Page 21 of Tough Luck

“Exactly,” I said, a confident smile spreading across my face as I moved to the final, hidden board. “But if they want something entirely unexpected—something that completely disrupts the Denver agency landscape…”

I unveiled the final board. It was a bold, modern design that featured a striking, minimalist black-and-gold color palette with clean, avant-garde typography.

“We highlight a limited-edition, ultra-premium line targeted at high-end dining,” I said, my heart racing with excitement. “I’ve stripped away the traditional rustic brewery look and positioned it as a luxury craft experience. I’ve used clean lines and colors on sleek aluminum bottles.”

Silence fell over the room for a long beat. Nova looked stunned, and Rick hadn’t moved a muscle since I’d started. His eyes were darting between all three boards, his jaw slightly set. It looked like his mind was working at a mile a minute.

With all three boards now revealed, I began my prepared speeches for each board while I showcased my digital creations on the computer screen, along with the proposed website changes. I went through the digital ads and mocked-up commercials that I’d created as I continued to walk them through my memorized speech.

I had made sure to keep my pitch short but also entertaining, with just a hint of humor.

When I was done with my presentation, I folded my hands in front of me and waited.

The silence began to stretch, and my confidence suddenly faltered. Was it too aggressive? Too artsy for a rugged brewery?

“Well?” I asked nervously, my hands twisting together.

Rick slowly walked over to me. He didn’t look at the boards but directly at me, a slow, devastatingly proud smile curving his lips.

“Sofia,” he murmured, his voice dropping into that low, thrilling baritone that always made my pulse spike. “You are completely brilliant. All of this together is better than I’d imagined. Leonard wouldn’t be able to come up with a single one of these concepts if he had a hundred years and a team of geniuses.”

Nova let out a dramatic sigh from the chair. “Yeah, what the boss said. I think you just outshined me.”

“Everything is perfect,” he said with a slight nod of agreement.

Somehow, when Rick smiled at me, my legs turned to rubber. “Tomorrow morning, you and I will head to the brewery and show them exactly why Gold Standard Media owns this town.”

I couldn’t help it, I laughed and rushed to hug both of them.

I was so excited. For the first time in forever, I felt like I was flying. Like I had something I truly wanted.

I pulled away from Rick, realizing just how inappropriate that hug was in the workplace. I blushed, turning a bright red.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, and turned away.

Thankfully, Nova broke the awkward silence quickly.

“Don’t take it personal,” she said, nudging Rick’s arm playfully with her own. “She’s a hugger.”

He chuckled. The deep sound of his laughter helped relax me a little.

Just then, there was a knock on the door and Elizabeth poked her head inside.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I have Mr. Willis on the phone for you.”

“Right,” Rick said, and only when I heard the door shut again did I finally turn around.

“Oh my god.” I buried my face in my hands. “How stupid could I be?”

Nova pulled me into another hug. “Hey, after tackling him on his first day here, I’m sure that quick hug was nothing.” She waved her hand and hugged me again.

“Somehow, that doesn’t make me feel any better.” I poked her in the ribs.

We spent the next half hour organizing the boards into their sleek black carrying cases and making sure the digital backups were secured on three different thumb drives. By the time we walked out of the building, the sun was just starting to sink behind the jagged peaks of the Rockies. The Colorado sky had brilliant streaks of magenta and bruised purple, making the rocks look beautifully painted.

“I love sunsets like this,” I said, linking my arm in hers.

“Yeah, with the warm air hitting my face, the colors, the smell of the mountains.” Nova sighed and then chuckled. “Aren’t you glad you dropped out of college?”