Now You See Me, Now You Don't!

CELESTE

I’m working in my office, wrapping up with my notes on what to pitch to the CEO of Hugo Boss, when I hear a knock on my door.

“Come in,” I shout, expecting it to be either Travis or Tiffany checking in on me before I head out and meet Jace and his team downtown for the proposal meeting.

“Good morning.” The sound of his voice prompts me to look up.

“Jace, what are you doing here?”

“I thought I’d pick you up for the meeting,” he answers, stepping further into my office. “You know, I wouldn’t want you to end up at some random guy’s house again.”

“Oh…you didn’t have to do that,” I reply in shock. “Plus, I printed out directions from MapQuest.” I hold up the sheets of paper with a smile.

“That’s so old school.” Jace laughs, making my smile turn to an annoyed frown.

“Well, excuse me, Mr. Rich Ladies’ Man Football Player. We don’t all have millions of dollars to be chauffeured around.

“My car doesn’t have navigation and my phone is so worn out it dies when I try to use apps so…” I reply childishly, sticking my tongue out at him like a little girl.

“All right, you made your point. Can we go now?” he says, making his way to the door.

I grab the Hugo Boss file and my purse and we walk out of the office together.

The CIA driver man is waiting for us outside next to a black Audi and I notice another black Range Rover SUV waiting behind the Audi.

“Why two cars?” I stand there, confused, not even able to get words out of my mouth.

Did he send two cars? One for just me? Because he doesn’t want to sit in a car with me?

“It’s for my team. I give them a separate car otherwise it’s nonstop nagging… And well, in the car is really when I only have a moment for myself. That’s why I have a driver.”

“Oh, okay,” I say, starting to make my way over to the Range Rover to be with his team.

“Celeste. Where are you going?”

I turn back around and see him standing there with the back seat door open, a grin on his face as if he’s trying to contain himself from laughing.

“Well…you said…you—”

He shakes his head at me and stops me from talking.

“I want you in this car. Come on, hop in.”

God. Why is he so confusing?

I hop in and he gets in on the other side and both cars are off.

I’m feeling my anxiety build up over this meeting. This is my first time pitching the proposal on my own and this is such a big company.

I can’t afford any mistakes, and on top of it all, I know Jace is going to be there, watching me.

I made such a big deal bragging about my new position and it would be a completely embarrassing disaster if I totally bombed the pitch, the meeting, the opportunity to land this big-time client.

Everything.

I start chewing on my pen as I’ve always done since…well, since I could remember actually. It’s always been a nervous tick, I guess.

I flip through the notes, memorizing their requirements over and over again, looking at the market analysis, the sales numbers, etc.

I feel the pen being pried from the strong grip of my teeth and I look at Jace, who has it in his grasp.

“You’re going to do great, Celeste,” he says with a warm, sincere smile and the grasp of my teeth goes limp.

“Thanks,” I whisper in a trance, staring at him.

“Look, I’m sorry about yesterday.”

I knew what he was referring to. The opportunity he fooled me into getting in the same position I was in all those years ago and the famous words he said to me.

I just nod, not trusting myself to speak.

“I only said it because it’s a reminder of how we…kinda met…,” he says, somewhat shyly.

So, he just admitted that he didn’t know me before the incident. And here I’ve only been obsessing over him since I first started to notice boys in general.

“But you said that day ruined your life,” Jace adds sadly.

I look down at the papers in my lap, too ashamed to look at him. I just bob my head yes.

“Why?” he asks.

I feel the car start to slow down and I pray we are here so I don’t have to answer.

“It’s a long story,” is all I say as the car comes to a complete stop.

Thank God. Run, Celeste. Run.

I don’t wait for Mr. CIA to open the door for me. I grip the handle tight and open the door as I thrust my body out of my seat as quickly as I can.

“Ooohhhfff.” I let out a whimper as I am rudely pushed back in my seat by the seatbelt that I forgot to unlatch in my panicked frenzy.

Great. I just squished my B-sized cups down to an A.

“Are you trying to run from me?” Jace says with a slanted smirk.

