Until I Met You

by Kimberly Rose Johnson

  The other man cleared his throat.

  “Oh, sorry. This is my associate, Ray O’Brien. We represent the CEO of the Kids and Youth Foundation.”

  Brandi held out her hand and shook Ray’s. “We spoke on the phone. It’s nice to meet you. I have a conference room ready. Please come this way.” She led them down the hall past her desk and then into the room she’d dubbed the glass box. Three sides of the room were glass. She always felt on display in here, but it was the only meeting room available. She stopped at the head of the table. “Would either of you like coffee, tea or water?”

  “No, thank you,” they said in unison.

  “Okay then. Let’s get started.” She sat at the head of the table and motioned for them to be seated. “How about you start with your vision for the fundraiser.”

  Ray took the lead. “The event will be upscale. Private invitations have been mailed to our past supporters as well as key people in the art community. I’ve been planning the fundraiser for months, but I didn’t expect to get this boost from a professional ad campaign and a prime advertising spot in the Sunday paper. Honestly, we don’t have the funds to create a new ad every year, so I’m hoping you can give us something that I can recycle by only changing the details.”

  Brandi took notes as Ray talked, hoping neither of them noticed her shaking hand. She was nervous enough about her first solo job, but having Ian here sent her nerves into uncharted territory. Good thing she’d gone easy on the caffeine today.

  “I have fifty donors lined up, the menu is set, and the theme is A Victorian Christmas.”

  “Will you always have a Victorian theme?”

  “No. But it’s always held one week before Christmas on a Friday evening.”

  Brandi frowned. “Doesn’t that hurt your turnout with people being so busy this time of year?”

  “Perhaps, but they also seem to be more generous. A lot of folks who buy the art in the silent auction give their purchases as Christmas gifts, so it seems to be working.”

  Brandi looked up from her notes. “You’ve given me a lot to think about. I drew up a few ideas this morning, but if none of them appeal to you, I can have something ready for you by tomorrow.”

  “That fast?” Ian asked.

  “This project is my number one priority. Plus your ad space begins this week, so we’re crunched for time.” Even if Miranda needed her non-stop, she’d work from home tonight to meet the deadline.

  “That’s right. You said you were an assistant. Were you promoted?”

  “Not exactly, but things are looking up.” She grinned. “It’s kind of a long story.”

  “Sounds intriguing.” Ian checked his watch. “Do you get a lunch break? I have about thirty minutes before I need to head back to my office. I’d love to hear what happened.”

  “Actually, I could use a break.” She gathered her stuff and stood. “There’s a coffee shop in the lobby downstairs. Does that work?”

  “Sure.”

  Ray stood. “I look forward to seeing what you come up with.”

  “Oh!” She pulled out her drawings. “I forgot to show you.” She laid them on the table.

  Ian pointed to her personal favorite. “What do you think, Ray?”

  “I like it, but the colors aren’t quite right. Think more traditional. The information you included is spot on.”

  “Got it. I’ll use this as my template.” She breathed a little easier. It wasn’t a home run, but it wasn’t a strike out either, and it wouldn’t take long to fix it. She accompanied the men down the elevator.

  Ray nodded to Ian. “We can catch up later.”

  “Sounds good.” Ian turned to Brandi. “So how did you end up with our project?”

  She grinned. “All in good time. Let’s get in line. At least it’s not as long as usual.” She turned to face him. “How did you get involved with the Kids and Youth Foundation?”

  “The CEO and I go way back. I believe community service is important and enjoy donating my time and skills.”

  Okay, she was sufficiently impressed. “Cool.” She stepped forward in line with only two people ahead of them now.

  “Tell me about your promotion.” Ian tilted his head, his brown eyes showing sincere interest.

  “It’s not exactly a promotion since I’m still my boss’s assistant, but I’m being brought in on a couple of projects.” She gave him the short version of what had happened and finished right as it was time to place her order. She’d grabbed a pre-made salad from the fridge and ordered an iced tea.

