CH 49: Nagging Suspicions

"Now, that's done. How many times will Mikael appear in the series?" Luna asked, leaning back.

The meeting commenced at the CEO's office just as decided last minute. Ambryan sat on his chair while the two guests occupied the chairs on the other side of his desk. Eve created a space for herself at the edge of the table, angled away from Mikael's gaze since she sat behind him.

Each person had a glass of lemon water while the tarts had been transferred to a small plate. She arranged them in a circle. Together, they looked like a giant flower. 

Eve kept her head low and typed on a laptop. Although Mikael couldn't see her, she didn't want to take the chance.

"One per season," Ambryan negotiated. Truth be told, an endorser wasn't necessary for the brand's advertisement in the series. Just the simple screen time for the logo to appear would be more than enough.

Luna frowned at the suggestion. "That is too little! People would forget it easily if he only appears for a few seconds."

"Well, if you plan to have him as a sales representative, safe to say, the characters can't always visit the shop."

"Who's to say that he can only be a sales representative?" She countered, crossing her arms over her chest. "Let it be a running gag that he only appears to showcase Athon Luxury."

Ambryan's lips thinned into a grim line. If they did it too much, the show would lose its credibility and the viewers would question if they were watching a long commercial instead. 

"It doesn't have to be elaborate," Luna explained further, unable to back down, "Let's say the scene would be at an airport. Before the characters appear, have a shot where a tourist is talking on the phone with a luggage bag beside him. As if he was searching for his companion."

An image instantly played in Eve's mind. Mikael would easily stand out among extras. In her head, he wore a navy blue suit with his hand on a trolley bag. He would be standing still and talking on the phone. His colors would highlight him since they were coordinated. 

She could see what Luna was implying, a commercial as part of the show. If a normal run was 15 minutes, Athon Corporation would want the same but cut into intervals.

"Brilliant."

Ambryan turned his head and so did the others. All of them looked at Eve who hid herself behind the laptop. She hung her head low until her chin almost touched the keyboard. 

Unfortunately for her, her boss saw an opportunity from her outburst.

"Ms. Hart, since you are up for a promotion, why don't you share with us your insight on the matter?" Ambryan initiated. He swived his chair towards her and gave his full attention. He leaned back lazily, cradling the side of his face with three fingers—two on his temple and one under his chin.

Eve shut her eyes. She bit her tongue. A curse almost flew out of her lips. It would be audible because of the silence, causing more trouble and humiliation. 

Unable to escape, she took a deep breath and straightened her spine. Her eyes opened along the way. She flinched from the stares which included Mikael.

Oh, what a mistake she made. It truly was inappropriate before. It even violated Rules  01 and 02.

.

01 - Don't draw meaningless attention.

02 - Speak only when spoken to.

.

"I believe the both of you are already doing a wonderful job," Eve attempted, diverting the conversation back to them. This wasn't part of her job description, especially in meetings. Her only task was to listen.

"Please, Ms. Hart. Do share," Luna encouraged her. She met the designer's eyes and beheld mischief in their reflection. 

The game became two against one. 

Not wanting a third to join, Eve heaved a sigh and arranged her thoughts. She'd prefer to speak only once so she needed to point it out clearly.

"I merely thought that to keep the scenes at a minimum is to have a fixed time interval. I am not saying that it has to be 10 seconds in each episode. No," Eve started off.

Then, she elaborated the idea by providing a concrete example, "I propose that Athon Luxury gets a total of 15 minutes in a season. This can be cut into different run segments such as 5 minutes, 1 minutes, 30 seconds… depending on what an episode contains."

A wide smile blossomed on Luna's face. The young woman cleared out many minutes of arguing back and forth. This meeting might end earlier just like how early it started.

"I like that," Luna nodded. She slammed her hand on the table, demanding the CEO's attention. "I want 15 minutes of screen time."

Ambryan considered the proposal carefully. Changing the quantity from per episode to per minute made things much easier. They'll be able to manage the scenes better, devising more exposure in a few episodes while more subtle in others.

He just had to figure out how to divide and fill up this given time. 