I think some inaudible mumbles come out of my mouth as I keep trying to fiddle with the seat buckle until it finally releases, setting me free. I immediately start to scoot myself out of the car, but feel his hand grab mine.

“Celeste.” I turn to look at him. “I hope you can tell me eventually… I really do want to get to know you.”

Jace sounds sincere about it and I’m pretty sure I feel a spark and maybe even a tiny fire ignite as my brain literally short-circuits.

Um, what just happened?

“Hello, I’m Ricardo Salvatore. The CEO of Hugo Boss. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Makenzie, I’m a big fan. Go Chargers.” Our client Mr. Salvatore greets Jace and me in a nice, no-all-glass conference room, thankfully.

“Thank you, Mr. Salvatore. Nice to meet you as well.” Jace firmly shakes his hand.

“And you are?”

“I’m Celeste Miller. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Salvatore. I’m the director of the Creative Design department for Blanchards Advertising and Marketing Firm.

“I’ll be working with your team and Jace here on the advertisements and commercials for the new collection.”

“Oh., you’re not really what I expected…” he trails off, staring at me.

What is that supposed to mean?

Looking me up and down, he is probably judging my non-sex appeal image and assuming my work is just as blah.

“I can assure you, Mr. Salvatore, Celeste is great at what she does. We actually went to high school together. She graduated top of the class,” Jace chimes in.

Did he just defend me? Don’t read into it, Celeste

“High school, huh, small world.”

“Extremely. Anyway…” Not missing a beat to change the subject, I get back to business.

“I’d like to get down to discussing what the company’s vision is for this new line, Mr. Salvatore. The requirements expected from my team in handling and designing? The ads and finally the commercial?”

“Yes, well, we have a lot of new product lines we are introducing. We believe many of our consumers only see us as a men’s underwear company, but we want them to view us as much more than that.

“We will be releasing a men’s fragrance line, sunglasses, a men’s line of business suits, and also a new collection of men’s boxer briefs.”

“Okay, so my team and I can work with Jace and your visions. We will do individual photo shoots for each of the products being released. Jace and I discussed yesterday the responsibilities of being the face of Hugo Boss…”

I look over toward Jace and he nods a smile at me to continue my pitch.

“He’s agreed to represent Hugo Boss by wearing only items from the new collection from now until the commercial airs during the Super Bowl. That way, when photographed by paparazzi, it’s also a form of advertisement for the company.

“He’ll be interviewed by the press and partake in magazine interviews, addressing his new role. His agents will release photos from each of the photo shoots on his social media accounts…”

“Sounds great so far.” Mr. Salvatore nods.

“We only have a few months before the Super Bowl, so my firm and I will be heavily advertising. Photos on billboards, social website ads, magazine covers, etc.

“We want people to be exposed to the new line and already be intrigued before they even see the commercial aired at the Super Bowl. Every street corner people will turn and see a photo of part of the new collection.”

“Excellent.” Mr. Salvatore sounds happy at how the pitch is going.

“Now, for the commercial. It’s last-minute in the eyes of the marketing and media, so you’re aware you’ll be paying top dollar for a slot during the commercial’s halftime.”

“Yes, unfortunately, we are well aware of that. What are your thoughts on advertising there?” Mr. Salvatore questions.

“Well, rather than just advertise one of the many products you’re releasing…I think we should advertise them all in that one commercial.”

“That’s a lot of products. How are you going to do that?” Mr. Salvatore questions hesitantly.

“I’m aware of that, but since we’ve been doing preparation advertising separately for each product, I feel the consumer will be prepared and will have already seen each individual product before the commercial.

“Combining them all in one major advertisement will bring the whole release of the collection together. Plus, each product actually pairs well with the other.

“The consumer can end up buying all the products to create one specific look that Jace will be modeling. And after all, his fans are gawking at him already.

“I’m sure all the men out there will want to try to perceive themselves as someone like Jace by copying his entire look.”

“Hmm, I’m surprised by you, Celeste. We were uncertain given we’ve already worked with another firm and we didn’t see eye to eye, but you, Celeste…brilliant. Just brilliant. I love it.”

