Megan clicked her tongue in delight. “You don’t get it, Aurora. I’ve always had this dream of being a celebrity’s assistant. I’ve been waiting for my best friend to make it big so I can finally be the one carrying her bags!”
Just imagining it made her giddy. It was the kind of thing people joked about, but to see it actually happening with Aurora felt surreal, especially since Aurora’s dreams had never lined up with anything close to the spotlight before.
Watching Megan’s excitement lifted Aurora’s mood as well. “All right, all right. Don’t worry, I’ll take you with me.”
The moment she said it, Megan jumped up in excitement! Her goal had been achieved. From the start, she’d just wanted Aurora to bring her along. Being cooped up in the studio every day was far too boring.
Endless spreadsheets and data made her realize she just didn’t have the mind for business. Now, the chance to tag along with a production crew felt like a breath of fresh air. Aurora could see straight through Megan’s real motives, but she didn’t feel the need to call her out. If it meant giving her friend a chance to have some fun, why not?
“But have you wrapped up your studio work?” Aurora asked, her tone turning serious.
Megan met her look without hesitation. “Relax, I’ve finished everything. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have asked to go with you. I know my priorities, you know.”
Aurora was reassured by her answer. Clearly, she had underestimated Megan before. “I’m glad you see it that way,” Aurora said, giving her shoulder a firm pat.
Finally, Aurora called Ian over to fill him in about her plans to appear on the show.
Ian adjusted his glasses, his expression steady as he gave his assurance, “Don’t worry, boss. I’ll keep things running smoothly at the studio. If anything comes up, I’ll update you right away.”
“You’ll have to bear with things for a while,” Aurora said after a pause. “The Southside project just landed in our hands, and now I’m heading off to do this show. People might use that against us. On top of that, you’ll be managing both the studio and the project by yourself, which could get overwhelming. I was thinking of recruiting a few more people in the next couple of days, just to lighten your load.”
Ian didn’t reject the idea. In fact, he thought she had a point. He wasn’t naive – if he tried to shoulder everything alone and failed to deliver, Aurora would inevitably hold him responsible. No matter how good their relationship was, some lines couldn’t be crossed.
“I think your plan makes sense,” he said thoughtfully. “But maybe we shouldn’t bring on too many people just yet. Without you here, I’m not sure I could manage a bigger team. And the more people we bring in, the more complicated things get.”
Aurora considered his advice and found herself agreeing. This was the way the world worked: the more people involved, the more tangled things became. And when problems arose, everyone was quick to pass the blame. It was only natural.