Chapter two

The next morning, Luna was in the small office they gave her to manage. The office was not big. It was near the toilet. It was far from Jack Black's glass office.

She sat at her small desk. Her blouse was dry now. It was the same blouse from yesterday, but she had washed very well at home and dried it with a hair dryer. Her hands were still shaking a little bit. Her eyes were stressed because she did not sleep. She was thinking about her mother's operation all night.

Her mother was in the hospital. The doctor said she needed an operation very soon. The operation cost an arm and a leg. Luna did not have the money. This job was her only hope.

A knock came to the door.

It was Josham. Josham was Jack Black's assistant. He was tall, quiet, and he always wore a perfect black suit. He held a brown file in his hand. His face was serious, but his eyes looked cheerful. 

"Luna Alex?" he said. "Mr. Black wants to see you now.”

Luna's heart skipped. She stood up immediately. She followed Josham through the big, shiny office. Everyone was looking at her. The women in rich suits were whispering. The men in expensive watches were looking at her old shoes.

She could hear them whispering.

"That's the clumsy girl from yesterday."

"She spilled coffee on herself."

"I know Jack Black will fire her today."

Luna kept her head high. She did not look down.

Jack Black was standing behind his desk. He did not look at her face. He looked at the papers. His office was very huge. It had a glass wall and you could see all of Paris from it. But his face was cold like ice.

"You said you know your job," he said coldly. "Good. Then prove it."

Jack Black threw the brown file on the desk. The file was heavy.

"This is the Béranger Company," he said. "They are the biggest client in Paris. They own hotels, malls, and fashion. For three years, we tried to get them. We sent our best people. They said no. They probably hate us. They say we are cold, too selfish.”

Luna opened the file. Her eyes became wide. Inside were many pages, many numbers, and many old letters. All of them are being rejected. 

"You have four days," Jack said. "Your personal target is this: Bring me a signed contract from Béranger. If you do, you stay. You get the money for your mother. If you don't, you are fired. On Friday."

Luna felt her mouth had gone dry. "Three days? But sir, you said you tried for three good years..."

"I know," Jack said. He finally looked at her. His eyes were so hard. "That is why it is impossible. You wanted to show me you are good. This is your chance. Prove you are not just a poor girl with a sad story."

Josham looked at Luna with pity. He knew this was not fair. He knew no one could do this in three days. He had seen five good workers try and fail before, he just knew everything. 

Luna stood there. Her mother was in the hospital bed. She really needed this job. She needed the money for the operation. She thought about her mother's hand, cold, weak, everything.

She took a deep breath. She held the file tight to her chest.

"I will do it," she said. Her voice was small, but deeply strong.

Jack Black was surprised. He thought she would cry. He thought she would run away. He thought she would beg. But she didn't do any of that.

"Okay," he said. "Four days. Go."

Luna walked out of his office. Josham followed her. He closed the door quietly.

"Miss Alex," Josham whispered. "Don't do this. No one has done it. Mr. Black is angry because of what you said yesterday. He wants you to fail. He wants to show everyone that you are nothing."

Luna looked at him. She gave a stressed smile.

"I did not come here for him to save me, Josham. I came because I know my job. And I will not fail my mother, never ever.”

She went to her small desk and opened the file. She had 96 hours.

At that moment, two girls came to her desk.

It was Maya and Aisha.

Maya was Luna's best friend from university. She was very playful, funny, loud, and she always wore bright red lipstick. She worked in the same company but in a different team. She had heard what happened.

Aisha was quiet and brilliant. She wore a headscarf and round glasses. She was the best at research in the whole office. She always knew the secret facts about people.

"Luna!" Maya shouted, but quietly. "We heard everything! That man is crazy! Four days for Béranger? That's really impossible!"

Aisha pulled a chair and sat next to Luna. "It's impossible if you try alone. But we are here to help you. We are your team now."

Luna felt tears come to her eyes. She did not want to cry in the office. "You're helping me? You could get in trouble."

Maya laughed. "Girl, we are already in trouble. My boss hates me because I am always late. Aisha's boss hates her because she is smarter than him. We have nothing to lose, girl."

Aisha opened her laptop. "Okay, listen. I did some research last night after we finished talking on the phone. The Béranger Company is not just a company. It is a family. The boss is Madame Béranger. She is 70 years old. She is very strict. She does not like Jack Black because three years ago, Jack Black was rude to her at a party. He laughed at her old dress."

