Page 1 of Party Favors

CHAPTER ONE

“Everly, can you come in here?”

I’d been getting a bottle of sparkling water from the fridge for my boss and happened to pass by the door of our events director Claudia Delgado. She was at her desk, working on her computer.

I glanced down at the bottle in my hand. It was important to bring it straight from the fridge to Adrian because he somehow could detect if the water had warmed even slightly. While I knew that he might be upset about the delay, I did as she requested. “Is there something I can help you with?” I asked.

“Sit down,” she said, gesturing toward one of the chairs opposite her. She finished typing and then gave me her full attention. “I know I’ve only been here for a few months, but I wanted to let you know how impressed I am by the work you’re doing.”

“You mean the work Adrian’s doing,” I said, suddenly feeling a little anxious. Getting recognition always made me feel nervous.

“No, the workyou’redoing. I know that it’s you from start to finish. You’re the one making the budgets, contacting the vendors, finding sponsors and event partners, taking care of the scheduling, overseeing all of the staff for the event, making sure everything goes off without a hitch. And it’s not just your organization and communication skills, impressive as they may be. I’ve watched you running events. You are in your element—you inspire confidence, and the clients trust that you’ll take care of them.”

My heart started beating even faster. I didn’t know why she was saying this. I didn’t see myself the way she was describing me. I’d never wanted to be in the spotlight or get a lot of attention. I mean, yes, I did want to get promoted. I’d been Adrian’s administrative assistant for the last four years, and now that I’d graduated from college, I was ready to become an official event planner for Elevated Events. I’d been ready for three years, wondering when it would be my turn. Every other administrative assistant who had worked for an events director had been promoted within a year.

Not me.

But I was happy to labor on the sidelines. If no one ever heard my ideas, that was okay, right?

I loved being Adrian’s assistant and I liked doing a good job for him. I didn’t mind that he got the credit. His success was my success, and vice versa.

Which meant that I wasn’t sure what to say to Claudia right now. She and Adrian were one step below the CEO, a man I’d met only once, right after I started, as he didn’t seem all that concerned with the day-to-day operations of Elevated and had never come into the office.

Claudia and Adrian were in charge. Adrian hadn’t been happy about Claudia being hired—the last events director had retired and Adrian thought it was unnecessary to bring in someone new. He’d seen it as a slight against the work he was doing. He felt like she was his rival.

Which made it so that I wasn’t sure how to respond to her or what she was getting at. I was so fiercely loyal to Adrian—so protective of him. I wouldn’t ever say anything bad about him.

I sat there silently, not knowing what I should say.

Claudia studied me, and it felt like she could read my mind. As if I were broadcasting my innermost thoughts onto my forehead.

“Tell me one thing you’d change about Elevated,” she said.

What? She had gone from seeming like she wanted me to take credit for the work both Adrian and I were doing, to tear him down, to now seeming ... encouraging? “One thing?”

“Yes. I’m sure someone as talented and driven as you has a lot of ideas on how to move Elevated forward into the future, but I’d like to start with just one thing you’d change if you could.”

She was right about that—I had so many ideas on how I would improve things at the company and the way we did business. “I would take on new clients. I know that corporate clients have been very good to us, but I’ve never understood why we don’t take on individuals as clients. Why we don’t do luxury parties or showers or celebrity events.”

She nodded thoughtfully. “I’ve thought the same thing. I don’t understand the reluctance to broaden our market, either.”

I could almost hear Adrian’s voice in my head, going on about how it was better to focus our efforts on one type of clientele and that we didn’t need to go looking for new clients, especially not ones who would completely alter the kind of work we currently did.

There was a pang of guilt for my disloyalty that made me uneasy.

“Well, there are lots of reasons why—” I started, but she cut me off.

“If I bring in a potential client, an individual, would you be willing to ask Adrian if you could pitch?”

She was challenging me, and again I worried about her possible endgame here. It was true—I never participated in pitch sessions with clients. I was there, taking notes, but I always stayed quiet.

Even when I had good ideas of my own.

I glanced over at the bottle of water. Adrian was going to call me soon to ask what was taking so long. I had to get going, despite wanting to respond affirmatively and take that leap.

“Yes.”

And I didn’t know which one of us was more surprised by my answer. Me, because I had been intending to say no, or her, because I’d actually agreed to it.

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