Beth

The Next Big Thing competition formally kicks off today. After a light breakfast of yogurt and a banana, Sophie and I drive over to Solere.

In the heart of the building rests a large atrium known as the Fishbowl. It's called that because it sits below the main level and features a water fountain stocked with fish. The only way to get to the Fishbowl is down one of the sets of stairs in each corner of the room. Indoor trees fringe the edges of the room, and tables are scattered throughout the room. I suppose it's the company's attempt to help the employees feel like they are communing with nature while eating lunch or taking a work break. Today, the space is crammed with tables that each bear a white place card and a number.

I pull a slip of paper out of my pocket. It's as I remembered—I'm #20. Sophie is #8. She gives me a quick hug and moves in one direction, while I walk in the opposite. Weaving my way between the tables and people packing projects in boxes, I finally reach my table.

It doesn't take me long to pull out my project and arrange it on the table. I step back to survey my work critically . I have to admit, it actually looks pretty sharp.

"Beth?" a man's voice says. I turn to see David.

"Hey," I smile. "It's a circus in here."

"You think this is bad? Just wait until they open the doors for the public. It's going to be crazy. Still, I'll never admit to Isaac that he might be right."

I laugh.

"So, Beth," David looks a little uncomfortable. "I just wanted to apologize for putting you on the spot the other day in the office. I was frustrated with Carrie, but that doesn't give me any excuse. You'll be happy to know I actually took your advice and lined up an appointment with a marriage counselor. Carrie's not too thrilled about it, but she's agreed to go."

"I'm glad," I say. "I can't imagine it will be easy, but focusing on your family is the most important thing."

"Yeah, yeah. Well, I better run. Big day ahead," David says.

"Good luck," I say, relieved that I only have to worry about my little booth and not running the whole thing. I can't imagine being in charge. I hope David and his wife get the help they need, but I have to think running a stressful competition while your marriage is in jeopardy may not be David's smartest move.

I drift from table to table, scoping out the competition. There are some pretty impressive entries, and others, not so much. One looks like a giant caterpillar constructed of flexible tubing. I have no clue what it does, though.

I feel a hand and my elbow and I turn.

"I thought it was you!" says a blonde woman wearing a cream colored pant suit. Heidi pulls me in for a hug. "You look wonderful, Beth. That dress suits you."

"Thanks," I smile. "You look amazing yourself."

"It's been way too long since we talked," Heidi says.

"David said you just got back from vacation. How was Tahiti?" I ask.

"Stunning. Looking around at these people, I feel like flying straight back and booking a private spot on the beach. Just me, the sun, and a good book, right?"

"Sounds heavenly," I say.

"Listen, I have to run, but let's do lunch, okay? Maybe Isaac can join us. Have you seen him around? I spoke to him briefly at David's party. Emphasis on the briefly. He was swarmed by all these women. Not that I can blame them, considering Isaac's easy on the eyes and he has that rugged world traveler charm. I was disappointed you weren't there, though. I know you had a good excuse with Olivia being sick and all, but I was so looking forward to seeing you again."

"We'll definitely have to catch up at lunch," I say. It's interesting to me that both Sophie and Heidi only saw a confident man at the party. I guess I was the only one to catch him in a vulnerable moment.

"You're mentoring too, right? I have no clue what I'm doing. Have you seen David?"

"Actually, I—"

"Never mind! There's David. I'll see you at lunch, okay?"

I nod as Heidi walks away. Well, this will certainly be awkward. Why would Heidi assume I'm mentoring? Technically, David did offer me a mentoring role, but I didn't feel qualified. When I refused, he asked me to consider entering the contest. At first I thought he was joking, but the more I thought about it, the more the idea grew on me. From a financial point of view, it made a whole lot more sense to enter the contest for a chance at production and distribution of my product. I'll have to correct Heidi at lunch.

A voice over the speakers asks all the contestants to return to the tables for judging. As I wait for the judges to arrive, I pop my earbuds in my ears and listen to some of my Father's meditation music. Usually I roll my eyes at his latest health obsession, but the soothing music is definitely coming in handy today. Maybe I ought to take up meditation. I just don't know if I can still my mind long enough to successfully do it.

The judges are with Sophie right now. Her face is animated and she's practically glowing. Snickerdoodle is standing on the table, proudly showing off one of Sophie's creations. I swear, that dog knows she's a diva.

When the judges move on to the next presentation, Snickerdoodle tries to follow. She leaps from the table onto the floor and nearly nips the judges heels before Sophie scoops her up. I laugh silently. Good old Snickerdoodle is going to keep Sophie hopping, for sure. Her pup will give her the cuteness factor, but having a live model can also be unpredictable. It would stress me out.

When the judges arrive at my booth, my hands are shaking and sweat is pooling in my palms. I discreetly rub my hands on my dress and run through my presentation, hoping my voice isn't shaking as much as my hands. They ask a few questions, then move on. It's over so fast, I can't tell whether they liked my product or not. Their faces were impossible to read.

The next couple of hours pass in a whirlwind as I chat with the stream of people who pass by my booth, until the voice over the speakers announces the mentors have been assigned and posted. There is a mad rush to see who made the cut. Someone knocks a stack of papers off my table. I bend down to pick up the papers and stand up to see Sophie standing in front of me with Snickerdoodle in tow.

"C'mon, Beth. Let's check it out!" she says, grabbing my hand and pulling me in the general direction of the mob. We weave our way through the others until we're standing in front of the sheets. A few seconds later, Sophie squeals.

"I'm in! Do you see your number, Beth?"

I scan the sheet and my heart skips a beat.

You've got to be kidding me.

Of all the mentors I could be assigned to, of course it would have to be Isaac. 

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Please hit the star to support this story. Each vote helps toward it getting discovered. Thanks so much for your support!

So how are we all feeling about Isaac being assigned to Beth? 

We finally meet Heidi, one of the original four that formed Solere. I considered several possibilities to play her, but I think Scarlett Johansson would be great. 

As promised, here is the outfit Beth wears on the first day of the Next Big Thing competition. 

And a closeup.

I just discovered this musician, so please take a moment to listen to the song. It's so good! I update every Tuesday and Friday.

Dedication today goes out to a wonderful Wattpadder @ChrisBuono! I was first introduced to his writing with "A Paper-Tree Christmas," a sweet romance in MichelleJoQuinn's Mistletoe & Mischief romance anthology which I thoroughly enjoyed. I think the one I want to try next is "Her Boss's Surprise." And if you're into horror, he has a creepy and well-written story called "The Lake." Thanks for all your support Chris!