Chapter 42 - Oliver

**OLIVER**

Oliver played nervously with the gold pen between his fingers, as if it held the answer to all his questions. It was the same pen Emily Saron had used to sign the contract that bound her to his agency, but so far she had been surprisingly quiet. No reply to the flowers he had sent for her yesterday, no comment on the legal documents she must have already gone through.
„Maybe I should have called her?“ He muttered to himself as he turned the pen on the table. An uncomfortable feeling spread in his stomach, a pressing uneasiness, because he knew that time was running out, but it was still not clear how much leeway he actually had. The clock ticked in the background, and every second felt harder than the last.
Tomorrow, he knew, Alexander Fitzpatrick would insist on meeting Emily. The billionaire had a clear idea of what he wanted and wasn’t used to waiting. But Emily hadn’t explicitly agreed yet. And Oliver wasn’t sure she ever would.
„But... doesn’t she have to anyway?“ he wondered, letting the pen roll back and forth on the table. She was contractually bound. She had signed. She was smart enough to know that she had to fulfill those obligations. Still, something gnawed at him, a quiet uneasiness he couldn’t shake. Would she comply, or would she find a way out?
Oliver stood up, stroking his chin nervously, and walked to the window. The wide view over Los Angeles usually offered a certain tranquility, but today the city itself seemed like a restless ocean of light and movement. The thought that something might not go according to plan hurt him more than he cared to admit. But he couldn’t lose himself in uncertainty any longer. Even though yesterday’s conversation with the new customer Weber had been extremely positive, they still didn’t have a contract with him. Susanne had made it clear that they were still dependent on Fitzpatrick’s payments. They weren’t going to get out of this mess anytime soon. And if Emily didn’t play ball, it could end badly.
„She’ll agree,“ he said loudly, pushing himself away from the window frame. She will! Before he could believe his own words, he turned back to the desk. He picked up his cell phone and scrolled through his contacts. Alexander Fitzpatrick was not the type of person to be put off, and Oliver knew the call was long overdue. Taking a deep breath, he pressed the name and held the phone to his ear. The familiar dial tone sounded, and in the brief moment of waiting, he desperately searched for the right words.
When the billionaire’s deep, familiar voice came through the line, Oliver tried to keep his tone calm. „Fitzpatrick.“
„Hey, Alexander, this is Oliver Daron from the DarEnd-Agency. I just wanted to give you a quick update... Emily will meet with you tomorrow as requested. She knows it’s important. Does she have to dress a certain way?“
The words sounded almost like a reassurance in his own head. Whether Emily was really ready to face Fitzpatrick, he couldn’t say for sure. He didn’t really care what Emily would show up in. But he had to pretend that Emily was really trying to do the billionaire’s bidding. If she didn’t, the agency couldn’t be blamed.
Maybe that was a naive attitude, but what else could he do? Emily remained silent, didn’t even respond to an invitation to a rendezvous, and he had no idea how to get through to her - either as a man or as an agency owner.
„I’ll meet her in the lobby of the Hotel Excelsior. She should be dressed appropriately. A track suit would be completely inappropriate.“
Oliver winced at the remark. He knew he shouldn’t have hired the first passerby, but he had been desperate. In his mind, he made a mental note to see if they could sue Amelie over this unfortunate circumstance. They had to take every opportunity to limit the damage. If they sued Amelie, Fitzpatrick would see that they themselves had been harmed.
„Of course, Alexander, that goes without saying.“
„Good, is there anything else?“
Oliver winced again. The billionaire seemed to be in a bad mood, his voice sounded irritated. Shouldn’t he be happy that his wish was granted? „No, there is nothing else. I just wanted to inform you about tomorrow.“
„All right. See you then.“
„See you then.“
Oliver heard the sharp click on the line as Alexander hung up and let the phone rest in his hand for a moment. His eyes wandered to the window where the evening sun was slowly setting over Los Angeles. Shaking his head, he pushed aside his growing unease and reached for the intercom.
„Susanne, I just spoke with Fitzpatrick. He’s expecting Emily at the Excelsior tomorrow. It’s imperative that she be dressed appropriately. It’s very important to him.“
„I understand. I’ll contact Emily right away.“ Susanne’s voice sounded as professional as ever, but Oliver could detect a hint of tension in it. He wasn’t the only one nervous.
Oliver hung up and sank back into his office chair. The golden pen was back in front of him, a familiar weight in his hand. But instead of feeling reassured, an unpleasant question burrowed deeper and deeper into his mind: What if Emily didn’t show up?
That would be a disaster, and Alexander was not the type to accept excuses. A blink of disappointment and Oliver could forget about working together. He sighed and grabbed a white piece of paper. There was no point in getting lost in these thoughts. He had to focus on what was important - the future!
His eyes wandered to the blank page in front of him. The search for a new name for the agency was more urgent than ever. DarEnd Agency was no longer good enough. Not for Los Angeles, not for the business he wanted to build.
But he had barely picked up his pen when the intercom buzzed. Susanne wanted to speak to him.
„What’s up?“ he asked with a nervous tone.
„I couldn’t reach Emily.“ Susanne’s voice was tense. „Her voicemail goes unanswered. I tried calling her through the company, but I can’t get through.“
Oliver swallowed. His gaze flew out the window, the streetlights flashing in the distant haze of L.A. „Keep trying,“ he said, but his voice sounded hollow. Somewhere deep inside him, an uneasy feeling spread.
He hung up and stared into space for a moment, lost in thought. *What if Emily didn’t show up?* That was not a thought they could afford. „Oh nonsense,“ he muttered, „she’ll have a busy day at work. And after hours, she’ll check her voicemail and everything will be fine.“
Oliver picked up the gold pen, fixed his eyes on the white sheet in front of him and sensed that it wasn’t going to be that easy.