Anabelle's peaceful sleep was disrupted by the loud and continuous vibration of her phone. She groaned as she slowly stretched her hand towards the drawer beside her bed where she had placed her phone. She rubbed her eyes, unlocked her phone, and checked her messages. Upon reading the message, she jumped out of bed and shouted, "Yes!!! Finally..." She reread the message to ensure she had read it correctly, and as she did, she continued smiling and started leaping with joy. She checked the time on her phone and muttered to herself, "Mirabel should be awake by now." She dialed her friend's number, and in less than 10 seconds, Mirabel responded.
"Girl, you won't believe what just happened," Anabelle said.
"Since you called this early, it must be really juicy. Tell me what happened," Mirabel inquired.
"It went through, Mira. My project went through. The supervisors have agreed to launch it," Anabelle exclaimed.
"Oh my God, I am so happy for you, Belle. Congratulations," Mirabel said.
Anabelle had a passion for writing since childhood, and as she grew up, the passion continued to burn like wildfire. A month ago, Anabelle had fully entered into writing and started working on a story titled "Living the Dream." The story revolved around a young girl who, after facing many hardships in life, gets a chance to pursue and actualize her dreams. She finished the story about a week ago and forwarded it to the supervisors. That morning, she received a message stating that the write-up was good and would be launched in a few days.
"Girl, expect me at your office today. We have to celebrate," Anabelle said.
"Yeah, no problem. I will be expecting you," Mirabel replied.
Anabelle ended the call, checked the message one more time, and then entered her washroom.
Meanwhile, in Vicky's apartment, he was seen in black shorts and a white sleeveless shirt, going over his campaign. He finished reading and said, "I hope Miss Pretty likes this article." He immediately got lost in his thoughts, unable to stop thinking about Mirabel. He slapped himself back to his senses. "Vicky, focus. You have to get ready." He opened the drawer beside his bed, brought out a file and placed a book, pen, and a sheet of paper inside it. He entered his bathroom and returned 30 minutes later with his towel tightly strapped to his waist. He dressed up, said his morning prayers, and left for work after kissing his sleeping mother goodbye.
Vicky reached the office at about a minute past seven. He greeted Lucy, who tried to flirt with him. He chatted with her for a while and then took his seat in the reception. A few minutes later, Dianne entered, greeted Lucy, who gave her a grumpy reply, and then took Vicky into her office, leaving Lucy frowning.
Mirabel entered the building, checked on all her employees, and instructed Dianne to send Vicky to her office. About five minutes later, Mirabel settled down, brought out a file from under her table, and placed it on her desk. "I hope we get the job. We need it to get back in shape," she thought, but was distracted by a knock on the door. "Come in," she said.
Vicky entered the office, with a file in his hands. "Good morning, ma'am," he said as he approached her desk.
"Good morning," Mirabel replied. "Good morning, Mr. Vicky. Please, have a seat."
Vicky sat down, his heart racing and his eyes focused on Mirabel. He was once again captivated by her beauty.
"So, what have you prepared?" Mirabel asked.
Vicky remained speechless, his eyes on Mirabel. "Vicky... can you hear me... Vicky... Vicky!!!!"
Vicky regained himself. "Yes... Are you feeling alright?"
"Yes, why not? I'm good," Vicky said, his hands shivering.
"Can I hear what you've prepared?" Mirabel asked.
"Sure... sure," Vicky said as he stood up, his eyes still on Mirabel. He dropped the file on the desk, cleared his throat, and said, "Good morning, once again, Miss Mirabel. As you know, my name's Vicky, and I'm here to convince you that I'm fit for the job."
Mirabel smiled. "Hold on... did you perhaps debate something this morning? Because you sound like you were involved in one."
"No... no, it's just an intro," Vicky said.
"Okay, I can't wait to see how this ends," Mirabel said, a broad smile still on her face.
"Okay... erm... firstly, what's a fruit juice?" Vicky began. "A fruit juice is a juice made from fruits. It's very delicious and tasty. Moving on, promoting a fruit juice brand can be easy and difficult depending on how you present it to the consumers. But for me, it's really easy. I title my campaign 'Squeeze the Fun'."
"Why?" Mirabel interrupted. "I don't get it."
