at and placed her unusually quiet. Then the moderator

the microphone, "we would

yone immediately turned their attention to

ou believe fashion industry is heading and what y

then he slowly stood. The room became completely silent, not the kind

o the center of the stage. He stood there calmly, straight, confident, his face was serious.

n industry

was deep a

is global, customers have more choices than ever before, and technology has cha

sed br

lding a clothing line." You're building a business, that means you need structure, st

dded. He continue

nd still fail if you don't know how to turn

remaine

asn't trying to charm anyone, he was simply

ght her attention. He didn't speak like someone who was trying to prove that he was intelligent.

y stopped on Anne for a second. She didn't notice or perhaps she did, she quickly

toward t

separate from creativity, your creativity gets people

room, he lowered th

you ver

atic gesture, no attempt to receive more applause, and then simpl

iled. "Thank you

national expansion and future of luxury retail. Panelists debated, questions were asked, answers were

remained on the discussion and the other part kept returning

name until someone beside

e person w

aned back slightly in his chair, his fingers rested against the armrest; he listened to the next

tening to the speakers again. At one point, she leane

laughed. A

d hundreds of business meetings, conferences and events, had met beautiful, influential women, who had approa

ied to introduce herself and hadn't looked pa

ain. The discussion continued. H

everyone who had attended. People began standing, chairs moved across the floor, conversations imm

ecked her phone and noticed several new m

't wait," s

ood. As she adjusted the strap of her bag ove

. Anne stopped, Lucas didn't and neither of them said anyt

exit. She had barely taken three steps

, ma'am. A

es

smiled p

ice asked that you

ws lifted. "M

lowered

ike to speak with you

ay. She looked toward the front of the hall but Lucas was no

ned back to the

I supposed

ed toward a pri

will come

n she looked down at her handbag. She could leave, or could

ka

w it yet, but the conversation waiting behind that doo