An Event to Remember. . .or Forget (Event to Remember Series Book 1)

by Baldwin, Melissa

  “Madie, you know I hate blind dates. Who is this guy? What’s he like?”

  “He is a great guy. He just got out of relationship almost a year ago. He hasn’t dated anyone since. He’s an orthodontist, so you know he has great teeth, and he has great hair,” she says, laughing. That is a typical Madison comment.

  “Unless, you and Ace are . . . ?” she asks curiously.

  “Ace and I are friends right now and nothing more. I feel confident that everything will work out the way it’s supposed to.”

  “You talked to your mom, didn’t you?” she says as she rolls her eyes.

  “Yes, how did you know?” I say innocently.

  “You just sounded like her when you said that. Anyway, so will you go out with Jeff?” she begs. ”Please.”

  I think about it for a few minutes. What harm could come from it? He doesn’t even live here, and I am single. There is nothing wrong with meeting a new friend.

  “OK, I will go,” I say finally.

  “AWESOME. I can’t wait to tell Cole.” She practically does a cartwheel.

  “So, do you have a picture?” I say with a playful grin. She was already ahead of me and pulls up his profile on Facebook. She leaves the room for a minute, and I start to search through his pictures. He does have great teeth, and he really is very attractive. I read through his profile, which also turns out to be quite impressive.

  “So, what do you think?” she says when she returns. “I know you’re stalking him,” she teases. It’s too late to try to pretend that I wasn’t, so I come clean.

  “I was just looking for something wrong or bad about him. No luck so far,” I say sarcastically. I continue to flip through his pictures. Most of the pictures include people I am assuming are his family, and there are a bunch of pictures with him and two kids.

  “Does he have kids?” I ask cautiously. “There are two little boys in a lot of these pictures.” It’s not that I have a problem with that; I’m just curious.

  “No. Let me see?” She grabs the tablet to look. “Oh, those are his nephews. Aren’t they adorable? I think the older one is going to be our ring bearer. They are really good friends with Cole’s entire family.”

  “I just remembered something I should probably tell you,” she says wistfully. I knew it. She waited to tell me the bad part after I agreed to go out with him.

  “Ok. Just tell me.”

  “Jeff’s mom and Susan are best friends. So, if you and Jeff get married you could have a mother-in-law just like Susan.” She gives me a wicked smile. Seriously? That’s the bad news?

  I start to laugh. “Hmmm . . . I may need to back out.” We both start to laugh and I check out his profile a few more times. I give Madison permission to give Jeff my contact information. You never know what could happen.

  On Friday, we are prepping for our launch party, which is the next day. Craig and I meet at the Canton’s home to drop off some décor and meet with their staff. Their home is massive but still welcoming at the same time. It’s amazing to me how much things have changed since I used to babysit their kids. They always had a beautiful home, but nothing like it is now.

  “Can you believe this place?” Craig whispers excitedly. “The toilet seat even has a warmer. I really need to get rich or marry rich or something. I want one of those.”

  I give a little giggle. Working with Craig is like watching a comedy. You never know what is going to happen, but you know you will always be entertained.

  Mrs. Canton introduces us to their chef and rushes out the door to an appointment. We have a great meeting with the chef and finalize the menu for the party. I requested that it be elegant but not pretentious and it will be just that. I want Sheer Happiness Events to send a different message than Carrie’s did. I want my events to range from quaint to glamorous and everything in between.

  When I leave, I feel more excited than ever. This is really happening. I double-check today’s to-do list:

  Meeting at Canton’s

  Pick up outfit for party

  Return emails

  My phone starts buzzing and I see that it’s Abby calling.

  “Hey! How are you feeling?” I answer.

  “I feel great and huge. Although, I am disappointed in you,” she says firmly.

  “What? Why?”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you are going on a date with Cole’s friend? I just talked to Madison, and she told me you all are going out next week. What about Ace?” I’m about to say something about her baby but she interrupts me.

  “Don’t say it! You know I am not talking about my baby.” I start to laugh. Crap! She’s catching on to that.

  “What about him? He has been in the UK but is supposedly returning today or tomorrow,” I say nonchalantly.

  “Have you talked to this Jeff guy yet? I looked him up and he is really nice looking.”

  “We chatted briefly on Facebook the other night, mostly about Madie, Cole, and the wedding. There isn’t much more to tell really. I agreed to hang out with him when he comes to town. He doesn’t live here, so I’m not expecting much.” I try to make sure she knows that it isn’t a big deal.

  “I am proud of you. I know how much you love blind dates,” she says with a giggle.

  We chat for a little while about Jeff but mostly about the party. I tell her about Craig and the toilet seat warmer. She tells me all about the baby kicking and the childbirth classes that they’ve been attending. Apparently, poor Matt got a little queasy and almost passed out in the last class when they were talking about the birthing process.

  After we get off the phone, I start thinking about how exciting it will be when baby Ace is born. There are so many great things to look forward to, starting with tomorrow night.

  I wake up at 2:00 a.m. after another wild dream. I thought I was done with these crazy nightmares, but I guess not.