Maya said, "See? It's not about business. It's about the heart. Jack Black tried with money. He tried with big suits. But Madame Béranger hates big suits."

Luna looked at the file again. The file was full of numbers. No heart. No story to tell.

"So what do we do?" Luna asked.

Aisha smiled. "We do the opposite of Jack Black. We do not go with a big presentation. We go with the truth. Madame Béranger really loves her late husband. He started the company from a small shop. She loves people who remember where they come from. Like you, Luna."

Maya clapped her hands. "Yes! We have a plan. Day One: We research. Day Two: We make a plan to see her, not in the office, but where she really goes. Day Three: You go and get the signature."

Luna felt a small hope grow. For the first time that day, she was not alone.

The three girls spent the whole day in the small office. Maya brought tea and bread from the bakery. Aisha printed out everything about Madame Béranger. Luna read the old letters. She saw a pattern. Every time Jack Black's team sent a letter, they talked about money, power, and gain. They never talked about family. They never talked about love.

"Maya, look at this," Aisha said. "Madame Béranger goes to the same small flower shop every Tuesday morning. She buys red roses for her husband's grave. She goes alone. No securities."

Maya's eyes lit up. “ Tomorrow is Tuesday. Luna, you will go there. Not as a business woman. As a girl who also lost someone."

Luna was scared. "But what if she gets upset?"

Aisha took Luna's hand. "She might. But she will listen to a real person. Truth be told, she is tired of fake people."

That evening, Luna went to the hospital. Her mother was asleep. Luna held her mother's hand and told her everything.

"Mama, I have an impossible task. But I have Maya and Aisha. I will never give up."

Her mother opened her eyes quietly and smiled. "My daughter, impossible is just a word for people who do not try."

Luna went home that night. She did not sleep much. She practiced what she would say to Madame Béranger. Maya called her five times to make her laugh. Aisha sent her a voice note with all the details.

The next morning, Day Two, Luna woke up very early. She wore her simple black dress. She did not wear a rich suit. She wore her mother's small silver bracelet.

She went to the flower shop. It was small and old, with a blue flower bouquet outside. She waited.

At 9:00 am, Madame Béranger came. She was old, with silver hair and a long gray coat. She looked very elegant, but also very lonely.

Luna's heart kept beating very fast. She remembered what Aisha said. Be real.

She walked to her and said, "Good morning, Madame. I am Luna Alex. I am not here to sell flowers to you. I am here because I understand what it is like to love someone who is ill, and to buy flowers for them."

Madame Béranger looked at her. For a moment, she became quiet. Then she asked, "Who are you?"

Luna told her the truth. She told her about her mother in the hospital. She told her about Jack Black's impossible task. She did not hide anything.

Madame Béranger listened. She did not stop her. Her eyes became soft.

"My husband started this company with nothing," she said. "He had only his hands and his heart. Jack Black's people come with big suits and big money, but they have no heart. But you have a heart."

She bought her roses. She stared at Luna and said, "Come to my office tomorrow at 10 am. Not with Jack Black. Just come alone.

Luna almost cried. She ran back to the office to tell Maya and Aisha, what madame Béranger told her.

Maya screamed in excitement and hugged her. Aisha jumped up and down, they were all happy.

"We did it! We did it!" Maya shouted.

But Luna said, "We have not done it yet. We still need the signature. Day Three is tomorrow. The last day."

That night, the three girls worked all night. They made a new presentation. Had nothing to do with money. About family. About respect. About Béranger's history. Aisha took photos of the old shop. Maya designed it beautifully and simple. Luna wrote the words from her heart.

On Day Three, Friday morning, Luna and her friends went to Béranger's office. Madame Béranger was already waiting for them. She was wearing a simple white dress, not a rich suit.

Luna presented her work. She spoke slowly, clearly. She had no intention to act perfect. She was honest.

When she finished, there was silence.

Madame Béranger picked up the pen. She signed the contract.

"For your mother, and for my husband," she said. "Tell Jack Black that Luna Alex did what his rich suits could not do for three years."

Luna held the signed contract in her hands. Her hands were shaking again, but this time it was all joy.

She looked at Maya and Aisha. They were all happy and crying tears of joy. 

She had 96hours. She used it every hour. And she did the impossible.

She walked back to Jack Black's office. She held the file high.

Josham saw her and smiled. He opened the door for her.

Jack Black looked up. His face was shocked.

Luna placed the contract on his desk.

"You wanted a personal target," she said. "Here it is. Signed."

And for the first time, Jack Black had no words to say.