CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The next day, Max texted me.
Thanks so much for yesterday. I had a great time.
I debated on how to respond to him. When Vella texted, I would usually answer right away. But if I replied immediately, he might think that I had no life. Which I didn’t, but I preferred he not know that. If I waited, then maybe he would believe I couldn’t text back because I was oh-so-busy.
I spent so long struggling with what to do that not choosing became the choice. I didn’t respond for three hours. And I settled on:
You’re welcome.
Super profound and eloquent. I wondered whether I should thank him, too, but he might read too much into that. This was better.
Maybe.
I didn’t know.
That made me sigh very loudly because one of the reasons I’d said “just friends” was to avoid situations exactly like this one. I didn’t want to play games with Max. Not only because I was bad at it and didn’t know or understand any of the rules, but because I wanted to hang out with him and have fun without wondering if I was sending out weird and/or mixed signals.
Or obsessing over what it would be like to kiss him.
Because I had come to the conclusion that he would be very, very good at it. Vella shared my opinion and offered to find out for sure.
Max sent me links to Sunny’s social media accounts and I spent a long time poring over them. This always made me feel slightly stalker-y, but it was really helpful.
Sunny was a second-grade teacher and loved her job. Her Instagram feed was full of bright and fun pictures, most of them with her cute husband. She seemed to embody her name, grinning and bubbly in every photo. Her wedding surprised me—there was a sharp contrast to her other pictures. Her reception was refined, elegant ... uptight and stuffy. It wasn’t what I would have chosen for her. I wondered how much of an influence her in-laws had played in those decisions.
Because Sunny was the opposite of straitlaced. There was a picture of her doing a keg stand on her honeymoon.
I scrolled down and time came to a complete stop. The earth no longer rotated on its axis. The sun faded out of existence.
There was a picture of Sunny with Max at her reception.
He was in a suit.
“Wow,” I breathed. He looked supernaturally good all the time, but in a suit?
The world was not ready for that.
I had to close down the tabs I had open so that I didn’t comb her accounts for more pictures of him. I had what I needed, and despite suited Max distracting me, I had enough to create my plan. I didn’t even bother with a backup because I was pretty sure the theme I had settled on was going to appeal to her.
It might not be what her stuffy in-laws would have chosen, but this was Sunny’s baby shower, and I was going to make sure she would have exactly what she wanted.
Monday morning was unbelievably busy. I had worn one of my new Copy-Kat dresses and it made me feel like I could do anything. Claudia started the day off with a mandatory meeting for the entire staff, which included a grumbling Vella, who wasn’t fully awake yet.
When everyone was seated, Claudia stood up. “Thank you all for coming.”
“Some of us didn’t have a choice,” Vella muttered, and I shushed her.
“I’ve started working my connections and have set up several meetings this week with new potential clients, mostly individuals with private events,” Claudia said. “I will be sending around a link to an in-house document with all of the pertinent information so that we can start preparing our pitches.”
This flew directly in the face of what Adrian wanted for Elevated. I knew it would make him mad, and part of me wondered whether or not I should contact him. But he was the one who’d run off to Europe and left Claudia hanging.
If he hadn’t wanted this to happen, he should have stayed here and done his job.
Again, that feeling of disloyalty made me uncomfortable. It didn’t help matters that I was on Claudia’s side. I thought it was a good idea to find new clientele because it would help our company to grow.
“And along those lines, I was contacted this weekend by a former colleague of mine. She is currently organizing an event that she would like us to assist on. Ambassador Preston Wainscott and his wife, Fiona, are celebrating their twentieth wedding anniversary. This will be the social event of the year, and my former colleague reached out because she needs help, as she’s had some issues with her vendors. This will be an excellent place to showcase our capabilities and find new clients. I wanted to pitch for this event when I first heard of it, but ...” Her voice trailed off and we all knew what she meant but didn’t say.
Adrian hadn’t let her do it.
“You will be receiving your assignments today, and please come to me if you have any questions,” Claudia added.
One of the designers raised his hand. “When is this party taking place?”
Claudia paused before responding, and I knew the answer would be bad. “In three weeks.”
The reaction was the same as when the Albrechts had told us that Hyacinth’s birthday was in less than a month, only instead of quiet rumbles, people openly expressed their disbelief.
Claudia raised both of her hands. “I know it is not our policy to take such last-minute events as we have been, but we’re doing it to get our foot in the door. Once we get established in this space, we won’t do it again. I have faith in you and in us as a team. My door is open if you have any concerns. Thank you!”
The meeting broke up. Several people stayed put, chatting in small groups. It was obvious they weren’t pleased. The name of the ambassador seemed familiar to me, so I looked it up.
He had been the American ambassador to Monterra and had gone to all the recent royal weddings. That was why I had recognized his name.
