairs.”

The three of us then made our way from Mr. Bradshaw’s office and headed towards the main elevators. Before we did, Mr. Bradshaw stopped at his secretary desk momentarily.

“I’ll be out of the office for an indefinite period of time today,” he said in a bold voice. “You may advise my clients of the same.”

“Yes sir, Mr. Bradshaw,” she replied back.

After the exchange of words with the person who always knew his exact whereabouts, we continued on to the elevators. As we did, the entire office filled with workers scurried around looking busy. With the boss leading the way, I was ever-so-slightly behind him by his left elbow. To his right followed Mr. Black still clutching his briefcase. I even noticed Sebastian sneaking a peek at the rare scene. He smiled as to say ‘good luck’ and I returned a pleasant smile back at him.

Once we arrived at the bottom floor of the building, which housed Mr. Bradshaw’s fleet of vehicles, his personal driver named Charles greeted us. Charles had been loyal to the firm for many years and was closer to Mr. Bradshaw’s age. He was dressed in a suit and positioned himself outside a black GMC Yukon Denali next to the elevators.

“Good morning, sir,” Charles said opening the rear passenger door for Mr. Bradshaw.

“Good morning, Charles. As you can see Mr. Black and Mr. Malone will be joining us for our short trip.”

“Yes, I see, sir.”

Mr. Bradshaw made his way into the vehicle first, followed by Mr. Black, then myself. The inside of the Denali was custom designed with the rear interior seats facing one another. This made it easier for the occupants to discuss any business at hand. Mr. Black took the seat opposite but facing Mr. Bradshaw. I sat directly next to Mr. Bradshaw. Once we all were inside, Charles closed the door and took his position in the driver’s seat.

“Charles, as you know, our destination is the old General Motors assembly plant in Doraville,” ordered Mr. Bradshaw from the rear seat. “We need to arrive before ten o’clock.”

“Yes, sir, Mr. Bradshaw,” said Charles putting the vehicle in gear and exiting the parking garage. “I’ll have you there shortly.”

As expected, Charles maneuvered the crystal clean Denali through the hectic traffic on I-285. To no one’s surprise there was still a steady flow of the early-morning rush-hour traffic that plagued the interstate. Charles, being an experienced driver, delicately wheeled the two-ton vehicle in and out of traffic. We still had ten minutes to spare once we reached the entrance to the old assembly plant.

“We have arrived at the old General Motors assembly plant, sir,” said Charles from the driver’s seat as the vehicle moved slowly.

“We have indeed, Charles,” replied Mr. Bradshaw looking through his passenger side tinted window. “You never seem to amaze me. Always prompt, effective, and efficient as usual.”

“Thank you, sir. I’ll pull over to the area where all the other cars have gathered for your convenience.”

“That will be fine.”

Since Topaz Consulting Group was the liaison for the revitalization project, they had the presentation area all decked out. The meeting area was just outside the former main entrance doors to the assembly plant. There you could see the location had a green felt-like material that covered the ground over a flat seven-hundred square foot area. Positioned on top of the green material were chairs for the participants. Directly in front of the chairs, were a rectangular table, billboard, and podium. From here, one had a panoramic view of the old industrial site, which was perfect for explaining my presentation.

After the vehicle was parked, Charles got out and opened our doors so we could exit. With Mr. Bradshaw in front, we joined the individuals who were already positioned in the meeting area a few feet away. Tiffany was the first person who greeted us upon our arrival.

“Good morning, Mr. Bradshaw,” said Tiffany extending her right hand to him.

“Good morning, Tiffany,” he said shaking her hand.

“We at Topaz Consulting Group are overly excited this day has arrived.”

“We are also, Tiffany. You already met Mr. Black, my CFO of the firm and of course Aaron whom you’ve worked closely with so far.”

“Yes, indeed, Mr. Bradshaw.”

Mr. Black, who was still clutching his briefcase as if it was filled with gold bullions simply nodded and gave a firm handshake to Tiffany. I in turned shook her hand, smiled, and said hello.

“Well, let me introduce you all to the rest of the participants here this morning,” she said while the eager onlookers waited behind her.

For the next few minutes, Tiffany introduced us to two gentlemen with her firm, the designated project manager, two site engineers, a few dignitaries, and members who represented the architect press. After that, Mr. Bradshaw took control and made his presence felt at the podium.

“Good morning, attendees,” he said speaking loudly into the microphone while everyone took their seats. “I am Thomas Bradshaw, owner of Donaldson and Bradshaw, and the firm which spearheads the General Motors revitalization project.”

Mr. Bradshaw gave a quick overview of his firm as the intimate crowd listened patiently. Even members of the press took a few photos of him as the flash from their high-resolution cameras sounded off. Then he finally got to the main part of introducing me.

“And now without further a due,” he continued in his speech. “The man you’ve been waiting on and responsible for this great project, Mr. Aaron Malone.

As I took the podium, the crowd gave me a warm reception but my nerves were on edge a bit. Of course, the flashes continued before I started my speech. With the initial drafts posted neatly on the billboard behind me, I covered all the basics for the project. Once my speech was concluded, I received a barrage of questions from the audience.

“How did you compensate for the retail spaces versus the land primarily used for homes and high-rise condos?” asked the first engineer from the crowd.

“Yeah, and what about how you forecasted for the flow of traffic from the nearby Marta station,” followed the second engineer. “Will it help or hinder with the development?”

