Making A Difference
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Synopsis
He's engaged to a gorgeous CEO whose purse collection could feed the homeless in NYC, but he's only human.
But Jay and Zoe have a big secret: 5 years ago, they fell hard for each other. She was a student at NYU where Jay was a lecturer. To Jay, his legacy was everything, and he'd never risk his reputation by dating a student. Moreover, he'd die before he let Zoe ruin her career. She is furious he doesn't take the risk for them. She leaves the country to get over him.
And now she's happily coupled-up with lovely writer Colin.
Colin detests Jay, and he doesn't even know the entire story. Zoe's upset Colin's turning into a whiny jerk, but he's the first guy she has felt strongly for in a long time.
Jay can no longer dismiss his feelings as nostalgia, but Zoe's still furious at him. And the last time he tried to fix things, she left the company and the country. And now that the stakes are even higher.
Will Jay be able to follow his heart even when improving the world seems easier?
Release date: March 24, 2020
Print pages: 234
Content advisory: PG-13
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Making A Difference
Pinar Tarhan
CHAPTER 1
Present Day
Clark and Foster PR
“We’ve already saved the world today, mate.” Martin faked a passable English accent as he stood before the desk of his partner Jay. Jay raised a quizzical brow without looking from his computer. “Well, we’ve helped. And Faye will eat us for lunch if we are late,” Martin pointed out, returning to his regular New York accent.
The mention of Faye accelerated Jay’s exit faster than a fire alarm. Martin grinned as Jay grabbed his jacket from his chair and shut down his computer. They left together.
Martin Foster and Jay Clark had been partners for ten years. They’d established Clark & Foster PR right after college, with full blessing and intellectual support from Faye Clark, Jay’s PR ultimate guru grandmother who was a lot better at managing her social life so she let them be workaholics on their own time.
Faye was already at the chic new restaurant, sipping her Cosmopolitan when Martin and Jay arrived two minutes late.
“My boys! Three more minutes, and you’d have to share me with Dave,” she said, winking at them mischievously.
“Hey, Faye!” they greeted her in unison. Nobody was allowed to call her anything other than her first name. Even at seventy-five, she was too robust, young-looking and fun to be called Grams or Mrs. Clark.
Dave, her boyfriend of three years, would agree. Dave was a suave and agile sixty-five-year-old who still prioritized Faye over anything and anyone, despite running several successful skydiving schools. They had met when Faye decided to take up the sport for her seventy-second birthday. Faye’s husband, Jay’s grandfather, had been killed in combat many decades ago.
“Dave wanted to come,” Faye said. “He says hello.”
“Yeah, well, he can meet you for dinner,” Jay said and sat across from Faye. Martin took the chair beside her. Despite enjoying the company of Dave, they needed her all to themselves today. They ordered as soon as the waiter appeared. They couldn’t wait to catch up and pick her brains. They would just have to endure being scolded about their lack of fitness activities first.
“How’s the gym treating you?” she said pointedly, knowing that the gym they built in the basement of their firm was frequented a lot more by their employees.
“I got in a few laps,” Martin boasted while Jay avoided the question altogether.
“Today?” asked Faye.
Martin instantly looked sheepish. “This month,” he admitted.
Faye shook her head in disapproval. Good thing they were as fit and healthy as men could get at thirty-six, a boon of all the humanitarian work they did and supervised on-site both in the USA and around the world.
“I should have a word with Keira. She’s been cutting you too much slack recently.” Keira was their super-efficient office manager as well as the second health police they were exposed to. She got along with Faye fabulously.
“Well, she’s a bit too busy to tease us at the moment,” Martin said, and Faye nodded. There was an urgent topic they were all dying to discuss: Martin’s departure from the firm. So they ordered as soon as the waiter appeared.
Not that Martin was quitting in the traditional sense. He would remain as the CFO and would contribute to as many projects as possible. However, he was stepping down from his office, cutting the hours and would be working mostly from home. This substantial change was due to his fiancée Sally’s loving request. Well, ultimatum really. She wouldn’t marry him otherwise.
The problem was, their titles as CEO and CFO didn’t do much more than show Jay was the management whiz, and Martin was the financial expert. They were the two brains behind all operations. So when Martin had first informed Faye about his decision, she’d joked he’d have to go into witness protection. She would lose it if she were in Jay’s shoes. She was also worried this would irrevocably harm the friendship between her two favorite men.
Luckily, they already had the perfect substitute in mind. Faye had met her on several occasions and witnessed the outcome of her efforts. “I agree about Zoe being the best choice. And she is obviously more fun than you two.”
