Page 9 of Jane's Story
“It's not your fault.” I wanted to know more about Margery Blake, but asking didn't seem appropriate. She’d looked so frightened in my dream, and our connection was undeniable. So I told myself I owed it to her to at least honor her memory somehow. But it was beyond that…in my dream I experienced her feelings. I lived them, and now part of her lived in me.
“Do you know that little girl?” Charles nodded toward Eva and her mom sitting a few yards behind us on the sofa.
“No, I was just helping her with her math.” I responded, though my mind was still on Margery. “You know, I almost went into teaching. I probably still will, actually.”
“I love that…” Charles’s face brightened. “Teachers are saints. You’d be among the best.”
“Anyhow,” Armond interrupted. “We have the SaferLoc launch coming up in about twenty minutes. You ready for this?”
“Yes.” I held up my camera.
“We’ll have Catalina guide you around the event so you know what to shoot.” Armond waved at a middle-aged woman with dark hair tinted red. “She’s our event planner.”
“Right.” I nodded and released a steady breath. So we’d moved on from discussing Margery.
Catalina crossed the lobby to us in seconds despite her impossibly high red heels. She reminded me of a news anchor, pristine, polished, and professional. “Oh good, you’ve got our photographer. Charles, what are you doing out here? You should be on the stage. Go.”
“Oh, right.” Charles looked at me apologetically and patted my shoulder. “Time to put on a show. I’ll be done pretty soon.”
I gave him my best encouraging smile, then turned to Catalina. “I’m all yours.”
“Now you’ll be on the floor level, which will be fine. The stage is only a few feet from the ground. Just get as many shots as you can, and we’ll sort out whichto keep later. Try to include the company logo and the SaferLoc images together. Get some of the audience as well, investors like that. And get shots of Charles too. He’s kind of our golden boy at the moment.”
I bet he is.
I jogged to keep up with Catalina as we walked toward the main conference area. A set of double doors led to the grand room, which was already filled with crowds of professionals in business attire.
“Go ahead and choose a place to stand.” Catalina waved as if she were shooing me away.
“Right. On it.” I scurried toward the stage and found a spot where I could get some decent shots without blocking anyone’s view. In order to be level with the stage, I needed to stand on something. So, I dragged a sturdy chair over, slipped off my shoes, and stepped onto it. The bright stage lighting in contrast with the dim room would be tricky, so I took a few practice shots.
Within a few minutes, a blond man with deep olive skin in his mid-forties walked on stage and took the mic. “Good morning everyone, thanks for joining us. My name is Lance Patel. I manage operations here at Haven Corp., and I’m thrilled to introduce a few of ourlatest products. First and most importantly, we have our CEO and lead engineer, Charles Bingley, here to tell us about our new comprehensive security product, SaferLoc. Charles…”
Lance stepped back, clapping his hands as Charles entered the stage. Charles radiated confidence and enthusiasm. Taller than most guys, with copper hair and eyes like the sea, Charles easily stood out. “Thank you, everyone. SaferLoc is a revolutionary product. Not only does it monitor its target area, it also assesses threat levels and takes automatic measures to divert any danger. Imagine a technology that could isolate and hold a bank robber to prevent any injuries, a technology that could not only detect and block malware but also fight back…”
The crowd cheered.
It was no wonder I liked Charles.Everyoneloved Charles. As I shot photos of him and his demonstration, the audience hung on his every word. He had an almost child-like innocence and fascination with technology. With his natural charm, humble honesty, and wide-eyed wonder, Charles was like a magnet, drawing everyone in. Including me, which shot an inexplicable painthrough my heart.
I kept my camera clicking as Charles and his team revealed prototypes and showed the audience a video clip about SaferLoc. I made sure to get photos of the audience’s responses and zoomed in on as many small groups as possible since I didn’t know who the higher stakes investors were. The product impressed me, surpassing anything I'd witnessed.
By the end of the launch presentation, I’d shot a few hundred photos, which was normal for a large event. In my photography classes, I’d found that shooting a bunch of pictures and getting rid of most of them left me with some true gems. Since the camera, like everyone else, loved Charles, editing would be a breeze. He was too handsome for his own good.
After the presentation ended, I sat on the chair I’d dragged over near a sidewall, not really sure what I should do next, and occasionally looking up for either Catalina or Armond among the crowd. But Charles was the first person I found. He sped toward me, stopping here and there to shake someone’s hand or say hello.
I stood, noticing the cold floor beneath my stocking-covered feet. So I grabbed my heeled boots, slipping them back on just as Charles stopped in front of me.
“Sorry, I was just climbing on the furniture,” I joked.
His dazzling grin, dimples and all, spread across his face. “Sounds more fun than giving a launch presentation. What did you think? Did it make sense? I’m always such a ball of nerves when I have to present like that.” He wiped his brow.
“You were nervous?” My jaw dropped. “Charles, you seemed completely calm and in control. The audience was wild about your product. If you’re looking for investors, I’m sure you’ve found many.”
“Thanks. You think?” Charles grinned and scratched behind his ear, then glanced at his watch. “Oh, it’s already 12:30 p.m. Time for our team’s lunch reservation.”
“I’m not sure I’m supposed to attend…” I fidgeted with my camera straps.
“Of course you are! We’re not discussing trade secrets. Plus, you can come as my personal guest. I don’t think there are many other things you need to shoot today. Maybe just take photos as we do things if you want, no pressure. Unless you object to hanging out for a while.” Charles led us across the lobby and towardThe Arbor Restaurant. Two topiary trees decorated withwhite lights and cream-colored ribbons sat outside the gilded entrance, matching the ivory tablecloths inside.
