Too Late for Regret (Annalise and Roger) novel Chapter 155

Analise’s POV

I was happy to hear of her promotion, and Seth was right. Any time a new company was up and running, a party was thrown to get the word out. It was always done like that, and I was excited for Laney. She would need an evening dress for that. She would need several more outfits to make sure she looked appropriate. Instead of just the business suits that I had prepared for her, she needed dressier clothing. I could see that Laney wanted to argue the point, but I wasn’t going to give her the opportunity.

“How about this, Laney, you can keep track of the cost. One day, in a year or two, you can pay us back if you want. No need to do so, but if that is what it takes to get you to accept our offer, I’m fine with agreeing to it. Call it an investment in your future that we’re willing to make. Plus, if you love my clothes, I’ll have another happy customer. Seth is right, you need to look the part. It’s as important as the position itself. I consider it the armor I wear to go into battle, especially when shareholders are involved,” I told her.

I could see her nod at my words. She understood that we were just trying to help her. We’re certainly not looking down on her. Her sharp mind got her here, and we were just giving her a little help. It can only help her in the long run.

“Okay, if you’re willing to wait for repayment, I’ll accept the clothing. I appreciate you doing this for me, Ana, very much,” Laney replied.

“Hey, I’m helping out too. Don’t I get any thanks?” Seth asked. The look Laney gave him made me laugh. She doesn’t care at all about hurting his feelings. I think she’s absolutely perfect for him.

“Do me a favor, Laney, and take one of the suits and shirts I brought to try on. I wanted to make sure that the fit is correct. Otherwise, we’ll exchange them tonight when we go to the store. I want to personally help you get ready for taking over your new position,” I told her.

I saw she was focused on the cornflower blue set, and she took it, and one of the button–down shirts with her, I saw her looking at it right off the bat. I knew she would love it. I also believe that she would love the wraparound lilac dress that I almost selected. The only reason I hadn’t grabbed it too was because if we got it too small, she might feel uncomfortable in it. The cinched waist would help show off an hourglass figure, and that was something she would need to try on. She’s hidden her figure for years, and I don’t know if she was ready to wear something out of her comfort zone.

She looked like a boss, exactly how I pictured her. The fitted clothes enhanced her figure, without being sexy. I could tell by the way she approached it that she loved it, and I was glad she did. She looked great in it. The feminine cut, although not obvious, really made a difference. She didn’t even realize that she was standing taller and exuding confidence. That was what she needed, a confidence boost.

“Comfortable?” I asked as she re–entered her office.

“Very. The color is stunning, I love it,” she replied. “How do I look?” ?

“Beautiful,” I responded at the same time Rita did. Laney smiled at us both.

I made another mental note to get her hair cut while we were at the mall tonight. I texted my stylist to see if he could fit her in. I wanted him to work his magic on Laney, too. She always wore her hair in a bun, but she would need to soften her look as a CEO. She would be the leader, and she had to speak with authority. But she would need a softer look to keep from being labeled. I knew that for a fact, as I thought I was looking professional, but I was dubbed cold and unfeeling at Roger’s company.

I was glad that Gregory had an opening, but the only spot was in an hour. I headed to Dad’s office to see if I could take her with me. She spends most of her time here; surely he can spare her three hours early.

“Could I stop you?” he asked with a short laugh when I asked.

“Good point, thanks, Dad,” I said before giving his cheek a kiss and heading back to Laney’s office..

“Let’s grab the bags; we need to head back to the mall,” I advised Laney and Rita.

“I still have a few hours before I can leave, Ana,” Laney advised.

“You put in enough time here, Laney. I already cleared it with Dad. He knows. Plus, you need to be there in an hour,” I replied as I scooped up two bags.

“But my brother is riding with me, I can’t leave him,” she returned.

“Have him meet us in the lobby to hand your keys off. You’ll be riding with us. We will take you home tonight. We’re probably going to need the SUV to transport everything anyway,” I answered. Rita was already calling Jon to pull around to pick us up.

