6. Gemma #2
“Right. Sorry. Well, when it started out, it was very small, with only a handful of families participating. Each year, a different one hosted, and they covered all the costs, so whatever money was raised went to the children’s hospital.”
He leaned against his chair. “Isn’t that what we’re doing?”
“Partially.”
“What does that mean?”
“There are several costs not covered by your sponsorship that will be taken care of from the evening’s proceeds.”
“Name one.”
“Bas, your dinner will get cold.” I motioned to his still-full plate.
“Answer me. Name one.”
When I set my fork down like he had, it hit the side of the plate. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Gemma, my patience is wearing thin.”
“Okay. My salary, for example.”
“What else?” he pressed.
“Equipment rental, wait staff, flowers, linens, catering, music.”
“What does our sponsorship cover?”
“Bas—”
“If not those items, then what other than your fee?” His voice was raised.
“It covers the things I mentioned, but not all of it.”
“Why not?”
I couldn’t figure out what he was so agitated about. This was how most events ran. “It is rare for any one sponsorship to cover everything. That’s why there are several at different tiers.”
“Why wasn’t the contract written in such a way to cover the majority of it?”
“The truth? Because it wasn’t what your father agreed to.” I paused. “He agreed to a certain dollar amount only.”
“Then, change the contract. Excuse me.” Bas pushed away from the table, and when he left the room, I saw he hadn’t touched a thing on his plate.
He was gone for several minutes, which was beginning to make me uncomfortable.
“Sorry, that took longer than I thought it would.”
“Bas, what’s going on? You haven’t eaten any of your dinner.” Before I finished the sentence, he took two big mouthfuls. “Okay, well, never mind on that.”
“Look, when I read we were sponsoring it, I figured that meant covering all the costs.”
“Like I said, it usually takes several donors to do that.”
“Well, not this year, it won’t.”
My eyes opened wide. “You should probably see the budget before you make that kind of commitment.”
“I talked to Alex—”
“You what?” I slammed my napkin on the table.
“Hear me out. All I did was ask for a ballpark estimate. She told me to talk to you.”
“And?”
“It’ll be covered.”
“Great.” This time, I got up and left the table.
I was almost out the door, ready to call a ride-share service, when I realized what that might cost. Instead, I went to the ladies’ room and stared into the mirror.
“You can do this. He’s pushing every one of your buttons, and he’s doing it on purpose.
Do not let Sebastian Whitmore get under your skin. ”
“Sounds like good advice, dear,” said an older woman as she came out of one of the stalls.
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry. I thought I was the only person in here.”
I stepped to the side so she could wash and dry her hands. When she finished, she turned to me. “My name is Edna Whelan, and I’ve known Sebastian since he was a young boy.”
Whelan? Where had I heard that name before?
“He and my grandson Rand have been best friends for years.”
Rand. That’s right. I would’ve smacked my forehead if Edna wasn’t standing so close to me.
“I’m going to give you two pieces of advice, young lady, and since I’m almost ninety, you’re going to do the courteous thing and listen.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She took my right hand in both of hers. “Everyone thinks Sebastian can carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, because it’s what he wants them to believe. He cannot, and the position he’s in now will ruin his life if he doesn’t learn to share that burden. Help him.”
“Okay.”
“Second is, and listen carefully…”
“I am.”
“I thought the same thing about my husband when I first met him, and almost seventy years later, I can tell you that the ones you don’t want to let under your skin are worth their weight in pushed buttons.” She squeezed my hand and walked out.
Bas had asked whether anybody in my life refused to let me get away with my shit, and I’d told him the truth. It took a stranger holding my hand beside a restaurant sink to make my response feel like a loss instead of a fact.
“I guess I deserved that,” Bas said, standing to help with my chair when I returned to the table. “I promise I didn’t intend to be gone as long as I was.”
I looked over my shoulder at him. “Neither did I, and thanks.”
When he sat down, I realized our plates had been cleared.
“I took the liberty of ordering dessert. For me. Not for you, I promise. The owner is originally from Edinburgh, and I can never resist his sticky toffee pudding.”
“I hope you at least asked for two forks.”
He smiled, and so did I.
“So I met Rand’s grandmother.”
“Edna? I didn’t see her when we walked in. Is she here with Clint?” he asked.
“I have no idea. We chatted in the ladies’ room.”
“She’s a great woman.” His tone was almost too low for me to hear.
“I got that, even from the few minutes we talked.”
“You may not like what I’m about to say, but I’m going to anyway.
Edna is the exact kind of person who doesn’t hesitate to call someone out on their shit.
She’s done it to me enough over the years, and even when I was too young and stupid to listen, I eventually learned she was right. Sometimes, it took a while.”
“I can see that about her.”
“Tell me, Gemma, did Edna give you any advice while you were chatting?”
“I’d say that’s between me and my back-pocket therapist, wouldn’t you?”
“So how does a person end up running other people’s weddings?” he asked on the return trip from the coast.
“I was the kid who organized make-believe birthday parties. Even my dolls’ weddings.”
“How did those go?”
“The same as the ones in real life do.”
“Perfectly?” he teased.
“Of course.”
“What does a day off look like?”
“I’ll let you know when I have one.”
“Coast or valley, if you had to pick.”
“Ask me in the morning. The coast is winning tonight.”
He chuckled.
“My turn. What would you be doing tonight if I’d said no?”
“Hanging out with a bunch of people I see too much anyway. Otherwise, standing and eating over the sink.”
“What else did you and Alex talk about?”
When he hesitated, I wanted to push him to respond like he had me. Instead, I waited. I didn’t care if neither of us spoke again for the rest of the night.
“I told her I had an issue with your salary, and before you jump down my throat about it, hear me out.”
I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palms. “I’m listening.”
“As our event manager, Whitmore should be covering those fees.”
“I’m not your event manager yet, and after this conversation, I never will be.”
“Fair enough, but I suggest you hear the rest of it before you make a snap decision. My intent is for Whitmore to cover both. Your contract should be written in such a way that it’s event based.
That way, you’re compensated for all the work you do versus as salary.
You’ll know what the expectations are, regardless of the number you manage. ”
I tried to come up with a downside to his proposal, but I couldn’t right now. Eventually, I was sure I would, though.
“Speaking of the contract…”
“It’s drafted.”
He glanced over at me. “I figured it was. It’ll have to change, as will Whitmore’s contract for our sponsorship.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“You don’t need to drive to the cottage. I can walk,” I said when we pulled through the gates of the Whitmore estate.
“Black bears are particularly hungry, this time of year. So are mountain lions.”
I’d lived in the valley most of my life, and while I’d never heard of anyone being attacked by either, there had been plenty of sightings, especially in more remote areas like this one.
He pulled up, came around, and opened my door, then walked me up the porch steps.
“Thank you for dinner.” I stuck the key in the lock.
“My pleasure. Thank you for joining me. We should meet tomorrow morning to iron out the new contract terms. Would nine work for you?”
“It does.”
“Come up to the house, and I’ll buy you a cup of coffee.”
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Bas—”
“Good night, Gem.”
Nobody had ever called me that, yet it sounded familiar, like a name for a woman he’d already been intimate with, and my body responded as though he had.
By the time he walked down the steps, climbed into his truck, and drove the short distance to the main house, I’d forgotten what I was going to say.