Chapter 2 #2
Sapphire picks up her menu and studies the dinner options. “What are you ordering?”
“Steak enchiladas,” I reply bluntly.
She twists her mouth as if she doesn’t like my choice before telling me, “I’m having the vegetarian enchiladas. I’m a vegetarian.”
Real smooth, Eli.
Not exactly the kind of first impression I was going for. My option now seems thoughtless. “I can order something else,” I suggest.
Waving away my concerns, she makes me feel a little less guilty when she says, “Order whatever you want. We all have our own beliefs and preferences.”
Although that doesn’t sit well with me, so I change my mind and order the vegetarian enchiladas too, ignoring Sapphire’s startled gasp when I give our order to the server.
She politely closes her menu, fighting back a grin, knowing I changed my order to match her beliefs.
I am a gentleman, after all.
Then our server leaves us. Alone. Together. When I’m not very good at small talk. That’s a lie. I am, I just don’t like it.
As if sensing my discomfort, Sapphire gets straight down to business. “Let me show you my proposal,” she says, pulling out a tablet from her oversized purse and flipping back the cover that converts to a stand for it to rest on. “It’s going to feel alive with energy.”
“It needs to be professional,” I state firmly.
“It will be, but it also needs to be engaging.” She enters her password on the touchscreen, opening a list of icebreakers to kick off the day. “These are my initial ideas.”
“Name tag swap.” I read the first one out loud. “What’s that?”
“At registration, everyone receives the wrong name tag, and after my opening speech, everyone is then tasked with finding their correct badge. It’s a great way to get everyone up out of their seats, talking to people they wouldn’t normally, and working as a team.
So that’s my energy raiser number one suggestion. ”
Sounds horrific. I frown, tapping my fingers against my white cloth napkin, then smooth out the creases. “What are the others?”
Sapphire enthusiastically works her way through her list of ideas one by one, while all I can think about is how much we’re spending on this nonsensical event.
The musical instruments called Boomwhackers sound completely terrible.
Who the hell wants to hit hollow plastic tubes against your hand at nine in the morning to make a musical tune?
Not me, that’s for sure.
“Can you come up with some other ideas?” I don’t like any of them. And maybe that was a bit blunt. “Please,” I add at the end.
Unfazed, while swiping to another page of notes, she responds easily, “Sure thing. How’s the headache?”
Raising my hand to my temple, I’m surprised to find there’s no tension or dull ache. I’m loath to admit she was right, but I do, and I tell her, “It’s gone.”
It’s ridiculous how smug she looks and sounds when she says with a smile, “Told you so.”
I give the device that’s still clipped between my fingers a fleeting glance. It’s a lot like Sapphire.
Magic.
Not actual magic, but she must be some kind of magician to have bewitched Janice, our HR manager, while my brothers and I all took a vacation week into believing she can pull off an extraordinary staffing event for us.
What no one knows is that over a year ago, we weren’t on vacation that week; instead, we were visiting care homes for Dad.
No one knew about Dad’s diagnosis or his declining health at the time.
They do now, but when we were first told, we kept it quiet to protect Dad as much as we could, sharing it only with close family and friends. The last year or so has been difficult.
For the next hour, we eat and work as Sapphire scrolls through page after page of ideas for workshop electives, all animated and fast-talking between bites of her own food, giving me barely any time to respond, and so I inject a few grunts and headshakes here and there.
I don’t believe most of her proposals will benefit our staff, and I’m glad I kept the acupressure clip on or I probably would have gotten another headache.
“You know, you don’t need to be heavily involved,” Sapphire says sweetly as if letting me down gently, subtly letting me know I’m not required.
“I know, but I would like to be.” To make sure she doesn’t have our criminal law team making balloon animals as a workshop elective. Not that she suggested that, but I wouldn’t put it past her.
“Most firms leave me to organize everything.”
“We’re not most firms.” What I really mean is that I don’t trust her, and I can tell by her raised brows she knows it.
I’m as obvious as the nose on my face that now feels like it’s grown to the size of Pinocchio’s.
Plus, I made a promise to be proactive in the decision-making for the staff conference, just like Dad was, and I want to make him proud.
This conference needs to outdo all the others.
Leaning forward, she rests her elbow on the table and her chin on her hand. “I’m getting that impression.” Pausing briefly to think, she adds, “Would you like me to email you every decision I make?”
“Yes.” I’m taking my micromanagement mode to a whole new level. “And copy Janice in so she can easily catch up on her return.”
I’ve found this whole dinner exhausting.
She nods and stares at me as if I were an exotic animal in a zoo exhibit. “And you’re still adamant that the entire event is to be themed black and white.”
“Yes.” It’s the color of our logo.
“Not even a hint of gold or silver to break things up, add a little pizazz?” She pinches a small amount of air between her fingers.
Pizazz?
“No. And no fairy lights, vibrant banners, or flowers. Nothing unprofessional.” At Hart Law, we take pride in being the best in the state. “We are prestigious and sophisticated to the core.” Unlike the logo for her business, which looks like a bird of paradise spilled onto it.