  “Iced tea? It’s forty degrees outside. I thought you were a latte kind of girl.”

  “I’m a whatever-I-feel-like-at-the-moment kind of girl.” She paid and stepped to the side.

  He chuckled and ordered a peppermint mocha. They waited at the opposite end of the counter for their drinks. “I know I already invited you to help out at the gift-wrapping party for the kids at the community center, but if you have any time to spare, the foundation could use more volunteers to help with the Clay Ball.”

  “Really? Ray made it sound like it was well in hand.”

  “The actual event is covered, but we need people to check in the art ahead of time as well as set up. We’ve only done a dinner in past years, so we don’t have prior volunteers to call on.”

  “Hmm. My roommate is an artist and would probably really enjoy volunteering at something like this. Plus, it’s for a good cause.” Besides that, they’d both agreed that they needed to give back more, and Christmas was the perfect time to do so.

  “Should I add you to our list of volunteers?”

  “Sure. Why not? I need to double check with Katie, but I doubt she’d say no. She actually works at this coffee shop, but she’s off today.”

  He pulled out his phone and typed. “I’ll send you the details later.”

  She nodded. “Looks like my tea is ready. I’ll find us a table.” She circled the shop and snagged a table as someone vacated it. She prayed a silent blessing for her meal then dug in.

  Ian sat across from the woman who’d captured his attention from the moment they’d met. He should have known the Lord would orchestrate another meeting, but he hadn’t expected it. “I can’t tell you how surprised I was to see you today.”

  “Same here.” She forked salad into her mouth, chewed, then swallowed. “I’m excited about your project. It’s such a worthy cause to support.”

  “Yes.” He brought his cup to his lips and took a long drink, noting her nervous, jerky motions as she took another bite, chewing fast then washing it down with the tea. Did he affect her as much as she did him? “I hope I wasn’t too presumptuous, by inviting you to the gift-wrapping party for the kids at the community center.”

  She set her tea on top of the table. “Not at all. My roommate and I think it sounds like fun. You can count on us to help.”

  His eyes twinkled. “Thanks. It sounds like you and your roommate are close.”

  She nodded. Her frenetic motions slowed, and her face relaxed. “Katie is my best friend. She doesn’t have family, so I’m her family.”

  “That’s too bad.” His face heated. “I mean it’s too bad about her not having a family, not that you’re her family.”

  “I understood.” She glanced at her phone. “Looks like we’re out of time. Don’t forget to send me the details on all that stuff. I’ll let you know ASAP if my roommate can help check in and set up the art.” She gathered her half-finished salad and iced tea and stood.

  “I’ll get the details to you as soon as I have them from Ray.” He stood with his mocha in hand, and they walked out together.

  “Sounds good. See you.” She waved then turned and strolled toward the elevator.

  With a little bounce in his step he headed outside into the cold afternoon.

  Brandi perched on Katie’s bed while she sat in her desk chair. Brandi explained about her conversation earlier that day with Ian and how they needed volunteers at the Clay Ball. “What do you think about help
ing?”

  “I love the idea.” Katie’s eyes twinkled. “You know art is one of my passions, and I love the idea of supporting a charity that helps kids and families.” She pulled up the calendar on her computer screen. “When is it? I want to add it to my schedule.”

  Brandi gave her the dates and times they’d be needed. They would come in the day before the event to check in the art and then return the following afternoon to set everything up.

  “Got it. Too bad we can’t go to the main event, too. It sounds like fun.”

  “Seriously? I’m surprised you’d think so. Social events aren’t exactly your thing.”

  “That’s because I’ve never been invited to any, not because I’m not interested.”

  “Oh.” Considering Katie’s childhood, it made sense. “I guess I assumed you didn’t like that kind of thing.”

  “I might not.” She shrugged. “But I won’t know until I go to one.”

  “Well, I’ve been to plenty of similar events. If you like dressing up, putting on your best manners, and making conversation with strangers, then you’ll enjoy this.”

