Written in the Stars

By Michelle Tangedal

Jill has always relied on a little bit of help from her daily horoscope in order to make decisions; however, at 29, climbing the ladder of an unfulfilling career and about to watch the last of her friends get married before her, she is starting to wonder if perhaps the stars have led her astray. Already teetering on the verge of a breakdown, an unfriendly encounter with an ex sends her over the edge. Desperate to get her life back on track, she seeks out the guidance of a psychic. After the convincing medium swears that true passion lies in Brazil, Jill quits her job, buys a bikini, and books a plane ticket. What the psychic didn’t foresee; however, was Jill meeting sexy, arrogant Andrew Caldwell before even leaving the ground. Torn between exploring the chemistry between them and following through on her plans for destiny, Jill must now make a decision... She has always trusted in fate, but can she learn to trust in her own heart?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michelle Tangedal
• Release date: Dec 24, 2013
• ISBN: 9781310858628

Michelle Tangedal

Michelle grew up in small-town Saskatchewan, Canada. Lured by scholarships to the University of Alberta, she then completed her Bachelor of Commerce and an after-degree in Education. Michelle currently teaches high school math in Calgary, Alberta; but has recently rekindled her passion for writing. After seven years spent encouraging her students to work hard for their dreams, she finally decided that it was time to actively pursue one of her own. "Written in the Stars" is Michelle’s first novel.

Book preview

Written in the Stars

Michelle Tangedal

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 Michelle Tangedal

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and you did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank-you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Chapter One

"Relations with partners of all kinds- business, romantic, creative- might be somewhat strained today, Pisces. You have felt under pressure lately, and may struggle to keep your emotions in check. If possible, consider rescheduling meetings for another day. If not, try your best to be cordial and cooperative. You’ll be happy later that you made the effort."

Jill read her horoscope as she finished the last bite of her toast and then with a sigh, shut down the laptop and packed it into her briefcase. Under pressure was a major understatement; she couldn’t believe that she had been offered such a dismal forecast on today of all days!

At 1:30pm sharp, she was to give the presentation that would decide her future at Hollister Marketing. A junior at the firm, for the past three years, she had dealt with the smaller clients no one else wanted; churning out low budget ad campaigns and radio commercials for everything from laser teeth whitening (An unforgettable smile makes for an unforgettable first impression), to dog spa services (Because man’s best friend deserve the best!), to the local pub (The best part of your day…). Now, for the first time ever, she had been given the opportunity to work on a real campaign with a real budget, and, also for the first time ever, she felt totally unprepared.

At first Jill had been ecstatic about the assignment… Earthen Beauty, an up-and-coming pharmaceutical company wanted a campaign for their new, organic, beauty line. The first product they were launching was an all-natural acne cream that promised a clear, chemical-free complexion. Great! God knows she worried about the after-effects of the treatments she had been slathering on her face since the age of twelve. Salicylic acid? Benzoyl peroxide? She was genuinely thankful that she hadn’t developed cancer of some kind already.

The problem? The stuff didn’t work. About a month earlier, she, herself, had tried it in an effort to gain some inspiration, but not only was the cream cakey and foul-smelling (she likened the odor to wet dirt and mildew), she had broken out in epic proportions only two days after starting the regimen. Wanting to believe that her skin was just reacting to the sudden change, she had tried to tough it out. The bottle did, after all, state that it would take two weeks for the formula to take effect. Unfortunately, by the end of Week Two, Jill had looked like she had stepped straight out of her grade 9 yearbook picture and it was then that she had had to admit defeat. She had still managed to come up with a concept and a slogan, but she felt unsure of whether or not she’d be able to deliver the idea with any conviction.

On her way out the door, Jill paused to give herself a once-over in the front entrance mirror. Too stuffy, she suddenly decided and ran back to the bedroom for some last minute adjustments. With long, naturally blond hair and wide-set, round blue eyes, Jill had been told more than once that she looked like Betty Cooper from the Archie comics. As a result, she found that she needed to dress rather formally in order to offset her girlish looks and be taken seriously at work. The challenge as a creative in marketing; however, was to look professional, yet somehow fresh and edgy at the same time. Today, she had chosen to wear a traditional button-up white oxford shirt under a simple black sheath dress. Her hair was pulled into an elegant chignon at the nape of her neck and her bangs hung straight across her forehead, framing her face. She definitely had professional down, but she worried that the client might think she couldn’t identify with the target adolescent market. Suddenly, inspiration hit. For once channeling Betty Cooper, she shook out the chignon and pulled her hair up into a high ponytail; hiding the elastic with a colourful scarf. She gazed at her reflection to consider the effect. Almost there. Next, she kicked off her black Mary-Janes and swapped them for some bright red pumps. Ah… perfect, she thought, admiring her handiwork. With only a few small changes, she had transformed herself from a fussy banker to a fresh-faced intern. She looked ready to take on the world, but also like she had very recently relied on acne cream herself- which unfortunately, was true. With renewed confidence, Jill picked up her briefcase and walked out the door.

