The Executive Consultant by Mali Longwell

Chapter
One

 
    This is it!
    "Lea Brady".
    I can't
believe I'm graduating for the second time. The first time was a cinch! But
this time I really put my blood and guts into it. Lea my girl, you've earned
this!
    I nodded as the Dean handed me my degree and then I waved to my
family. I saw my Mum beaming proudly and my Dad giving me a thumbs up. Each
graduate had been allowed only two seats, but I had managed to get a couple
extra for Mark, my fiancé, and Erin, my best friend from high school. I simply
could not imagine the day without them both being here. They were the four most
important people in my world and they were here with me. I was over the moon
with excitement. I was finally getting this degree and I planned to really let
my hair down and celebrate tonight.
    Mark waved frantically to me as I turned to look at them again.
With his brown spikey hair and large brown eyes, he was quite a catch. I had
never had a serious boyfriend, so the idea of marrying him was still a bit
surreal to me. And the fact that he was a total hunk was icing on the wedding
cake.
    As I walked away from the Dean and adjusted my tassel, I
couldn't help it. The scream had been waiting to be let out from the very day I
had done received my final grade. I waved the piece of paper around as the
shriek erupted from my lips.
    “Yeaaaaaaaaah!”
    The smile on my face was a broad one.
    Here’s to a
brand new me .
    As the Dean carried on talking, there was only one thing that
all of us as students were waiting to hear.
    “Graduating Class of 2013!”
    We lifted our hats in the air and jumped for joy. All the hard
work had paid off and we were glad. I hugged Anne, my friend who had become my
study partner during my master’s program. She had been introduced to me by
Erin. Their mothers had gone to the same college and had kept in touch
throughout the years.
    Meeting Anne had been a blessing. I knew that I would have had
major problems grasping some critical aspects of International Finance; those
equations were a bitch. Luckily, that was Anne’s forte. She knew those
equations like the back of her hand. We had met during my first week as Erin
had given me her details. I had met her in the library with my books wide open
as I had sat staring into thin air. She had sat next to me and we had started
to talk. We had discovered that we had all of our classes together with the
exception of three or four courses. She had been studying International Banking
and Finance whereas my area had been International Business.
    Sadly Anne’s mom had died a few years before she had started the
program. She had known no one in New York. I hadn't either so we had hung out
for the better part of the year. Anne had wanted to fulfill her mom’s dream of
her getting a master’s degree and working for a merchant banker.
    She was bright and at times I envied her, especially with her
long legs and blond hair. Men would kill to get next to her, but she would
always say that men were a distraction that she did not need at this age and
stage of her life. She had a plan for her life and nothing was going to get in
the way.
    My parents came over to me by the time I was done hugging and
kissing Anne.
    “I can't believe it. My little girl who cried herself to sleep
without her teddy till she was eight years old, has not only one degree, but
two.” Mum said as she hugged me.   She’s a
lot shorter than me at five two and stockier, but she still looks good for her
age.   Her social life keeps her busy,
that’s for sure.
    Dad hugged me and kissed me on the forehead like he has always
done ever since I was little girl. He’s a man of few words but his smile told
me that he was very proud of me.
    Mark and Erin were hovering behind each other like they had some
deadly secret they were trying to keep. As I made my way towards them they
quickly changed the subject. I knew Erin too well. She gave me a hug and so did
Mark with a big kiss on the lips. I frowned slightly. It felt like