  Katie laughed. “It sounds awful when you put it like that.” She looked wistfully at the sample flyer Brandi had made. “It sounds romantic to me. Fancy dresses with men in tuxedos. A string quartet playing in the background as people walk around the art display and write down their bids. Servers with trays of hors d’oeuvres…” She closed her eyes and smiled.

  Brandi tossed a pillow at her. “I had no idea you’re such a romantic.” Yet her friend never dated.

  “I blame you. This flier screams romance. You did a great job. I’m sure they’ll sell out fast.”

  “I hope so.” If they did, then her boss would notice for sure. Pleasure bubbled inside her. Things were finally going in the direction she wanted.

  “I know so. I might never have been to anything like this, but I know what people like, and they’ll be trampling over each other to get tickets. Did you see they even have swag bags?”

  “Umm…I made the flier.”

  Katie giggled. “Right.” She yawned. “I have to open the coffee shop tomorrow, so I need to get to sleep.”

  “Okay. Sleep well.” She stood and left the bedroom. Closing the door behind her, she padded to the living room and clicked on the TV. At least one of them would get a good-night’s sleep, because Brandi knew for certain she wouldn’t. She was too anxious. Would Ray and Ian like what she’d created as much as Katie did? Katie had an artist’s eye, so she felt confident the ad was good, but would it appeal to them since she’d made additional changes?

  She channel-surfed for a while but couldn’t find anything worth watching, so she clicked off the TV. Her Bible sat on the end table. She reached for it and flipped the pages to where she’d left off in Proverbs chapter three and began reading. Verses five and six grabbed her. Trust the Lord. That was exactly what she needed to be doing. Why was that such a hard thing to remember to do?

  It seemed like whenever she was uneasy, nervous, or worried she rarely remembered to give it to the Lord and trust Him with it. Yet time and again He reminded her to do exactly that. Thank You, Lord, for having patience with me and reminding me that You are there for me. I trust You to handle this situation at work.

  The weight of anxiety lifted from her. The Lord never failed her. Sure she knew things could turn sideways, but she also knew He would be with her no matter what. And if Ray or Ian didn’t like what she did, she’d try again until she got it right. It wasn’t the end of the world. But she sure hoped they loved it.

  Chapter Four

  Late that evening, Ian sat in the kitchen of Ray’s house with his laptop on the table in front of him. “So far I have Brandi and her roommate, Katie, lined up to check in the art the day before the fundraiser. They’ll return the next day to setup the displays. Do you think two people will be enough?”

  “Not really. I told the artisans that they could drop off their donations from two to six. If they all come at once, the ladies will be overwhelmed, and my donors will get frustrated and might leave with their stuff.” Ray leaned against the counter and crossed his arms.

  “Who do you suggest?” Ian didn’t mind helping, but this was Ray’s pet project, and he needed to produce some volunteers, too.

  “I’ll ask around at The Ring and see if anyone is interested.”

  “What about your mom or one of your sisters?”

  Ray shook his head. “I’d rather keep my family out of this. They’ll ask too many questions.”

  “I don’t know how you do this without them knowing your true involvement. Don’t they ask questions?”

  “Of course. I told them I’m on the board and, as such, I have a lot of responsibilities.”

  “You managed to tell the truth without revealing your secret. I’m impressed.”

  Ray grinned. “I’ve learned.”

  Ray’s mom was a busybody. It was no wonder he guarded his privacy so strongly. “I guess we’re done here.”

  “Sounds good. Oh, one more thing. Brandi, with the ad agency, called late this afternoon to set a time for our meeting tomorrow. I suggested the same time as today.”

  “That’s fine.” Ian’s pulse quickened. “She finished fast. I know she said she would, but I honestly didn’t expect her to.”

  Ray raised a brow. “What’s up with the two of you anyway? I noticed a vibe between you.”

  “Remember that woman I soaked on Saturday?”

