After sharing a shower and breakfast Olivia and Fitz got ready for their first day. Between the two of them they fluctuated between casual calm and anxious anticipation. He was striving to project a calming force as a counterbalance to Liv's nerves. He held her hand throughout the drive into work and kept around her as they rode the elevator up to his office. They were early so that they could meet with her team and properly introduce Fitz so that they could get a better feel for his personality.
Gathered just outside of Fitz's office were the people who would help Liv market Fitz and Grant Industries as a stronger brand. Harrison Wright seemed to be leading an intensely animated group discussion as Liv and Fitz walked out of the elevator to greet them. Taking the lead, Olivia walked Fitz over and playfully pushed him toward the center of the group, forcing them to step back and give him space.
Swinging his gaze around the circle, Fitz quickly began assessing them as they did the same. Olivia brought her hand to her mouth as she tried to cover the small smile that threatened to break free. He was acting like she had thrown him to the wolves but her team would accept him and work in a professional manner. While they had gotten ready that morning the one thing that seemed to ruffle him was meeting her team because he knew that they were a family of sorts. He had been worried about how they would react to him and while she had tried reassuring him she knew that actions spoke louder than words. They would come to enjoy his company if only just to tease her. He did not seem to know how to engage them but after a quick glance and wink in her direction he began introducing himself.
"Hello everyone, I'm Fitzgerald Grant III but please call me Fitz. I am very excited to be meeting all of you-especially since you are so close to my Liv. I also look forward to working with you and becoming whatever kind of spokesman I need to become to sell the company so long as my morals aren't compromised too much." He bounced his eye contact around so that everyone felt included in the conversation and he kept his tone steady, confident in his ability to speak in front of others.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Huck and I'll be working on the tech side." Huck inclined his head in a slight nod but didn't offer his hand. He was average height wearing khakis, Converse sneakers and a plaid shirt.
"I'm Quinn Perkins and you can usually find me working with Huck but I pretty much work wherever I'm needed since I'm kinda of new. I know I talk fast and I don't mean to but I just get so excited and well, look at you! Wow, you and Liv! That's amazing! But that's not for work so I don't know why I even mentioned that and I'm going to stop talking now." Quinn blushed lightly and quickly shook the hand that Fitz offered her.
"It's quite alright, Quinn. I don't mind that you know about Liv and I or that you brought it up." Fitz bent forward at the waist and lowered his tone in a dramatic whisper. "Now Liv, on the other hand, might mind but I think she'll lighten up over time." He pulled back to his full height and turned towards a tall, willowy redhead.
"Abby Whelan and I know all about you, Fitz. I would like to say I knew more personal details but I'm sure we'll manage to squeeze some out of you and Liv by the time we're done working together." Abby smiled at him before looking over his shoulder to wink at Liv who rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Harrison Wright. I already know Liv and we yesterday so we can get started." Harrison stuck his hand giving Fitz's hand a strong shake before nodding.
Huck and Quinn had set up a mobile center in Fitz's office while Olivia, Abby and Harrison instructed Fitz-who was sitting behind his desk with his feet propped on his desk-on exactly what he needed to do to become a reliable spokesperson.
"When you are the company spokesperson, you are the face, voice and contact person for the company all rolled into one. Make your email and cell phone number available to the media and answer their calls in a timely fashion. You don't want to be the spokesperson who was 'unavailable for comment' when that negative story about your company runs in the local Sunday paper. You have to remain connected," Abby stated.
"Reporters and the public do not want to deal with a walking, talking manifestation of the company you represent. They want to deal with a living, breathing person. Don't be afraid to show some personality when talking to reporters or customers, or even when appearing on television and the radio. Be personable." This was from Harrison who joined Fitz as he watched Olivia pacing back and forth.
"Be quotable. Reporters loved interviewing CNN founder Ted Turner, because as often as not, he was likely to put his foot in his mouth or say something otherwise memorable," Harrison continued.
"As a spokesperson, the press and the public treats you as the authority on your company. If you hesitate or can't answer a question, your credibility drops in their eyes. Know your company inside and out, keep on top of industry trends, and anticipate questions before they are asked. And when you answer questions, answer with authority. Fitz, you have to be certain," Olivia added. She stopped short when Fitz reached out and pulled her into his lap.