“There is a very long list of reasons why she’s meant for the job,” Jay concurred.
“She’ll willingly rip your butts from your chairs. Well, at least you Jay. It’s Sally’s duty now to inject life into this one.” Martin and Jay shared a look. Faye was only half-teasing. It was lucky their job required socializing. Any other profession, and both men would have become hermits.
Martin smiled as he thought about Sally. He loved everything about his fiancée, and she would make sure he didn’t slip into his old workaholic ways. But then again, being a workaholic humanitarian was a rightfully acclaimed trait.
“Don’t worry, Faye. I’ll grant Zoe full control of all things social. Oh, and yes, I’ll listen to her when she tells me to move it.” Jay grinned.
“Pleased to hear that, but you haven’t talked to her yet,” Faye pointed out.
“No, but I’m positive she will accept,” Martin said. Well, he was ninety percent positive. The rest was wishful thinking. If she said no, he’d have to stay on. Recruiting the right person was not solely about not letting Jay down. There was no way Jay or Martin would bestow Martin’s office on someone who didn’t inherently understand or value their company.
“She’ll say yes,” assured Jay. Then he added with an ominous grin, “I’ll have to kill Martin otherwise. Or shun him for the next three decades.” They all laughed.
“He means it, you know,” Faye added as she took a delicate sip of her drink.
“I know,” Martin said a little anxiously. “I don’t blame him.”
“I might even have to punish you myself,” Faye said.
Martin sighed. “I’m aware I’m facing double rejection here.”
Given that they had practically lived and breathed PR since their teens (Jay’s passion had started even earlier), nobody could foresee Martin would even consider going part-time. Jay smiled. Faye had every right to be mad if Martin failed to persuade Zoe. And yes, there really was only one right candidate for the job as far as they were concerned.
“She has always wanted to come back to the company,” Jay reasoned. “And she is being offered the ultimate position.”
“That’s a pretty big leap from internship,” Faye said.
It was. But Zoe deserved the credit they gave her. Though she was only their intern five years ago, she had quickly become Faye’s third favorite student. More importantly, both Jay and Martin counted her as a friend.
One of the crucial factors behind their success was employing individuals who thought like them: people who put each other over profit, rapport over ambition, casual over formal. One didn’t resign from Clark and Foster. Some switched to part-time, but no one truly left. So far only Angie Clark, Jay’s younger sister, had been fired, but she had asked for it. She wasn’t meant for regular office hours or writing press releases.
“When are you meeting Zoe?” Faye asked.
“I’m going to her book signing tomorrow morning,” Jay said.
“It’s her boyfriend’s book signing,” Martin corrected.
Jay raised his eyebrows, reaching for his drink. “Well, she got him published, and she made him a bestseller, and she organized the signing. That makes it her book signing equally, if not more.”
“He has a point,” Faye said to Martin. “She got his career off the ground. He had the material, but it’s no use if no one knows about it, is it?”
Jay could always count on Faye for common sense. People tended to overlook the marketing aspect of products. No matter what people thought about Colin, without the right marketing, he wouldn’t have a career, period. If Zoe hadn’t worked day and night to get Colin launched, he’d be just another fish in an ocean filled with millions of competitors.
“Fine. Zoe’s book signing.” Martin knew better than to disagree with Jay on any Zoe-related matter. They didn’t disagree a lot, but Zoe and Jay had always been closer than Martin and Zoe. They connected better. He would go as far as to say they completed each other, but that would piss Jay off. And he didn’t want to give Faye any ideas. So he kept it to himself.
“So go get her, tiger,” Faye said, and they all laughed.
Jay was planning on doing just that. It was either Zoe or Martin was staying on. Jay liked Sally. She was a lovely person, and she made Martin happy. But Jay hadn’t labored, sweated, and bled to build a unique company from scratch and carry it to the top for it to be ruined by her idea of a happy family.
But he wasn’t anxious at all. Just like Faye was his role model, he was Zoe’s. He had a feeling she would jump at the offer.
***
CHAPTER 2
Zoe felt glorious. There she was, at the Fifth Avenue Barnes and Noble, at the signing of her boyfriend Colin’s book. His mystery novel was self-published into oblivion a year before they met. Not only had she found him a brilliant agent who scored him a contract with a major publishing company, but she had gone on to carry him to the top of the bestseller lists with her marketing campaign.