“What did I tell you, Rick. Celeste is amazing,” Jace compliments again, and by then, I am already beaming in confidence at how well the pitch went and Mr. Salvatore’s rave review.

Jace and Ricardo talk sports for a few more minutes while I just act like I have a clue as to what they are talking about.

Jace always looks easy to talk to, if you aren’t a scared nerd like me and too afraid to actually talk to him.

But Jace has a way with people and it already sounds like Jace and Ricardo are friends for years instead of just business associates.

We end the meeting and shake hands, walking out of the office. We meet up with Jace’s team waiting for us in the lobby, and when we exit the elevator to the entrance lobby, we are bombarded with what feels like hundreds of fans.

Oh. My. God. JAAAACE. AHHHHHH.

Oh, that’s just me mimicking the millions of crazed fangirls screaming in my ears, trying to shatter the sound barrier.

Everywhere I look, there are girls hovering around Jace, grabbing his arms, wanting his autograph and pictures with him as they wrap their arms around him, sticking out their boobs.

Some are even confident enough to hand him a slip of paper and call out, “Call Me.”

He seems accustomed to all the women, the fame, the cameras. The crowds didn’t seem to phase him either.

It hasn’t bothered me so much yet since I am always walking behind him with his team of agents so the press doesn’t care about us and doesn’t put any focus on us.

I notice the time on my watch. We have to head back to the office so there’s time to sit and discuss the ideas and schedule for the upcoming shoots.

I maneuver myself through the crowd of fake, plastic women to get to Jace. The further in the crowd I get, the tighter it feels. Like the walls are closing in on me. I suddenly feel like I cannot breathe.

I can barely make out his arm and I reach out to grab it. I’m not sure how he realizes it is me or if he even knows it is me when he grabs my hand and tugs it.

It’s like he is pulling my body out of quick sinking mud. I break free from the other bodies and crash into his chest.

“Ohhff.”

“Are you okay?” he asks, looking down with a grin.

“Um, yea…” I can barely talk, being in the fishbowl center with Jace, my eyes twitching at the constant flashes of cameras surrounding us.

“Did you come to rescue me from this madness?”

He says something but I can’t make it out with the crowd screaming, making me deafer by the second. He looks up at the scene frazzled with all the crazed girls swarming him.

“What?” I scream probably like an idiot while the crowd around us gets tighter, pushing me into his chest closer.

I feel his breath on my neck travel up to my ear and trail along with goosebumps.

“Thank you for rescuing me,” he whispers in my ear and the vibration from his voice tickles my ear, making me giggle and squirm.

When his eyes meet mine again, he smiles, and his eyes get lighter and somewhat calmer.

“How—how did you know it was me in the crowd? My hand?” I ask.

He smiles, and looking down at my hand he is still holding, he brings it up to our eye level.

“You’ve always had a freckle on your right hand above your knuckle,” he answers and drags his thumb over the marking I was born with.

Wait, how did he know that? Snap, Snap, Celeste. Focus.

“Um…Are—are you ready to go? We still have to go over the notes and discuss the next steps before your press conference later.”

“Yea,” Jace answers with a smile and drops my hand, still holding onto me, as he tries to make his way through the crowd.

He isn’t able to move an inch out of the crowd before he gets pulled back into another group of Barbie dolls still wanting pictures with him.

And soon our fingers lose their grip on each other as the circle around him tightens, leaving me out.

Jace keeps glancing over to me with those same help me eyes, but he’s overpowered by the girls now draping their arms around his waist, pulling him so close their boobs brush up on him as they smile Botox smiles to the cameras.

I’m startled by one of them walking up next to me. She gives me a dirty look that makes me feel like trash. I’m used it to it from girls like that, all the Maddies of the world.

“Jace just asked if you could grab him a bottle of water,” she says to me with a bitch tone in her voice.

“Oh…okay.” I look back in his direction; he’s so swarmed again I can’t see his face.

I run back to the conference room where we just had the meeting and had a display of snacks, coffee, and bottled water for us during the meeting.