"I'm listening, Liv, but it's getting difficult to not be distracted by your constant pacing." Fitz held her still and motioned for them to continue.
"If you don't know the answer to a question, be prepared to research answers and provide them later. If you receive a question that's hostile or out of left field, have an answer prepared to deflect such a question until you can come up with a response at a later time. Never say anything that is untrue or that you cannot be 100% sure about. We're going to need you to be flexible." Harrison paused and looked over to Abby who was now gazing out of the office windows.
"Anything to add, Abby?"
"I think we've covered the bases. Just remain sincere, consistent and credible and we shouldn't have many-if any-problems," Abby finished.
"We're neglecting one thing. It could be big or it could be nothing." Olivia turned so that she was facing Fitz before continuing.
"Are you the executive chairman? I know you're on the board but is that position available? Earning and retaining that position would lend more credence to selling you as the company spokesperson."
Fitz felt Liv give his hand a slight squeeze as he answered. "Unofficially, I suppose that I am but formally we currently don't have that position at the company. We can, however, call a meeting with the board to officially elect me to the position." Fitz raised his arm to check the time.
"I can have Louise schedule a meeting for some time after lunch, does that work for everyone?" Fitz looked around the room for responses and earned approving nods.
"Excellent. How about we break for lunch early. My treat," Fitz said with a warm smile.
After asking Louise to schedule the meeting they all left for lunch and headed to the restaurant the majority had voted for. Once the group settled in and ordered their food everyone seemed to embrace the brief chance to relax.
Fitz had pulled Olivia's chair near his and was resting his arm lightly across the back of it. Huck and Quinn were seated next to each other discussing how to build and setup a small mobile network. Harrison was whispering things in Abby's ear that were making her blush.
Olivia was happy for the break even though it was temporary. Talking about working together had one thing but actually going through with it and seeing it in action was stressing her out. She had known that the job would require a huge commitment from all of them but she seemed to be seeing both her personal world and her professional life clash in stunning technicolor. Her team was mapping out the steps required for Fitz to step into position as the new face of Grant Industries and the magnitude of that work was astounding to her. Yet, with every single step that was laid out she also saw the Fitz in her personal life being pulled away from her. He was the same man and she was the same woman at home but with the changes on the horizon how would they maintain the balancing act.
She already felt conflicted at just how much they would have to put into making him work as a client without adding the pressure of maintaining their personal relationship. He seemed far more secure than she was but he might have been putting on a good front. She needed to get up and pound out her thoughts by pacing or diving into a pool. Her temples began pounding and she blinked as the restaurant lights suddenly seemed far brighter than they had been a minute ago. Feeling the oncoming signs of a migraine she began sipping her water slowly and reached for her bag to search for some medicine. Had she remembered to pack any migraine medicine?
Fitz enjoyed getting out of the office and away from the pending responsibilities he would soon be taking on due to his new position. He knew that he seemed relaxed and calm to Liv and the team but it could not have been more far from the truth. His teeth were aching from the amount of pressure his grinding was causing. He felt invisible chains trapping him with every step that had been laid out. Was he really made for this? Was this worth not being CEO? Why did he feel responsible for the company's workers? He knew that as much as he wanted to run away and escape he would not turn his back on those he felt responsible for-especially if he could assist or improve the situation in any way.
It was a major fault-his altruism. He did not used to think of the consequences or the toll it look on his own life and resources but now that he had Liv he wanted more for her. He wanted her to feel settled in his life and not like she was a permanent second place holder. She came before him now. No matter how much he wanted to loosen his tie, toss his jacket and hit a heavy bag he wouldn't. This was bad. He knew it and he was picking up on Liv's frustrations. He knew that while she was kicking ass coming up with these plans for him at work she was being torn apart internally trying to separate and balance their personal life together. He needed to show her that he could make it work. That they could work through everything. Even though they had agreed verbally he was teetering on the edge of reason grasping onto his end range goal to keep him steady. Olivia was his end game. He wanted to intertwine their lives, share experiences, grow and build a family with her. She would make a fierce and excellent mother - the thought came unbidden into his mind - to their children. Their children. If he had not been sitting Fitz might have fallen to the ground with weakened knees. He pictured her glowing with a wonderfully round belly carrying their children. They would be well loved by them and gorgeous if they took after their mother.