She had stumbled upon the book in a tiny local bookstore. She’d devoured the four hundred pages over a weekend and called the author for a meeting at the publishing company she was then working for. Unfortunately, the company had no interest in purchasing the rights. Even though she had been zealously recruited by one of the partners, somehow they had had little faith in her judgment on this matter. They failed to acknowledge she had a potential bestseller in her hands. So she quit and promoted the book as a freelancer, and here they were.
Zoe wasn’t about to get humble, though. Her success had nothing to do with luck. She had trained with Jay, her brilliant mentor. She had worked hard and paid attention. And she had officially shoved it to her old firm.
Who said you couldn’t have it all? She had quit resisting the lovely 29-year-old author few months ago. They liked each other, and it felt right. What the hell? You could mix business with pleasure after you kicked the business part’s ass, right?
She smiled as the store assistant informed her the crowd was bustling, and they were ready to let people in. She thanked him and nodded.
She turned to Colin. “Ready?”
“I think so. I mean I’ve only been fantasizing about this moment since I was eleven.” They smiled warmly at each other, and the doors opened.
*
As people moved forward in the line, a guy in his mid-thirties noticed Jay approaching. He nudged the woman next to him. “Isn’t that Jay Clark?”
The woman looked at the direction he was pointing at. “Yep.”
They weren’t the only ones who recognized Jay. A middle-aged woman standing closer to the store called out, “Hey, Jay!”
She didn’t personally know Jay. But even if you’d watched the news once in the last ten years, or picked up a business magazine, you recognized Jay Clark. He was that weird rich businessman who didn’t live like the rich and invested most of his money in trying to save the world. Actually, he was more concerned about the people. The environment mattered, but he believed enough people were already at it.
Jay turned to her and smiled. “How’re you doing?”
He loved being the kind of celebrity that he was. He had the money and the power. He also had the most significant people on speed dial. The paparazzi weren’t intrigued since he didn’t date supermodels or drive Ferraris. OK, so he had dated one movie star, a gorgeous one at that, but she was just an acting student back when they met at NYU. She was still a struggling gem, aspiring to be discovered when they broke up right after graduation. And the few girlfriends after that piqued the interest of Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneur and Forbes magazines, including his fiancée Carla.
A young hipster in the line couldn’t resist asking, “So who are you saving today, buddy?”
“Just here to get my copy signed.”
“Well, I know you are sort of a celebrity, but shouldn’t you at least pretend to be in the line?”
Jay smiled. “Oh, I’m not looking to meet the author. Good day.” He toddled on, leaving the guy puzzled.
*
Jay entered the bookstore, marched past the line and headed directly toward Zoe. She was standing by the desk where Colin sat blissfully signing his books. Jay caught Zoe’s eye, and they beamed at each other. As they hugged, he said proudly, “Congratulations!”
Man, she looked as beautiful as he remembered. She had her long brown hair down, slightly curled. She rocked her jeans with her long legs, knee-height boots and fitted cotton blouse.
“Thanks. Colin, this is Jay Clark. Jay, Colin Nelson.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise. Enthralling book.”
“Thanks.”
They shook hands, and Colin turned to the college-aged girl in front of him and greeted her. The girl didn’t seem to be in any rush. Instead, she beamed at Jay and said, “You can go first.”
Jay smiled back. “That’s okay. I’m not in the line.”
As a reply, she addressed the crowd behind her, “Hey, does anyone mind if Jay Clark gets his autograph before us?” They didn’t, so Jay gave his book to Colin. It was neither the time nor the place to admit he wasn’t here for him.
One guy asked the people behind him, “Who the hell is Jay Clark?” and got a collective condescending stare.
“Thanks,” Jay said as Colin returned his freshly signed copy. He got back to his readers, and Jay handed his book and pen to Zoe. “Your turn.”
“Are you serious?”
“You know I’m a fan.” Jay grinned. Zoe signed the book, returning his grin.
“How’s your schedule this week?” asked Jay, taking the book back.
“It depends. Am I meeting you?”
“And Martin. We have a job offer for you.”
“In that case, my schedule is wide open.”
“You are OK with a breakfast meeting tomorrow?”
“Sounds good.”
“How about that coffee shop you love, the one near NYU?”
“Perfect.”
“See you at nine, then.” Zoe nodded enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling.
*
Jay had come to Colin’s signing to arrange a business meeting. He had always been supportive. He had followed her whole career and not just this latest accomplishment. But she hadn’t seen him much in the last few years apart from various benefit events or gatherings with her former co-workers. Yet he knew she was ready. Oh, and trust him to add the personal touch of arranging the meeting at her favorite coffee shop in the whole city. When it came to bosses, Jay Clark was the best one you could have. She couldn’t wait to work for him again.
