Monday afternoon, Cora stood in her studio as she took off her camera lens to replace it with another.
"I'll just be a second. Can you please go stand against that screen?" she politely asked her client; a university student building her portfolio for a beauty pageant. Personally, Cora never understood the concept of beauty pageants. What exactly mattered and how much? She was clueless, but her client had given her a brief of what she wanted and Cora kindly obliged.
Her client, Olivia, nodded and walked towards the screen.
"Phyllis, can you give me the 85mm?" Cora asked Phyllis who was currently adjusting the light inside the room.
She nodded and passed the lens to Cora. After a few moments of fixing the settings, Cora nodded and murmured 'right' to herself. She took out a scrunchie from her pocket and tied her hair in a loose bun.
Phyllis looked at her from the side and chuckled to herself. Cora with her hair tied in a bun meant 'full work mode on' Cora. Nobody in the world would be able to distract her now.
Cora took the camera again started taking close-ups of her client. Cora smiled to herself behind the camera; she remembered how her father used to take her pictures when she was about to move to London from America. She saw a reflection of herself in the shy expressions of her young client, a bashful, introverted Cora from the past.
Cora squinted her eyebrows together, analyzing the frame "Could you look a little more to the right?" Cora instructed Olivia.
"Yes, a little more. Perfect. Now can you smile for me, a big smile? You have a beautiful jawline" Cora complimented as Olivia blushed.
Cora captured a few more pictures, trying to make her pose and laugh and she did so successfully.
"I think we've got them" Cora said as she scrolled through the camera to see the shots. "Would you like to see them?" she asked Olivia.
"Yes, please" Olivia grinned and walked towards her.
"I'll open them here in the laptop so it's easier for you" Phyllis advised and Cora nodded.
Olivia stood with Cora, as Phyllis reviewed the pictures with them.
"These are amazing! I didn't think I could look this good" Olivia commented, almost tearing up.
Cora gently rubbed her back and smiled "Of course. You're very beautiful sweetheart"
Olivia smiled back at her "You are a great photographer. I didn't even know my jawline could look this good from this angle"
Phyllis laughed "Well, Cora is an expert in bringing out the best sides in everybody, in every way" she smiled at Cora and Cora softly smiled back at her. Phyllis truly was her biggest cheerleader.
"Oh, no "gasped Olivia "I had to take pictures in a few more outfits but I'm afraid I left them at my hostel" Olivia slapped her forehead in regret.
Cora chewed her lip for a moment and then replied "That's alright, you can make another appointment next week and we can adjust you"
Olivia thought for a moment "Are you sure? Only I know you all have lots of bookings"
Cora sighed and smiled "Yes but we'll manage. I am sure we can find you a slot. Right, Phyllis?" Cora looked at Phyllis, who looked back at her in slight confusion.
Phyllis sighed internally, a mini second of a sigh that only Cora could spot "Yes, I am sure we can"
Olivia jumped up and down in excitement "Thank you so much! You guys are life savers!"
Phyllis and Olivia walked towards the reception to fix an appointment and Cora walked towards their lunch room. She looked at the time, it was nearly 2pm and her stomach grumbled, begging for some food. Her appointment was technically supposed to finish half an hour ago, but since Olivia was so shy, it took a little extra time to break the ice. Cora didn't mind; she imagined herself in her position, it must have been a little daunting but Cora always knew how to make people comfortable. Despite being an introvert, she was always kind and empathetic towards people. At least that's what she'd been told all her life, and she liked to think that she was like that. And sometimes that meant, giving someone those extra fifteen minutes, but if the end result turned out good in everyone's favor then those extra minutes were always worth it. Cora's mother, Martha always thought Cora was too nice, to the point that she let other people take advantage of her. But Cora never felt that. She was nice but she wasn't dumb. She knew when and how to invest her time and energy but some of her family members thought otherwise. Her husband, Simon called her a pushover, which is why he often thought she wasn't cut out to do a business. But so far she had proved him wrong. He talked as if being a 'softie' was a bad thing. Well, maybe it was, but only if it gets too much. And Cora had proved time and again that she was both smart and kind in perfect balance.
Cora sighed as she sat down on the table; she rolled her sleeves up and put two pieces of chicken and some rice in her plate. She was about to take a bite when Phyllis walked in.
Phyllis sighed as she slumped down her chair "I've given her time next week on Wednesday" she said as she fixed herself a plate.
"Don't we have that shoot with the web series actors?" Cora asked as she took a bite of her chicken.
Phyllis added some rice to her plate and shook her head "That is Tuesday"
"Right" Cora sighed "There's so many appointments, I keep mixing them up" Cora chuckled.
Phyllis winked at her "That's why I'm here"
Phyllis took a couple of bites before speaking again "Speaking of appointments, when are you going to tell me the details?" she asked.
Cora chewed on her chicken as she poured herself a glass of water "Details about what?" she replied after swallowing her food.
"The Hotel? How was the meeting? I called you yesterday, but you never got back to me"
Cora took a sip "Oh yes" she put down the glass of water on the table and took a breath "I was out. Simon and I had to go to a dinner, some colleague of his, so I saw your call really late"
Phyllis squinted her eyebrows "Did it not go well?"
Cora looked at her confusingly "Why would you say that?"
