279 Unveiling

“You’re right. There’s nothing else that we can do now but pray..” Jeremy replied in a hushed whisper.

I could sense everyone’s excitement and anticipation as they waited eagerly for the event to finally come to a start. The dim lighting casted an eerie glow over the room, adding to the sense of mystery and expectation. The lack of lighting made it difficult for me to see around and that only worked to heighten my sense of hearing. The sound of people whispering to each other in hushed whispers filled the air before the light on the stage suddenly turned on.

The orange glow of the spotlights shining down onto the stage brought silence immediately to the restless crowd of audience. I found myself holding my breath as I stared at the stage that was now bathed in a warm golden glow. The silence felt deafening and although I knew that Ace was about to make his appearance on the stage, I couldn’t stop myself from feeling excited.

The sound of applause flooded the hall in one big explosion of sound as a lone figure stepped onto the stage. Ace walked onto the stage proudly and I could tell that he had a polite smile on his face although I couldn’t quite see him from where I was seated. I felt a soft tap on my shoulder and turned to see Jeremy pointing at a screen set to the side of the auditorium close to where we were seated.

“Thanks..” I whispered.

It was thanks to him pointing it out that I remembered that I could also watch a close up of what was going on being played out on the screen in live motion. Being too wrapped up in my excitement, I forgot all about that and all that I could do was keep my eyes on Ace’s figure as he came to stand behind the podium that was strategically placed at the center of the stage.

“Hello everyone. I’m Ace Hills, and I am currently the CEO of Jessen’s and Hill’s. Before we start anything here today, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone here who has taken time to attend this event. I’m going to keep this very brief so that we can get to the real climax of this event which is the first ever screening of our commercial. I like to make it sound like we’re unveiling a brand new movie but in a much shorter and concise form..” Ace said while trying to keep his tone light.

I felt so drawn and captivated to his words and his tone of voice. Much like the other parts that I really liked about him, I also loved his public persona and how he handled the crowd while playing his role as the CEO. Without much explanation, I just felt that he looked cool and the fact that he seemed to be so calm and so in control felt very inspiring to me. I wondered for a brief moment if Ace was nervous and if he was hiding it.

“Do you think he’s nervous being up there all alone?” I mumbled softly.

.....

“I don’t think so. Well, at least he doesn’t show it at all..” Jeremy replied in a whisper.

I could tell that he must be sharing my thoughts of admiration of Ace and how he seemed to suck in and control every soul that was in the audience at that moment. Ace’s passionate words described the inspiration behind the commercial and all the steps of hard work that went into producing the commercial.

“I thank every single member on the team that made this possible. Everyone worked so hard and also so passionately in making sure that we will once again deliver the best commercial possible while living, breathing, and being true to our values..” Ace said before he paused as if to let his words sink in.

The smile that he had on his lips was enough for me to feel just how proud he was of the work that our team had achieved. A fluttering feeling took over my chest at his words of compliment. It was rare for Ace to offer words of compliment freely like this. He almost never did in during our meetings or even in private so it was quite shocking and unexpected to hear him say these words in such a public setting. The way his eyes seemed to sparkle with life as he voiced those words made me feel so certain that he meant every word that he had just said.

“Without further ado, it is my honor to present to you Jessen’s and Hill’s final commercial as part of the Ashford competition for this year,” Ace said before he gestured elegantly with his hand at the large screen behind him.

historical

The lights dimmed again and that was Ace’s cue to get off the stage silently. Within a few seconds, the commercial that we had pour our heart and soul into started playing on the screen. Although I have watched this commercial over a hundred times before and I could memorize every single scene and every single line, it felt like I was seeing it for the first time along with the audiences. Everything felt so exciting as the large screen came to life.

We’ve finally launched it..

I smiled so widely that my cheek muscles started to hurt, but even then, I couldn’t stop myself from smiling as I stared at the large screen in front of me. I must have been very biased because I thought that the commercial felt much better and much more special as it was played in the auditorium on that day. I wondered if the audience were as captivated by our commercial the way that I was or not. To me, every scene felt so beautiful, sincere, and emotionally evoking.

The commercial that we spent so much time working on came to an end in no time at all and a dead silence settled in the auditorium until the light slowly came back on again.

–To be continued..