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26
Rena
“Rena. Kendall.”
I look up to see Daisy approach our desks. I smooth down my trendy jacket over my black skirt. My hair is pinned up in a half bun that looks professional and on point. I expect Daisy to ask if we’re sure we have this covered or grill us about how we’re going to run themeeting.
Instead, all she says is, “The clients arehere.”
That’s French for, “Don’t screw this up, or you’re out on yourass.”
Kendall and I exchange a look as we file after Daisy toward the conference room. Inside, two faces greetus.
“Mia, David, you know Kendall. This isRena.”
I shake Mia’s handwarmly.
“I’m the business partner,” Davidsays.
“Great. And of course I know who you are,” I say toMia.
She smiles. Her dark hair gleams, down around her shoulders. And if I didn’t get it before, I do now. She exudes the kind of calm we all need more of. She’s elegant and easy and composed, and I wish Wes could see her because he’d get a huge kick out ofthis.
Wes.
I had trouble sleeping last night, not because of my pitch today, but because of our conversation. I’m happy his talk went well, but I want to seehim.
“Thank you for coming in,” Kendall starts, and I push Wes from mymind.
“The pleasure’s ours,” Mia purrs in her soothingvoice.
Kendall and Daisy look toward me, and our guests follow theirlead.
It’s gotime.
“When Kendall first told me about your work, I didn’t get it,” I say. Daisy stiffens beside me, but I ignore her. “I thought it was another online gimmick cash grab. Until one night I had anxiety I didn’t know what to dowith.”
Mia raises a brow. “And what did youdo?”
“Normally I’d do something… destructive. To distract myself.”Throw myself at some guy, for instance. “Instead, I listened to one of your videos. I didn’t even watch it, just put it on my headphones while I lay there.” My fingers play with the facedown cardstock in front of me. “It was like I defused a bomb I didn’t know was inside my head, just ticking there. Threatening but never quite goingoff.”
Her lips curve in a smile. “I’m so glad to hear that, Rena. That’s why we want to do this expansion. So we can reach morepeople.”
“We have ideas.” I lean in. “Social media’s all about competing for attention. The focus of your brand is ‘quiet.’ It’s understated and personal. We don’t want to compete with thenoise.
“Which is why, if you go with us, we’ll do the opposite.” I flip over the first cardstock sheet, showing a glossy photo with a simple image and text. “Instead of bright colors, we’re going with silver and white. An invitation to share with a friend who needs some quiettime.”
Mia reaches for the poster, and I hand it to her. I wait a beat for her to look it over, her face unreadable as she passes it toDavid.
“And for the launch party”—I flip the next piece of cardstock—“it’s a sensory journey. Guests go through the experience one by one, then meet and talk with their friendsafter.”
She takes that one too, while I sit back and fold my hands. I look at Kendall, who jumps in to offer some additions. I resist seeking Daisy’sreaction.
Finally, Mia looks back at me. “You think people will understandit?”
“I think our target audience will, including people new to ASMR. They may not get why you’re rubbing a comb on a microphone, but they get what it’s like to be stressed by things that feel beyond their control. To think that life is passing them by and they can’t keepup.”
“‘Touch yourself,’” Mia reads off the page. “It’sprovocative.”