Always so posh and well thought out. I need to make a note of doing little things like that for my clients if I want to make a difference and succeed.

I come back out to the lobby and it’s empty.

No crowds, no paparazzi, no Jace.

“Wh-where did everyone go?” I say to myself. My voice echoes in the posh lobby. The empty posh lobby.

I walk out to the curb and see the valet at his little stand next to the revolving doors.

“Do you know where they went?” I ask. “Jace Makenzie?” I whisper so as to not cause another scene if the fans are still close by.

“They just left,” he replies.

“What.”

“Sorry, better luck next time maybe,” he says, smirking, thinking I was another crazed fan who missed all the action.

My stomach feels sick.

I can’t believe it. I am back to feeling being a nobody. Someone who is overlooked, ignored, didn’t matter, no one cared about. Forgotten and left behind.

And just minutes ago he was so nice to me. Making me feel appreciated and noticed.

What the hell kind of mind game is he playing here?

One minute, I exist, the next minute, I don’t?

Now you see me, now you don’t.

“Um, can you call me a cab please?” I ask solemnly and he does so.

The whole ride back to the office, I try as best I can to hold back tears, but I am not successful at all.

I feel like I am in high school all over again. Why did I let it get to me so badly again? Why did Jace Makenzie always have this effect on me?

I’m so stupid.

Stupid for enjoying our time together. Stupid for thinking he’s changed over the years. Guys like him don’t change.

You’ll never be anything to them, Celeste.

I lug myself out of the car and back into my office.

All I want to do now is go home and lie in bed, tucked under the covers, hiding for…about two weeks.

I plan to write out the notes we discussed from the meeting, email him the schedule of shoots, and do just that, or at least take the rest of the day to myself.

I turn the corner and boom.

“Ohhff.”

I think I ran into the wall misjudging my bearings again, but no, I walked right into Jace’s hard-as-a-wall chest.

“Celeste! Where have you been? I was worried.”

“Yea, sure you were,” I huff under my breath and laugh, pushing him out of the way.

“What’s wrong? What happened?” he asks, following me to my office.

“Nothing,” I snarl, clearly sounding pissed.

I realize then I am still holding his damn bottle of water he had me grab before he ditched me, so I turn and shove it at his chest.

“Here.”

“Wh-what’s this?” He seems confused.

“A water bottle.” My eyes narrow as I answer sarcastically with a snooty look on my face.

He chuckles, looking at me, which makes me even more pissed off. “Yea, I see that…Why are you giving me a water?”

Is he joking. Did he think this was a funny joke or something?

I am now pissed and I feel the word vomit erupting in my stomach making its way up my throat.

He looks back up at me and it bursts out of my mouth.

“You’re an asshole.”

“What? Celeste. What happened?” Jace throws his hands up in the air in surrender.

“You guys left me there. That’s what. I was forgotten. As always. Just like high school. The story of my life.”

And there it is…the word vomit. The drastic confession to the one guy who made his way on multiple pages of my diary. The guy I said I never wanted to see again, now standing in front of me, heard it all.

I instantly turn from upset to embarrassed. My cheeks turn red and I walk away from him to hide in my office.

“Celeste,” Jace calls out to me, sounding hurt.

“Just leave me alone, Jace,” I bark back at him and trot into my office, slamming the door.

I’m thankful that he didn’t follow.

***

12/05/13

Dear diary,

Jace Makenzie!

Where do I even begin…

Nope. I start to write in my diary once I make it home from my miserable day, but writing words down in a diary doesn’t seem to be helping me tonight.

I need my best friend, I need her words of wisdom, I need her chocolate cake.

Next best thing: a bottle of wine, a tub of Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Therapy, and FaceTime.

“Hey girl,” Layla says, connecting through my laptop since my phone is a piece of crap.

“I need you. I wish you were here Layla.” I sigh on the other end as I slump further into my comfy bed surrounded by a bottle of merlot and a sixteen-ounce tub of creamy chocolatey goodness. Both will be empty by night.

“Oh no. What happened?” Layla asks as I scream, holding my head from the brain freeze.