Chapter 5: In The Elevator

Amelia

The past two days had been nothing but revisions.

Every time I thought the proposal was perfect, something in my head would itch, a strategy that could be tighter, a visual that could hit harder. So I kept tweaking, adjusting and refining.

Because if there was one thing I refused to do, it was present anything that looked half-baked in front of Adrian.

Not happening. I wanted him to look at my work and realize that calling me "lazy" was the biggest mistake of his professional life.

Which was exactly why I was now standing in Mr. Hillary’s office.

He leaned back in his chair, glasses low on his nose as he scrolled through the proposal on the tablet I had handed him.

The office was quiet except for the soft swiping sound of his fingers against the screen.

Finally, he nodded slowly.

"This looks promising, Amelia."

Promising was good.

"I made some adjustments to the positioning strategy," I said evenly. "And strengthened the campaign rollout timeline."

"I can see that," he murmured, still scanning.

Another moment passed before he handed the tablet back to me.

"Mr. Langford will be arriving this evening," he added.

Mr. Hillary continued. "You’ll be informed when he gets here. Be ready to walk him through everything."

I gave a short nod. "Yes, sir."

Back at my workstation, the familiar buzz of the office wrapped around me again.

Keyboards clicking, phones ringing, low conversations drifting through the air.

Casey popped up beside my desk like she had been waiting for me to return.

"So," she whispered dramatically, leaning against my cubicle wall, "when is the great and terrifying Adrian gracing us with his presence?"

I rolled my eyes, dropping into my chair.

"Hillary said this evening."

"This evening?!" she whisper-yelled. "Why do I suddenly feel like I should fix my posture?"

I snorted despite myself.

"You should always fix your posture."

She ignored that completely, already grinning.

"Well, when you become rich and famous after this presentation, just remember the little people."

"Please go and work," I chuckled

Casey just laughed and finally walked off.

I tried to focus.

By the time the message finally came through, it was 5:00 pm. Adrian has arrived.

Casey, apparently was not sent the message too.

Which meant… I was going alone. Great. Just great.

By the time I stepped into the boardroom, Mr. Hillary was already seated at the head of the long polished table.

The door opened again. Adrian walked in composed as ever with his assistant.

Mr. Hillary immediately stood, extending his hand.

"Mr. Langford."

"Mr. Hillary."

Their handshake was firm and brief.

Adrian’s gaze flicked to me. I straightened instinctively.

"Shall we?" Mr. Hillary prompted.

I nodded once and stepped forward.

The presentation flowed. At least… I hoped it did.

I walked them through the brand audit first, explaining in clear, simple terms where the hotel currently stood in the market.

Then the repositioning. Then the signature campaign.

I kept my voice steady and professional.

He didn’t react much at all.

By the time I finished, the room fell into a brief, heavy silence.

Adrian leaned back slightly in his chair, fingers steepled.

Then he nodded slowly.

"It’s much better."

The words were simple.

Mr. Hillary’s shoulders subtly drop in relief. "Excellent! I’m glad we’re on the same page." he said.

I exhaled quietly and returned to my seat.

The discussion that followed was more technical, the timelines, budget projections for the Full Brand Repositioning and Signature Campaign launch.

I spoke when necessary. Listened when appropriate. I also took notes.

By the time we wrapped up, evening had already settled outside the glass walls.

Adrian and his assistant stood first.

Mr. Hillary quickly followed.

They shook hands again before heading toward the door together.

I packed my tablet and notes carefully, double-checking everything before walking out.

It was already late.

By the time I stepped out into the main office floor, Casey and Megan were already standing near the exit, clearly ready to leave.

Casey looked up when she saw me.

"Well?" she demanded.

"Productive," I replied simply.

She grinned. "Good enough for me."

I bade them goodbye after a few more seconds of light chatter and headed back to my desk to pack up properly.

I pushed the chair in neatly. Stacked my notes and slid my laptop into my bag.

By the time I finally headed toward the elevators, the office had thinned out considerably.

The soft hum of the building filled the quiet space.

My mind was already on my couch and a glass of wine.

I got into the elevator and the doors were about to slide shut when a hand blocked them, the sensors triggered, and the doors hissed back open.

My head lifted automatically. And my stomach dropped.

Standing there, perfectly composed and entirely alone, was Adrian Langford. I thought he’d left ten minutes ago.

For a split second, genuine surprise flickered through my chest.

And… where was the man he came with?

He stepped inside smoothly, like this was the most normal thing in the world.

His eyes locked onto mine briefly. He gave a short nod of acknowledgment.

I had absolutely no idea how to respond to that. So I didn’t. I just stood there. Very still and very much aware.

He moved to stand beside me, close enough that I could feel the quiet authority that seemed to follow him everywhere.

He stepped inside and the space suddenly feeling five sizes too small.

Then he spoke.

"Where are you headed?"

I glanced at him briefly before looking straight ahead again.

"Ground floor."

"Same," he said, already pressing the button.

The elevator began its descent.

And the silence that followed? Uncomfortable.

Every second felt stretched. I stared at the floor numbers, wishing for them to move faster.

I was hyper-aware of everything the faint scent of his cologne, the quiet sound of the elevator cables, the steady presence of him beside me.

Being alone in an elevator with Adrian was not something I had mentally prepared for today. Or ever.

Thankfully... mercifully, the elevator chimed.

Ground floor. The doors slid open.

We both stepped forward at same time and nearly collided. I stopped short.

He stepped back immediately, one hand lifting slightly in a controlled gesture.

"Go ahead."

I took a deep breath and practically sprinted out of the elevator walking as fast as possible to get to my car.