  In this dream, we are all at the Canton’s home for the party and the electricity goes out. For some reason, I am convinced that I can fix the electricity. I even have my own toolbox; it’s purple and has my name written on it with those dotted letters we did in the ’80s. When I go to check the electrical box, Carrie is there hitting the circuit breaker with the hammer.

  I wake up sweating, and I feel like I’m going to have a panic attack. I manage to calm down and remind myself that it’s just nerves and everything is going to be fine. I keep expecting to run into Carrie somewhere, but so far, I’ve been lucky. I have also heard that she and Luke are still “working” together, but so far, there hasn’t been any backlash from my resignation.

  I decide to fully pamper myself and take my time getting ready for the launch party. I’m usually rushing around doing last minute preparations for all of our events. Today will be different, and I can enjoy the party as a guest.

  Madison flat irons my hair and we get ready together just like old times. We joke around that it feels like we’re getting ready for our Senior Prom. I decided on a little black dress to wear with a pair of strappy stilettos. We arrive at the party a few minutes early and the Canton’s home is buzzing with staff. Their backyard is almost the size of a football field, and it’s lit with twinkling lights, the pool is filled with floating candles, and the buffet looks amazing. I feel like I’m going to cry when I see a huge banner with my company name on it.

  “This is so perfect!” Madison exclaims as she runs over to her table. We had a table set up specially to display her cookies. She displays some of her business cards on the table, too.

  “I look around and see that my business cards are everywhere. Then I notice our signature frames strategically placed. When I look at them, I see that they are letters written from several of our clients that endorse Sheer Happiness Events and me. Now I really feel like I’m going to cry.

  “Surprise!” I turn around to see Craig, Madison, Cole, Abby, Matt, and my parents.

  “MOM, DAD!” I yell excitedly. I run to them as my eyes fill with tears. “I can’t believe you’re here! What about your
trip?”

  “We wanted to surprise you. We just flew in for a few days,” Mom says as she continues to hug me.

  “Did you really think we would miss this?” Dad says as he kisses my forehead.

  I’m so happy. The party is absolutely fantastic, and we schedule four new events in the coming months. I tell Craig to get his running shoes on because we are going to be so busy. I’m talking to Abby and Matt when I hear my name being called.

  “Ms. Harris?” I turn around to see one of the staff holding an enormous cascading bouquet of flowers. “This delivery just came for you.”

  Wow. I take the bouquet, set it down on the table, and open the note that is attached.

  I am so sorry I was not able to be present at your big night. Looking forward to doing business with Sheer Happiness Events.

  Best,

  Ace

  I sit there for a few minutes and re-read the note a few times. That was very thoughtful of him to remember me. Mr. Canton had also made a point to tell me that Ace was stuck in the UK taking care of some business.

  Craig comes over to where I am sitting. “Those are gorgeous, who are they from?” he asks as he smells the bouquet. He takes the note from my hand and immediately the teasing starts.

  “So, these sure are nice to be coming from a someone who is just a friend,” he says curiously. I decide not to fight or get defensive for once.

  “Yes. They are beautiful, aren’t they?” I say with a big smile. “He will be a great client to have that’s for sure.

  “Right, a client.” He agrees.

  “Let’s do some more mingling. We are solidifying some great business relationships.” We give each other a high five and head back to our guests.

  The remainder of the night seems like a blur but in a good way. A few hours later, the only people remaining are me, Craig, my parents, and Madison. We are talking about the success of the party, and of course, I have my phone out as I’m adding contacts and meetings to my to-do list and calendar. The staff is hard at work cleaning up around us. I have offered several times to help, but Mrs. Canton made it clear that I was not to lift a finger. It feels so strange to not to be working. I am secretly relieved that there was no sign of Carrie. After the dream of her and the hammer, I was a tiny bit on edge. I gather the framed letters, all of which I’m going to hang up in the office. I also take my beautiful flower bouquet that Ace sent to me.

  I walk my parents out to their car. “Honey, that was a very sweet gesture,” she says as she touches the flowers. “Have you made any decision about him yet?”

  “It hasn’t really come up yet, especially since he has been out of the country. I will let you know what happens.” I give my parents a huge hug and we talk briefly about our family vacation in a few months. I feel a little sad when they leave, but their surprise really did make the night perfect.

  CHAPTER 16

  The next week is overwhelming, but not in a bad way. I stay busy doing follow-up with all of the new contacts we made at the party. I send a thank you card along with some of Madison’s cookies to the Cantons.

  When the night of the blind date arrives, I’m incredibly nervous. I feel like I have nothing to wear. As the evening gets closer, I’m regretting my decision of agreeing to go. The last blind date I went on was basically an awkward disaster. Granted, that was several years ago. I might as well hold up a sign that says, “Yes, I am the pathetic single friend that can’t find my own date.”

  I call Madison a few times and threaten to back out, but she begs me to just go and have fun.

  Cole and Jeff come to pick us up around 7:00 p.m. I am still in my room when they arrive, but I can hear them talking in the living room. I check myself in the mirror and take a few deep breaths.