"Squeeze has a dual meaning," Vicky explained. "It's a literal reference to extracting juice from fruits. It's also a playful way to say 'get the most out of' or 'enjoy' something. The Fun adds a sense of enjoyment and playfulness to the phrase. So, 'Squeeze the Fun' essentially means get the most fun out of or enjoy to the fullest with the fruit juice."
"Wow, nice. I'm impressed," Mirabel said, clapping her hands.
Vicky smiled, relieved. "Thank you. Moving on, the main concept is creating a vibrant, playful ad showcasing the juice's refreshing qualities. Imagine a group of friends laughing, playing, and enjoying the fruit juice together, and then passing out the true message, which is our fruit juice is made with 100% natural ingredients, perfect for quenching thirst and boosting energy. And the action point is 'grab a bottle and squeeze the fun into your day!'"
"What can I say? This was amazing. I mean, it's mind-blowing. I love the concept. In fact, immediately you explained the topic, I was already convinced that you're fit for this job," Mirabel said, her eyes filled with amusement.
"Thank you," Vicky said, heaving a sigh of relief.
"Well, Mr. Vicky, congratulations, you're hired. I'm really looking forward to working with you," Mirabel said, extending her right hand.
Vicky stepped forward, accepted her handshake, and felt an unexpected jolt. As their palms touched, his heart skipped a beat, his face flushed, and a sense of calm washed over him.
"Thank you," he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I hope you ain't planning on cutting off my hands," Mirabel said jokingly as she released her hand from Vicky's.
"No... no," Vicky replied.
"Erm... please excuse me," Mirabel said as she picked up the telephone on her desk and put a call through to someone, instructing them to inform the other staff to gather in the boardroom.
"Come with me, Vicky. I will introduce you to your team and the rest of the staff," Mirabel said, arising from her desk.
"Okay," Vicky said as he followed Mirabel's lead to the boardroom.
As they arrived, the others were already there, except for Mark, who remained at the gate. Dianne waved her hand to Vicky, and he returned the gesture. Lucy noticed the exchange and decided to do the same, much to her displeasure; Vicky didn't reply, his focus was on Mirabel as she led him to the front of his new colleagues.
"Okay, guys, sorry for this impromptu gathering, but believe me, it's for a good cause," Mirabel said.
"Yeah, it is," Lucy shouted, and they all turned to look at her. "I mean, it will be good since... erm... we are all here and... it will be good," Lucy said, scrambling for words.
"Anyways, I called you all here to introduce our new creative director, Vicky," Mirabel said, pointing to Vicky, who was quietly standing beside her.
On hearing his name, Vicky waved his hand, and the others applauded him, with Lucy adding more energy.
"Welcome, Vicky," Sofia said in a soft and sweet voice.
As the applause died down, Mirabel cleared her throat and said, "Vicky, that's Jimmy," pointing to Jimmy, "he's the art director."
"Welcome, Vicky. I look forward to working with you," Jimmy said, his thick voice complementing his rough exterior.
"Thank you," Vicky replied.
"Over there is Frank," Mirabel said, pointing to Frank, a fair, tall, and slim guy dressed in a black suit. "He's the copywriter."
"Welcome, Vicky," Frank said, waving his right hand.
"Thanks," Vicky replied.
"And that beautiful-looking lady over there is Jessica, she's the visual artist," Mirabel said, pointing to Jessica, who waved at Vicky.
"You will be working with them; they are your creative team, so familiarize yourself with them and please ensure to work as a team," Mirabel said.
"No problem, I will do my best," Vicky replied.
"Okay... erm...," Mirabel paused as she received a call. "You all can have a conversation with Vicky; I will be right back," Mirabel said as she left the boardroom.
She picked up the call and placed it on her right ear. "Hey, Belle, what's up? I thought you said you will come," Mirabel said.
"Yeah, I did, but I am sorry I can't make it. I have something important to do, but don't worry, I will be at your house on Saturday. Don't be annoyed," Anabelle said.
"No problem, I will be expecting you," Mirabel replied.
"Thanks," Anabelle said as she ended the call.
Mirabel reentered the boardroom, and after some more introductions, she dismissed them.
It was a dream start for Vicky; he got employed, and for Mirabel, she had her creative director. All she needed was a job proposal. For Vicky, he kept wondering why he kept shivering when he came into close contact with Mirabel. Was he anxious or was he shy? He didn't know; he was just happy that he had finally gained employment. It was a fresh start for him.