"Only that you just gave another appointment to this client, and we have lots of other bookings coming in, that you're approving, so I am just assuming it did not go well"
Cora smiled and shook her head "No, it's nothing like that. It went well"
Phyllis looked at her, waiting for her to continue.
Cora took a moment to reply. It did go really well. She knew Carson loved them, and Carson was almost always right about people. His gut was always accurate and Cora agreed, everyone at the hotel seemed really nice. They all seemed kind and accommodating. She was nervous before going in, but they all put her at ease. Specially after meeting Mr Crawley.. Robert. She somehow felt like they could make it all work. But..
"Well? Tell me more" Phyllis interrupted her train of thoughts.
Cora shook her head "Sorry" she sighed "No, it really went well, they all seemed very nice and I see a big potential for both sides in the contract"
"Then why the hesitation?" Phyllis asked as she poured herself a glass too.
Cora put aside a stray piece of hair behind her ear that had come out of her bun. "I'm only worried about the time management of it all"
"What do you mean?" Phyllis asked.
Cora took another bite of her chicken, biding that time to collect her thoughts. "I mean of course, I'm really happy that such an opportunity came our way. But we have so much on our plate, and a full year long contract would mean that there may be nights that we have to stay at the hotel and prioritize that over other appointments"
"Cora" Phyllis took her hand "It's not something we haven't done before. We've managed multiple projects together many times"
Cora smiled back at her and covered Phyllis' hand on top of hers "I know. I just don't want it to get too much for everyone. You know staying there for days on, since it's so far away from all our homes"
Phyllis laughed "Ah, there we have it. Your problem is our comfort and time management"
Cora sighed, she knew Phyllis would get it eventually. Cora nodded and Phyllis chuckled.
"We're a team Cora. Everyone is so excited about this project, and I'm sure everyone would be willing to work a little extra and overtime. Have you listened to Carson? He can't stop praising the Crawley's and their staff"
Cora laughed at that "Yes, they're all exactly the kind of classy that Carson likes"
Phyllis laughed back "He's also quite positive about the whole idea. He liked them. And you know Carson's first impression.."
"Are never wrong" Phyllis and Cora said simultaneously and then smiled.
"Don't worry, I'll handle the scheduling with Carson, and if it means delaying a few projects already in the loop, then it's okay. It's all give and take. I'll manage; I'll postpone some shoots accordingly, starting with Mr Samson!" Phyllis rolled her eyes.
Cora laughed "Yes, let's give him a taste of his own medicine"
Phyllis grinned "That's the spirit" as she made herself another bite. "And don't worry about us, it's a big deal for PRIME, and we're all willing to play our part"
Cora smiled back at her, instantly feeling a thousand times lighter "So I was worrying for no reason?"
Phyllis smiled as she took a bite "You are a very nice leader, Cora. You put your people above everything else and that is why we all love you"
Cora grinned "Are you buttering me up for a pay raise?" Cora joked.
"Damn it, I should've been more smooth" Phyllis joked back.
Carson entered the lunch room a moment later, his shoulders slumped.
"Carson, haven't you had lunch yet?" Cora asked.
Carson sat down next to Phyllis and sighed "No, I was struggling to find the balance of seven hundred pounds for the last fourty minutes"
Phyllis smiled "I'm sure you found it though"
Carson raised his eyebrows, looking as if he was mildly offended "Of course I did!"
Cora and Phyllis exchanged looks, giggling silently at his reaction.
"Yes, of course you did, as you always do. You should've had lunch and then looked for it" Cora added.
"I wanted to eat in peace" Carson replied, raising his bushy eyebrows.
Cora raised her eyebrows back at him, making Carson smile when their intern Daisy walked in.
"Daisy have you had food?" Cora inquired.
Daisy nodded as she went over to the tea counter "I have, yes. Would anyone like some tea?" she asked.
"Not yet" Cora replied.
After a few moments, Carson spoke "Have you made a decision yet?"
Cora who was busy finishing off her plate, looked up at him "About the hotel?"
Carson nodded, looking at Cora with bated breath.
Phyllis smiled at the suspense "Drum roll" she said as Daisy giggled.
Cora smiled at them "I've decided that we will accept it"
"Yes" Carson clapped his hands together, making everyone laugh.
"I knew you'd come around" Carson replied grinning.
"What, really?" Daisy looked at them with wide eyes.
"Yes" Cora replied "But I must tell you, it may require some extra time and patience. Are you all up for that?"
"Of course!" Carson replied "It is a big project, I'm positive it'll be a success"
"Definitely! I'll get to learn a lot more this way, I'm very excited about this" said Daisy.
"See, I told you we'll all be up for it" Phyllis replied, making Cora grin.
"Perfect! Congratulations team" she said picking up her glass of water as they all cheered to it.
After a series of hoo's and haa's, Carson spoke.
"We should inform them. Shall I call Mrs Hughes?" asked Carson.
Cora shook her head "No, Robert Crawley gave me his number. He told me to let him know directly"
"Oh, I see" Carson replied, with a slight hint of disappointment in his voice, which of course Phyllis noticed.
"Who is this Mrs Hughes?" asked Phyllis, making Carson's ears turn red at the sound of her name.
Cora smirked at her, knowing very well, she was teasing Carson.
"Um, she is the PA of the CEO" replied Carson.