  The date gets off to a good start. Cole breaks the ice for us with a few jokes about blind dates and reminds us that we both have really bad qualities. It helps that he is comedian; he’s used to talking and diverting a lot of the attention off of us. We chat in the car on the way to dinner about San Francisco and our jobs. When we arrive at dinner, I look up and see that we are at Venice. I had no idea that we were coming here, and as much as I love this place, I now associate it with Luke and Ace. Madison obviously can read my expression because she gives me a wink and smile.

  We end up having a really fun night and I like Jeff. He is warm and friendly and has a great sense of humor. Madison and I excuse ourselves to go to the bathroom, or in girl terms, “to talk.”

  Seriously, why do women always go to the bathroom together on dates? I think this will always be one of the great mysteries of the universe. It is common knowledge what happens, and it’s not to use the bathroom. As soon as we are a far enough away from the guys Madison asks me what I think of Jeff.

  “I’m having a great time. He is very easy to talk to and a lot of fun.” I can almost see the little wheels moving inside her head. She wants this to happen, meaning she wants Jeff and I to start dating, get married, and live happily ever after.

  “Do you think you would go out with him again?” she says excitedly.

  “Well, considering he lives hundreds of miles away, I don’t think it will be a regular weekly occurrence,” I remind her. “But if he comes to town again, I would go out with him.”

  The truth is I really am having a great time despite being a little preoccupied with my surroundings. I can’t help but have memories of being here with Luke, and with Carrie for the Lucinda party. I also met Ace here, and no matter what, he has turned out to be a good friend. That’s just it though, we are friends, and so far, nothing more has come of it.

  Suddenly, I come to a realization, or some may call it an epiphany. If it is OK for me to go out with Jeff, then it is certainly OK for me to go out with Ace. That is if the situation ever presents itself. Maybe I’m not engaged or married or expecting a baby, but I am in a really good place in my life. I have wonderful family and friends, and a successful business that is about to take off. I may not have planned it this way but that is OK.

  “You ready to go back out there?” Madison says, interrupting my epiphany.

  “What?” I say as my thoughts are interrupted. “Yes! Let’s go.”

  After Venice, we all hang out at our house playing cards for hours. I realize how fun it is to be able to hang out and not worry about my boyfriend and best friend arguing. We could never have done this when I was dating Luke. After going out on this date, I am realizing what I missed out on for all those months. I walk Jeff outside when it’s time for them to leave.

  “Thanks for enduring a blind date,” he says with a big smile. “Trust me, I wasn’t too excited about it either at first.” I start laughing.

  “I hope it wasn’t too obvious when you got here. I really did have a great time though,” I reply.

  “Me, too. Can we keep in touch?” he asks.

  “Of course! I was hoping you would ask,” I say, smiling. He leans in and kisses me on the cheek.

  When I finally fall asleep after dealing with Madison and all of her questions, I feel calm and happy. This is what I have been striving for, Sheer Happiness.

  EPILOGUE

  I decided to call Nicole a few weeks after the launch, and I thought she might cry when I asked her to come in for an unofficial interview. She was so happy when I offered her a job as a part of our event staff and not as anyone’s personal assistant/slave. I actually joked with Craig that I may need an assistant and that he would be the best choice. He threatened to quit.

  Ace finally returned from the UK, and his company cocktail party was this past weekend. We had been flirting back and forth quite a bit during the few last minute planning meetings we had. He did seem a tiny bit disappointed when Craig made a point of announcing that Jeff was on the phone for me. That started a complete Spanish Inquisition from Ace all about “who this Jeff bloke was.” He was obviously jealous but he tried to hide it. It wasn’t until the end of his launch party that he “officially” asked me out on a date.


  So, somehow I managed to go from serious relationship to brokenhearted and single to juggling two men all within a matter of months. I have placed several calls to my mom for advice on what to do, and she continually reminds me that I will make the right decision. I admit that her standard answer is really starting to irritate me.

  The gossip on the street is that Luke and Carrie moved to Palm Springs and started an advertising firm. Although the true story is that it is Carrie’s company and Luke is now her personal assistant/slave. Karma is a bitch.

  Poor Abby is due to give birth to baby Ace any day now. I jump every time she calls thinking she is on her way to the hospital. She has gone from glowing pregnant mommy to miserable pregnant mommy very quickly. Ace also insists he needs to be notified as soon as baby Ace is born because, after all, he is his namesake.

  Jeff is coming to visit soon for Cole’s birthday and has asked me to be his date. I said yes, and Ace is not very happy about that. I know at some point I will need to choose, but for now, things are good. I will just add that to my to-do list. I also removed *Go to Therapy from the list. I may need to add it again at some point down the road, but for now, I will live without it.

  Last thought:

  If I learned anything from the past few months, it is that things don’t always go as we plan and that’s OK. It’s how we handle what life throws at us and who is there to support us in the end. On that note, today’s to-do list:

  You never know

  THE END

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Melissa graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications; she has always had a love for writing. An avid journal keeper, she fulfilled her dream with her debut novel, An Event To Remember . . . Or Forget.

  Melissa resides in Orlando, Florida, with her husband and young daughter. She is a master at organization and multi-tasking. Her daily jobs include mother, chauffeur, wife, PTA President, Fitness Trainer, and now Author.