THE PRESENTATION

Chapter 4

Vanessa had prepared everything for Carter to take the lead—he was the face of the team, after all. She had worked behind the scenes, pulling all the strings, organizing the content, making the connections, and now he was tossing the entire responsibility on her with barely a moment’s notice?

She could feel the pressure thicken around her like a heavy fog. She grabbed her notepad and phone and headed toward Conrad’s office. Her heels clicked rhythmically down the hallway, but her mind was in chaos. What if BlueEdge asked questions only Carter could answer? What if they wanted details about the merger plan? Would Conrad be ready for that? Would they do well without mistakes?

She found Conrad in his office, chatting with another staff member. As soon as he saw her, he quickly dismissed the other person, who muttered a polite greeting to Vanessa on her way out.

Conrad gave her an easy smile. “I was just about to come find you,” he said. “So, we’re doing this, huh?”

“I guess we are,” Vanessa said, trying to muster a smile of her own. “He didn’t give much of a warning.”

“Carter rarely does,” Conrad said, his voice light but understanding. He motioned for her to take a seat. “We’ve got about seven minutes or less. Let’s go over everything quickly—make sure we’re on the same page.”

Vanessa nodded and opened her folder. They spent the next few minutes reviewing the presentation—who would take which segments, how to handle specific questions, and which talking points to highlight. Vanessa felt a measure of calm settle over her. Conrad was composed, thoughtful, and unlike Carter, he trusted her input.

When it was time, they walked to the conference room together. BlueEdge’s representatives were already on the elevator coming up. She stood side to side with Conrad, by the elevator as the doors opened  Vanessa gave her best professional smile, was surprised to see Gilmore even though she already knew he'd be here. He was the C.E.O of course. They exchanged pleasantries and handshakes as they walked to the meeting room. Immediately they got the room and everyone had settled down she introduced herself and Conrad, and launched into the presentation.

Her voice was steady, and her timing was perfect. She kept fighting to maintain contact with the projector screen and avoid contact with BlueEdge's C.E.O—Gilmore, who kept staring at her all through the presentation. The questions came—some tough, some routine—and she answered them with quiet confidence. When Conrad stepped in, he backed up her points seamlessly, echoing her remarks and building on them.

For the first time in a long while, Vanessa felt seen.

By the time the meeting ended, BlueEdge’s team looked impressed. Handshakes were exchanged, and polite words of appreciation filled the I'mroom.

As the guests exited, Conrad turned to her. “You were great in there. I think you just scored us the deal.”

Vanessa let out a soft laugh. “Thanks. I honestly wasn’t sure I could pull it off.”

“Well, you did. And Carter will hear about it—don’t worry,” he said, giving her a reassuring nod.

She smiled. Maybe she didn’t need to be in Carter’s good graces after all. Maybe it was time she stepped out of the shadow she’d been working under.

As she gathered her things and headed back to her desk, she felt something she hadn’t felt in a while—possibility. Maybe today really was a good day.

Just as she thought everyone was out of the meeting room, she heard a voice behind her,  “Your were amazing out there Ms. Jones. And you look good!” she turned surprised to see Gilmore still in the room. 

 

“Thank you, Mr. Davis” she replied, with a smile.

“I didn't know you'd be in charge of this presentation, thought it was supposed to be Carter, the team leader right?”.

“Uhmmm!...Yes, you're right. He had a last minute emergency, I apologize on his behalf”. 

“Alright, that's fine. But we'd be scheduling another meeting. This time with Carter present in it. So we'd finalize and start working on the account”.

“Yes, Mr. Davis.”

“My secretary would send you the details for the next meeting. And we hope to startup the account afterwards.” 

“That's fine sir” 

Gilmore still stood behind her not knowing what else to say, or how to get her into a conversation.

The door opened and Conrad stepped back into the room, holding the tablet he’d forgotten on the table. He paused briefly when he saw Vanessa and Gilmore still there. His eyes moved between the two, and although his expression remained neutral, Vanessa could read the question in his glance.

“Ah, Mr. Davis,” Conrad said smoothly, striding forward with a professional smile. “I didn’t realize you were still here. Everything alright?”

Gilmore cleared his throat and took a small step back, the charm in his expression dimming slightly. “Yes, all good. Just commending Ms. Jones on a job well done. She really held the floor today.”

Conrad nodded. “She did more than that. She led it. We’re lucky to have her.”

Vanessa gave a modest smile, shifting slightly as she clutched her notepad. The tension in the room was subtle but tangible—like a current running beneath the surface. She could tell Gilmore hadn’t just been offering feedback. There was something else lingering in his tone, in the way he looked at her. And Conrad had clearly picked up on it too.

“Well,” Gilmore said, adjusting his cuffs, “I’ll be in touch soon. Looking forward to the next meeting.”

“Of course,” Conrad said, escorting him to the door.

Vanessa followed a step behind, exhaling quietly once Gilmore exited and the door clicked shut behind him. For a moment, neither she nor Conrad said anything.

Then he turned to her, eyebrows raised. “Interesting guy.”

She gave a wry chuckle. “That’s one way to put it.”

“You okay?” he asked, more seriously now.

“I’m fine,” she said. “Just…..wasn’t expecting the attention, I guess.”

“Let me know if it ever feels like more than just attention,” Conrad said, his tone meaningful but supportive. “You shouldn’t have to deal with anything inappropriate—not after all the work you’ve done.”

Vanessa nodded, genuinely grateful. “Thanks, Conrad.”

They stepped out into the hallway together, walking slowly back toward their offices. The buzz of the successful meeting still hung in the air, but so did something else—an unspoken shift in how the team saw her, how leadership saw her, and maybe, how she saw herself.

As she slid back into her chair and looked at her inbox, the meeting invite from Gilmore’s secretary had already arrived.

She smiled again—calmer this time. It wasn’t just a good day. It was a turning point.