Though there was one drunk straggler I escorted out myself since the staff was mostly gone. He was mumbling incoherently and smirking the whole time. I ignored him and politely walked him out.
I hopped off the bus and glanced around before running straight into the building. I’d already be just under a half hour late to work so stopping for coffee was no longer an option. Not to mention how obnoxious it would appear to the tenured employees if I strolled in late, with a venti latte in hand and not a care in the world. I didn’t need or want that kind of reputation. I didn’t like any kind of attention, much less the negative kind. Heck, I’d made a career of staying out of sight.
The elevator doors opened to my floor. I trailed in swiftly, making a beeline for my desk—all the way in the back.
“Elle,” Dean called from the doorframe of his office. I spun and watched him motion toward his office and then disappear behind the frame, leaving the door left open for me.
Man don’t they give a girl room to breathe here?
“Dean, I just walked in the door,” I sputtered, surprising myself with my irritated tone.
God I need coffee and quick—my job just might depend on it.
“Yes, I see that. Please come in, tell me about last night.”
I couldn’t exactly tell him this was a less than optimal time for my full report on the night. I needed to sit, gather my thoughts…and recover from lack of sleep.
Nonetheless, I was a professional.
I might be able to explain this to Dean. Heck, maybe he’d find it hilarious. After all, though we weren’t exactly friends before I agreed to work for him, we were more than just acquaintances.
Dean and I had both been in the industry for years. I’d often give him updates and reviews on new venues, give him warnings on vendors and send him all the necessary “beware of…” articles that may be of use to him and his firm. We first met at the Conrad Ballroom less than three years ago when a new manager of the elaborate venue double booked their event, and after having some unfriendly words, we ended up teaming up to make it work. I came up with decorations that blended and worked for both parties and walked his clients through the changes delicately and flawlessly. Dean had once told me my magic may have saved his firm that summer.
When I was laid off from my job at Brightman Events over a month ago, I casually sent him another useful article and signed the email,“Free Agent”.I wouldn’t think of asking for work, no matter how embarrassing my savings were looking these days.
But wasn’t that Dean anymore…he was now my boss and I needed to remember that. And if my new boss needed the lowdown on the long night right this moment—I’d oblige.
“Cocktails went off without a hitch. I had previously arranged for extra valets so there wouldn’t be delays. The party didn’t start one minute late, but there were some stragglers when it ended. Mr. Donovan left a generous staff tip which I distributed as per my gratuity allocation chart. No damage was done at the property. No allergic reactions. The musicians played at an acceptable volume and appeared to be highly admired.”
“Excellent. And no one saw you on the floor?”
“Not a soul.”
“Great work,” he mumbled, already focused on his emails.
That’s it?
I pulled off the nearly impossible and all I got was “great work?” Meanwhile, the musicians—who lost their gig for this past Sunday and were therefore available for the event, got thanked profusely from Dean with a huge tip and a promise to repay the favor.
I shook my head—probably visibly—and turned on my heel. “I’ll go now.”
“Oh–hey sorry to cut this short, I wanted to ask you more about how you’ve liked working here so far—”
“Oh well…”
“But I have an important meeting I need to prep for—so we’ll catch up later.”
With a single nod, I walked out the door and to my desk. My head as high as I could manage. It was enough that I was proud of my accomplishment this weekend.I’ve still got it.
I slumped down in my chair and debated on turning on my computer just yet. I was not ready for anything else today. A day off would have been nice. Sure, nearly everyone at the firm worked weekends, it was the nature of the job, but I worked overtime to get this event perfect.
From the corner of my eye, I caught Mimi pushing off her desk to wheel up to me.
“Congrats.” She raised an eyebrow. “Looks like you’re here to stay.”
“Hmm?”
“You know if you didn’t pull this off, you would have been gone today, right?”