I answered both of their questions impressively as I even caught Tiffany smiling. Mr. Bradshaw seemed as if he was glowing like he was a proud parent and I was his son. He knew it wasn’t a mistake he assigned me as the senior designer for the task. As more questions came in, I answered them swiftly and more convincingly than the last. When the questions had ended, I suggested we walk through a portion of the site so the crowd could get a better visual of my designs. They loved it, shaking their heads in approval while looking at each other.

By the time it was all over, two hours had elapsed when Mr. Bradshaw took the podium for the second time. He began his thank you and farewell speech to the audience which continued to listen eagerly.

“As a token of my appreciation,” he said. “I would like to invite everyone to join me for a mixer at the Twelve Hotel this evening at six o’clock. Mr. Aaron Malone was actually a main contributing designer for the hotel. There you’ll be able to see firsthand one of his many achievements while listening to live jazz and enjoying dinner with cocktails.”

“Is that hotel near the Four Seasons where we are staying?” asked one of the dignitaries in the crowd.

“It’s not too far,” replied Mr. Bradshaw. “But don’t worry, I’ll send a car to pick up your party and anyone else who may need transportation.”

After Mr. Bradshaw finished the specifics about the mixer slated for later that evening, everyone continued to mingle for a while. Tiffany took this opportunity to congratulate me personally on my speech.

“Very impressive, Aaron,” she said as we moved away from the crowd. “I think your presentation solidified your firm’s mark with everyone in attendance today.”

“Why thank you, Tiffany,” I modestly stated. “But I think it was okay. I still have a long way to go before the final drafts are completed.”

“Come on, Aaron, don’t worry about that. Tonight is all about celebrating and having a little fun. You do remember what I said about all work and no play, right?”

“Yes, Tiffany, I remembered.”

“I’ll see you this evening at the Twelve Hotel.”

“I’m sure I will.”

When our short conversation ended, Tiffany joined the members of her consulting firm. I fitted in with Mr. Bradshaw who was having a discussion with the press. Mr. Black was there too standing next to him. Afterwards, the three of us found ourselves in the back of the Denali while Charles navigated us through the traffic. The day was a success so far but the thrill of the evening was yet to come.

CHAPTER 8

It was three forty-five in the afternoon as I sat reclined back in my office chair behind my desk. I glanced out my office window to notice the traffic on I-285 starting to bottleneck on a Friday afternoon. In the mist of paying attention to the traffic, my office phone rang and I promptly answered it.

“Hi, honey,” said my wife on the other end in a cheerful mood.

“Hello Monica,” I replied back still watching the traffic. “So how was your day?”

“Aaron, it was just another routine day at North Atlanta High School. But that’s not what I’m calling you about. How did your presentation go this morning?”

“It went very well. Mr. Bradshaw was pleased and the group of individuals I presented the initial designs to were impressed.”

“I am so proud of you! I knew you would be an impact at your presentation today.”

“Thank you, sweetheart. But I owe a lot to you for giving me pointers while adamantly listening to my practice speech over and over again.”

“That’s what a good wife is supposed to do.”

“Hey, we should celebrate later tonight. I have to attend a mixer Mr. Bradshaw surprised everyone with that starts at six. I should only be there for a few hours.”

“Aaron, did you forget?”

“Forget about what?”

“Tonight, the twins and I are sleeping over my parent’s house.”

“That’s right, Monica, I totally forgot. You scheduled the date a few weeks ago.”

“We can always celebrate in a few days or later. You should enjoy yourself tonight with your colleagues and friends anyway.”

“Yeah, maybe your right.”

“Yes, I am. You deserve to enjoy the success you’re having with the firm.”

“So, where are you now?”

“I’m driving over to the house to pack a few items for tonight. Then I’ll make my way over to my parent’s house before traffic really picks up.”

“Thank God we live in-town. You should see the view of traffic from my office.”

“It seems like the decision to buy the house in Sandy Springs, instead of Conyers, is paying off.”

“From the looks up here, I would say yes.”

“Well, I’ll talk to you later, honey. Enjoy your night and I love you.”

“I love you too, Monica. Be sure to kiss the boys goodnight for me.”

As soon as my conversation ended with Monica, in strolls my buddy from Florida State University. I thought he would have arrived sooner but apparently he was preoccupied.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Mr. Successful in the flesh,” Sebastian said taking a seat in front of my desk.

“So, where did you hear that from?” I asked turning my reclined swivel chair towards him.

“Aaron, it’s all over the office today that you did a fantastic job on your presentation.”

“Thanks, Sebastian, but it really was not that big of a deal.”

“Either way congratulations are in order because you deserve it. It looks like Mr. Bradshaw may be positioning you for a VP spot in the near future.”

“I think you may be going overboard on that one but I appreciate you being so optimistic. So, you probably heard about the mixer this evening?”

“Indeed I did,” he said smiling and leaning back in his chair. “So, you’ll be celebrating tonight with the bigwigs, huh?”

“I wouldn’t say they were all that,” I said. “They are just a few influential people who were at the presentation this morning. And speaking about celebrating, we’re having the twins’ birthday party at our house next month and you’re officially invited.”

“Are my favorite twins having another birthday already again?”

“Yes, Sebastian, they’re turning four. Monica even promised to invite a few of her single girlfriends just for you.”

“Well, I can’t refuse an invitation like that. So, how are your other celebration plans coming along?”

“You mean my fifth-year wedding anniversary?”