The Pitch They Didn’t See Coming

Lily Thompson

I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

The maroon suit hugged my curves like it had been stitched just for me. The lady at the boutique knew what she was doing when she recommended this suit to me.

The deep neckline of the jacket revealed just enough cleavage to command attention without screaming for it. I styled my hair to flow in soft waves over my shoulders, my makeup was subtle but flawless, and for the first time in a long time… I felt like I belonged in the room I was about to walk into.

I stepped out of the bedroom, heels clicking across the penthouse tiles.

Ryan’s head turned and he froze.

His eyes roamed from the hem of my slacks, up the curve of my hips, pausing at my neckline before finally meeting my gaze.

“Wow.” He cleared his throat and adjusted his tie like it was suddenly too tight. “You look… like you own the building.”

I smirked. “That’s the goal.”

Even Isabella clapped. “Mommy, you look like a movie star!”

I ruffled her curls, heart fluttering with nerves and pride.

The drive to Isabella’s school was quiet, but electric. Ryan kept sneaking glances at me, missing a turn once and nearly running a red light. I raised a brow.

“Eyes on the road, Mr. Edwards.”

He grinned. “Not my fault the passenger seat looks like a Vogue cover.”

When we dropped Isabella off, she blew us both kisses and yelled, “Don’t forget to be awesome!”

Back in the car, the tension returned.

I crossed my legs and stared ahead.

I could feel his eyes dart toward me every few seconds, like he was holding something in, waiting.

Then he finally spoke.

“About last night…”

My stomach flipped.

I didn’t respond immediately. I tried to play it cool. I shrugged, eyes forward. “What about it?”

His eyes left the road and he glanced at me momentarily. “We almost almost kissed.” He blurted out

“Did we?” I said lightly, though my voice was tight.

He frowned, grabbing the steering wheel tighter. “Lily. Don’t do that. Don’t pretend it didn’t happen. You were going to kiss me”

“No, YOU were going to kiss me,” I countered, finally meeting his eyes. “Almost is just almost. Nothing happened.”

“But it could’ve but you didn’t pull away either.”

I shifted in my seat, trying to act unfazed. “Because I was caught off guard.”

His jaw clenched and exhaled. “So you felt nothing?”

I hesitated just a bit too long.

“I was tired,” I said lightly. “We’d had a long day. Emotions were running high. It didn’t mean anything.”

Ryan gave a humorless chuckle, eyes back on the road. “Right. Of course not.”

I looked away, ashamed of the emotion in my chest.

He continued, softer now. “But for what it’s worth… no matter how hard you push me away, I’m not going anywhere again. That was the biggest mistake of my life, and I’ll never make it twice.”

My heart beat like a war drum. We stayed silent till we got to the office.

When we got to the office, the atmosphere felt off. People glanced my way, some whispering behind me

Theo met us by the elevator. “Heads up,” he muttered. “Vanessa’s been running her mouth all morning. Apparently, she told the whole floor you were a dropout about to pitch a marketing plan… and that everyone should grab popcorn.”

My blood ran cold.

Sure enough, when the conference room doors opened, it was packed. Not just board members. Employees. Interns. Curious faces ready to watch me fail.

I froze.

"Nope,” I muttered. My chest tightened like a vice. I couldn’t feel my fingers. I turned on my heel and rushed into my office, heart racing so fast it echoed in my ears. “I can’t do this”

I rushed into my office, pacing like a caged animal.

Ryan followed me in, closing the door behind him. “Hey. Breathe.”

“I can’t,” I hissed. “They’re all waiting to laugh at me! I’m not ready—”

“Lily.”

I stopped.

He stepped closer, cupping my face forcing me to look at him. “Breathe. You’re more than enough. You built this pitch. You poured your soul into it. You’ve been through worse than a few snide looks.

Lily, you didn’t claw your way through life just to freeze now. I watched you spend the whole night bent over that notebook, pouring your soul into this plan when no one else saw you.

You turned scraps into strategy. You don’t need approval from people waiting for you to fail, the only person who needs to believe in you is you. And I do. Fully. They’re not ready for you, Lily. But go in there, and show them you’ve always been ready.”

I blinked fast. My throat was tight. And before I could stop myself, I wrapped my arms around him.

He exhaled hard, like he’d been holding his breath for a year, and his arms crushed me back to his chest.

He inhaled the scent of my hair.

Then…

I pulled away.

He didn’t.

I raised a brow. “Ryan.”

He smirked, still hugging me. “Five more seconds. Let me pretend this is how mornings always start.”

I rolled my eyes and a chuckle escaped my lips but didn’t argue.

“Give them a show they’ll never forget.”

I breathed in. Then out.

I nodded. Okay. Let’s burn the place down.

When I finally walked into the conference room, the murmur quieted.

Vanessa stood with her clipboard, her face the picture of smugness. “Let’s begin,” she said. “Ms. Thompson, the floor is yours. Let’s just hope you’re better at marketing than you were at college.””

You….Bitch!!!

I walked to the front.

For a second, my hands trembled.

Then I remembered Ryan’s words. My daughter’s smile. The nights I spent fighting to stay afloat.

And I began.

“Good morning. My name is Lily Thompson. I may not have a degree, but what I do have is real-world experience. And a vision.”

I started shaky, but with each nod from the board, each glimmer of interest in their eyes, my voice grew stronger. By the fifth slide, I wasn’t just pitching — I was commanding.

What followed was twenty minutes of energy, creativity, and heart. I spoke about human-centered campaigns, Denzol’s need to connect with real people, and a rollout plan that left even the most skeptical board members nodding.

By the time I was done, the room was silent.

Then someone started clapping.

And then another.

And then the whole room.

Even Vanessa… stunned, lips pressed tight.

Theo leaned over and whispered, “That was one hell of a pitch.”

Ryan didn’t say anything. He just looked at me from across the room, eyes soft, proud, and a little bit in love.

And I finally let myself smile.

For one folish second, I wanted to run to him.

Wrap my arms around his neck, bury my face in his chest, and whisper I did it like it still meant something.

But I didn’t move.

I just stood there, frozen, wondering—

Why the hell do I still feel this way?