*
Colin admired the intimately lit, mid-sized Italian restaurant Zoe had chosen for their celebratory dinner that evening as the scents of several dishes wafted lightly in the air. Yummy food, soothing music, excellent company. The atmosphere was complete with candlelight and fresh flowers on the tables, as well as a trio playing Italian hits on the stage.
“Nicely chosen.”
“Thanks. I wanted the venue to match the magic of the occasion.” Zoe basked in the simplicity of it. She couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate their mutual success. It was always a risk to be involved with someone you worked with. Thankfully, their professional relationship had ended without a glitch.
She was in a breath-taking (she hoped) strapless blue mini dress. Colin looked dashing in his black jacket, black shirt, dark jeans ensemble. On his worst day, Colin could play the second best-looking guy in a Hollywood movie. “You did it. You topped the New York Times Bestsellers list.”
“Which I could only dream about until you took a chance in me. So we should toast to being a great team. An epic team, in fact.”
“To us.”
“To us.”
They smiled, clinked their glasses and sipped their champagne as they gazed into each other’s eyes. Nothing quite beat the honeymoon period of a promising relationship.
*
The modern and cozy coffee shop offered everything a student or a freelancer could need: optimum-height tables with comfortable chairs, a fast and free Internet connection, jazz and Indie rock numbers playing in the background at a moderate volume. The walls were enchanted with unpretentious paintings, which appealed to the regular guy and not just art buffs. Most importantly, the coffee was delicious and affordable. The shop also welcomed its share of business people who chose leisurely over rigid.
Jay and Martin occupied a roomy table at the back. Jay relaxed into the leather sofa while Martin took a large sip from his double espresso. “So you don’t hate me?”
Jay grinned. “For the last time, I can’t hate you because you want to be more involved at home and make your bride-to-be happy.”
“I’m so glad Zoe still wants to work with us.”
“So am I. If we didn’t know the right person, I would be having a nervous breakdown right about now.”
“You and me both. I’m still a part of everything. I just…need to be in the office less.”
“I get it. She’d like to have children with a guy who doesn’t sleep in his office, regardless of how awesome that office might be,” Jay said.
“It has been six years, but she feels like we’ve dated only for six months. And she calculated my office hours to prove her point. Using a spreadsheet.” Sally was a rare breed whose soft and sweet warnings were scarier than any yelling could ever be.
Jay glanced at the coffee bar, his face deadpan. “There aren’t many web designers out there with her persuasion skills. She should have been a hostage negotiator or something.” They exchanged grins as both men envisioned the not-so-unlikely scenario and sipped their coffee.
*
At five to nine Zoe entered the café. Martin and Jay got up as she walked toward them. Zoe and Martin hugged.
“Hey, kiddo. It has been a while.”
Zoe laughed. “Kiddo? Seriously? You do realize you are only ten years older than me?”
Martin shrugged. “Felt like a kiddo moment. And it has been a long time.”
Zoe nodded. She and Jay hugged shortly, and they all sat down. Zoe noticed the tall cup of steamy cappuccino before her. It even had a pinch of chocolate powder on it. Talk about customization. She shot an amused look at Martin and Jay.
“Martin is in a rush to make the offer,” Jay said.
“Glad to hear that. I’m trying put on a cool professional facade, but I may not be able to keep it up much longer.” Zoe was getting more and more excited.
“Neither can I,” said Martin. “So, Zoe, how would you like to be Jay’s partner?”
Zoe had to gulp down a rather large and scorching sip of coffee. “I’m sorry?” She gawked at them. Were they joking? They seemed serious. Not that they would ever joke about anything related to their company. Still…He said partner?
“We mean it,” Martin said, reading her reaction. “I’m getting married next weekend. Sally and I want this next phase of our relationship to be about us. She was pretty patient with me working fifteen-hour-days. But we’re planning a family. I have no intention of being a dad who’s rarely home and misses everything.”
Zoe tried to digest it all. “Martin, it’s your company. You determine your schedule. Are you sure you want a permanent vacation?”
“Well, it’s not permanent,” Jay cut in. “He’s staying on as the head financial consultant. He’s just not going to be involved in management or event planning or any other fun stuff.” Martin conveniently ignored the last part of the comment.
“And you want me to be your right hand?”
“Pretty much,” Jay said.
“Guys, I appreciate your believing in me, but I was an intern five years ago.”