"Oh, the woman that rescued you?" added Phyllis, making everyone smirk.
"Well, ah..yes" Carson replied, turning the shade of a tomato.
"She sounds lovely" Phyllis added.
"Well, yes…I mean. I'm sure she is" Carson said, standing up from his chair, walking towards the tea counter.
Cora laughed "Phyllis, you've embarrassed him"
Phyllis grinned back "Oh, I think our Dad might have a little crush" she whispered.
Cora giggled at her.
"So when will you let the CEO know?' asked Phyllis.
Cora cleared her throat "I'll call him tonight"
Phyllis nodded "What is his name again?"
"Robert. Robert Crawley"
Phyllis nodded again "Was he nice?"
Cora took another sip of her water, slightly turning pink. She had no idea why. She thought back to how she met Robert; remembering the state she found him in under his table, but at the same time how kind he was, and how eager he seemed about the project.
"Yes, yes he was" Cora said as she got up from the chair and followed Carson towards the tea counter.
Phyllis looked at her, curious about the whole situation. Both Carson and Cora fled the conversation at the mention the hotel's staff. Phyllis raised her eyebrows as she looked at them pouring a cup of tea for themselves. It was all very curious, she was all of a sudden very interested to meet the people who've made two of her most stoic and proper colleagues blush and flee the topic at the speed of light.
Monday night, Robert sat in his living room, halfheartedly watching a game of cricket. It had been an exhausting day. He rolled his eyes realizing that it was only Monday. It was a crucial time at the hotel, and he'd been working his ass off with Bates and his daughters to keep things up to standard and finding ways to improve the current situation. All this meant a series of long nights and endless meetings. He spent more time at the hotel than at his house. He looked at the clock; it was 8:30pm. He shouldn't feel this tired at 8.30pm. He was sure even his mama would be up and reading a book at this hour. He sighed as he muted the television in front of him.
Silence.
All he could hear was silence. There was no sound except for the tick of the wall clock. Mary and Edith had of course moved out years ago. Sybil had become more and more busy with her nursing course and spent majority of her time at the hospital. His wife Valarie was out for dinner with her friends and Robert was very alone in his big house. He was used to the chitter chatter of people all day around him. He was lucky that his colleagues were his family, so he conveniently managed to spend time with his family and do work at the same time. He was not used to being alone, and the silence started to disturb him. It was ironic how he rarely felt like this at the hotel, maybe because the hotel felt more like his home than his actual house.
He sighed again as he turned up the volume of the television. After a few minutes, he heard the unlocking of the door; he heard the sound of heels clicking against the marble. His wife had finally come home.
"Oh hello" he heard a voice from behind his sofa.
"Hey" he replied without moving his head.
He felt the weight shift on the sofa as Valarie sat next to him and took a long sigh.
"God, I'm so exhausted" commented Valarie, as she ran a hand through her bright blonde hair.
Robert stayed silent. He knew he would listen to a full day's detail in just a minute. And funnily he already knew what all it would consist of, because it was the same routine every day.
Valarie took off her shoes and began summarizing her day "I left the house at 11, I had to go Samantha's cafes opening. I told you about that right?"
Robert nodded and Valarie continued "Ya, so it was that and then Ashley was there and she said let's go out for some drinks. I didn't want to but I couldn't say no because she recently broke up with Kevin, and being a good friend, I obliged. Then, I totally forgot about our appointment at the salon so I called Jenny to reschedule the appointment, it was very hard, I tell you. They don't take appointments last minute. But being a regular customer, I have my privileges. They of course allowed me in, and the guess who showed up there? Kevin! I hadn't seen him in months. So then he insisted we have dinner together. I was already full but Kevin is a good friend so.."
Robert squinted his eyebrows. He was having a hard time catching up. Too many names.
"Wait, since when are you good friend's with Kevin? Didn't he just break up with your friend Alison?" Robert asked.
Valarie looked at him confused "No. Ashley. Ashley's husband was Kevin. And I'm not talking about that Kevin. I'm talking about Kevin Johnson. You met him, at my friend's Sarah's wedding"
Robert thought for a moment. He couldn't remember who on earth was Kevin and if he had ever met him but he just nodded. His brain had stopped functioning after a long day.
"Yes, so we had dinner and then he told me he separated from his wife. Remember, Veronica? I told him not to marry her, but nobody ever listens to me. I knew she'd betray him. He told me she accused him of an affair. Which is not like Kevin at all, he would never have an affair. He said he'll go and try to make things better but I told him not to and that he should divorce her immediately"
Robert sat back straight up and lowered the volume of the television. He turned towards his wife "You said what?"
"I told him to get a divorce" Valarie replied.
Robert rubbed his face and sighed "Valarie, you shouldn't have. Maybe they'd have sorted it out and gotten back together"
Valarie looked at him confused "But why? Why would he get back with her?"
Robert sighed and took a breath. He was shocked at what Valarie was saying "You only know one side of the story. We don't know his wife's story. And even if we do, we have no right to bluntly give our opinion like that. Especially on such a sensitive topic"
Valarie dryly chuckled "Robert, you're being really weird. I know Kevin and he shouldn't be with someone who cheated on him"
Robert moved closer to her, trying to keep his voice calm "Valarie, our opinion doesn't matter. It's someone else' marriage"
Valarie sat back straighter as well "I am only trying to be a good friend. I'm only advising him on what to do"
"But that's the point! You don't think that sometimes your advice could be wrong as well. And in this case, a disaster"
Valarie huffed. Robert could see her pale skin turn red, and her eyes grow twice their size "What are you saying? I give bad advice?"
