Victoria breezed in as if she owned the place. She introduced herself loudly, arranged her documents with practiced confidence, and told Claire to sit in the corner against the back wall. Claire sat down, still clutching her binder, her mind still outside on the sidewalk.
After fifteen minutes of waiting, Victoria became impatient. She tapped her fingers on the table.
"When is Mr. Pendleton joining us?" she asked, a little annoyed. "We were told one o'clock sharp."
One executive, a gray-haired man in his sixties, glanced toward the massive oak conference-room doors and smiled faintly.
"He should be arriving right now," he said. "He was downstairs greeting guests this morning, as he always does. It's a tradition of his. He likes to know what is really happening at his hotels."
The doors opened.
Claire looked up. And she froze. Her hand flew to her mouth.
The same elderly man from outside entered the room.
Only now, he looked completely different. The worn, faded tweed jacket was gone. The scuffed boots and the wool scarf were gone. He was now wearing a perfectly tailored, dark navy three-piece suit that must have cost five thousand dollars. His white shirt was crisp, his tie was a deep burgundy silk, and on his wrist was a heavy gold watch. His gray hair was neatly combed. He was carrying a fine leather executive folder. He walked with a quiet, powerful authority that filled the room. Two assistants followed him, but he waved them away.
Without saying a single word to anyone, he walked straight to the head of the massive mahogany table and sat down in the big leather chair reserved for the Chief Executive Officer. The chair that no one else dared to sit in.
The three executives immediately stood up straighter out of respect.
"Good afternoon, everyone," he said. His voice was no longer raspy from the cold. It was clear, warm, and strong. The voice of a man who was used to being listened to. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I was watching the entrance downstairs."
Victoria stared at him in absolute disbelief. Her perfectly made-up face went completely white. Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. Her maroon briefcase suddenly slipped from her hands and thumped loudly on the thick carpet.
"You... you... you're the CEO?" she stammered.