* * *

"Because the main advantage of your product is that it’s all-natural, we’ll really want to play up the potential harmful side effects of competing products. We can’t actually say that typical acne treatments are dangerous, because that hasn’t been supported by research, but we can imply it, Jill explained to the grim-looking faces around the boardroom. From there, we’ll go to a montage of girl-next-door types in natural settings; all with beautiful skin and minimal make-up. Picture a girl with freckles in a meadow on a swing, then a girl with beach-tousled hair jumping onto a surfboard, then a shy snow-white type holding hands with a boy and running down a forest path… you get the idea. After that, we’ll finish with the tagline, Jill paused for effect, Earthen Beauty. The complexion of Mother Nature!"

Jill held her breath as she looked around the room. They were all so hard to read. And they all looked so serious! Maybe she should have stuck with the Mary Janes after all…

Ahem, Charles, one of the five Earthen Beauty reps seated around the table, cleared his throat and stood up. Could you excuse us a minute Jill? We’d like a moment to discuss your proposal in private if you don’t mind, he finished apologetically.

Oh! No problem at all! Jill replied, trying to sound calm. I’ve got some emails to send out anyhow. I’ll be in the hall; just let me know when you’re ready.

Out in the hall, Jill did her best to maintain her composure, but inside, she was a wreck. She knew that the pitch was a little weak, but she just hadn’t been able to bring herself to lie about the product’s efficacy. Mother Nature’s complexion had seemed like a good compromise. Unfortunately, many girls would end up with exactly the complexion Mother Nature had intended for them. She also thought that by associating the product with Earth and Mother Nature, it might conjure up better imagery when future customers opened the jar and smelled the stuff for the first time. Now, she was second-guessing herself. Maybe it would have just been better to abandon truth altogether and claim it was a miracle cure. Ok, enough, Jill thought, too late now.

She took out her phone to distract herself and as promised, start going through her emails. As soon as she turned the phone on, she saw that she had four missed phone calls and three text messages. She opened the texts first. Ugh. They were all from Leslie, a fellow bridesmaid in an upcoming wedding for their mutual friend, Adrianna. A quick look at the phone number on the missed calls told the same story. Clearly I’m busy, Jill thought angrily. My God! What does the girl want now? Leslie had been driving Jill crazy for months, nitpicking over the smallest details and trying to make her feel guilty for not being as enthusiastic over helping out as she was. It seemed that now, Leslie was panicked about hairstyles. Jill glanced down at one of several photos attached to the text. Honestly? Did the bridesmaids’ hair really have to match? Maybe she’d get a pixie cut right before the wedding simply out of spite. She found herself smiling as she imagined Leslie’s reaction.

Jill, we’re ready for you now, Charles’ voice cut through her thoughts.

OK, I’ll be right in, Jill replied nervously. This was it. Her fate at the company would be decided within the next five minutes. She tried to push this morning’s horoscope far from her mind.

Once she was in the boardroom, another rep- a stern-looking woman in a navy power suit- stood up to talk. "We’ve been talking about it, and there are a few things we think you to need work on. First off, we’d like to see a more detailed plan of how you envision the comparison to other products. We’re worried that without the right tone, it could come off as an infomercial. Secondly, we think that it’s important to actually show Mother Nature within the commercial. Give her a face. We’re not sure that customers will make the jump from the fresh-faced girls to her themselves. If we don’t feature a young, beautiful Mother Nature, they might picture an old, wrinkly, crone. That is not the message we want to convey."

Certainly, Jill responded hesitantly, I can understand your concerns, but I assure you that…

What Trudy is trying to say, Charles jumped in before she could finish the sentence, is that overall, we love it! Just a few small changes and I think we’ve got gold on our hands. Congratulations, the account is yours!

Jill was in shock as she shook hands with the reps and packed up her presentation. She couldn’t believe it! She had landed a major account! Though she was pleased with herself, somehow, the elation she had anticipated eluded her. Why wasn’t she more excited? Ok, she admitted to herself, so you WILL be convincing fragile girls to buy a product that doesn’t work. But face it, NO products work at that age. And you don’t know for sure that it doesn’t work. Just because it didn’t work for you, doesn’t mean that it won’t work for someone…

Jill walked out of the boardroom and was greeted by a firm pat on the back from her boss, Joe. As always, Jill found herself cringing a little at his touch. Joe was a few of years older than her -she guessed him to be in his mid-thirties- and she supposed that many women might describe him as attractive. He was just a little too polished for her own liking; the word slick coming to mind. He was also sexist, full of himself, and over the years, she had had to thwart several of his advances and endure countless awkward conversations that bordered on the line of inappropriate. He had great business sense though, and over time Jill had developed if not fondness, at least a certain amount of respect for him.

There’s our girl, he said with pride, I knew that you had it in you. This is only the beginning you know. In a couple of years you’ll be managing their entire line. Picture it…hair products, cosmetics… not to mention all the other big-name clients we’ll be throwing your way now. The sky’s the limit!