It felt kind of fated that we were going to do an event for him. Like everything was connected.
Claudia came over to Vella and me. I put my phone down and sat up straighter in my chair. “What can I do to help with the anniversary party?”
“That’s the attitude I’m looking for,” she said, smiling at me. “But I want you to focus on the Albrecht event and making that as successful as you can. The Wainscotts and Albrechts socialize with the same type of people, so if we can get their seal of approval, it could really change things for Elevated.”
“Speaking of the Albrecht event, I have some boards I want to show you.”
“Excellent. Come run them past me this afternoon, and if I like what I see, which I’m sure I will, I’ll bring them to the client.”
Excited, I nodded. “I also might know of someone who could be a new client. Her cousin spoke to me about putting together a baby shower for her and—”
“Not a baby shower,” Claudia said. “We’re not doing weddings, funerals, or showers.”
“Oh.” I didn’t know what to say. I wondered why but didn’t feel like it was my place to question her. I had promised Max that I would do Sunny’s shower. I could do it myself, like freelancing. I hadn’t done something like that since high school. I’d do it in what little free time I had.
Then Claudia turned to Vella. “I’m going to be having a lunch meeting today. Two people are vegan, one is keto, another is dairy- and gluten-free, and I need you to order lunch to arrive at noon. Thank you!”
Once Claudia had left, Vella whirled her chair toward me, wide-eyed. “What am I supposed to get them that they can all eat? Do you know of a restaurant that serves air and water?”
I stood up and started to walk back to my office with my best friend right behind me. “It’ll be fine. Make sure to get sparkling and still.”
“Air?”
“No, water,” I said with a smile. “I’ll bring you the menus of local restaurants that fit those criteria.” I had ordered many very specific lunches since I’d started here. “I’ll highlight the ones that I recommend.”
“You are a lifesaver,” she said.
“Didn’t you think today’s meeting was energizing?” I asked her, feeling so enthused about the direction the company was heading. “I love that we are going to make magic here.”
“Yes, it’s truly magical to be working in a place you can’t leave for eight hours a day because you’re afraid you won’t be able to eat.”
I sat down at my desk, shaking my head at her. “It’s not that bad.”
“Your company is kind of like prison, only without the hope.”
I was glad we were at my desk and not still in the conference room, where someone could have overheard her.
“Go back to work,” I told her, shaking my head.
“Sure thing, warden. Back to the salt mines.”
“You don’t work in salt mines. You answer a phone!” I called after her.
“And I order fairy food that doesn’t exist for dietary restrictions that may or may not be real!” she called back. I glanced around me to make sure no one had overheard. I didn’t want her to get fired. I really liked having her here.
I gathered up the menus, putting the best options on top, and walked out to the reception area to hand them to Vella.
“Do you think I have anger issues?” she asked me. “I took an online quiz earlier during that meeting that said I do.”
“I wouldn’t call it an issue because an issue is something you can fix,” I told her with a wink. “And online quizzes at work?”
“It’s either that or reading motivational posts from people that I personally know are toxic and horrible in real life.”
I supposed there wasn’t a lot for her to do otherwise. She was only here temporarily. “That cousin of Max’s should be coming in close to lunchtime. The one having the baby shower.”
“Baby showers are weird,” she said. “You basically get presents for having sex, and all your relatives are there.”
“Maybe don’t say that to Sunny,” I suggested.
“I will let you know when she arrives,” Vella said with a salute. “And I’ll get the inside information about Max.”
“Do not do that,” I told her, feeling panicky. Why hadn’t this scenario occurred to me? Vella trying to interfere now that she had access to someone in Max’s life?
“I won’t,” she said in a way that suggested it was exactly what she was going to do. The phone rang and she answered. “Elevated. No, we don’t service elevators.”
I had two options. I could stand here and keep an eye on her or I could go back to my desk and get actual work done. There was no choice but to do the second; I had too much to do. I just had to hope that whatever she said to Sunny would be manageable.
I returned to my desk and worked on finalizing my board for Hyacinth’s birthday party. I was completely caught up in what I was doing when my phone buzzed. It was Vella. I pushed the intercom button. “Yes?”
“There’s someone here to see you. Sunny Belmont.”
“I’ll be right there!” I felt a nervous but excited anticipation in meeting her. I sort of felt like I already knew her after hearing Max talk about her and seeing her online life.
She had bright blonde hair that went down to her waist and the same blue eyes as Max. She was shorter than I’d expected and very, very pregnant.
“Sunny! So nice to meet you!” I held out my hand, but she brushed it aside and pulled me into a hug.
“Everly! I feel like I already know you!” Sunny said. “You’re so tall. Max didn’t mention that.”
