“Excellent. Thank you again,” he says as I walk him out.
After he is gone, I turn around and both Craig and Nicole are staring at me.
“Now I know why you were in your office for THREE hours. Who was that Australian bloke?” asks Craig with a really bad impersonation of an Australian accent.
“That was a new client, and an old friend of Luke’s, so don’t get any crazy ideas,” I reply as convincingly as possible. “His company is having an event next month, and he is interested in sponsoring Faith, Fashion, and Hope. I need to let Mr. Canton know he will be contacting him,” I reply as I head back to my office. Of course, Craig follows me and shuts the door.
“YOU are the worst liar, and if you aren’t lying, then you are insane.” He is practically screaming in my face.
“YOU are the one who is insane. Did you forget that I have a very serious boyfriend and they are friends?” I use that term loosely, but at least Ace thinks they are.
“Um, yeah, that VERY serious boyfriend bought you a VERY tacky nameplate for your anniversary. Personally, I think it’s time to start looking around and maybe broaden your horizons.”
“Thanks for your advice, but I didn’t ask for it. You can get out of my office now.” I am so tired of both Craig and Madison examining my relationship and thinking they know what is best for me.
“I’m an adult and soon-to-be business owner. I can certainly make my own decisions regarding my relationships, and you can mind your own damn business.” Craig knows I am serious, and he storms out shutting the door behind him.
I don’t talk to Craig for the rest of the day, and he is already gone by the time I am getting ready to leave the office. Luke sent me a text earlier saying hi and that they were making some progress with the client. He won’t be back until Monday.
I’m about to leave when I get an email from Ace.
Sienna,
Thank you again for a wonderful meeting. I look forward to working with you. I spoke with John Canton, and we are meeting next week in regards to the charity event. I do want to send my apologies if I made you uncomfortable with my lunch invitation. I was only asking as a thank you. I would never want to cause any problems, and Luke is a good mate.
Have a great weekend.
Ace
Crap! I hope I didn’t make it seem like his invitation bothered me. I send a quick response that I write and rewrite a few times, of course.
Ace,
Thank you for this opportunity. I am looking forward to building a new clientele for Sheer Happiness Events.
No need for apologies, I appreciate your invitation. I am so glad that Mr. Canton and you spoke. It is a wonderful cause.
You have a great weekend too!
Sienna
I am pleased with my response, and I know I did the right thing. I am more than committed to my relationship with Luke, and I would never want to do anything to jeopardize it. I finish up and head out to meet Madison.
When I arrive at Alexa’s, Madison is already in a changing room with about ten gorgeous gowns. She comes out of the room wearing a short, beaded cocktail dress.
“What do you think of this dress for the reception?” she asks, standing in front of the huge, circular mirrors. “I have decided I want two gowns, one for the reception and one for the ceremony. I was on Pinterest last night, and I love this idea. It will be so much more comfortable for a long night of celebrating.”
“That is a fun idea. I had another bride do that at a one of our weddings last year.” I start looking through racks of bridesmaid gowns. Madison told me I could pick any style I wanted.
“Guess what!” she calls in a singsong voice from the changing room. “We set a date. We are shooting for October first. Do you think seven months is long enough for planning?” she asks.
“It can be once you secure a venue. Do you still want me to try to book it at the Four Seasons? I can text Andrew over there to check on the date.”
“YES! That would be perfect,” she calls from behind the curtain. It seems like we try on thousands of dresses as we discuss some plans. Alexa’s is so fabulous—they provide hors d’oeuvres and chocolate-covered strawberries while we are there. When we finally leave a few hours later, Madison has chosen four dresses, and I have picked two. We call it a successful night.
Later, while I’m getting ready for bed, I call Luke.
“Hey! How are you? I miss you,” he says as soon as he answers.
“I miss you, too. Just got back from shopping for gowns with Madie.”
“That sounds fun. Things are going really well here. We had some great meetings today, and it looks like we are moving in a positive direction. I think we just needed to show we are making the effort by coming to them. Now they know we’re serious and willing to work to fit their needs.”
“Oh good! So, you can come home now?” I beg.
“No, not until Monday, and it looks like we will be traveling here more as we move forward. At least until the contracts are done.”
“I am sure that is such torture for you guys, having to work in Vegas,” I reply sarcastically.
“Of course it is,” he says, laughing. “I’m actually heading out with Lance and one of the owners now. I’ll call you tomorrow. I love you.”
“Love you too.” I hang up feeling both sad and jealous.
I really need a vacation. It has been quite a while since my last trip. Madison and I went to New York City, and it truly is the greatest city in the country. I can attest to this having grown up in Southern California; there is something very exhilarating about NYC.
We had a blast sightseeing, shopping, and eating fabulous food. Of course, leave it to me to actually get stuck in a bathroom stall at Penn Station. The lock was jammed, and I started to panic, thinking that I would have to crawl on the disgusting floor to get out. Luckily, a bathroom attendant got the lock to open from the outside. I was panicking and banging on the door, and it was really embarrassing to come out to see several women watching me. Seriously, what is my deal with getting stuck in places? It’s like the universe knows I have a major phobia of small spaces. Anyway, other than that, it was a fabulous trip, and I am so overdue for a trip.