Robert sighed "Darling, I'm not saying that at all, I'm only saying you shouldn't interfere in someone's life like that"
"It's not someone, it's my friend Kevin, and if he is about to repeat a mistake, it is my duty as a friend to stop him"
"It's not, Valarie, you-"
Before Robert could reply, he heard the door unlock once again. He calmed down, settling back in his seat. He squeezed the bridge of his nose. He knew it was pointless to debate with Valarie. Most of the times he let it all go, but sometimes it scared him how much they differed on some of the most fundamental ideas and values. But Valarie, she just couldn't accept that she could be wrong as well, and Robert really didn't have the energy to debate with her. He only wished to God, her friends Kevin and Vanessa..no, Veronica made the right decision.
Their youngest daughter, Sybil walked in the lounge, dressed in her hospital uniform.
"I hope I'm not hearing an argument" Sybil commented.
Robert smiled at his youngest as Valarie spoke "Of course not, darling!"
"Did you have a good day at work?" Robert asked as Sybil walked in front of their sofa.
"Horrible. Three patients vomited on me" Sybil replied sighing.
Robert and Valarie made expressions of disgust as Sybil dryly chuckled.
"Yes, well, I really just want to go bed" added Sybil.
"Of course. Did you eat?" Valarie asked.
"Yes, mom. I ate at the hospital"
Valarie nodded and Sybil started to walk towards her room and then suddenly turned back.
"Oh, Papa. What ever happened with that studio contract? Mary said you had the meeting on the weekend. I totally forgot to ask"
"What studio?" asked Valarie.
Robert ignored her and replied to Sybil "Yes, it went well. They said they'd get back to me"
"Great! I heard it went well"
Robert nodded and smiled at her.
"Goodnight Papa, goodnight Mama"
"Goodnight sweetheart" said Robert.
"Goodnight" added Valarie.
Sybil left the lounge and Valarie turned to him "What studio?"
Robert sighed as he increased the volume of the television "We're hiring a new team for photography and videography"
"What? Who? What about Jarvis?"
Robert rubbed the bridge of his nose again. It seemed so odd that Valarie was unaware about everything that had been happening at the hotel.
"Yes, we fired him last week"
Valarie took a moment to digest the information "Your mother would've thrown a fit" she chuckled.
Robert cleared his throat "Well, it's handled now"
"Perfect, then. I have just the right person in mind, to replace Jarvis" she grinned.
Robert looked at her "What?"
"Well, you keep telling me to take more interest in the hotel, now I am. My friend Sally's fiancé Nathan has a studio in Manchester. We can get him, I'm sure we can pay for his stay"
Robert sighed "Valarie. We fired Jarvis last almost ten days ago. And that too after Bates found a replacement"
"What? Why wasn't I informed?" Valarie asked raising her voice.
"Valarie! I told you the other day; you were on your phone. That's why I told you to attend the meeting"
Valarie got up from the sofa and rolled her eyes "Not that again! I told you I was busy. Anyways, if this one doesn't work out we can call Nathan. He's the best. If you'd had asked my opinion, I would've saved you a lot of time and energy"
Robert had a response in mind. He wanted to say that if she had taken an active interest like the rest of their family, her opinion surely would've been considered. But it was no use to continue with the argument, so he stayed silent.
"I'm going to make some tea. Do you want some?" Valarie asked.
Yes, that is just what he needed after this tiring conversation. He nodded as Valarie went towards their kitchen.
Robert brought his attention back to the television when he felt his phone vibrate next to him. Robert moaned internally. He just didn't have the energy to deal with another work problem. Surely, it could wait. He picked up his phone to tell off whoever the hell it was to call tomorrow. The screen showed an unknown number and Robert looked at it in confusion. He contemplated whether to just ignore it but he knew the curiosity would keep him awake at night. He sighed and answered the call.
"Hello?" he said to the unknown caller.
"Hello. Is this Robert Crawley?" the caller questioned.
Robert drew his eyebrows together. The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't recall whose it was.
"Yes, it is" he replied.
"Oh, this is Cora. Cora Levinson Bricker, from PRIME studio"
Of course. Robert smiled softly hearing her voice.
"Oh, yes, of course, Cora. How are you?" he asked, sitting back straighter on the sofa, and instantly felt silly; she couldn't see him through the phone. Why was he getting nervous?
"I'm good. How are you? I'm so sorry I called at this time"
"I'm good too. And no problem at all, I was just watching a game of cricket"
He heard a 'oh' in response that instantly made him smile.
"Of course! I forgot it was the match tonight. Do you want me to call you tomorrow?"
"No, no!" he said getting up from the sofa, walking in front of his living room's window "It's going painfully slow, I have all the time"
He heard a giggle on the other end "I have never seen a man abandon watching cricket to listen to someone else. Brownie points for you" she replied.
Robert laughed. Yes, that was true to the tee. But this conversation strangely felt more refreshing than the game that was happening on television.
"Well in that case, I hope you've called to give some good news" Robert stated, grinning to himself.