My stomach fluttered at the thought that Max was telling his beloved cousin things about me. “Follow me and I’ll show you what I’ve come up with.”
I decided to take her into Adrian’s office because the conference room was booked for the rest of the day and I wanted to be somewhere that I could shut the door.
Claudia wanted me to focus on the Albrecht party, and I didn’t think she’d be happy about me picking up some side work. My free time was my own, and I was taking my lunch break now, so I figured it would be fine.
“Thank you so much for meeting with me,” Sunny said as she took a seat. I sat across from her in Adrian’s chair.
“I’m happy to do it. Any cousin of Max’s is someone I will make room in my schedule for.”
She grinned at that, and her smile was so much like Max’s that it momentarily threw me. But her expression fell quickly as she said, “My mother-in-law has very high expectations for this party. I need for it to be successful and up to her standards.”
“I hear that, I do. And Max sent me links to your socials and I saw your wedding reception. It didn’t seem like the kind of thing you’d like, but more of what your in-laws preferred.”
Sunny nodded, her eyes bright with what looked like unshed tears.
“And this is your baby shower. Not anyone else’s. It should be something that makes you happy.”
“I would love to have something that’s more me while still making the Belmonts happy.”
Hopefully what I’d come up with would satisfy both of those requirements. “Max told me that after his parents divorced, he used to spend his summers with you in California.”
I’d meant for that to be the lead-in to my pitch, but I noticed the way Sunny went rigid. “Max ... talked to you about his parents’ divorce?”
“Yes.”
Her mouth dropped slightly and she blinked rapidly. “He doesn’t share that with anyone. Not even me.”
“Really?” He had given me all the details the first night we’d met.
She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “So, you were saying?”
Feeling like I’d ruined things before I’d even started, I tried to get the pitch back on track. I’d had this whole bit about her Californian upbringing and how I wanted to bring that casual and, well, sunny vibe to her party, but we had gotten off course.
I decided to just go straight for the jugular. “We can do what’s always been done. We could have tea and finger sandwiches on bone china with everybody wearing their pearls and twin sets. Or we could do something truly unique, something you—bright and upbeat and colorful.”
The smile was real this time. “Like what?”
“You’re a teacher, and I thought it would be fun to incorporate your love of kids into this celebration. I was thinking an upscale carnival.” I turned around Adrian’s computer screen so that she could see the images I’d selected. “We’ll have a focal point here and will drape white linens to look like the inside of a fancy big top. We’ll string pastel flags and white lights, have pastel balloons hanging here, and make arches at the entrances. We’ll use this circus font to print the signs, and we will have upscale carnival food—funnel cakes, sliders, cotton candy, popcorn. Maybe we could get some performers like jugglers and magicians to work the room.”
I paused, wondering what she thought. Or if this was so far from what her mother-in-law had envisioned that Sunny would say no.
“And the best part—we’ll set up carnival games. A ring toss, balloon pop, maybe Skee-Ball or something like it. And there will be prizes for your guests to win, but we will be asking them to make a donation to Max’s charity for mothers of newborns instead of giving you a gift. Whatever prizes they win, we’ll have donation bins for the charity and they can donate those as well. And the prizes will be like, onesies, stuffed animals, packages of diapers, blankets.”
Sunny put both of her hands over her eyes and I worried that this was all going very wrong. “How did you know? I didn’t say anything to Max.”
“About what?”
She put her hands down. “Whenever I mention I need something, my husband orders it online because he spoils me. We already have everything we need for the baby, and I’ve been dreading the idea of getting things we wouldn’t have any use for. This whole shower felt like a gift grab. So your idea is perfect. Absolutely perfect. That I could use my baby shower to help other moms and for it to be fun and light and ... so me? Yes to all of it. Yes, yes, yes. Where do I sign?”
I laughed at her enthusiasm, just as thrilled as she was. “I will set up some shared documents tonight so that you can see everything I have planned, the vendors I recommend using, and the contract. But you should know that it will just be me, and not Elevated.”
“That’s totally fine.”
“Good. And the sooner you sign off on everything, the sooner I can make sure you have an absolutely perfect day.”
“Done. You know, Max said you were amazing, but I had no idea.”
My heart stopped beating as a buzzing noise filled my head. Was that hyperbole? Or had Max actually told her I was amazing?
Friend amazing? Or something else amazing?
“He did?” I croaked the words out.
Sunny nodded enthusiastically and then threw a wet blanket over my excitement. “Yes! He also said I would like you and he was right. He told me that you’re a very down-to-earth and simple person.”
The joy flooded out of me. That was a death knell if ever I’d heard one. He might as well have said that I was boring and had nothing interesting going on in my life.
This was supposed to be what I wanted, but it still hurt that Max had made it so clear to his cousin that he wasn’t interested in me.