"What about 15 minutes that includes Mikael's absence in some scenes such as the protagonist walks by an Athon shop while at the mall?" Ambryan negotiated. If seen too much, Mikael might be mistaken as a recurring character that is relevant in the story.

He could suddenly become an actor for a side career choice, branching into the industry. That would call for more bargaining for a separate salary.

"10 minutes with Mikael and 5 minutes without him." Luna offered as a second proposal. Two-thirds with her key endorsed should suffice. "Mikael's shots should have him as the only key person for 5 minutes while the other 5 minutes for background or interaction with the characters like a sales rep."

Ambryan pondered her statements. If background character would be included, it seemed reasonable enough. It would limit the spotlight on him but he would be there.

Nodding, he let it be for the time being. There would be more discussions on details as the contract process continued. "I'll run it by with the film crew about possible scenes. If Mikael is to not interact with the characters most of the time, we can film his parts beforehand."

"Wonderful. Good talk." Luna declared. She stretched her arms over her head, dropping her business woman act. 

Her eyes flickered towards her companion. "Oh, Mikael, do you have something to say?"

Mikael gave her a look. He leaned on the backrest with his arms crossed over his chest. He had spent the entire meeting in silence. 

It wasn't in his capacity to negotiate on behalf of Athon Corporation—which was why he questioned his presence to Luna earlier.

"Nothing of sorts, Ms. Athon. I do commend Ms. Hart for her quick thinking though," he said, using this chance to glance at the secretary. The young woman hid behind her laptop again. "This could have been a much longer discussion and I am famished."

Luna rolled her eyes and gestured towards the plate. "Well, if you ate a tart, you wouldn't feel hungry so soon."

Mikael shifted his gaze back towards her.

"I appreciate the offer but I am on a strict diet. Staying in shape highly affects my job," he reminded the designer with a sarcastic smile.

"Understandable," Ambryan cut in and took charge of the conversation. "We do have a reservation for lunch at De La Lune. Would you care to go over there now? If there's any more topics to talk about, we can do it while we eat. In a private room, of course."

"How generous, Mr. Hathaway," Luna cooed. She'd never seen him more hospitable than now. Her stomach began to grumble. "I would love it if we could head over now. People might think that I am a terrible boss by starving my employee."

Mikael squinted and tilted his head to one side. "I am under Lotus Modelling Agency though."

The designer's smile dropped. She glared at him through the corner of her eyes. "Yes, but I am accountable for you at the moment, Mr. Smart Mouth."

Ambryan also glanced his way. "Yes, please do make her take responsibility."

"Ambryan!" Luna exclaimed, her jaw dropping. Her eyes darted between the two men. Now that the meeting ended, they sure acted bold. She huffed and blew on her fringes.

"I'd refrain from using my first name, Ms. Athon," the CEO merely replied. Despite her fuming expression, his face remained neutral. "Not only is it unprofessional to do so but I also heard it is quite a mouthful."

Eve snorted under her breath.

"Seems like Ms. Hart agrees with you on that." Mikael remarked, angling his body towards the table. He was able to spot her from the corner of his eye.

The secretary started on her next task and composed a summarized version of the meeting's discussion. She had already sent a notice to the restaurant about the estimated time of arrival. 

"Shall we?" Ambryan asked, rising to his feet. He walked around the table and held out his hand to Luna. "Let me escort you before you complain to my mother."

"Knew you were always a gentleman," Luna giggled, taking his arm.

"Then, do I escort Ms. Hart?" Mikael questioned. He looked at the secretary once more who also stood up. A small smile stretched her lips.

This time, she was the one to answer. "I will not be joining you, Mr. Davis. If Sir Ambryan will be out, I shall stay here to look over the work in his absence."

The male model stayed in his place. He hadn't been able to get rid of his nagging suspicion. With their positions, he wasn't given the chance to scrutinize her closely. He had hoped the restaurant would provide him an opportunity.

Ambryan also halted in his steps and watched the two. Their intense eye contact had caught his attention.

'Did they know each other?' He wondered.