Cora laughed on the other end. He once again noticed how sweet that sound was.
"Well, now I must since you've abandoned cricket for me" she laughed again, emphasizing on the word 'abandoned', making Robert laugh.
Yup. Definitely more interesting than cricket; Robert thought to himself.
"Yes, well, I've discussed it with my team and we're all up for it"
Robert smiled a big smile. He caught the reflection of his toothy grin in the window's glass, and suddenly realized how stupid he looked. He shook his head.
"Oh, wonderful! See, I knew abandoning cricket would be worth it" Robert replied, still grinning to himself.
"I applaud your vision" Cora giggled in response.
"Thank you! Well, why don't you come down to the hotel the day after tomorrow? We can get the contract set up and discuss the next steps" Robert suggested.
"Um, let me check my schedule" Cora replied "Hm..the day after tomorrow. Wednesday, okay, we have a meeting at 9, shoot at 11.."
Robert smirked to himself, Cora was unknowingly talking to herself aloud on the other end and Robert found it highly amusing. He heard a series of other to-do things on her list in murmurs through the phone. After a moment, Cora cleared her throat.
"Right, how about Wednesday at 1 in the afternoon? It's a little difficult before that because we have a.."
"Because you have a shoot at 11", Robert cut her off.
Robert heard a soft gasp on the other end "How did..oh my, was I speaking out loud?'
Robert grinned once again and let out a soft laugh "I'm afraid so"
He heard a soft slap on the other end, and he assumed Cora slapped her forehead in embarrassment. He laughed once again.
"I'm so sorry about that" he heard a shy response.
"No problem. I do that too"
"Do you really?" he sensed a sarcastic tone in her voice.
He smiled "No" he said and Cora instantly giggled.
"I knew it! But thanks for making me feel less embarrassed" added Cora
"As long as it works" he replied.
"Well then, I'll drop by on Wednesday"
"Perfect!"
There was a slight pause at both ends. He didn't know what to say. It felt like she didn't either. After a moment, he heard her clear her throat.
"Well, alright. Goodbye, take care. See you"
"Goodbye, Cora. See you" he replied as he cut the call.
He turned around and walked towards the sofa. He felt refreshed after this conversation. He replayed it back in his head. God, the number of times, he laughed. He felt stupid; but he was glad for a laugh anyways. He relaxed; he felt like he had made the right decision in picking them. He had a feeling these people at PRIME would deliver more than his staff was expecting, and he had this gut feeling that Cora would fit in really well in the team, and would be a really valuable addition. Of course, it was a bonus that she was also extremely funny and kind. He didn't know her much; he had only met her once, and this was their second conversation ever. But he felt like they would get along well. She seemed kind and smart; a quality that he really admired in people. And on top of everything, it felt so easy to talk to her. He didn't experience this instant connection often, so he was really looking forward to working with her. He smiled once again, remembering how she talked to herself out loud and later felt embarrassed about it.
"Did we win?" Valarie walked in interrupting his thoughts.
"What?" he asked, becoming conscious of his surroundings.
"Did England win?" she asked again, as she handed him a cup of tea.
"Um" he looked at the screen, England was nowhere near achieving the required run rate "No, we didn't. It's still going on"
"Then, why were you smiling like that?" she asked.
Only then, Robert realized that he still had a stupid grin plastered all over his face. He cleared his throat.
"Nothing"
Valarie raised her eyebrows, "You only ever smile like that when there's cricket involved"
Robert rolled his eyes and took a sip of his tea. Valarie sighed and started walking towards the bedroom.
"I'm going to have my tea in bed. I'm very tired. Are you coming?"
"I'll come in a bit"
Valarie nodded and headed towards their room. Robert sat back down on the sofa, increasing the volume of television. England was clearly losing the match, his head was pounding, but he didn't care. He felt like his exhausting day had already ended on a good note.
Wednesday afternoon, Cora stood in front of her mirror as she dabbed on a red lipstick to complement her yellow dress shirt and black dress pants. She dabbed on until she felt satisfied. She analyzed herself in the mirror. She looked nice and professional. She pressed her lips together once more and exited the room.
She walked in her living room, where her husband Simon was standing in front of a giant mirror, dyeing his hair very intently.
"These damned baby hair!" Simon murmured to himself.
Cora walked past him towards the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. She took a satisfying sip as she observed Simon from behind. He was so involved in fixing his hair, that he probably didn't even notice Cora walking past him.
Cora coughed to make her presence known. Simon looked at her through the mirror and gave her a faint smile.
"Didn't you dye them a week ago?" Cora asked she took another sip.
Simon scooped up another heavy glunk of hair dye and spread it evenly across his hairline "I did, but these tiny little ones just don't let me live in peace"
Cora sighed "Then why don't you just leave them?"
Simon stopped and looked at her reflection once again "They are still taking those interviews"
Cora walked towards him and stood against the mirror, hoping to get her point across and to get some of his attention "No, I mean just leave them. Why don't you let your natural hair come out? I think you'll look nice with salt and pepperish hair" she smiled.
Simon chuckled dryly and lifted his brush once again to cover the areas left "I can't be seen like that"
"But why not? Why do you have to try and look 25 years old" Cora said slightly annoyed at his ongoing obsession.
"Yes, but I don't want to look geriatric" Simon replied.
