Soar With Me

Evelyn

A sticky surface runs over the left side of my face. In the heat of my comforter, I roll over and try to go back to sleep. Not a second later, two feet plonk over me and something nudges me underneath my jaw, followed by a tongue lapping over my skin.

”Miles! ” Taking refuge under the layer of my comforter I hide from the morning beast.

A loud woof pierces through the foggy daze of my sleepiness, and I open my eyes and blink several times. Suddenly I feel multiple paws digging into my body and I throw the cover away and sit up.

”I don need an alarm. ” When Ive got you, Miles, I mutter to myself and greet my other best friend in the world.

Miles, my three-year-old dog is always next to me no matter what Im doing. The only time he leaves me alone is when Im in the bathroom, otherwise, hes onto me all the time. I don mind that one bit.

”Good morning Miles. ” My fingers scratch the side of his neck and he patiently lets me.

I stare into his innocent set of brown eyes that weakens my heart every time I see them. They
e untouched by the darkness of the world, and Im proud of myself for keeping him safe.

Miles barks and then pants as he takes a twirl on the bed. He then hops down from the bed and ambles to the door. When he reaches it, he turns his head as if accusing me of not stepping out of the bed.

Rolling my eyes I go to the bathroom first and do my morning routine.

In the kitchen, I get Miles some water and fill his bowl with dog food. Then, I stir the batter for pancakes.

Even though Miles eats his share of food, he still prods me to share whatever Im eating with him. I find that quite endearing. Whether its pasta or a slice of pizza, I give him bits and listen to him munching on it noisily. That might be the most tedious thing, but each moment of us doing anything together brings me pure delight and happiness.

After flipping the pancakes, I make myself a glass of celery juice thats said to improve your skin and digestive tract. I almost vomited the whole thing when I first drained the juice down my throat. Ive tried a fair share of drinks, but nothing compares to this abomination. For a whole week, I boycotted it and swore never to take a sip. But then the advantages of it weighed on my mind and since Ive dealt with acne, dark spots, and blemishes as well as a laundry list of other flaws I decided to drink it for the sake of my skin. Thankfully, though, adding a few apples and lemon to it somewhat decreases the bitter taste.

My dog doesn even need the juice, hes already got a coat of satiny golden fur that gleams in the sun. I love running my hand over him and snuggling into him. Even though hes a male, he doesn push me away when I cling to him for a minute longer than usual. If anything hes always down to curl into my side or lay his head on my thighs.

Once Im finished with breakfast, I change into my work clothes which consist of cream pants and a white top. Underneath I wear heels. I apply some makeup and slip on a few gold pieces.

I get my keys and purse and leave the door open for Miles.

Most days he goes with me to the office, where he lays in the corner of the room and watches me work or play with other people. My staff loves my golden retriever and is always looming over his head. Miles loves the attention. However, there are days when he stays home and doesn join me. It all depends on his mood.

We both take the elevator and I open my car door for him. Gracefully he jumps onto the passenger seat and sits up with his tongue out.

When I join him he turns to me and it looks like hes smiling at me. Laughing and scratching his front I start the engine and get onto the road.

Bluebird Design is a twenty-minute drive from my condo, twenty-five when it rains or the traffic gets dense.

Part of me has always wanted to live in Seattle. The foremost reason being that it rains time after time, and I love rain. Sometimes its annoying. Frequently walking on wet streets—especially in heels, everything being wet and slippery, carrying an umbrella along with bags, stepping away whenever a car passes by, and so much more. Despite the cons, the pros weigh them out.

Nothing beats the marvy earthy smell and the sight of branches littered with dripping beads of water.

Miles barks as we cross a park. His gaze trails the course of the vast patch of grass.

”Ill take you on a walk during lunch break. ” I stop the car at a red light and he turns to look at me. A huff is all I get in response.

”Yes, Ivan can take you. ” At the mere mention of his name, he brightens up.

”You do know hes my best friend and not yours. ” Miles lifts his paw and nudges my shoulder.

”Nope buddy hes not. Im your best friend. ” A bark is all I get in reply.

Miles is equal to a human friend. Hes incredibly smart and communicates so well that sometimes Im surprised.

Arriving at the office, I walk into the small single-floored building. My pride is that I bought this place on my own. No one else contributed a single penny to this place. Not even my brother and father.

The Bluebird Design logo hangs on the top of the building. It consists of two blue birds touching heads, a golden strip of glitter surrounding them. I came up with the inspiration and drew it into the late hours of the night. I was too enthusiastic to leave the artwork in the middle. After all, I had spent years dreaming of this brand.

Even though the building looks congested from the outside, its quite spacious and airy inside. The many windows in between the thick walls let the sunlight seep in. Each room is allotted for a different purpose. I chose the big room for conducting conference meetings with staff and clients. Another is a kitchen where everyone gets snacks, coffee, and other refreshments. Marketing and finance are managed by Declan and Ivan who have one medium room to work in. As for the designers, they all hang out in the lounge room where there is a good sound system to listen to music. Music equals creativity.

My company only deals with wedding card printing. But for the last six months, weve been dealing with demands for engagements and baby showers as well. Other categories are still to be explored.

When I established this company, I didn have a certain direction in mind. In fact, I never envision anything beyond the next three months. Im a go-with-the-flow sort of girl. Or at least circumstances and time have turned me into that.

All it took was one event and my whole perspective on life changed. It was like an undefined force took my world and spun it, shaking everything and everyone around me. By the time my feet hit the ground and gravity gripped me, I had already lost my footing. And none of the forces keeping me balanced were able to put me back on my axis.