Having spent the last hour or so with Sapphire, I can’t help but ask myself what the fuck Janice was thinking hiring her business. We do not feel like a good fit.
Yes, she might be enthusiastic, but her ideas for workshops and breakout sessions have left me more than confused. I would rather deepthroat a cactus than create a team song for the firm using shakers and hand pans. And we definitely do not need a fun playlist for registration.
Sapphire isn’t just out there; I’m sure she lives on another planet: Planet Head in the Clouds.
“Please don’t be offended when I ask you this but is gray your favorite color, Eli?”
“Color is a distraction.”
“So that’s why the sticky notes on your desk are muted and look like they stepped out of an autumn photoshoot on a stormy day?”
Uncomfortable with this conversation, I unclasp the acupressure clip from between my fingers, set it on the table to return it, then straighten my tie and tighten it around my neck. “I don’t like neon colors.” Gray is still a color. I push my jaw forward in defiance.
“You don’t say,” she drawls, her tone thick with sarcasm, before moving on.
“Well, I am up for the challenge to make your event unforgettable, so I’ll email you new ideas then let’s reconvene next week.
All I need is a few days to rework my magic.
I’ll also email you some dates and times for our next meeting. ”
“We don’t need to meet up.” Especially if it means dining in the same restaurant we’re in. It’s much too lively, plus I don’t have the time to meet again. Well, I do, I just don’t want to.
I’m lying to myself. I like her a little. Maybe a lot. Maybe too much.
Janice will take the reins when she gets back, and I can micromanage…
I mean, have the final say without dealing with Sapphire directly.
I signal to the waiter. “I’ll get the bill.
I have somewhere I need to be.” Somewhere far from the woman who seems to thrive on chaotic electronic notes filled with side notes and doodles.
And yet, part of me wants to spend more time with her.
Fuck. This is terrible.
“I already settled the bill when you visited the restroom, Eli.”
Her words take me by surprise. “Why?”
“Because I invited you—sorry, I invited Hart Law for dinner.” She moves quickly, shoving her computer tablet and the acupressure clip into her purse before slipping on a canary-yellow cardigan, which seems to match perfectly with her lime-green top and floaty skirt covered in floral prints of the same tone.
How she manages to look both flamboyant and elegant is beyond me.
Within minutes, we’re standing on the sidewalk, and just as I’m about to say goodbye, Sapphire pulls a red bicycle helmet out of her bottomless purse as if she’s Mary Poppins and secures it on her head, clipping the fastener on the chinstrap together.
“It was lovely to meet you, Eli.” She steps forward as if going in for a hug, but I panic and offer her my hand to shake instead.
Yup. Janice needs to fire her company. She’s too… extra.
“You too,” I answer tersely, forcing a lying reply through my teeth because her talkative nature has left me tense, unsure of what she’ll say next.
All I can think about now is why she’s wearing a bike helmet, and I’d ask, but she’ll waste another five minutes of my time with some long, convoluted story.
After our awkward handshake, Sapphire wishes me a safe cab ride home, whirls around on the balls of her feet and waves me goodbye before walking toward a mint-green bicycle with a white basket attached to the front that’s decorated with what looks like artificial flowers.
Huh, she must have left that here earlier.
In a daze, completely fascinated and captivated by her, all I can do is observe every move she makes, from unlocking her U-lock to jumping onto the seat and riding off into the night, bidding me farewell with one last wave without a second glance at me, her multicolored hair and floaty skirt blowing behind her in the wind.
I pull my cell phone out of the inside pocket of my suit jacket and text my brothers and think about what I should write because even a simple text message to me now becomes a chore, questioning every word and tapping out messages until the not-quite-right sensation disappears. After some thought, I send it.
Me
She wants to have Boomwhackers as an icebreaker, create a fun playlist for registration and add gold or silver into the color theme for the day.
Nathan
All great ideas.
Max
I think we should add gold into our branding.
Cole
Why didn’t we think of that? It screams elite firm.
Me
We’re not a wedding planning business.
Nathan
Stop being so narrow-minded, Eli. Get marketing onto it. And remember the event we are organizing is a day for staff. This is about them having a fun-filled day. We are doing things differently this year.
Me
I don’t like it. Any of it.
Max
That’s because you hate change.
Cole
Go with the flow. Chill, dude.
Max
It’ll be an enlightening experience. *rainbow emoji*
Me
I knew you heard her saying that. I fucking hate rainbows.
Nathan
You hate everything.
He’s right. I do.
What the hell happened to me?
Over the years, I appear to have lost myself.
I’m a fun sponge.
On the other hand, Sapphire is the joy spark.
Max
We’re not firing her firm. Deal with it.
“Shit,” I mutter under my breath, feeling my thunderous headache return, which prompts me to search the internet for the magical clip that made my headache disappear, and expedite it for next-day delivery on the cab ride home.
If I’m going to be dealing with Sapphire, even if it is via email, I’m going to need it.
I should have ordered several.