Cora rolled her eyes "You think fourty plus is geriatric?"
Simon ignored her question, and started mixing the remaining of his hair dye. He walked towards the kitchen sink.
"I've put your lunch in the microwave" he replied as he washed his bowl.
Cora sighed, standing where she was. They had had this conversation many times, but it felt pointless by this point. Looking a certain way is one thing, but being obsessed with it is another thing; problematic thing. Sometimes it felt like she was the only one growing in this marriage, age and other wise.
She shook her head slightly and walked towards the microwave. She pushed the timer and waited for her food to warm up.
"Are you taking the white car?" Simon asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee as well.
"No, Phyllis is coming to pick me up. We'll go straight to the hotel, and then to the studio for a shoot. I'll be back before dinner"
"Right" said Simon as he stood against the kitchen counter.
The microwave beeped and Cora took out her plate. Simon passed her the utensils and Cora sat down in front of the opposite counter and started to eat.
"Which hotel is it again?" Simon asked
"Hotel Grantham" she replied as she took a bite of her food.
Simon nodded and raised his eyebrows "It's a grand hotel. I stayed there a few times. Big deal"
Cora smiled softly "Yes"
"Do you think you can manage?" Simon asked.
Cora looked up at him and gulped. She could sense that Simon didn't feel that PRIME was up for it, that she was up for it. That hint of doubt in his expressions, made her feel undeserving of such an opportunity.
"We'll manage. We've done it before. We just covered Paris fashion week"
Simon nodded and waited a moment to reply "But back then you had Jonathan and Mario's help. I'm just worried it might be too much for you guys. You only have Phyllis, and Carson only does lighting. Even if you call others, it could be difficult. Especially for events"
Cora sighed once again, and the food suddenly started to look unappetizing to her "We'll manage. I'm sure they knew what they were doing when they chose us"
Simon smirked "Yes, that is interesting. How much are they paying?"
Cora wanted to laugh; she was just counting seconds before the topic of money would pop up. She got up from her seat, and walked past Simon to get foil paper.
"Enough" she replied as she tore a piece of foil paper to cover her leftover food on the plate.
"Well, good luck to you all. I hope it goes well. If this goes well then PRIME can have great opportunities in the future"
Cora faintly smiled at him and opened the fridge to put back her plate "Thank you!"
She heard a car honk from outside her house "Right" she said "That'll be Phyllis. I better go"
She grabbed her handbag and looked at herself in the mirror again.
"Go get them" said Simon as he walked closer to kiss the back of her head "I'll go wash this off" he pointed to his hair.
"Thanks" replied Cora as Simon walked towards the bathroom.
Cora sighed again. For some reason, even his blessings for good luck felt...selfish. She didn't know how to describe it, but ever since PRIME took off, Simon's first questions had always been about the finances and then about her. Of course money was important, but she didn't want to think that it came before her. She wanted to feel happy about her achievements and she needed the motivation and encouragement that she could do it. But she was always made to feel...small and unprepared. She had felt like that since she was a little girl, firstly by her mother and now by Simon.
It was funny how she felt most motivated and encouraged at work, and mostly by her biggest cheerleaders, Carson and Phyllis. She wanted to feel that way at home too, but lately she'd felt the complete opposite.
But on the brighter side, she had a made a home away from home. Her little studio and her studio family cheered her on so much that she would think she could go open a branch on Mars in a blink of an eye.
Another honk broke her train of thoughts. She cursed internally and walked out the door.
Cora and Phyllis walked through the lobby area of the hotel towards the reception. Phyllis observed the fancy chandeliers and ceiling and raised her eyebrows, impressed by the looks of it.
"It's pretty fancy" commented Phyllis.
"It is, isn't it?" Cora smiled back at her.
They reached the glass door to the reception where they saw Mrs Hughes standing talking to the receptionist, Anna.
She turned when she saw them approaching. Mrs Hughes gave them a smile and waited for them to reach the reception.
"Oh, hello Cora. Welcome back, it's so nice to see you again" said Mrs Hughes extending her hand. Cora smiled back at her and shook her hand.
"Likewise, Mrs Hughes" replied Cora.
"Oh you're Mrs Hughes?" said Phyllis "I've heard a lot about you"
"Oh you have? Good things I hope"
"Of course! I'm Phyllis. Phyllis Baxter"
"Oh sorry" said Cora "Introductions of course. Mrs Hughes, this is Phyllis Baxter, my assistant photographer and Phyllis, this is Mrs Hughes, PA to the CEO"
"Lovely to meet you, Mrs Hughes"
"You too, Miss Baxter"
Mrs Hughes turned to the receptionist "Anna could you tell Molesley to bring some tea to meeting room one, and let Miss Edith know they're here"
"Yes, Mrs Hughes" replied Anna as she picked up her phone to call the kitchens.
"If you'd like to follow me" asked Mrs Hughes as they walked towards the elevator.
The elevator dinged open to the seventh floor, and the three ladies got off it. They walked in a maze of hallways and finally reached an area with multiple cabins with fiber glass doors. Mrs Hughes opened the door to Room 1.
A wide round table was placed in the center of the room with several leather seats all around it.