”Look whos here. ” Ivan drops to his haunches and tickles both sides of Miless neck. My pet smiles like hes running in a field of butterflies.

”Good morning to you too Ivan, ” I grumble. He ignores me and talks to Miles, who relishes in the shadow of Ivans attention.

I greet the handful of people who work with me.

As my company is still in the air and getting whispered about in only a few ears, everyone here works part-time.

Jessica and Opal are in charge of card design. Jessica is in high school, but as its summer break, shes in the office every morning and stays till the end of the day. As for Opal, shes a university student majoring in art and design. Shes a computer geek too. Her skills enable her to turn Jessicas hand-drawn sketches into a digital format so they can be printed onto the cards.

Declan has majored in marketing but isn landing the job he wants. After applying to tons of known companies, hes still gotten no response from them as of now.

Ive always thought that getting a good degree would land you your dream job, but things don work out sometimes. Especially with the growing rate of new graduates and grueling competition, finding a good job is hard these days. And landing your own business is even more strenuous. With growing talent and access to social media, almost everyone is in the race and desperate to win.

Ivans finance degree has gotten him a job as several peoples financial advisor. Balancing their accounts, assets, and money is what hes good at. Hes got the intelligence and skills to multiply money, and every single client of his sings his praises. Thats how I knew there would be no one else Id ask to handle my companys finances.

Id never say it to his face because my appreciation would grow his already enormous ego, but he excels at his work.

”So whats the plan for today? ” Jessica asks with her small eyes and bright smile.

”Id like you to make some banners, posts, and videos for promotional purposes. Make sure the name of the company is visible. Also, try to do something with blue. ”

”Got it, boss. Ill show you the designs before handing them to Opal and Declan. ” I give her a thumbs up and search for Opal whos nowhere to be seen.

”Hey Jess, wheres Opal? ” I ask.

”She didn text me back. I assume shes got a class. Its Thursday. ” With her classes and assignments, she barely gets to manage her studies let alone my work. I try my best to not hand her too much but she plays an important role here, so ultimately I have to.

”Let me know what she responds. ” With that Jessica goes away.

”Good morning, boss. ” Yasmine hands me a coffee that has vapor escaping the hot liquid.

I thank her and we both start walking toward my office.

”Good morning, assistant. ” Yasmine is my personal assistant. She freelances for a living. Creative writing and proofreading are the niches shes chosen and earns well from. As all of her work is online, it gives her time to balance her hours with me and continue doing what she loves.

”So what are the updates? ”

”Last night I got a few emails from our previous clients. I had asked them to write us an honest review so we can post it on our website and other platforms. Trust me, Evelyn, the messages were so sweet. It makes me believe that we did an amazing job for someones big day. ”

”Thats all I ever hope for. ” I take a seat on my white swivel chair and Yasmine deposits herself in the other seat thats across from my dark gray desk.

”I want to talk to you about something. ” I gesture for her to continue as interest pinches me.

”Weve got cards covered. Don you think we should turn this into a wedding planner company? ” Something pulls my heart down and Im unable to tug it back up.

”Its a long shot. I mean we
e not doing good financially at the moment. So hiring a planner? Thatll cost us. Plus, we
e still new to this thing. Ive only befriended a few retailers and people, and spread my name out. ”

A subtle smirk etches at the corners of her pink lips and I wave at her to just spit it out.

”All I can hear is a list of fears. ” Leaning over the table she crosses her fingers through the gaps and fixes me with determination. ”I get it. You
e afraid of taking risks. But I feel like you can do it. After all, you built this company from nothing. That was a big risk in itself. But you did it and for two years you were flourishing. Its only now youve hit a barricade. ”

Setting her unruly bundle of brunette curls, Yasmine continues, ”fears are meant to be conquered. And you
e the woman who has the grace and courage to do it. Besides, its time we aim to touch the sky. ”

”You
e right. ”

”I know. I want to see this company becoming something more. Something extravagant. ”

After my pep talk with Yasmine, the idea gyrates the corners of my mind like a whisper spoken by a stranger. All Im thinking about are her words and confidence in me.

A part of me knows I can do it. Ive already made one of my dreams true all by myself. From here the skys the limit. I can project in all directions and get involved in the lucrative wedding industry. It would not only help me make a good living but also benefit my small circle of employees.

The minutes bleed into hours as I check emails and research. I put my notebook next to my laptop and take notes and scribble ideas that come to me in the process.

Miles strolls into my room and sits beside me for a while and then goes out—probably to play with Jessica. He likes her a lot.

In the afternoon Ivan goes out on lunch with a client of his. Miles tags along like a shadow, and happily returns with a bit of vanilla ice cream stuck to his nose.

Sometimes I wonder if my dog is even loyal to me or not. He genuinely loves everyone—specifically those who give him long scratches. Thats his favorite thing in the world.

Once the sunlight disappears and the sky is black, I shut off my laptop and grab it and my other stuff. The office is empty and quiet by the time I lock the doors and switch off the lights.

Miles follows me to my car and I help him inside.

Im about to open the door to the drivers seat when I feel someones eyes on me. I turn and search across the street but no passerby has their gaze fixed on me. Everyone seems to be minding their own business.

An icy chill races down my entire backbone and I straighten up in awareness. In the pit of my stomach, my gut tells me that someone was watching me. Observing my moves and body. The realisation erupts a sick feeling inside of me.

My golden retriever barks and catches my attention. His eyes silently study me. I give him a reassuring smile and quickly pull away from the street and merge onto the main road. The more distance I put, the more my anxiety lessens. Though the nagging perception still chews at my insides throughout the ride.

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