I’ve had almost every emotion you can have during this presentation, but I didn’t feel lonely until this moment.
I push through slides of smiling hikers and graphs with reassuring upward curves. My last second runs out as I finish saying, “Thank you. I’m happy to take your questions.”
Perfect. I did as perfect a job as I could. I quell the urge to check whether my sweat-proof armor is controlling the deluge.
The moderator turns on her microphone. “Are there any ques—”
“Yes,” Craig interrupts. “Surely there’ssomemarket for high-end tours in the offseason. What if we offered luxury dog-wagon service to these destinations instead?” He looks deeply annoyed to be repeating his comments from several weeks ago.
Oh, god. I have to decide who to be, right here, right now. Am I the Liz who gives a truthful, risky “no”? Or the Liz who goes with a canny, self-preserving “yes”?Be yourself,Stellar said. Well,BE YOURSELF,but same thing.
“Good question, Craig. Unfortunately, huskies overheat in warmer weather, particularly on hilly terrain like the Highway to Hell.” I skip the part about getting sued. Even I have my limits on how much “no” I can deliver at once.
The moderator moves in. “Any other—”
“Be that as it may, luxury customers want exclusivity,” Craig interrupts. “Is this true disruption, or brand dilution?”
He’s pushing backhard. He didn’t do this with Tobin and McHuge. “We can preserve our luxury brand with a separate website or even a different company name. Like Lexus and Toyota.”
Craig glances at Naheed, who nods.
I can do this.You are the added value,said Sharon.
“And,” I continue, “as much as I hate to argue with the boss, in order for West by North to become truly innovative and disruptive, we need ideas that go beyond our brand. To get those ideas, we need people who think differently.”
Me,I think, looking at Craig.See me.
“When we say ‘no’ to the status quo, and challenge our perception of who we are, we become a better company.”
The moderator breaks in. “That’s time. I’m sure our speakers would love to answer more questions over lunch.”
Bethany and Jingjing wait offstage; everyone else heads toward the buffet the resort laid out during my presentation.
“You did well!” Bethany exclaims at the same time Jingjing says comfortingly, “That was much better than last time.”
I’m buzzing like a high-tension wire in a snowstorm. I need to cool off away from people. Even nice people. “Excuse me,” I say faintly. “Bathroom break. Save me a seat?”
I’m halfway across the lobby when Craig calls, “Liz! Hey, Lewis!”
My heart fossilizes in my chest. There’s only one reason he would chase me.
I was blocking it out, but I kind of knew. I hoped magic would get my ideas heard. But maybe my ideas were just as square and uninteresting as my spreadsheets.
I might as well take the bad news now, when everyone else is at lunch.
“What can I do for you, Craig?” My words echo off the chic concrete surfaces before vanishing into bright pops of chatter from the dining room.
“Just wanted to say, before you make any calls to Keller—”
“I’m not callinganyone,Craig,” I say, weary to the bottom of my soul. “No one’s recruiting me. Sharon is my friend, nothing more.”
“Sure,” he says, winking. “Got it. I wanted to say congratulations and welcome to the West by North exec.”
I frown, hugging my arms across my chest to keep my armpits sealed. He’s not making sense.
Craig spreads his hands, grinning big. “First place, Lewis. What can I say? Great pitches.”
He means “pitch,” singular. Or does he think the rebranding and the off-season tours are separate pitches? Doesn’t matter; he could tell me he liked my taxidermy collection and I’d still be feeling this rising flutter in my chest.