  “You’re kidding. That’s her?” Ray tossed his head back and laughed. “Okay, now I see why you’d think the Lord set this up. It’s too crazy not to have been His doing. What are you going to do about it?”

  “I don’t know what else to do other than get her involved with the fundraiser and the Christmas giftwrapping party.” Ian shrugged. “I figured I’d at least get to know her better.”

  “What about a friend’s night out?”

  Ian shook his head. “You lost me.”

  “Haven’t you heard of people getting together for dinner and then a movie? Call it what you want, but it’s basically a group of people who get together once a month or once a week or however often they decide to participate in a common interest. You mentioned that she’s close with her roommate. Why not invite them to join our new dinner and movie club?”

  Ian grinned and shook his head. “You’re a schemer. Who all’s in this club? We can’t show up and have it only be you and me.”

  Ray pulled out his smart phone and sat at the table across from Ian.

  He waited as Ray presumably scrolled through his contacts. “Well?”

  “I’m still looking.” His brow furrowed.

  “There are some guys at work that might want to come along.” He’d heard some of his co-workers talking about an epic space movie, but neither of them wanted to go alone. Ray’s idea might actually be a nice thing for several people.

  “Good,” Ray said. “I’ll invite a couple of ladies from the gym, and we’ll have our group.”

  “That’ll make eight of us. Isn’t that kind of large?”

  “Maybe, but I’m willing to risk it.” Ray snapped his fingers. “Scratch recruiting anyone. I’ll take care of the rest of our group. You focus on Brandi and her roommate.”

  “Will do. Is the meeting at twelve fifteen again?” Ian closed his laptop and stood.

  “Yes. I’ll see you there.” Ray walked Ian to the door. “This movie club is going to be fun.”

  Ian rolled his eyes. “You’re more into it than me, and I’m the reason we’re doing this.”

  “You’ll come around.” Ray clapped him on the shoulder. “Have a good night.”

  “You, too.” Ian strode to his car and headed home. Would Brandi catch on that he was looking for ways to spend time with her, or would she simply accept his offer of friendship?

  Concern crept into the back of his mind. If he became too firmly rooted in the friend zone, it might be impossible to escape it. Maybe this movie club thing was a
bad idea.

  The following afternoon, Ian rushed into the building that housed the ad company where Brandi worked. He strode to the elevator and tried to slow his breathing. Traffic had been a nightmare. He was fifteen minutes late. The elevator slid open, and he stepped inside alone. Good. He’d get up to the fifth floor faster in an empty elevator. Christmas music piped through the speakers as the box swept him up. The doors slid open, and he stepped into the Knott’s Advertising lobby.

  Ray had sent a text stating they were in the same place as last time so rather than check in at the reception desk, he strode down the hall. The glass room was ahead on his right, but it was dark except for the screen at the front of the room that displayed slides. He pulled the door open and went inside. “Sorry I’m late.”

  “Glad you could make it,” Ray said. “What do you think?”

  Ian turned his attention to the screen. A large Christmas tree filled the center with the information at the bottom of the slide. Things that represented art were scattered around the tree. He especially liked the paint easel. “What do you think?” It didn’t matter if he liked it, but he did—a lot.

  “I was telling Brandi right before you walked in that it’s perfect.”

  “I agree.”

  Ray nodded. “I especially like how it’ll transition from year to year seamlessly. Plus, it’s traditional, and it tells the story of what we’re doing in a direct way. I like it. I get sick of gimmicky ads. This one is simple and classic looking.”

  “Looks like a winner to me, too. Great job, Brandi,” Ian said.

  She beamed. “Thanks. I’m glad you both like it.” She flicked on the lights.

  “Out of curiosity what else did you come up with?” Ian asked.

  Worry filled her eyes. “I didn’t. I ran with what Ray liked and embellished it a little.”

  “That’s fine,” Ian said, hoping to reassure her. “You nailed this, so there’s no need for anything more.”