“You weren’t an ordinary intern, though,” said Martin. “You’ve always aspired to be an integral part of Clark & Foster. You scrutinized our every project, every step. You know the company inside out. Hell, you are still in touch with most of our staff!”
“What about my lack of experience?”
“Sometimes energy, youth and enthusiasm count for more,” Jay said, darting a knowing glance at Martin. Martin rolled his eyes. Jay grinned and turned back to Zoe.
“Plus, you are not exactly inexperienced, are you? We kept up with your career, just like you kept up with ours. There is no one better suited for this.”
Zoe took a deep breath. “I was ready for an appealing offer. But this is...just… wow.”
Martin turned to his partner. “I don’t think she is saying no.”
“Nope. She’s not.”
“A chance to work with my two mentors, at the highest position there is? You bet I’m not saying no. It’s the most terrific challenge ever, and I am overwhelmed.” She felt like jumping up and down on the sofa. She took one more sip of coffee to calm down. Okay, maybe more caffeine wasn’t a good idea. “If you think I can handle it, then, absolutely. I’m in.”
“Oh, you can do more than handle it. I am pretty sure you’ll kick ass,” Martin said.
“Welcome back,” Jay said.
*
Zoe barely remembered calling Colin after the meeting. She was pretty sure she had accepted this life-altering, beyond-her-dreams offer, but she might not have been articulate enough to give him all the details. Everything felt surreal.
Thankfully, Colin would cook a celebration dinner at his place, which suited her just fine. She would be too hyper to behave herself at a restaurant. A partner at Clark and Foster? Wow!
*
Thirty minutes after the meeting, Zoe was sitting at the kitchen counter opposite Mel in their apartment. The two young women had been best friends and roommates since their first year at NYU.
“Holy crap!” Mel said after she told her the news. “This is amazing!”
“I know.”
“Have you told Colin?”
“Yeah, I called him on my way home. He’s still processing. So am I!”
“Well, it is huge. It’ll probably take a while for the news to sink in. But I agree with Martin and Jay. You’re the one for the job.”
“Thanks. I mean it’s scary, but I couldn’t be happier.”
“I can see that.” Mel smiled. “But do me a favor, and don’t tell Colin about the other thing.”
“What other thing?”
“About you and Jay.”
“There is no me and Jay.” Mel gave her friend a skeptical look. “There was no me and Jay. It was just a crush.”
“I’m not sure the word crush quite covers it,” Mel said.
“Fine. I was smitten. But everyone had a thing for Jay when he taught at NYU.”
“Me included,” Mel agreed. “He was young, hot, brilliant, fiery… And he didn’t have the slightest interest in sleeping with his students, though I’m not sure you were happy about that.”
Zoe playfully punched her friend on the shoulder and said, “It was five years ago. Get over it.”
“Oh, I’m over it. All I’m saying is you shouldn’t share everything with your boyfriend, however wonderful he might be.”
“Trust me, I know. No guy wants to hear about an ex-crush, especially if that crush will be a permanent fixture in his girlfriend’s life. But his mind’s probably already gone there. Jay was my lecturer for two semesters, he is my mentor, we are close...”
“Good point. Well, congrats, once again.” Mel stood up. “Got to start getting ready for my date now.”
“How is it going with John?”
“This is our fifth date. How long do you have to wait before saying you have a boyfriend anyway?”
“No clue. A couple of weeks? A month?”
“Might just see how he updates his Twitter. If there’s nothing even slightly hinting at me after date six, I’m chucking him,” Mel half-joked.
“Have fun!” Zoe called after her as Mel scurried out of the room.
Zoe smiled, then returned her thoughts to this morning’s meeting. Not many people had their life exactly where they wanted at twenty-six. Nope, scratch that. Her life was better than what she had originally envisioned. She had assumed she’d be working closely with Martin and Jay. Replacing Martin hadn’t crossed her mind.
The first time Zoe had seen Jay was on a CNN interview. He was twenty-five, having recently co-founded the company. He believed in himself, Martin and their dreams. He was determined to make a difference in the world, and from that interview and onward, she knew he would. She had also discovered her passion. She was hooked on public relations, on what it was and how it could be utilized. She enjoyed the marketing aspect of it, but what truly entranced her was how a message could be manipulated into the next great thing or a disaster.
After gobbling up all the essential resources on PR, including the firms, its relationship with business and advertising, and most importantly all the projects of Clark and Foster, it was inevitable to choose NYU: a university with a substantial PR program, the university Jay Clark graduated from. It was just the luckiest coincidence that he’d decided to teach there while she was in her third year.
