Recently, I was asked to present to a real-life Miranda of the Devil Wears Prada fame.
Yup. Bad news. How bad?
Imagine this: a middle aged woman who knows what she wants and needs.
Sounds ok. So let me rephrase it:
A middle aged woman who knows what she wants and needs and tells you things straight.
Bearable still. Ok, time to be precise:
A middle aged woman who knows what she wants and needs and tells you things straight...so straight and blunt that it pierces through your heart and she wouldn't stop until she realizes how miserable you are and how little is left of your dignity that was barely there the moment you stepped inside her room and realized that her mere presence caused an immediate climate change and deafening silence among her subordinates.
Whew. THAT BAD.
But having a soft spot in the hearts of the marketing people, they gave me tips on how to present myself during the dreaded day.
" Please don't wear anything colorful."
Check. I have a black H & M top I haven't worn yet. Just perfect.
"Please try to tone down your perkiness."
Check. Boring mode on.
" Please present well and focus on your animated story telling. "
Check. Be boring and then present animatedly. Weird.
Whatever. I'll do everything I can just to get this darn account.
Bottomline: Be corporately bland.
Eww.
And then suddenly, my fairy god mother spoke to the marketing head:
"Oh, don't worry though, if she likes you, you'll know immediately. She'll joke around with her loud booming voice and she'll approve your work immediately. You just have to hit her good side. "
Ting! A spark of hope.
The only problem was: how do you hit the g-spot of a modern day monster who has a booming voice and hurls insults non-stop till you drop?
Well. I had it all figured out.
Immediately after arriving home, I brought out my H & M top and checked its fit.
Perfect.
Not too body hugging, not too loose. Classic design. Only people from Mars wouldn't like it.
And then I brought out my chosen pair of jeans.
Hmm. Just right. Not too slim cut, not too long. Nice shade of black.
Check.
And now for the shoes.
I was supposed to wear a black one with my entire ensemble. That was the safest thing to do when presenting to a lady who only recognizes two colors, both of which not found in the rainbow: black and gray.
But a part of me feels that I needed to add some color to my outfit.
I mean, I need not be as dark as the person she is right?
So I opted to use my secret weapon.
My orange and black dress shoes from Frank.
I got it on sale last december at CMG Trinoma.
Originally priced at P 3,495, I got the pair for P 1,995. Not bad. Branded after all.
Classy. Sleek. Trendy. Best words to describe this pair.
Made of a unique cloth like material similar to the ones used in making the espadrilles.
The color combination of orange and black makes it a striking pair to behold.
Not minding the advice of the marketing people, I decided to use the said pair.
At least I'll still look good if she throws me out of the room.
Here's how I looked prior to the presentation.
Presentation time came and true enough, her presence filled the entire room.
But surprisingly, she smiled at me.
That's when I knew that God was on my side. Haha!
Totally forgetting the reminders of the marketing people, i proceeded to charm my way through the presentation.
Her subordinates were nudging my legs and giving me incredulous looks as they saw their monster boss shift into a totally new persona.
After the longest hour of my life and a couple of high-decibel conversations with the lady dragon, you guessed it.
I got her nod.:)
Might be fate.
Might be God's will.
Or might be the hint of color she saw prior to me presenting.
To tell you FRANKly, whatever it was, I was glad. :)
