A woman in a blue polo and khakis turns the corner, her rubber-soled shoes silent on the concrete floor as she cuts a beeline straight for us. “How are y’all making out?” She flashes an easy grin. “Finding everything you need?”
“For the most part.” Scarlett glances down at her tablet. “We’ve still got quite a few items on our list.”
The woman’s smile widens. “I’m Kylie, the manager of ATX Party Rentals. Let’s see if I can’t help you find everything you’re looking for.”
Scarlett’s head pops up and relief washes over her features. “That would be great, actually. I’m Scarlett, and this is Nick. We’re planning a Valentine’s Day social for Triada Tech.”
Kylie’s smile vanishes. “Valentine’s Day is just a few weeks away. Many of our seasonal items have already been reserved.”
“I know.” Scarlett’s shoulders drop and it’s like a sucker punch to the gut. “I’ve called every rental place in a forty-mile radius. You’re our last hope, Kylie.”
Well, fuck.
I may not be team Cupid, but I can’t just stand by and watch the event fall apart. Not when I’m the reason the project has a ridiculously short planning window.
If only you’d been more open-minded about the suggestion box.
Yeah, well, hindsight is twenty-twenty for a reason.
“Anything you can do to help would be greatly appreciated.” I pull a business card from my pocket and offer it to Kylie. “Triada is always looking for new vendors to support our corporate events.”
She glances at the card and her eyes light up like the Vegas strip. “I’m sure we can work something out. Do you have a list of items you need for the event?”
“I do.” Scarlett flips her tablet around so Kylie can take a look. “I’ve listed each item in priority order.”
“A photo booth is your top priority?”
“Yes.” Scarlett gives a half-hearted smile. “I mean, we need tables and chairs, too, but the photo booth is key.”
The manager’s smile falters. “Photo booths are in high demand. Thanks to social media, they’re only in the warehouse long enough to get cleaned up before we send them out again.” She pulls a phone from her pocket and taps the screen a few times. “Unfortunately, it looks like we only have one booth available for Valentine’s Day and we have a pending rental application.”
“What if we put in our application and deposit today?” Scarlett’s eyes dart from Kylie to me and back again. “We could even prepay.”
Kylie’s face is unreadable as she considers the offer and she’s silent for so long, even my nerves start to fray.
Which is ridiculous. It’s a goddamn photo booth. It’s not going to make or break our event.
Tell that to Scarlett.
She’s clutching her iPad to her chest and from the looks of it, she’s second-guessing this entire trip. “Oh my God. What was I thinking? It was foolish to believe I could plan an event for so many people with so little time. My first special project is going to be a complete failure and—”
“It’s not going to be a failure.” I won’t allow it. I never wanted any part of this social—still don’t—but I’m not in the habit of setting people up to fail. “The event will be a success.”
Knowing Scarlett, she won’t rest until she’s achieved her vision.
“I’ll tell you what,” Kylie finally says, slipping her phone back into her pocket. “If you give us a testimonial, and a few publicity shots, I can make sure your application gets approved. Today.”
Scarlett doesn’t hesitate. “Done.”
“Hold on just a minute.” I raise a hand, cautioning my people-pleasing co-chair. “What do you mean by publicity shots?”
“Just a few pictures of you two in the photo booth that we can share alongside your endorsement.” Kylie smiles, clearly attempting to downplay the request. “It shouldn’t take long.”
“Excuse us.” I shoot Scarlett a meaningful look. One she willfully ignores. “We need a moment to discuss.”
“Of course.” Kylie nods. “But don’t take too long. If one of my guys in the front office approves that application, my hands will be tied. I’m sure you understand.”
Oh, I understand all right. I played the CEO card and she’s using it to her advantage.