*
Five Years Ago, NYU
The vast lecture hall was crammed, with some students ready to listen on their feet. Zoe and Mel had secured their front row seats an hour ago. Excited and anticipating whispers filled the room. After all, Jay was to PR what The Rolling Stones were to music.
A few minutes later, Jay appeared in his trademark semi-casual style: blue Levi’s, dark beige suede jacket, dark blue shirt matching his eyes. No tweeds, no patches. He stepped on the platform and smiled confidently.
“Hey everyone. I’m Jay Clark. I am an NYU graduate who was dying to come back. Now, I will be upfront: I’m extremely demanding and challenging. I’ll spend the next couple of weeks talking to you and getting to know you. And then I’ll make you work your asses off. So if you are only here to shine your CV or out of plain curiosity, you will be in immense pain for a semester. Drop out before it’s too late. I won’t be cutting anyone slack. And those of you that are here out of your passion for the subject are also screwed. I will let you pick my brain, and you may not be able to handle it.”
He paused to let everyone take it all in. Some laughed, some exchanged low-pitch grunts and whispers. Many students eagerly clung on to his every word. A few just gaped at Jay. This wasn’t the pep talk they were expecting. He continued, “It’s all about changing things for the better. Helping out because you can. I bide my time between clients, benefit events and organizations. Clark & Foster doesn’t do charity to evade taxes or get discounts. We are in the business so that we will have millions to spend on the causes we believe in. Profit is never the end goal, just the means to an end. We are excellent at what we do. We don’t solicit for clients. The clients seek us, and we work with them only if they possess certain principles.” He had their undivided attention. “Enough about me. What do you want to do with your lives?”
A guy from the rear spoke up. “Potential nightmare student here.” Jay smiled, amused. At least he was honest. “I want to work as a celebrity publicist. It’s good money, and I can manipulate. Who knows? I might use my clients’ connections to become a celebrity myself.” He was clearly having fun depicting his fantasy future career. Several classmates nodded, clearly willing to follow similar paths.
“Basically you want fame and money?” Jay asked. The guy nodded. “You’ve just scored yourself a nightmare teacher, then. By the time I’m done with you, you’ll already have helped the society enough for a lifetime.” The guy looked terrified as the rest of the class laughed. Jay continued, “Guys, I am one of those people you either love or hate. But either way, you will talk about me. And I will find a way to use that word of mouth and transform it into something useful.”
Zoe and Mel were all ears as he moved on to his next victim, motioning a girl from the middle rows to speak up.
“I plan to start my own PR firm. I’ll try to work with firms with integrity. But there aren’t many of them left.”
“I’m going to be the spokesperson of a multi-national corporation,” a guy at the back added.
Mel joined the conversation, “I’m an advertising student. I wanted to be in your class because it’ll help me be better at my job. No, scratch that. It’ll make me better in general. I want to learn whatever I can from you. And I welcome the workload.”
Jay nodded in approval and turned to Zoe. “And you?”
“I want to follow in your footsteps. With a twist.”
“A twist?” He was intrigued.
“You pay so much attention to survival. Food, water, clothes, health, shelter... And of course, that’s the core. But here’s the question: why do we want to stay alive? Why should they fight? We need to show people why it is worth living, and not be done after providing the basics.”
Her response got cynical hoots from the class. One of the students mocked, “Yeah? We can’t take them shopping with us, you know.” A couple of others cracked up.
Zoe ignored her and kept talking to Jay, “Life isn’t about consuming. Or entertainment. It’s whatever makes you get up in the morning. We need to share our lust for life, make it contagious. Give them reasons to feel something other than gratitude. And we can inflict happiness only if we are happy. So I’m going to work for a firm that shares my ideals, will help people survive and help them feel glad to be alive. And I’m not saying I can ever be as selfless or work-oriented as you. Having fun means too much to me. I want to have a job I’ll love, one that will give me the energy and the tools to improve things.”
Jay was impressed. Even the cynics in the class were beginning to pay attention: she was determined, eloquent and idealistic. Oh, and beautiful on the side of gorgeous. “I like the approach...?”
“Zoe.”
“You’re going to have to fight a lot for what you believe in, Zoe.”
“Comes with the territory. I’m used to it.”
Jay smiled at her. And Zoe smiled back. He knew in his heart that this smart beauty was going to make a big difference in the world. He just wasn’t prepared for how much impact she’d have on him.
**
end of chapter 2
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