Page 82 of Party Favors

“Sure.” I reached for my pen and notebook on the coffee table. Maybe it was time to make a list of why it would be a good idea to be braver and put myself out there. I had already resolved to do just that—why was I having such a hard time following through?

I tapped the pen against my lips, thinking. I knew why I was having a hard time.

Because I was setting myself up for failure and I didn’t like failing.

More importantly, I didn’t want to lose what I had with Max.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

The rest of the week flew by, my days blurring together. Most of my waking energy was devoted to the two events I had that week—the Origin Telecom event and Hyacinth’s birthday. Everything was coming together well for the party, but I knew from firsthand experience how quickly everything could, and often did, fall apart.

Max continued to text and call every day. It was always friendly—sometimes he shared funny memes or pictures of Basta. My responses were usually short. Not only to protect myself, but because I really was that busy. The Origin Telecom conference had many hiccups and stressed me out so completely that I found actual clumps of hair in the shower after it was over.

But it was done and finished and now I could focus on the event I was most excited for—the one that might lead to my promotion.

All of my hard work in New York had led to this single event, and I needed it to be flawless.

The morning of Hyacinth’s birthday, Max sent me one single message that was running on a loop in my brain all day long.

Thinking of you.

What was he thinking? How did he mean that to sound?

I wasn’t sure.

I got to the hotel early in the morning and directed the vendors on how everything was to be set up. I helped out where I could. It was exhausting but exhilarating work.

Three hours before the event, I got an upsetting phone call. It was from the modeling agency to let me know that half of the models wouldn’t be appearing and they didn’t have anyone to replace them.

“We can send American models,” the agent had said, but that defeated the entire point.

My stomach tied itself up in knots as I realized that I was going to have to find replacements myself. Just as I’d opened my contact list, Max called me. Almost like he’d sensed that I was in trouble.

“Max?” I said, feeling a bit frantic and knowing that just hearing his voice would help me calm down.

“Is everything okay?” His tone was serious and caring.

“I just had three models cancel. Apparently they all went out to dinner together last night and got food poisoning.”

“Can you replace them?”

“I can try. But that means I’m going to have to pay a premium to replace them last minute and I’ve already pushed the limits of this budget. This was like, the one thing Hyacinth was excited about—all her friends getting to take pictures with fake royalty.”

“What do you need?”

“A Monterran in a tux.”

“I can do that,” he said.

Max could do that. Why hadn’t it occurred to me before? “You really want to spend your evening at a sixteen-year-old’s birthday party?”

“Maybe I’m interested in learning more about event planning.”

His reason didn’t matter to me. Him showing up was going to save me. “I’ll text you the address. You need to be here in three hours.”

“I’ll see you soon.”

I hung up. On the scale of one to disaster, the models canceling was barely even like, a three. Max would fill in and things would be fine. I was going to make sure of it.

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