Seth watched us leave, angry because I told him to stay there. I bet he did want to go and watch her trying on clothes. I wasn’t going to let him see her, not until she was the finished product. I plan on knocking his socks off when he finally does. Micah was really nice, and when he heard what was going on, he thanked me for helping her. I could tell that it was something he would like to have done himself, but couldn’t, not just yet. He wanted her to be treated well. It was obvious that he loved his sister. That explained why Seth had been so jealous of him eating lunch with Laney; he thought they were together.

As we headed to the mall, I had her transfer everything to her new handbag. Jon came into the mall with us. I was considered safe in my father’s company, but not in the mall. I had been in the public eye recently, and I still received attention because of it. We headed straight to the salon. Gregory was just finishing up when we arrived. He hugged me as soon as he was free and looked at Laney with interest.

“Did you bring me another friend?” he asked with a sparkle in his eye.

“Of course, I knew you could work your magic on Laney. She’s starting a new position as a CEO, and I wanted her to hit the ground running,” I replied.

“Another full–service session?” one of the other employees called out.

“Yes, we’re going to be going shopping after this. I would love the full effect, so hair, nails, and makeup,” I answered.

I heard two people squeal in happiness behind me. I remember when they did the full service for me, and I still remember the feeling I got that day. I felt like a million bucks, and I wanted Laney to experience the same thing.

“I only think I need a haircut, Ana,” Laney said as she turned towards me. She was hesitant; I could see her putting dollar signs on everything they planned to do. I took her aside to speak privately.

“Laney, this is my treat to congratulate you on making CEO. I want to do this for you. I went through this all myself and learned the hard way. You’re in a new position, and you can’t give an inch. You’ll be running the new company alongside Seth. The comments are going to come, especially from the older shareholders. They’ll show him more respect than they will to you, despite you knowing more about the business. You need to stay focused and master an expression that doesn’t show what you’re thinking, or if they hurt your feelings. You need to show them that you’re deserving. That you’re perfect for the position you’ve been given. This makeover is a part of it. I want you to go in there and command the respect that you deserve,” I advised.

I knew how unfair things were for women, and I wasn’t telling her this to scare her. She needed a heads–up of what was going to happen without Dad standing behind her to protect her. I knew that as women, we were still judged and compared to our male counterparts. It wasn’t right, but it still happened every single day in corporate America. We just needed to continue to dig deep and prove them wrong.

Dad had protected Laney, but he won’t be there to do it at CB Finance. They used their initials (Caldwell/Billingsley) to create the new name for the company. It effectively hid who owned it and made it a little tougher to get it up and running. I’m sure my father was testing them to see how well they would do starting from scratch. I know my father – whichever one is more effective -will most likely end up taking over Caldwell Industries. That, or they will run it together.

Greg put her in his chair and took her hair out of her bun. It was much longer than either of us realized.” How long have you been growing it out?” he asked.

“Almost six years,” Laney replied, and I had to turn away at that point.

She had put everything into her brothers to make sure they had what they needed. Forget being on the back burner; she wasn’t even on the stove. I called Charlie to tell him where I was and that I might be late for dinner. I didn’t want to leave until I had Laney set up for success. She didn’t know what type of haircut she wanted, just like me the first time I came. But once she said that she wanted something that she could easily maintain, he knew what to do, especially since she said she didn’t mind him cutting it.

I listened as they spoke together while he trimmed it to the middle of her back to avoid wasting the product. He added a few subtle lowlights to her hair to add depth as they chatted away. Her excuse of being too busy to get a haircut was an obvious lie. He glanced over at me when she said it. Who’s so busy they can’t fit in a haircut in six years‘ time? He wanted to help her, and he did, as she looked gorgeous. Her hair now lay just past her collarbone in soft waves. He showed her how to make them by using a wand. I had him add the same wand he used to the growing pile for Laney. Shampoo, conditioner, masks, and even the makeup they used on her were now all in her bag.

She had a glow–up in a big way. The biggest change was the shaggy bangs she now had. Her hair had always been parted in the middle and in a bun every single time I’ve seen her. She looked like herself, only better, and I loved that for her. She was looking at her reflection in disbelief, just like I had. I hadn’t recognized her myself, and I watched the whole process play out. I wanted to see Seth get his first glimpse of her, but I didn’t realize that I was going to be getting my wish so soon.