"Please take a seat" instructed Mrs Hughes "Miss Edith will be here in a moment. Mr Crawley and Mr Bates are in a conference. I'll let them know you've arrived when they're done"
"Sorry, who's Miss Edith?" asked Cora as she sat down on one of the leather seats.
"Oh, she's in charge of the marketing. She handles the website and the magazine. She's Mr Crawley's second daughter"
"Oh" Cora smiled "Thank you, Mrs Hughes"
"Will more people be coming? Mrs Hughes asked.
"No, I'm afraid today it's just the two of us" Cora replied.
Mrs Hughes nodded and smiled "How many people are in your team?"
Phyllis and Cora smiled at her "Well" said Phyllis "We do the photographs; we have interns on board and two other photographers that work with us part time. I'm sure you met Mr Carson last time, he does the lighting and handles the accounts"
Mrs Hughes smiled at the mention of Mr Carson "Yes, I met him. Interesting, accounts and lighting don't usually mix"
Phyllis smirked at her "Yes, but he was most eager to learn and since he does everything perfectly, he nailed this too. So Cora put him in charge of lighting as well"
Mrs Hughes smiled as the door behind her opened. A tall girl with honey colored hair walked through the door. She smiled a beautiful smile, which made her dimple pop from the side of her cheek.
"Hello!" she said extending her hand to Phyllis.
Both Phyllis and Cora got up from their seats to meet her "Hi, I'm Edith Crawley"
Phyllis shook her hand "Hello, how are you?"
"I'm good, you?"
"Very well, thank you"
Edith moved towards Cora to take her hand "Hi"
"Hello" replied Cora "Nice to meet you Edith"
"Likewise. Please have a seat" replied Edith.
"I'll just go and check on Mr Crawley, Ma'am" said Mrs Hughes.
"Ah Mrs Hughes, could you please ask Andrew to get the heating in my office fixed. It's freezing in there"
Mrs Hughes nodded "Of course" and left the room.
"I hope I haven't kept you waiting for long" said Edith as she sat next to Cora.
"No we just got here" replied Cora.
Edith smiled at her "Are you the owner, Cora?"
"I'm afraid so" replied Cora, smiling softly at her.
Edith grinned at her "So nice to finally meet you, I've been hearing about you ever since your meeting with Papa"
Cora blushed softly but quickly recovered to introduce Phyllis.
"This is Phyllis Baxter, my assistant photographer"
Edith looked at Phyllis and smiled "How lovely!"
"You handle the magazine and the website?" asked Phyllis.
Edith smiled at her "I'm afraid so. And I hope you can help me put some life into it"
"That's why we're here" assured Cora.
"Right. So let's start. Damage control" Edith opened her laptop and typed in their website "How should we start?"
Cora moved closer to her and Phyllis took out her diary to make notes "Right" said Cora, putting a stray hair dangling on her cheek behind her ears.
"So when I met Rob..Mr Crawley" said Cora. She almost bit down on her tongue. Even though Robert insisted that they call each other by their first names, but for some reason Cora felt strange by doing so in front of his daughter.
Cora cleared her throat "So when I met your father, I told him that we should start from the scratch. So first thing is the portraits of the team. That way we can get familiar with everyone as well, and then work our way up to taking the shots of the other staff and then the hotel"
Edith chewed the back of her pen and nodded "Alright, perfect! Do you guys have a rough time estimate for the first round of portraits?" she asked.
"Well, it depends" said Cora.
She moved towards Phyllis "Can you pass me the rough schedule?"
Phyllis nodded and opened a file; she took out a paper and handed it to Cora.
Cora moved towards Edith again "It depends on the number of people in the top hierarchy. I've made the estimates for you depending on the people mentioned on your website. But I've heard that it hasn't been updated in a while, so I've left some buffer time in the end as well. All in all, the first round shouldn't take more than six days. Depending on everyone's availability and schedules"
Edith skimmed through the very elaborate, colored coded time plan that Cora just referred to as 'rough'. She raised her eyebrows and smiled.
"Wow, this is very detailed! This is amazing. I wish my sister Mary was here, she would give you half her shares this instant, seeing this chart" Edith laughed.
Cora laughed in response "She's over the top, like me, you mean?" asked Cora.
Edith smiled at her "No, just very organized. But don't tell her I told you that"
Cora smiled at her. What a lovely daughter, Robert Crawley had.
"So for the time being, is this good?" Phyllis asked Edith.
"Yes this seems great. I'll discuss this with the rest and will confirm very soon"
Phyllis nodded and scribbled it down as a note on her diary.
Edith looked at Cora again "Papa and Bates said they'd found a gem after the meeting"
Cora raised her eyebrows in surprise "Oh, did they?"
"Yes, and I can see now that they were right"
Cora smiled softly "You're very sweet, thank you"
A nearly bald man entered the room balancing a tray in hand.
"Ah, thank you, Molesley" said Edith.
Molesley, the head waiter walked in with a smile and put the tray in front of them.
"Anything else, Ma'am?" asked Molesley.
"No, thank you, Molesley. Just see if Andrew is working on my room's heating"
Molesley nodded "He's on his way, Ma'am. I had a look before coming here; I think there is something wrong with the switch. Even Ma'am Isobel's office has the same problem"
"How curious" commented Edith.
"Have you checked the main switch?" said Phyllis.
Everyone looked at her as she stared at Molesley.
"Pardon?" asked Molesley, slightly taken aback by a guest speaking.
