[Event to Remember 01.0] An Event to Remember...or Forget

by Melissa Baldwin

  “Mom, is everything okay? I saw three missed calls. Where are you guys?”

  “Yes! Everything is great. We’re in New Hampshire. It’s cold, but we’re having a great time. Have you heard the news?” she asks excitedly.

  “What news?”

  “Travis and Becky are engaged! Isn’t that wonderful? We’re headed to see them next week.”

  Another engagement.

  Travis is one of my brothers. He and his twin, Tyler, are younger than me. Becky is Travis’s high school girlfriend and has practically been a member of our family as long as the rest of us. We all knew they would get married eventually. But this is sooner than I expected. They’re both still in college at Princeton.

  Of course, I’m 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 tomorrow. How’s the trip? I miss you guys.”

  “Oh, honey, we’re having a ball. It’s so nice to visit all these places I’ve 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’re planning an October wedding.”

  “That’s fantastic. Please give her our best.” She pauses. “And how is Luke?”

  “He’s good, very busy with work, of course. He planned an amazing anniversary date a few weeks ago,” I reply. I don’t want to let on that I’ve been having doubts lately. If I do, my mom will worry and call me daily. I want her to enjoy her trip with my dad. They worked hard for so many years, and they deserve this time together.

  “How special! I’m sure you two will be next,” she says excitedly.

  I cringe. “We’ll see what the future brings.” I change the subject. “How’s Dad?”

  “Oh, he’s 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’s the absolute truth. I’m so much like my dad, but he’s the master planner. I don’t think I’m at his level quite yet though. While we were growing up, he planned and scheduled every detail of every vacation. And they were always the best vacations.

  I stay on the phone with my parents for a while. I tell them all about Carrie, Sheer Happiness, and 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.

  After I get off the phone with my parents, I call Travis. 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’ll go along with it. They’re going to talk about dates soon and let me know. And they’re getting married here in California, which will make it so much easier for me to plan.

  Luke calls me an hour later. “Babe, I had a great weekend. How are you? Are you home?” he asks, clearly in a great mood.

  “Yes, you want to come over? Can you bring some dinner? I haven’t made anything.”

  “Chinese?”

  “Perfect!”

  This will be a good 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, and I didn’t realize how much I missed him until he walks through the door. I throw my arms around him, and we don’t let go of each other for what feels like several minutes. Now this feels right.

  Over dinner, Luke tells me all about his weekend and the progress they’ve made with his difficult 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.

  “Yeah, that’s great for your business. You’ll be really busy planning all of those weddings.” He smiles.

  He doesn’t get it. He’s clueless. At least, I think he doesn’t get it. If he does, then he’s completely sidestepping my hints to avoid that conversation.

  “I assume they’re having you plan? They know how long and how hard you’ve worked to get to this point in your career.”

  I try to respond, but he keeps talking.

  “You know what?”

  Maybe he isn’t completely oblivious.

  “Babe, things are really starting to progress for us. Our careers are about to take off.” He grabs my hand. “I can’t wait to see what the next few months bring. I have a feeling it’s going to be amazing.” He leans in for a kiss then heads to the kitchen. “Do you want some more food?”

  “No thanks.”

  I take a deep breath and try to curb my disappointment.

  I hear his phone ring, and he starts talking about work. I wonder what he meant by all of that. He didn’t exactly mention our relationship specifically, but I think it’s a step in the right direction. Right?

  Chapter Seven

  “What exactly did he say?” Craig asks again. He has been grilling me for info about my talk with Luke.

  “I already told you. He said he couldn’t wait to see what the coming months will bring and that it will be amazing,” I repeat. Again.

  Sometimes, it’s really difficult to get work done when Craig is around. I hope he’ll be more focused at Sheer Happiness. We won’t have our salaries to fall back on like we do at Carrie’s, so we’ll need to stay on top of things. I remind Craig about that constantly, just in case he forgets or decides to have selective hearing, which he does all the time.

  “Regardless, I think things are moving in a good direction,” I continue. Maybe we’ll take things slower than I would like, but I know he’s worth it. “Anyway, we’re going to be very busy, my friend. Check out the events we have on the calendar so far,” I say excitedly as I hand him the list.

  “Ace Eckelund launch party, Abby baby shower, Madison bridal shower and wedding, Travis wedding,” he reads aloud. “Who’s Ace Eckelund?”

  “Ace is the guy I met with last week, Australian accent. Don’t you remember our little fight?” I ask sarcastically.

  “Ohhh! Ace! That’s right, I already forgot about your very long meeting.” He raises his eyebrows and smiles.

  “Don’t start that again,” I say, laughing.

  “I don’t blame you a bit for having a long meeting with him,” he says with a mischievous grin.

  I give him a dirty look. “Okay, can we please get back to work?”

  The rest of the afternoon is very productive. I’m getting ready to close up when I get a text from Luke.

