Chapter 23
Tess
“Should we buy something to eat? For Isabelle too? It’s going to be lunchtime by the time we get there,” I told Skye one week later. Ever since Josie asked us to meet up with Isabelle, we tried to find a time that worked for all three of us. Today was the day.
“Good idea.”
Isabelle worked long hours, moonlighting as a tour guide as well. I wanted to pamper her a bit.
First step: getting her something delicious to eat.
Second: dish some encouragement once I was there.
Third: help plan an outing for her current clients.
The third was why we were officially meeting. Skye and I had experience planning events—primarily the charity galas our family ran. This was different from what we usually did, but we had some insights that could be helpful.
Forty minutes later, a gust of wind snaked between us the second we stepped out of the subway station, blowing my hair all over my face. It stuck a little to my lipstick, but Skye helped me untangle it.
Isabelle’s practice was in a high tower in Brooklyn, and it was bathed in sunlight. She smiled as she welcomed us in. Her fiery red hair was falling in waves around her shoulders.
I loved Isabelle. She was practically family to me, as was Josie. I was also close to Josie’s two brothers, Dylan and Ian. They didn’t live in New York though, so we only saw them on special occasions, like Christmas and Thanksgiving, and sometimes they even showed up at the galas.
Isabelle’s practice was very cozy, with two vintage armchairs in front of her desk. Black-and-white sketches of the city hung on the walls. Behind her desk was a huge golden bow lamp.
“Girls, thanks so much for coming here,” she said as she set out the food containers on her desk.
It amazed me that despite being from Montana, neither Isabelle nor her siblings had an accent.
Then again, they all lived in various parts of the country for many years.
“I just had a client, and afterward I’m off for one of my tours. ”
That right there was one of the reasons I was rooting so much for Isabelle. The woman just kicked ass. She wasn’t making enough money with her practice, so she also worked as a tour guide twice a week. She was a dreamer but also didn’t mind getting her hands dirty. A woman after my own heart.
“Okay, so tell us exactly what you have in mind for the weekend event with your clients,” I said as we ate our tacos.
“I want it to be a weekend where they relax but also get to know themselves better. I found a ranch very close to the city. I’ve always wanted to try some sort of animal therapy.
Horses are very good for this. So this weekend, they’ll get individual time with me, but we’ll also spend time all together doing different activities from hiking to horseback riding, or just feeding them if they don’t know how to ride.
I just need a daily plan. It’s a small group, just ten people. ”
“Okay,” Skye said.
I mulled this over, trying to imagine myself spending the weekend at the ranch. How many breaks would I need? How much time would I like to spend in strangers’ company and how much by myself?
“Would it start Friday night or Saturday morning?” Skye asked.
“Friday in the evening.”
“Okay, so here is what I would do,” I said. “I’d do welcome drinks on Friday but not dinner. Start it late enough that people will have to eat before. Sharing a meal with strangers might put them on edge.”
“Oh, that’s very smart. I was thinking I need an icebreaker on Friday and that putting everyone at a table might be too much. Casual drinks is very smart. They’ll warm up to each other and be ready for breakfast together on Saturday.”
“Exactly,” I said.
Skye nodded. “I’d do the same. And then I’d alternate between group events and alone time.”
My sister was right. I tried putting myself in the clients’ shoes. I could imagine them needing time for themselves.
“Maybe also don’t make three big meals a day where everyone has to gather. How about multiple meal times? Or even just having a permanent snack bar with some canapés or just chips and dry finger foods.”
“Yes. I like both those ideas,” Isabelle exclaimed. “Will that make catering more expensive?”
“A little. But we can talk to our caterer for the gala. I’ll get you a good price,” I said immediately. “We’ve been working with them for a long time. I’ll talk them into it.”
“Or I could talk to Rob,” Skye said. Her husband ran a chain of restaurants. “Dumont Foods doesn’t have a catering division, but he’s had a lot of our gatherings catered lately. You have a small group, so they could do it.”
“I don’t want him to go out of his way for me, though. I’m happy just with an intro to your catering company, really.”
Skye winked. “I’ll talk to him and we’ll see.”
“We just want you to get a fair price,” I added. “I think Rob might be a much better option.”