Though she knew that he was praising her, Jill was having a hard time focusing on his words. Instead, she seemed to be hearing them from the other end of a lengthening tunnel. Her collar suddenly seemed too tight and she found herself tugging at it, struggling to breathe. Around her, the walls seemed to be closing in; the room becoming smaller and darker. Recognizing the telltale signs that she was about to faint, Jill frantically reached for a nearby chair and collapsed into it before the dizziness took over. The change in elevation helped. As her vision slowly cleared and her surroundings came back into focus, she became aware of Joe looking worriedly down at her, asking her questions.

I said… are you alright? he repeated loudly.

Jill gave her head a little shake as though to clear it and looked back up at him. Yes. Sorry Joe, I was just feeling a little light-headed for a second there. I probably should have had a bigger lunch. What were you saying? she asked apologetically.

I was saying that you were fantastic. I’m really proud of you kid, he replied earnestly.

Again, despite the compliments, Jill found that she just couldn’t share in the celebratory mood. I must just be a little tired, she told herself. It had, after all, been a pretty stressful week. Feeling an inexplicable lump forming in the back of her throat, she decided that she deserved a break.

Thanks Joe! she forced herself to tell him enthusiastically. You know, I’m glad it went well, because I haven’t been feeling all that great today. Do you mind if I take off a little early?

Oh, that’s too bad. I was hoping that we might celebrate with some drinks after work; but absolutely, head on out. And thanks for being such a trooper, he said sympathetically.

Thanks, Jill replied. She didn’t even bother to go back to her office. Instead, she walked straight into the elevator and then straight out the building; just as the tears began to fall.

Chapter Two

Outside the building doors, Jill paused and wiped angrily at the tears, unsure of what to do next. Her small townhouse was located in a trendy neighborhood only 3km away and normally, she packed sneakers and walked; enjoying the twenty minutes outdoors to either mentally prepare for work or to clear her head on the way home. This morning; however, the extra effort that she had put into primping for her presentation had cost her precious minutes and she had been forced to grab a taxi. She looked down at the red pumps on her feet, then looked up at the beautiful blue sky dotted with clouds, and decided that the latter won out. In fact, with the warmth of the sun and the light breeze both playing on her face, she was starting to feel better already. She took a tissue from her purse, dabbed at the mascara running down her cheeks, breathed in deeply, and set off.

As she walked, Jill considered the panic attack that had transpired upstairs. She was loath to call it that; it made her feel weak and flakey, but experience told her that’s what it was. She had only ever fainted twice before, but both incidents stood out clearly in her memory.

The first time had been in grade six. She had been assigned a solo in the school Christmas concert, and she had practiced for weeks in preparation. On the big night, standing on the risers with her fellow classmates and waiting for her big moment, she had become more and more anxious. A hundred different worst-case scenarios had run through her head; she could trip on her way to the microphone, the sweat under her armpits could seep through her shirt so that everyone could see it, her voice could crack on the high note… Without any warning, her head had started to swim and the room had gone black. The next thing she knew, she was lying flat on the cold gym floor with a nasty headache and with the quizzical faces of twenty classmates peering down at her. She still had a small scar at the top of her hairline as a reminder of the incident.

The second time that she had fainted hadn’t been nearly as dramatic, but was no less memorable. In her first year of university, hoping to be admitted to the Faculty of Business the following year, the stakes had been high. For the most part, she had done well in her courses, but she had struggled with Introductory Calculus; a mandatory entrance requirement. Despite all the hours spent with a patient -if not a little patronizing- tutor, as she had written her final exam, the questions had still all seemed as though they were written in Greek. When the Professor had announced that time was up, Jill had still had two fully unattempted problems staring up at her from the page. As she had stood in line waiting to turn the test in, she had known that she had likely failed. Yet again, panic had seized her and the room had gone dark. Luckily, this time, a fellow student had been able to catch her so that no permanent injury ensued; but Jill was left with the harsh realization that she was prone to panic attacks.

So what had caused this one? Where had those tears come from? She replayed Joe’s praise back in her head. Hair products, cosmetics… the sky’s the limit!

Doing so, Jill’s stomach felt as though it were tying itself in knots. Shampoo? Mascara? Was this the future she had been working so hard towards? Was this honestly her big break? Selling products that no one really needed? She told herself that she was being ridiculous. It was her job to create demand. She had always known that. Her satisfaction came from the creative part of the process- seeing an idea take shape and materialize. The sales aspect was just an unfortunate side effect. She had always known that too. Jill thought back to her horoscope for the day, "You have felt under pressure lately and may struggle to keep your emotions in check." Huh, major understatement! That must be it though…just a long week getting to her, coupled with her impending monthly visitor.

Satisfied with her self-diagnosis, Jill pushed any more unpleasant thoughts of work aside and started to plan out her evening. It was Friday. Next weekend would be the big wedding, so she might as well take advantage of this one to relax. Taking in her surroundings, she happily realized that she was right near her favourite specialty wine shop; and she pictured herself lounging in a candlelit bubble bath; wine glass in one hand, Sophie Kinsella novel in the other. Perfect! A night to herself was just what she needed to unwind and refocus; she was smiling as she pushed through the door.

Just as she was pulling her favourite red wine off the shelf; however, her