  Dinner after work? Ace Eckelund called here looking for me and now Lance insists on us meeting tonight. He wants advertising help. Kill me now. Please come.

  Crap. I still haven’t told Luke everything about my meeting with Ace. In my defense, he’s been unavailable, and the subject didn’t come up last night. I probably should tell him before we go to dinner. What’s the easiest way to do this?

  Dinner sounds good. When I met with him about his launch party, he told me he wanted to talk about doing business with your company. It’s good business for you. Text me where to meet.

  Good job, Sienna! My heart races a bit as I wait for his response.

  I forgot about that. When did u meet?

  He already forgot about my meeting with Ace? He must really be slammed at work.

  Last week. Planning for next month after I leave. Text me details. Love you.

  My phone goes quiet, and I think he got the hint that I don’t want to answer any more questions. Now for my dilemma. Do I text Ace and ask him not to tell Luke exactly how long our meeting was, or just let it ride? I don’t want to raise any red flags, and I don’t want Ace to think that us working together is an issue. I wa
nt—and need—the business. Not that there is anything to hide. We have a professional relationship, and honestly, I don’t really care anymore about Luke’s issues with him. He’s going to have to figure out a way to get over it.

  As I wait for Luke and Ace, I scroll through my emails.

  Ace sneaks up behind me. “I’m so glad you’re joining us tonight.”

  My pulse picks up the second I hear his voice. That can’t be good.

  “Thanks,” I reply awkwardly.

  “Where’s our guy? Is he still late for everything?” he asks, flashing me that familiar smile yet again.

  I chuckle. “Yes! Most of the time.”

  We get seated at our table and wait another fifteen minutes for Luke to arrive. When he finally shows up, they talk business most of the time, and I stay pretty quiet and pretend to be busy on my phone. Luke is actually cordial, but I’m sure he will have plenty to say later.

  “Mate, I’m looking forward to your lady planning our big party. She’s made quite a name for herself. Every contact she sent has raved about her. You’re a lucky man,” Ace says, grabbing Luke’s shoulder.

  Now, this is awkward, and I wish I were anywhere else in the universe than at this dinner table. I watch Luke’s expression as it appears. He looks like he’s trying to decide between talking or punching Ace. I’m pleasantly surprised when he replies with a simple ‘Yes, I am.’

  The rest of the evening is relatively quiet until Ace asks when we can meet again to discuss the contract.

  “I’ll check my schedule and send you a calendar invite.”

  Then to make things even more awkward, he hugs both Luke and me.

  I want to die.

  “Typical Ace. He loves reminding me that you’re working with him,” Luke says as soon as Ace leaves. “I think he’s into you. I watched the way he looked at you.”

  I snort. “Stop it. You’re being ridiculous. He’s just hired both of us. It’s completely professional.”

  “I know it seems that way, but you don’t know him like I do.” Luke is fuming. I knew there was more to this story then he let on.

  “Luke, is there something I don’t know? You really seem to dislike him, and other than him being extremely arrogant, I don’t see the problem.”

  He’s quiet for a few seconds then finally tells me the story.

  “One night, a group of us had gone out while we were in Barcelona. We met a group of girls who were exchange students from the States. I had made a connection with one of them, and we talked the whole night. We went out with them a few more times, but nothing serious evolved. After a few times of hanging out with them, I noticed Ace and Lisa talking and flirting a lot. Long story short, he stole her right out from under me.” He pauses. “I’ve seen his game before, and now he’s doing the same thing with you.”

  Is he serious? He can’t be serious. How old are we? All of this drama is because Ace started dating a girl he liked a million years ago? I should’ve known it was something like this. And men say women are too emotional.

  “Honey.” I take his face in my hands. “Ace has no interest in me in that way. In our meeting, we talked about you half the time. He always speaks very highly of you. Either he doesn’t remember this whole girl situation, or he’s trying to make up for it. Don’t you think it’s time for you to move on from the past? Think of how we can benefit from his friendship. He’s an international businessman, and he knows people all over the globe. He’s already told me that he will tell everyone he knows about Sheer Happiness Events. I need as much exposure as possible. I especially need to be prepared because I don’t really know what the fallout will be after I leave.” I wrap my arms around his neck. “Can you promise to at least try?”

  “Okay. I’ll try,” he says unconvincingly.

  When I arrive home, Madison is still out. She’s been pretty scarce since she got engaged. I know Cole is getting ready to travel for some shows, so I’m sure she will be around more while he’s gone. It feels kind of lonely already though, and we haven’t even addressed the living situation yet. We have several months, but I’ll need to either find a new roommate or break our lease. I know Madie is really caught up with being engaged, and I don’t want to take away from her excitement. She hasn’t baked in a while, and I still haven’t told her anything about Ace.

  Not that there’s anything to tell, right?