Isabelle ran a hand through her hair, biting her lip. “Okay, talk to him. But please only tell him to agree to it if it’s not too much trouble. I feel like I’m imposing on you guys a lot since I moved.”
“You don’t,” I reassured her. “Want to talk us through the daily routine you have in mind?”
“Sure!”
Over the next half hour, we went back and forth over her tentative schedule.
Isabelle obviously knew better than us how much alone time her clients needed, but where our expertise came in handy was in keeping momentum.
Every event needed that, and it was even more important if it was spread over two days.
You didn’t want the attendees to get bored, but it was also best not to exhaust them.
“Thank you so much for coming here, girls,” she said once we finished.
“No problem. That’s what friends and family are for,” I emphasized.
Isabelle smiled, drumming both hands on her desk for a beat before pointing a finger at me. “You know, I’ve meant to ask you since you came in. What is it with that…glow about you?”
I grinned. “Glad you noticed.”
“Impossible not to,” Isabelle exclaimed.
I’d wanted to spill the beans for so long that I was practically bursting at the seams.
“Well, since you’re asking.”
I swear I spoke so fast that I barely took a breath. It felt like that, anyway. I was nearly lightheaded but so damn happy that my heart felt like it might jump out of my chest.
Isabelle laughed. “You totally deserve a guy who makes you happy, Tess. I think you’re one of a kind. Always so optimistic in the dating world. If my clients were more like you, they wouldn’t need me.”
“Just your clients or you too?” I asked.
Isabelle waved her hand. “No, I’m good. Just waiting for things to settle a bit with the practice before jumping into dating waters. I can’t wait. My dry spell’s been so long I wonder if certain parts still work. My virginity will grow back any day now.”
I burst out laughing, and so did Skye.
“But hey, if you could send Dylan some of this optimism glitter of yours, that would be great.”
“Optimism glitter?” I asked on a laugh.
“That’s what I call it, because optimism is catchy. Just like negativity.”
“He’s still disillusioned?” I double-checked.
“And grumpy as hell,” Isabelle said.
“To be fair, he does have reasons,” Skye added.
That was true. Your longtime girlfriend dumping you would certainly hurt anyone.
“I think maybe he needs time. And a special lady. And I can’t do too much from a distance. It’s kind of a face-to-face thing.”
“Well, I have news. Josie and I have been trying to sell them on New York for a while now, and we’ve succeeded.”
“Holy shit, they’re moving here?” I exclaimed. Josie grew up with us, and I’d always thought of her siblings as an extended family.
“They’re opening a subsidiary here of their software company since they’ve done so well in Washington. I think in a few months they’ll be ready to come here.”
That was amazing news. I clasped my hands together, smiling.
“Well, in that case, I’m gonna start spreading that optimism glitter right away,” I assured her. I knew this meant a great deal to Josie and Isabelle. I could just picture how big our family events would be.
“We should go,” Skye said. “Your appointment will be here in five minutes, right?”
“Oh, yes. And then I’m going to do my first Halloween tour.”
I grinned. Halloween was in three days. “I didn’t know there was such a thing. Does New York even have haunted houses?”
“A few. Thanks again for coming here, girls.”
“No problem,” I assured her.
As Skye and I left the building, I told my sister about Liam’s meeting with the lawyer today. Liam said they planned to talk with all the business owners they worked with, but I wanted to tell Skye myself.
She bit her lip after I finished. “How much of a problem does he think this will be?”
“They don’t know yet. That’s why they’re seeing their lawyer today.”
“Okay, then there’s no point wasting time thinking about this until we know if it’s a problem or not.”
Skye had always been pragmatic, but right then, I could tell she was more worried than she let on. I put on my big sister hat, pushing my own worries to the back of my mind.
“Exactly. We’ll deal with this one step at a time.
Want to go for cake? I have some time before I need to head back to Manhattan for the fashion show.
” It wasn’t a terribly important show, but I’d gotten a ticket, and I always found shows good for my creativity.
I’d been in a lull lately, what with splitting my time between coordinating the delivery and assembly of the furniture and lighting devices for the new store, approval of website designs, and so on.
“I can’t. I need to pick up Jonas from Mom’s.” Biting her lip, she added, “I feel like I’m failing you, Tess.”
“What? Why?” I was shocked.
