"Hello." The stranger's voice brought a vague sense of familiarity to Janet, but she couldn't pin it down to a face.
She replied politely, "Hello, is this Mr. Clyde Lambert, the artist?"
The man on the other end of the line did not expect her response to be so cordial but distant. A wave of disappointment washed over him. "Yes, it is," he answered.
It had only been a few months, but Janet no longer recognized his voice.
As things turned out, the man on the phone was none other than Clyde Lambert himself, one of Janet's former pursuers.
"It's nice to meet you. My name is Janet."
The change in Clyde's tone escaped her, and she continued to speak in a polite and professional manner. "If you take a look at the photos you posted today, the old lady is wearing one of my designs."
Clyde let out a small sigh. "Yes, I know. What can I do for you?"
On the other side, Janet straightened her back, turning stiff with nervousness. "Here's the thing. I'm going to start my studio's official account on the major social media platforms soon. I've seen your work, and I think your photos are amazing. I'd like to enlist your help in publicizing our studio."
A wide smile broke out on Clyde's lips.
After a long wait, finally, an opportunity had presented itself.
"It would be my privilege," he readily agreed. "But I think it would be better for us to discuss this in
person."
With his positive response to Janet's proposition, she gladly agreed to meet him.
The call ended with Janet all smiles. She thought she had secured a promising chance.
She had been anxious about the call, thinking that someone of Clyde's talent wouldn't be so easily convinced. Truth be told, his quick approval surprised her. Janet had psyched herself to negotiate with his terms, but it had turned out to be an unnecessary worry.
However, her rejoicing was cut short by Elizabeth coming over and patting her on the shoulder.
"A lady is here for you. I had seen her here before, so I let her in."
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