  Okay, I’ll admit that I have a teeny, tiny crush on him, but it’s impossible not to. I think Abby even has a crush on him. He’s so charismatic, and he has a way of making you feel special every time you’re around him. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Luke, and I would never in a million years let anything happen. But sometimes it’s just nice to get attention from someone. Luke is very sweet, but not as open with his feelings. He tends to get so caught up in whatever is happening around him that he forgets simple things.

  I still can’t believe that Luke actually thinks that Ace is interested in me. Whatever happened between him, Ace, and that Lisa person has definitely had a lasting effect on him. But I can understand that. We’ve all had our heart broken at least once. And when you’re young, it can be devastating.

  Once, I dated a guy who never actually broke up with me. He just stopped talking to me and dodged my calls. After a week of being ignored, I accepted that I had been dumped. Madison’s ex-boyfriend broke up with her over the phone. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I actually answered the phone when he called, and a few minutes later, she came out of her room hysterical. I think the only person I know who hasn’t been dumped is Abby. That’s not surprising though—everyone loves Abby. She’s that girl that you want to hate but never could.

  I hear my phone buzzing in my bag. It’s a text from Craig.

  Talked to Nic, she’s on spy duty. Researching the Carrie scandal.

  I send him a reply.

  You’re crazy. Don’t you have a life or anything better to do?

  He writes back.

  No I don’t.

  Speaking of heartbroken, poor Craig. His last relationship ended several months ago, and he was an absolute wreck. He slept on our couch for weeks and ate Ben and Jerry’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’m not kidding when I say that it was just like the episode of Friends when Janice dumped Chandler and he went through the sweatpants phase.

  I’m not sure what he’s expecting to find out about Carrie. My bet is that she’s trying to sell the company. She wouldn’t want her staff or our clients to find out until it’s official. I hope that’s what’s going on. I’m starting to feel a bit guilty about leaving. It would be the perfect scenario if she sells, and I have ‘no other choice’ but to go off on my own.

  When I arrive at work a few days later, Carrie’s Lexus is parked out front. I can’t remember the last time she was here before me.

  When I walk in, I hear her on the phone and slowly walk to my office hoping to hear something incriminating. She must be talking to a friend because I can hear her laughing. It definitely doesn’t sound business-related.

  I check my to-do list and start with follow-up for the Lucinda party this coming weekend. The restaurant is taking care of most of the details, but Carrie likes to do ‘little extras’ for friends. These extras are small gifts like jewelry, novelty items, and gift cards.

  A few minutes later, I hear Carrie hang up, and she calls me over the speaker.

  “Hi, Carrie,” I say as I head into her office.

  “Sienna, love. So glad you’re here already.” She comes over and air kisses me on both cheeks.

  “I wanted to have a chat before the others arrive. Can you close the door?”

  What the hell is she doing? Does she know I’m leaving? She doesn’t seem upset at all. In fact, she seems rather cheery, in an eerie kind of way.

  “Sure,” I reply nervously.

  As I sit down, I notice that Carrie has been to her plastic surgeon. Her eyebrows seem a bit higher, and her lips are a bit fuller than the last time I saw her. Not that this i
s a surprise. Don’t get me wrong, Carrie is very attractive and looks fantastic for her age. She’s also in great shape thanks to a dedicated fitness trainer and a lot of ‘outside’ help.

  “I just wanted to have a chat with you. It’s been a while since we’ve done a review.”

  I try to swallow the lump that’s growing in my throat.

  “I’ve decided you’re overdue for a raise. You’re so dedicated, and you keep my company running perfectly.” She smiles proudly.

  I must be hallucinating. I think I got a raise about two years ago, but I don’t remember it being much. Why would she give me a raise if she were trying to sell the company? I’m more confused now than ever.

  “Wow, Carrie. This is unexpected. Of course, I’m very grateful.”

  “Yes, I know. I figured it was probably the right time.”

  She must have heard the rumors about me leaving. They have been out there for a while, and she’s never addressed them. She’s obviously trying to pay me to stay. I really want to tell the truth, but I know I can’t yet. It could cause issues with the charity event, and I don’t want to take that chance.

  The front door opens, and Craig yells good morning.

  “Morning, Craig,” I reply.

  “Sienna, please be discreet. At this time, I can only afford to give you a raise. I’m planning on doing so with the others in the future, but we don’t want to cause a problem now.” She must have forgotten that I’m very aware of the company’s financial situation, and I haven’t seen any issues at all. Maybe there’s something to Craig’s theory after all. Maybe there are other things I’m not aware of too.

  “I understand,” I reply.

  “Good, good. Now let’s have our review before I have to leave for an appointment.” She calls Craig in over the speaker.

  I quickly come up with a believable story about our discussion. I know Craig will ask me what we were meeting about, and I can’t say anything about the raise. Besides, I won’t believe it until I actually see it in my paycheck.