Free Lost and Found (A Novel) by Kathy Adams

non-existent. However, no matter how much she practiced and no matter how much her colleagues prepped her, she could never feel that she was ready. No doubt she had improved in leaps and bounds on her articulation and voice projection but the one thing no one could help her with was to remove her nervousness. From the moment she woke up that day, she could feel butterflies swimming in her stomach. She felt queasy, not able to keep any food down. With her nerves in the way, she was worried that she would tripped over her words and blunder through the presentation. Not to mention all the shakings that her hands and legs would be doing, it would just be plain embarrassing. Hence, she stood where she was now, hiding within the solitary confines of the washroom.
     
    “Caelie, are you alright in there? You need to come out soon.” Alex’s voice drifted through the door. Slowly, Caelie’s eyes fluttered open, her breath hitched slightly at the prospect of having to walk out the door. “Caelie?” Alex called out again followed by soft knockings on the door.
     
    “Yeah I’ll be out in a minute.” Pushing herself away from the mirror, Caelie bent over the washbasin, splashing some water on her face. Drying her face, she looked up and studied her reflection in the mirror. Petrified hazel eyes set within a pale face stared back at her, causing a small groan to escape her mouth. Rummaging through her small make-up bag, she set to work on making herself look more presentable in neutral colors. Her long straight red hair was left flowing down her back, with a few strands pulled over her front shoulders, framing her face. Alex had suggested that she tied up her hair back so that the clients could see her face but that was the last thing that Caelie wanted, attention to herself. Caelie was adamant about hiding behind her shield of hair. Looking down at herself, Caelie took in her choice of clothing for that day. A light blue crisp blouse with a straight loose knee length navy blue skirt and matched with a white closed-toe suede cone heels. That was the best she could find from her modest wardrobe.
     
    Bracing herself for the uphill quest ahead, she pushed open the door and stepped outside, right into Alex who had been leaning on the door. Alex stumbled from the impact before turning around to face Caelie. Her face scrunched up slightly as she eyed Caelie up and down.
     
    “Uh, Alex, why are you looking at me like that?” Caelie asked, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot under Alex’s scrutiny. Shaking her head, Alex thrust a cropped length dark blue blazer towards Caelie, who looked up with a puzzled look.
     
    “Just put it on, it will look great on you. Trust me.” Alex pushed Caelie back into the washroom. Not having a choice, Caelie put on the blazer and together they assessed the new ensemble.
     
    “Wow.” Only one word came out of Caelie’s mouth. Alex’s blazer matched Caelie’s skirt perfectly, giving her outfit a very professional look. Caelie’s eyes flickered towards Alex’s reflection from the mirror, who was grinning from ear to ear, satisfied with the outcome.
     
    “Come on, let’s go. Wynne’s waiting for you.” Alex had to practically drag Caelie all the way to the boardroom where the presentation was to take place. With each step, Caelie’s heart grew heavier and her stomach churned even more. As they passed the rest of the team, they gave her thumbs up and wishes of good luck along the way. By the time they reached the door that led to the boardroom, Caelie’s head was so lightheaded that she felt as if she could faint at anytime. “Good luck Caelie, I know you can do your best.” Alex winked and pushed Caelie into the room, closing the door firmly behind her, as if to prevent her from escaping, which was precisely what Caelie had felt like doing as she stood rooted to the ground, looking at a solemn Wynne nervously.
     
    Wynne frowned slightly before quickly masking his face into a