When I arrive at the office on Monday morning, there is a card from Craig and a small box of Godiva chocolates.
Sienna,
I’m sorry! Way out of line! Please don’t fire me!
Craig
I start laughing and send Craig a text.
Meeting in my office now.
A minute later, he comes in and sits down.
He starts talking immediately. “I should have never acted that way. I am the last person to give anyone relationship advice. You were right to kick me out of here.”
“Listen, Craig. I really appreciate you looking out for me, and you are a great friend. Believe me; I know that Luke and I do not have a perfect relationship. There are things that I’m planning to discuss with him when the time is right. But, no matter what, I know we are committed to each other.” He nods his head and smiles.
“I’m sure things will work out for you. No one deserves it more than you. I was so worried all weekend that you were going to fire me and not bring me with you to Sheer Happiness. So, I went out and bought you the card and chocolates. Which by the way, can I have one because I almost opened the box several times?” He somehow keeps a straight face until we both start laughing hysterically.
I am having one of those really good days until I get an email from the catering team regarding some conflict on the menu with Caroline Canton. I’m not surprised. Mrs. Canton is the sweetest person, but she is very particular about food, and the menu has been a bit of a sore subject while planning this event. She has changed it several times, and our team is getting a bit frustrated. I make a few phone calls and try to smooth things over.
I pull out my to-do list for today.
Follow up with Andrew at Four Seasons
Check with Nicole and Craig on Lucinda event for Carri
e
Verify with Cameron at Venice
Shockingly, Carrie was right about Venice. As soon as I mentioned this event, he set up the reservation. I was relieved that I didn’t have to use Ace to call in a favor.
I get so lost in my work that I zone out for a little while until I hear Nicole yelling. She is obviously complaining about Carrie. I sometimes wonder why she still works here; most people would have left by now. I’m sure it has to do with the ridiculous amount of money she is paid. I try to concentrate on my work, but she is being relentless. When I walk out of my office, Nicole is animatedly telling Craig the latest Carrie story.
“Can you believe her? She has me set up all of these procedures and appointments. I was on the phone with this spa about ten different times. They reworked their entire weekend schedule for her and her high-maintenance friends. Then after all that, she decides she wants to cancel everything at the last minute, and she tells me to do it. I have no idea why she would cancel everything. I even made the mistake of asking her the reason for the cancellation. She went ballistic and told me that it was none of my business, and that it was my job to do as she asked.”
“Wait a second. It makes no sense that Carrie would cancel every appointment. She has never done that,” says Craig, raising his eyebrows. “She’s up to something.”
“That’s what I thought, too,” replies Nicole.
“You two and your conspiracy theories need to get back to work,” I demand. “By the way, Venice is reserved for the Lucinda event for next weekend, have you discussed all of the details with Carrie?”
“I sent her an email, just waiting for a response,” says Craig. “I only have one more question, but she is taking forever to get back to me. The invites are almost ready, and Nicole purchased the gifts. I will contact Cameron to double-check the menu options. Carrie had mentioned adding a few other guests, but she hasn’t given me the names.” He lets out a sigh and gives me a look. I know what that look is about; I have seen it many times before. He is as ready as I am to move on to Sheer Happiness Events.
After the whole Carrie cancelation drama, I try hard to get back to work, but I totally get sidetracked and start looking online at office décor. This makes me even more excited. My opening is getting closer. And I keep reminding myself that I need to get through these next few weeks. Before I know it, I have wasted over an hour shopping online.
I finally start to look over the plans for Faith, Fashion, and Hope. The schedule is done, the menu is finalized (unless Mrs. Canton changes it again), the musical guests are lined up, the local celebrity host has signed the contract, and the designers have submitted their items for auction.
Mrs. Canton worked for several years in the fashion industry, and she knows everyone. She reached out to several designers, asking them to donate items for auction. Hence: Faith, Fashion, and Hope.
Rundown of Event Schedule:
Registration/Cocktail Hour/Meet and Greet: 6–7 p.m.
Dinner: 7–8 p.m.
Program/Performances: 8–9 p.m.
Auction: Throughout night
Pledges: Throughout night
I am busy making lists when Craig comes in and sits down. I can tell he wants to talk, so I look up from my work.
“What?” I ask.
“What do you think Carrie is up to?” he asks. “You know there has to be something.” He clearly is not going to let this go.
“Don’t know, don’t care. We have a major event in a few weeks, and then we are out of here. Keep your nose out of her business and do your job,” I reply insistently.
“Can you call her?” he says, ignoring everything I just said.
I know how this is going to go; either I call her to shut him up, or he will never give it up. EVER.
“OK,” I say, letting out a huge sigh. “Quiet. It’s speaker time.” Speaker time is our code for when I call Carrie and Craig listens in on speaker.
“Hellooooo?” she answers on the first ring.
“Hi, Carrie, I hope I’m not disturbing you?”
“Sienna, dear, what do you mean by that?” she replies nervously. Craig and I exchange curious glances.
