Page 85 of True Colors

Vijay’s hands lock into fists. “She knows the data better than anyone. Especially you.”

Erin looks at me, her focus on the decision maker, as always. “I can handle the delivery.”

This is where leadership is supposed to feel clear. This is where I’m supposed to know what to do.

But I don’t.

I feel as if I’m drifting without a map.

“She answered every question in the dry run,” Vijay presses. “She didn’t stumble on the content—only on the words. And even then, she recovered.”

Erin slams a flat palm on the table. “Vijay, Jacob Grant will be evaluating Luther as much as the model. You know that.”

And we all know that Jacob Grant doesn’t do patience well. He respects confidence. Speed. Command of a room. I’ve spent my entire life learning how to sound certain even when I wasn’t.

I glance at the screen, at Anouk’s name listed under Lead Analyst.

“Luther, she wants to present, and I agree that she should,” Vijay pleads her case. “She has done the heavy lifting. She deserves the visibility.”

Tell me something I don’t know!

I stare at my laptop screen, where the agenda slide mocks me with the presenters' names.

Erin softens her tone. “We’re not taking anything away from Anouk. We’re optimizing roles.”

I shrug. “She can be there at the meeting and answer questions if they come up.”

Vijay shakes his head, and I can see he’s more than annoyed with me; he’s disappointed. “So you want to sideline her because she has a condition she can’t control?”

When he puts it that way, I feel like an ass.

I rub my thumb against the edge of the table, a nervous habit I haven’t grown out of.

I don’t want to hurt my starling. But this is not about my relationship with Anouk. I have to compartmentalize the personal and professional. Maybe this is why they say not to get into relationships with people at work.

I know she’ll be devastated if I tell her not to present. I should let her. She knows her stuff and⁠—

What if she freezes?

Dad will for sure see it as a leadership fuck up that I put her in front of him in the first place. He’ll think I’m not ready to lead the family business. That is untenable. All my life, I’ve been working to become the next CEO of Grant Corporation, take over after my father. I can’t let that get derailed for any reason.

“I just want this to go perfectly,” I say finally.

Vijay watches me closely. “Perfect isn’t always better than honest.”

Erin meets my gaze. “But it is safer.”

We’re all silent for a long moment as I weigh their arguments.

I don’t announce it, but I already know what I’m going to do. I’m going to lead with caution, as a good leader should.

“We have time. We’ll revisit it.” I stand up and carefully close my laptop because I want to slam it shut.

Erin nods, satisfied.

Vijay doesn’t look convinced.

Well, buddy, neither am I.