by Ember Flint
I feel my eyes widen. This is her definition of fine? I grip the arms of the chair, willing myself to stay composed and calm. “Why was I not called yesterday as well?”
Caroline shrugs. “Well you know Sylvie has no immediate family here in Phoenix. Her emergency contacts are you and I. When they asked if they should call you as well, I told them not to bother, that I was going to let you know myself, but then as you know I was at a crucial fundraiser so it slipped my mind.”
Of course: it was such a small matter that it slipped her mind. “But then Sylvie has been all alone at the hospital and—”
“That’s hardly the case, Holly. I’m sure there were ER nurses keeping her company, but let’s not talk about this anymore.”
I stand up and start to walk out of the office, but Caroline’s annoyed voice stops me in my tracks.
“Where do you think you’re going? This is an emergency, we don’t have a second to lose!”
I look at her like she just sprouted a second head. Is she crazy? “Yeah, I know… I was about to call the hospital. I want to know how she’s doing and if she needs something.”
My boss shakes her head. “Not now, Miss Hart. Don’t you think you’re forgetting something?”
Miss Hart? Ouch… I really am pissing her off then.
I turn on my heels and go to sit down again in front of her, hands on my knees, an expectant expression on my face. “What am I forgetting, Miss Winsome? Sylvie is lying in a hospital bed somewhere and—”
“Spare me the sob story, Holly. Sylvie is a grown-up woman and she is tough as nails. This is not a life-and-death situation, she is going to be just fine, we both know that. Mr. Halls on the other hand, is going to be none too pleased if we don’t run the plan by him today, so this has to be our number one priority right now. You don’t go around displeasing clients of his caliber. In this business, one strike and you’re out, you know that. Hell, Sylvie knows that. You put so much work into this, she’ll want you to be here right now, not seating idly at her bedside like in some sappy family movie.”
Alright, this last part is true. This job is Sylvie’s whole life. She loves it. She’ll be besides herself, if we lost the chance to organize this party, Mr. Halls is one of the most important businessmen in the country and he is our biggest client.
“You’re right. I’ll showcase the presentation for you and then I’ll give her a ring to see how she is doing.”
Caroline grins at me. “Attagirl.”
I fumble a little with my bag to get my laptop out and I start the Bluetooth to connect it to the wall-projector affixed in the little conference-room adjoining the office. “Who’s going to take the lead?” I ask casually, my eyes focused on the screen as I walk, following Caroline.
“Hmm?” Caroline takes a seat at the head of the oval table, her eyes on her perfectly manicured, long, pale pink nails.
“Who’s going to be head-coordinator on this, now that Sylvie is convalescing?”
My boss looks up, a pensive expression on her face. “That’s why I called this situation an emergency, Holly. There’s no one who can take the project over.”
“What?” I slip the strap of my bag off my shoulder and put everything on the table.
Caroline sighs. “It’s the fourteenth of December, Holly. In case you didn’t notice, all the other senior-coordinators are pretty damn busy on an account or another around here. Several of them are supervising the organization of Christmas events, fundraisers and charity’s auctions and let’s not forget all of the Christmas or New Year’s Eve themed weddings and engagement parties. People in this town don’t know the meaning of being unique.”
I close my eyes. Fucking hell, this is going to be a disaster. “What are we going to do, Caroline? I’m supposed to meet Mr. Halls in like… two hours.”
My boss leans back on her chair, shrugging. “And you will. I don’t see why you shouldn’t. In fact, I think you should be on your way already. No sense in losing precious time. I already screened the presentation that Sylvie sent me yesterday morning and you have my approval.”
I’m too agitated to be happy that she already approved the plan, my mind focusing on the first part of her speech. “What? Am I supposed to go alone?” I drop on one of the chairs.
Caroline nods firmly once. “We have no choice, Holly. I know you have been working here for less than a year and you’re only an assistant-coordinator for now, but Sylvie and I already talked about getting you to follow accounts for smaller events on your own in the new year, you know that.”
Yes, I know that. I’ve been over the moon about that, but this is different. “Caroline, Mr. Halls’ Christmas party is two events in one and it’s going to have more than four-hundred guests.”
My boss opens her arms, making the white-gold, thin bracelets fastened around both her wrists jingle.
“What do you want me to do? Even if someone was available to help out with this event, they wouldn’t know anything about the planning you and Sylvie have been putting together. I would not be so careless with handling Halls Tech’s account, it’s a giant company and Xander Halls is one powerful man, Holly; he is worth billions and he is barely thirty. Not only I don’t want to lose his business and that of his wealthy friends, I don’t feel comfortable with the idea of crossing him. He could destroy us with one phone call, no matter how big we are on this market, do you understand? We have to pull this off flawlessly or else…”
I know she is right, but this is freaking me out. I cover my face with both hands.
Till this moment I have only been assisting with clients and the idea of taking on an assignment of this magnitude on my own is simply too daunting. “So you expect me to do this alone?”
My boss looks away. “I don’t really have a choice, Holly.”
“Of course you do. You could supervise this and—”
I see her eyes getting as big as saucers. “Uh-uh… no way I can do that, Holly, and don’t ever mention it again.”
I frown. “But why? You are the best event coordinator and designer I know, this is your company.”
She nods. “Yes, but— okay, fine I’m going to be really honest with you, Holly. You’re a smart girl and I like you. I can see a future for you in this company, but there still are things you don’t understand.”
I cross my arms in front of me. I don’t like where this is going. “Such as?”
“Well, Holly. Mr. Halls is a fastidious man with very exacting tastes. If in planning this event for him we failed to comply with all of his finicky requests down to the smallest detail, he would be very displeased with the results and if I am the head-coordinator on this project I would be the one to take the fall and my company would go down with me, but if the event is planned by you…”
I bit my lower lip, realization dawning on me. Somehow I just got stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place and I feel things are only going to get worse. “You’ll have someone to blame and while the company’s image would be damaged at least it won’t be in tatters.”
“See? You are a smart girl, Holly, but don’t worry: you’ll be fine, you’ll see.”
“You just admitted you are scared of Mr. Halls yourself,” I mumble.
Caroline scoffs, while she pins back a straight lock of platinum blond hair that escaped her tightly-pulled bun. “I did not admit to anything of the sort. I just said things could get difficult for someone who has no knowledge of the event’s details, but that’s not you. You have been following the project since its inception at the start of November, Sylvie had several meetings with Mr. Halls and I’m sure her planning perfectly reflects his tastes and wishes. They have already worked together in the past on other events and he always loved her concepts. Plus, once Sylvie starts to feel a little better, you’ll be able to consult with her over the phone, so nothing has changed, really. You’ll just have to be the face of Winsome Events & Design for this and if you follow the plan you and Sylvie developed and
you are polite and friendly with Mr. Halls, everything will be okay.”
I exhale loudly. “And what if it’s not? What if something goes wrong, Caroline?”
She stands up and starts to slowly pace around the table, her shiny high heels clicking away. “Well, if you really need me to spell it out for you, I will. Let’s be crystal-clear, Holly. The Halls Tech’s account it’s going to be a huge opportunity for you, but a risky one as well. This event could make you or break you: if you successfully deal with such a demanding account and fix Mr. Halls the perfect party, you’ll be promoted full-time senior-coordinator and you’ll have your own clients. If, on the other hand, you fail and Mr. Halls is not satisfied, your contract with Winsome Events & Design won’t be renewed come January.”
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Also by Ember Flint
Single Titles
Shots
Deck me up
Cash
Virgin Heart
Standalone Series
In Love in a New York Minute Series:
Devastatingly Desirable
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Enchantingly Entangled (Coming soon)