“I just wanted to call to touch base. Are you going to be in the office this week so we can do event reviews?”
“Yes, later in the week, I am sure. Is everything ready for next Saturday at Venice?” she replies.
“Of course, I believe Craig had mentioned he had sent an email with a few questions.”
“I will check that and get back to him. Thank you for your call. I will be in touch about my plans for later this week. Ciao.” She gets off the phone rather quickly.
Both Craig and I start speculating immediately. He is right that she has something going on that she doesn’t want us to know about. She is normally very calm and nonchalant. Today, she sounded on edge, almost nervous, and she seems more detached from work than ever.
“What do you think? Maybe she joined a cult or has some secret scandalous relationship,” Craig says thoughtfully. “Or maybe she has lost all of her money.”
“No, I think it has something to do with the company,” I say thoughtfully. ”I wonder if she is selling it, and she is trying to keep things on the down low. Maybe she’s meeting with potential buyers. How many times has she told me that her heart is not in this?”
“YES! I think you’re right,” he exclaims. “We should talk to Nicole tomorrow and do some digging. We can monitor all of her trips and spending. Nicole has access to all of that info. I know she will tell us. She is so over her right now anyway. “
“Slow down. You are not a PI,” I say, interrupting him. “Do you think it’s time we told Nicole that we’re leaving?”
Believe it or not, we have managed to keep all of this from Nicole. While the plans started rolling, we were both unsure how much we could trust her. In the beginning, she would go above and beyond to please Carrie, and we considered that she might use our info as a way to prove herself. That has definitely changed, and there are days when I think she may leave before we do.
“Hmmm, soon but not yet,” replies Craig.
When I get home from work, I notice I have three missed calls from my mom. I haven’t seen my parents in several months. She and my dad have been traveling around the country in an RV since they retired. They are due to come back home later this summer.
“Hi, hon!” she answers on the first ring.
“Mom, is everything OK? I saw three missed calls. Where are you guys?”
“Yes! Everything is great. We are in New Hampshire. It’s cold, but we’re having a great time. Have you heard the news?” she says excitedly.
“What news?”
“Travis and Becky are engaged! Isn’t that wonderful? We are headed there to see them in a few weeks.”
Travis and Tyler are my brothers. They are twins and younger than me. Becky is Travis’s high school girlfriend; she has practically been a member of our family as long as the rest of us. We all knew they would eventually get married. They go to college at Princeton, so I don’t get to see them much. I am so happy for them even though I can’t help but feel a little envious. First Abby, then Madison, and now Travis.
“That’s great news mom. I’ll give them a call. How is the trip? I miss you guys.”
“Oh honey, we’re having a ball. It’s so nice to visit all these places I have always wanted to see. How are things there? How are the plans for the business?”
“Everything is moving along smoothly so far. Oh, and speaking of engagements, Madison and Cole are engaged also. They are planning an October wedding.”
“That is so fantastic. Please give her our best. And how is Luke?”
“He’s good. We had a wonderful anniversary date a few weeks ago,” I reply.
I don’t want to let on that I’ve been having doubts lately. Because if I do, then my mom will worry and start to relentlessly call me. I want her to enjoy her trip with my dad, they have worked hard for many years, and they deserve this ti
me together.
“I’m so glad to hear that, I’m sure you two will be next,” she says excitedly.
“We’ll see what the future brings. How’s Dad?” I say, changing the subject.
“He is loving every second of this trip. He has all of his maps and schedules set up for the next few months. Sounds like someone else I know,” she says fondly.
That is the absolute truth; I am so much like my dad except that he is the master planner. While we were growing up, he planned and scheduled every detail of every vacation. And we always had the best vacations.
I stay on the phone with my parents for a while. I tell them all about Carrie, Sheer Happiness, Abby’s party, and they tell me about all of their stops. After I hang up, I realize how much I miss them. I’m looking forward to them coming back. They still live about two hours away, but it’s close enough to visit whenever I want.
I call Travis after I get off the phone with my parents. They haven’t decided on a date for the big day yet, and of course, they asked me to plan it. Becky is so easygoing that no matter what I decide she will go along with it. They’re going to talk about dates soon and let me know. And they are getting married here in California, which will make it so much easier for me to plan.
Luke calls me an hour later. He is in a great mood.
“Babe, I had a great weekend. How are you? Are you home?” he asks.
“Yes, you want to come over? Can you bring some dinner? I haven’t made anything.”
“Chinese?”
“Perfect!” I hang up.
This will be the great opportunity for us to have a talk. I clean up a little and take some cookies out of Madison’s emergency cookie jar for dessert. Luke arrives about thirty minutes later with dinner. I didn’t realize how much I missed him until he gets here. He tells me all about his weekend, and all the progress they’ve made with the client. I tell him about my parents and Travis’s engagement. I take advantage of this moment as my perfect lead-in to having the talk.
“So, can you believe that within a few days both my brother and my best friend are engaged?” I say, carefully watching for his reaction.
An Event to Remember. . .or Forget (Event to Remember Series Book 1) Page 6