Ambition || Harry Styles

*2*

I'm the only female in the boardroom apart from my father's secretary who is assigned to document the notes and comments of the meeting and distribute the agenda accordingly.

The room is dark and masculine, stained timber accents the walls where oversized oil paintings hang and black leather chairs surround the polished table that seats at least sixteen.

There's minimal colour, the odd splash of dark green or burgundy and the entire room stinks of stuffy, old school enterprise.

The whole office is like this and in desperate need of a re-model.

Our lead architect, Liam, smiles at me as I take a place next to him, my hands already starting to quiver from nerves of my impending presentation.

Jesus, I need a cigarette.

My brother, Daniel, two years younger than me, walks in shortly after, yelling out some obnoxious remark that gains him a hearty laugh from the rest of the room before our older brother, Ben, takes his seat next to the head of the table.

There's a respectful hush that ripples across the room as my father walks in, his black hair greying on the sides, his face distinguished from years of knowledge and experience and his suit impeccably tailored.

"Gentlemen," he addresses the table and I look down at my hands and try not to let the blatant disregard effect me, lying to myself that it's just a figure of speech.

Liam gives me a sympathetic smile from beside me which only makes me sit up straighter and wipe off any emotion that accidentally crossed my face with an upward tilt of my chin.

The meeting commences and the usual agenda begins, each project is reported on, the progress of construction, budget updates, authority issues and anything else that may arise and need the attention of the board.

I add my opinion where necessary. I'm not afraid to speak up, but I'm often interrupted by a louder, stronger voice.  

I just have to be tougher.

"Donvale Lane? Alexa, you're assigned to this correct? How is permitting going?" My father bellows and my heart skips as the table of people all turn to face me.

"It's going well," my voice is calm and secure, I don't know why, but my nerves never rattle my speech and I'm lucky how easily I'm able to hide how anxious I get.

"We have all permits in place and ready to action however, if I may, I have been working with Liam on a small redesign." I start handing out the presentation packs I have made for everyone around the table, watching as my father pulls out the booklet and fans through it with almost no care.

"I found a loophole in the council conditions," I continue a little louder and silently curse myself as I have now lost everyone's attention to the paper I gave them.

"If you turn to page twenty-six, you will see the ability to add another level to the existing structure, set back of course, but this will give us an additional floor of apartments and extra revenue of around £4.5 million."

This gets their attention.

Their heads snap to me before reading with more intention, scanning to find any discrepancies, however, I am confident they will not find any.  I'm methodical and a perfectionist. Two things that may send me batshit crazy one day, but my reputation can't afford to make a mistake.

I take in a deep breath to try and settle my racing pulse as my fingers find the end of my hair to twirl.

My father's eyes lock to mine, then look directly at my hands to which I reactively yank back into my lap.

"You worked on these designs, Liam?" he asks, to which I smile kindly at the man who spent just as many painstaking hours working as I did, drawing and redrawing plans, getting this ready to meet my unreasonable deadline of today's meeting.

"Yes, Sir. Alexa and I spent-" He is interrupted by my father abruptly standing.

"Well done, lad," he praises, walking over and prompting Liam to stand as he shakes his hand, the table erupting in applause and pats on the back.

A solid lump forms in my throat, rejection and dismissal leaving a bitter taste on my tongue and my nose tingles with tears that I wouldn't be caught dead releasing.

Liam is shocked, but I'm not. Disappointed and disheartened, but not shocked. 

He doesn't know how to react, he equally deserves to be put on a pedestal for his hard work but he doesn't want to step out of line and say anything to my unreasonably harsh father in order to pull me up there with him.

"Proceed with the changes," my dad says as he takes his seat, the only acknowledgement is a single nod in my direction.

"And Susan," he directs to his secretary at the end of the table, "make a note that Liam and Alexa will both receive bonuses next month," to which I swallow my pride through the tightness in my throat and nod in thanks back.