Lexi adjusted her blazer for the third time that morning, smoothing down invisible creases as she stared up at the sleek glass doors of Blackwood Signature Events.It looked like the kind of place where dreams were either made or crushed on entry.The building towered like a monument to power and precision.Modern architecture,minimalist branding.Even the air smelled expensive.Lexi swallowed the lump in her throat and stepped inside.
The lobby was all clean lines,soft gold accents,and a massive crystal chandelier that looked like it could pay off her student loans twice over.She approached the front desk,nerves humming beneath her skin.
"Lexi Thompson,"she told the receptionist."First day."
The woman gave her a polite smile and tapped on her tablet."You're with Team B—second floor,left wing.Welcome to Blackwood Signature."
Lexi forced a smile."Thanks."
The elevator ride felt like a lifetime.She stared at her reflection in the mirrored doors.This was it.No more chaotic house parties with screaming toddlers.No more wondering if she could afford groceries after buying printer ink.This was a real job.A respected company.A fresh start.
When the doors opened,she was met by an open-plan office with rows of desks,elegant lighting,and people who looked like they stepped out of a LinkedIn ad.Her new supervisor,Camille,greeted her with a brisk nod.
"You're the new planner.Lexi,right?"
"That's me."
Camille was tall,flawlessly dressed,and had a voice like smooth steel."Follow me.I'll show you around."
The tour was quick,efficient,and filled with just enough polite smiles to mask the judgment in some people's eyes.Lexi caught a few side glances,a raised eyebrow or two.
One planner actually whispered,"She's a freelancer?"
Camille seemed unfazed."We'll see how you do,"she said as they reached Lexi's workstation."But this team doesn't hand-hold.Sink or swim."
Lexi gave her a tight smile."I'm a pretty good swimmer."
Camille didn't smile back.
By noon,Lexi had already been handed a schedule full of overlapping briefs and last-minute edits.The other planners worked like machines—perfectly poised,always composed.Lexi,on the other hand,spilled her tea trying to reach for a file,tripped over a chair leg,and accidentally knocked a stapler off someone's desk.Twice.
She was sure half the office thought she was a walking disaster.
But when the team lead asked for concept drafts for an upscale charity event,Lexi's instincts kicked in.She sketched three mood board ideas in record time—rich tones,unconventional table layouts,sensory experiences.Her concepts stood out.Bold.Risky.Refreshing.
Camille blinked as she reviewed the ideas."These are…different."
Lexi braced herself.
"In a good way,"Camille added reluctantly."I'll forward these to the exec assistant for senior review."
Lexi blinked."Seriously?"
"Don't look so surprised."
A warm voice spoke up beside her."That was fast.Impressive."
Lexi turned to see a woman in a lilac blazer with curly hair and kind eyes."I'm Maya,by the way.Been here a year."
"Lexi,"she said,grateful."And thank you."
"Don't mind the others,"Maya added in a whisper."They act like they were born with champagne in their blood.Give it a week,they'll stop glaring."
Lexi laughed softly."Not sure I'll last that long."
"You will,"Maya said confidently."You've got that'I've survived worse'vibe."
She wasn't wrong.
By the end of the week,Lexi had juggled three tight-turnaround projects,stayed late two nights in a row,and somehow managed to charm two difficult clients with her quirky,no-nonsense attitude.Word started to spread—the new girl might actually know what she's doing.
She even overheard Camille muttering,"Keep an eye on Thompson,"to a colleague in the break room.
Lexi grinned behind her coffee cup.Not bad for a chaotic freelancer from Queens.
But it wasn't all smooth sailing.One afternoon,as she returned from a quick lunch with Maya,she accidentally bumped into a tall woman in towering heels,causing her latte to tip dangerously sideways.
"Oh my God—I'm so sorry!"Lexi scrambled for napkins.
The woman—an older executive with sharp features and even sharper cheekbones—lifted a single brow,brushing imaginary dust from her blazer."Next time,watch where you're going."
Lexi mumbled an apology and kept walking,heart pounding.
Maya leaned in."That was Vivienne Leclair.Head of Client Experience.She once made someone cry over font choice."
"Great,"Lexi muttered."Now I'm officially on the hit list."
Still,her work continued to shine.When another planner dropped the ball on a product launch pitch,Lexi stepped in with a backup plan—complete with a venue proposal,flow breakdown,and a quirky but elegant signature cocktail menu.
The clients approved it on the spot.
Camille didn't say much,but the next morning,Lexi found a slightly upgraded chair at her desk and a post-it that simply read,"Good job."
She kept it in her notebook.
Unbeknownst to her,Camille's latest internal report—which included Lexi's early concepts and glowing client reviews—had been sent to a certain executive floor.A particular name had been flagged twice already.
Lexi Thompson.
And somewhere beyond that top floor—in an office with panoramic skyline views—a man with sharp gray eyes glanced over the forwarded email with a frown tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Her.Again.
Ethan Blackwood didn't believe in coincidences.
He leaned back in his chair,eyes narrowing on the screen.
So,she worked here now.
Interesting.