Chapter Eleven

As soon as their car rolled to a stop in front of what seemed to be their hotel accommodation, Ivy stepped out of the car and immediately took in a sharp breath as she observed the beauty that stood before her. From what she could see, the building had about 15 floors and she had to crane her neck to fully take in the elegance of it all. The building stood like a giant in the middle of a vast area of land, beautified with different species of flowers, and she couldn't stop herself from reaching out to touch one of the flowers that seemed to be a hibiscus but were purple

"They're so beautiful, but, weirdly, they look so much like hibiscus," She said, suddenly intrigued

"Yes madam, you're right...it's a hibiscus plant but the purple ones are a rare breed," a beautiful young lady who later identified herself to be their guide said, with a smile on her face

"I didn't know you knew so much about flowers," Richard said, a tinge of what sounded like a surprise in his voice

"There's so much you don't know about me" She replied to him with a smile. If only he had an idea of the things he didn't know about her, she thought

"Let's get you settled in," The guide said to them as she led them to the reception so they could confirm their reservations and check into their suites

"I think it's best we get some rest now. I hear we're all going to have dinner together tonight" Richard said to her as they walked down the hallways carpeted with red rugs that led to their suites

"We? What do you mean we?" Ivy asked him, surprised

"Everyone that is here to attend the conference" he replied to her "You can order some food. I'll have them add the bill to my check" He added

"That would be too much. I'm not sure I can take it" She said to him

"The company should take care of your feeding expenses, anyway," He said in a dismissive tone that didn't leave room for an argument just as he made his way into his suite

"Such an arrogant man" She muttered under her breath as she located her suite and settled in

She picked up her phone to dial Amy's number; she had been blowing up her phone with texts all day. She smiled at the thought of Amy eager to hear everything she had to say

"Girl!! Where have you been all day?" Amy screeched immediately after the phone rang

"On a flight? Obviously" Ivy replied to her, shaking her head at her drama and silliness

"That was like ages ago. I told you not to keep the details away from me. Is there something you're not telling me?" Amy rushed out in one breath

"Nothing interesting happened. I just checked into my suite and I have to attend a dinner later at night" she said

"That's great! You sound like you're not interested in this dinner" Amy said, after a brief moment of silence "Your voice is void of the excitement one would normally have about something like this" She added

Ivy smiled and wished she could hug Amy over the phone. Talking to her felt like home- so natural. She knew that whether she had just bagged a big deal, or failed a test, Amy would always be there to cheer her on

"I love you, Amy," She said out of nowhere, then sighing, went on to add "It's just that I'm so nervous about this whole thing. I'm going to meet so many people that I have only read about on the internet, and although this has always been my dream, I still don't know how to feel about it. I mean what if I do something wrong"

"Aw, Love! You're going to do just fine. You're the most intelligent person I know, and not only are you so good at your job but you're also dedicated to it" Amy replied to her in such slow motion like she wanted those words to sink into her memory

"Thank you, Amy. I needed to hear that" Ivy sighed as if a heavy weight had just been lifted off her shoulders

"Enough with the sappy stuff. What do you plan to wear to the dinner" Amy squealed so loudly that Ivy had to take her phone away from her ear

"Is it your mission to make me deaf?" Ivy asked chuckling "plus the dinner is not something elaborate. It's just like an avenue to meet up before the actual conference tomorrow " she added

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't look good" Amy insisted

"Okay, madam. I will make you proud" Ivy said with a laugh

"You had better"

"I should get some rest now. I'll call you later" Ivy said as she finally got off the phone

****

Ivy was in awe as she stepped into the dining hall where the dinner was held. Although she had not expected anything less from a hotel of this class, she still wasn't prepared for the beauty that gaped at her: the table was so long, they could never occupy all the seats, and the chandeliers that hung directly over the middle of the table gave the atmosphere a cool ambience.

As she made her way toward the table, she realized that if she wanted to sit with the group, the only seat available for her was beside a middle-aged man that looked like he was bored with everything happening around him

"Good evening" She greeted him politely as she made to have her seat beside him

"Good evening miss..." He hesitated

"Jakes, Miss Jakes" Ivy quickly offered, sensing his hesitation was a signal for her to tell him her name

"I'm Mark" He replied to her "I don't think I've ever seen you at any of these events" He added

"Yes, it's my first time" She replied to him

"And is that a Mark and Clark you have on?" He said as he examined the strappy blue slip dress she had settled on

"Yes, I see you have an eye for good things," she said with a smile on her face

"Of course," he said, a knowing look on his face

"I see you have met Mark of Mark and Clark," Richard said as he appeared behind her

"Mark and Clark?" She asked confused "Oh wow" She exclaimed, as she took a close look at Mark....of course, that's Mark, the co-owner of the biggest French fashion line- the one her company had been trying to land a deal with

"You look nothing like your pictures," she said, still in awe

"Of course, the paparazzi never take a decent picture," he said with a gentle laugh, that made him look even younger

"You have a good representative right here, Richard," Mark said, finally addressing him "I'm convinced we would be in the right hands. Maybe we'll talk about that collaboration soon" he added

"How did you do that?" Richard whispered to Ivy

"I'm surprised myself" she replied to him