"The main switch, that switch might have tripped from that side. It happens a lot with grids with a number of connections" she explained.
Molesley looked at her silently, slightly confused by the conversation. He waited a second and then nodded "Ah, yes, well that is possible"
Edith smirked at how awkward Molesley was being "Why don't you check?" she said, saving Molesley and putting him out of his misery.
Molesley nodded and left the room, making Phyllis smirk.
"I'm sorry about Molesley. He's awkward at the best of times" explained Edith and the two ladies laughed.
They all finished their tea, as Cora explained her plan for the shoots and the best ways to get traction online. Edith listened to her keenly and made pointers on her laptop. After a good half an hour, Edith turned to her.
"You've come fully prepared" Edith grinned at her, impressed by the meticulous planning.
Cora smiled at her, satisfied by her reaction.
"It's one of her best, and one of her most annoying habits" said Phyllis, making Cora roll her eyes.
Edith took the last sip of her tea and asked "Have you two been working together long?"
Cora smiled at Phyllis "Ever since I started PRIME"
"Yes, Bates told me about your story. I think it's wonderful how you decided to change the course of your life and do what you really wanted. How inspiring!" said Edith.
Cora sighed and smiled at her "Yes. That is the best advice I can give to anyone, especially in terms of career decisions"
Edith nodded at her in agreement.
"Did you always know you wanted to work in this hotel?" Cora asked.
Edith smiled at her "Well, as a young kid I would come to visit Papa in his office with my sisters and grandmother all the time. And I was so fascinated by the work, that I knew I wanted to be a part of it. So did my elder sister Mary. Our youngest sister, Sybil however had other ideas. She is studying to become a nurse"
"Oh wow! How wonderful" said Cora.
"Yes! My mother actually wanted all of us to into the fashion industry, but it seemed like our hearts were set on this hotel and growing up seeing how much it meant to Papa made it all the more special"
Cora smiled at her. She suddenly had this image of Robert with three little kids on his lap, trying to get work done in the office. She smiled at the idea. How lovely it must feel like, to pass over your passion to your children and witness them take your dreams and achievements to greater heights.
"Do you have any children?" asked Edith.
Children. This topic still hurt like a dagger in her heart but overtime Cora became an expert in hiding her expressions from others.
She shook her head "No, I don't"
The door pushed open and Cora heard another feminine voice from outside.
"Yes, Papa, Matthew will see to it. Granny wasn't here and nor was Isobel, so we'll have to call a conference again next week to reach a final verdict. I've calculated according to both possible scenarios"
"Yes, alright Mary, but this could be highly profitable if we go with the initial plan"
Cora recognized the second voice instantly and sat back straighter on her seat.
Three people, two men and one woman walked in the meeting room.
Cora looked the girl first, a tall girl with jet black hair and sharp eyebrows walked in the room, wearing a suit jacket and a turtle neck pink sweater shirt underneath. She saw Mr Bates behind the girl. And finally, her eyes landed on Robert.
"Oh, hello" said Robert as he looked towards her. She saw a big smile on his face, that her face instantly mimicked.
Phyllis, Edith and Cora stood up.
"Cora, this is my sister Mary, and of course you know Mr Bates, and my Papa, Mr Crawley"
Robert moved forward and shook Cora's hand "How are you?"
Cora took his hand and smiled at him "Very well, you?"
"Never better" he smiled back.
"This is my assistant photographer, Phyllis Baxter" Cora introduced Phyllis.
"How do you do, Mr Crawley?" asked Phyllis.
"Very well, thank you"
Phyllis very subtly gave Cora a side look that almost made Cora laugh out loud. Yup. She wasn't expecting Robert to be like this. And neither did Cora when she first met him. She didn't know what she expected but she didn't expected the CEO of a decades old hotel to be this…good looking.
Cora cleared her throat and moved towards Mary. The eldest daughter of Robert Crawley raised her eyebrows and gave Cora a subtle smile. Cora had seen that expression on people's faces many times. Mary was analyzing her. After a moment or two, Mary moved forward.
"At last, Mrs Bricker. I've heard nothing but praises about you from these two" Mary extended her hand and pointed towards Robert and Bates by angling her head towards them.
Cora could see Robert turn slightly pink from her peripheral vision. She gulped down softly to hide the smirk on her face.
"I'm glad to hear that! And please, call me Cora"
"Very well, Cora. Welcome to the team"
Cora smiled at her and nodded. A few moments later, she looked at Phyllis who was busy talking to Edith and smiling at her. She moved her eyes towards Mary, who said something to Bates about bringing the contract that she was about to sign. And finally, she looked at Robert, who looked back her and smiled.
She didn't really know anyone here. She didn't know what all the new start would entail.
New beginnings always made her nervous. But her gut reassured her that it would all turn out right.
Hi everyone! Hope you're all well.
I started this chapter thinking it would be one of the shortest, and well...it somehow turned out to be the lengthiest. Seriously, what is wrong with me? I actually had to cut it down in the end, because this is already almost 9k words.
You guys know the drill! PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW YOUR FEEDBACK. Would love to know what you all think of Valarie and Simon. And of course the meeting with the girls!
I hope you all like it! Can't wait to read what you guys have to say.
And I hope you are all staying safe and staying indoors! Please take care!