Fitz was so caught up in his current train of thought that he almost missed seeing Olivia wince and shut her eyes in pain. She seemed to be experiencing a migraine. They were not usual occurrences but they were not rare for her. Reaching into his pocket he felt for the mini pill container he had begun carrying after learning about her migraines. He took out two pills and slid them into her hand. Knowing that having her hair pulled up-in her professional bun-added tension he began pulling out pins and her hair tie to free her hair.
Olivia accepted the migraine pills that Fitz placed in her hand. She had almost forgotten that he had begun carrying them just in case she began experiencing a migraine around him. She tossed the pills into her mouth and followed them with her water. She laid a hand on his thigh and squeezed gently as he undid her bun. The pressure in her head immediately lessened but her head still felt like it was being squeezed. When Fitz began massaging her neck she felt more of the tension in her body begin to dissipate.
Just when she thought he could not get any better he was once again proving why they worked so well together. Things just fell and clicked into place when they were near each other. He had known she was in pain, supplied medicine and began helping in other ways. Even in the office when she had been pacing in circles near his desk he had pulled her into his lap stilling her actions. Softly he had whispered that he had known something was wrong because she only paced in circles when something was wrong and that when she was merely thinking she paced back and forth. That simple statement had anchored her just well as his light grip on her had. It hadn't mattered that she was counting all the things that could go wrong for them both professionally and in private-he had instinctively known that she needed something to help calm the chaos even if it was only a temporary respite. He was so good to her. It did not matter how unsure she was of other things she had a new constant that she could count on in her life and it came in the form of Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III.
As the tension began to leave her shoulders Fitz leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her neck. He raised his face to her ear and whispered,"It's going to be okay, Liv, don't worry, I'll take care of you. Nothing will come between us. Just relax and trust me to handle things. I won't let you down."
The food arrived and the chatter was light. Olivia told the team she was experiencing a migraine and they nodded, already knowing the toll it took on her. When asked if she would be returning to with them to sit in on the board meeting she said she would and stated that she would not let her migraine interfere when something this important was on the line. No one asked what she meant-they simply guessed she meant some combination of her relationship with Fitz and the fact that this was their biggest client yet.
When they arrived back at Grant Industries Olivia was still feeling unwell but still wanted to sit in on the upcoming meeting.
"Liv, you cannot sit in on the meeting. It will be fine, you won't miss a thing. Why don't you send Abby and Harrison in your stead? They can give you all the details," Fitz reasoned.
"I can sit just as well in that conference room as I can in your office, Fitzgerald. Do not push me," Olivia threatened.
"I don't have to push you, baby. Right now I could blow a feather in your direction and it could knock you over," Fitz teased. He held his hands together as if he was praying for her to listen.
"A feather? Oh really." She stopped as the pounding increased suddenly and her stomach began to feel uneasy. "You know what? I think I'll just go to your office and lay down. Abby and Harrison can sit in on the meeting and fill me in. Hear that, Fitz? I'm handling things."
"Yes, dear, I hear ideas as always." Fitz wrapped an arm around her as they all boarded the elevator. After laying Liv on the small couch in his office he lowered the privacy screens and dimmed the lights darkening the room for her.
"Liv, if you want Quinn and I can set something up so we can watch the meeting via video conference. It will only take a few minutes for us to set it all up." Huck offered the solution quietly while standing just off to her side.
"That would be great, Huck. Thank you." Olivia turned to face the screen he was setting up in front of her.
Satisfied with the compromise Fitz squatted beside Liv and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. He stroked her face with his fingertip and marveled at the strength of her. While suffering she was still willing to sacrifice her health to support him. He was falling deeper into the spell she was weaving over him. With all she did to keep him happy and stable the least he could do was take care of himself, for her. For their future.
After the meeting he would call it a day and take her home to properly see to her care. She would not want for anything. He smiled and kissed the fingers she had brought to his mouth.
"I love you, Livvie, when this is over I'll take you home and we'll relax and unwind." He had murmured it against her lips and his soft baritone soothed her.
Fitz pulled back and walked out of his office with Quinn, Abby and Harrison in tow.
The meeting had not started yet but Abby and Harrison took their seats on the side of the room while Quinn finished setting up the video conference. After doing a test to make sure it was working she took a seat by Abby.
Fitz was standing near the glass windows surveying the city in peace only to be interrupted when he heard his name being called. He turned to find Mellie standing across the room.
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