“It’s just that lately, you seem to do the brunt of the work, and I just keep missing out on things. Half the time, I’m not even sure where my head is.”
“Sis, you have a baby. You’re bound to need time to find your balance. Don’t be so hard on yourself. I’ve got this.”
“So you’re not upset?”
“Do I seem upset?”
“I don’t know. I feel all over the place lately. I thought I was supposed to stop being hormonal once the pregnancy was over, but it seems not.”
“Skye! I’m not upset,” I assured her. I was so happy everyone still lived by the no-secrets policy. So, so glad.
“Okay. Thanks for being so supportive. I’m going to start an online yoga course this evening. Hopefully it’ll help me find my balance.”
“Yikes. Have fun.”
“One of these days, I’m gonna talk you into trying one with me.”
“I did try a few, remember? Nearly broke my neck.”
Skye rolled her eyes. “You and Rob are no fun. I can’t convince either of you.”
I nudged her shoulder. “Maybe you should try running instead.”
“Hell no.”
She kissed my cheek before flagging down a passing cab. Workouts were one area where Skye and I never agreed. Before she met Rob, we didn’t have the same views on love either.
That reminded me of another skeptic who would soon move to New York.
After Skye left, I walked leisurely toward the neighborhood and called Dylan.
It was a gorgeous autumn day, and I wanted to stay outdoors for a while longer.
I loved New York in the fall—the mix of golden, red, and brown leaves, the chilly air, and the multitude of cozy wintery snacks like pumpkin lattes and cinnamon rolls.
Now that Isabelle mentioned Halloween, I saw signs of it everywhere.
And speaking of lattes…I couldn’t resist and bought one from a mobile coffee cart while waiting for Dylan to pick up.
“Tess, what a surprise,” he said instead of hello.
“What’s this I hear about you and Ian moving to New York?”
Dylan chuckled. “Which sister spilled the beans?”
“Isabelle. Why did you not say anything when we were at the cabin?” We’d all been there at the end of summer.
“Because it was still in the planning phases. Why are you calling? Is everything okay with Isabelle?”
“Yes, Skye and I were at her practice, giving her tips for organizing an event for her clients. One thing led to another, and we started talking about you.”
“Of course.”
“She mentioned that you’re still a bit moody.”
“Tess…”
“No, this is just a warning so you know Isabelle is on your case.”
Usually, I liked to call things like they were, but Dylan needed a more veiled approach.
“Right, and you’re not?” he teased. When I didn’t reply, he added, “I’ve heard you’re seeing someone.”
Wow! Had Isabelle texted him in the meantime? Because I’d only told Mom and Skye so far. Which reminded me that I wasn’t upholding the no-secrets policy, but honestly, the gang hadn’t gotten together for a working lunch in weeks!
This was my cue to spread some optimism, as Isabelle said.
“Oh yeah. And it was definitely worth kissing all those frogs before. I cringe just remembering how many bad dates I’ve been on.”
Okay, so this was not my finest pep talk, but it was really difficult over the phone.
“And you’re still not on my case?” He was laughing now. Well, the cat was out of the bag.
“Just a little. Isabelle says my optimism is catchy.”
“I see.”
“I do a better job in person, I promise.”
“You’re welcome to try next time I’m in town. And by the way, if this guy you’re seeing messes with you, Ian and I will kick his ass.”
“Aww, that’s sweet of you to say, but I think my brothers and Hunter have that covered.”
“You can never have too many people looking out for you.”
“That is true.”
I grinned, pulling my coat tighter around me. I couldn’t wait for them to move to New York. After ending the call to Dylan, I wrote in the WhatsApp group I had with my family.
Tess: When does everyone have time for a lunch? I have some news (not related to work)
Ryker: You can start by telling us the news.
Cole: I agree.
Tess: But I want to tell you face-to-face.
Skye: Sis…I think you just threw yourself to the wolves.
Josie: I want to know now!!
Ryker: I think she’s dating someone. Tess, you can just confirm or deny.
Skye was right. I had no one to blame but me.
Tess: FINE. I’m dating our investor.
Nothing happened for a few seconds, and then the screen exploded.
Ryker: Holy shit.
Cole: Didn’t expect this.
Josie: I WANT DETAILS.
Well, then, it seemed a girly evening and a working lunch were needed.