Page 101 of Second Chance Fate

When the call disconnected and her wallpaper came back up, which used to be a photo of Casper and Owen and was now a photo of Casper, Minnie, Owen, and Caleb in the backyard, she returned the phone to her back pocket and picked up the box. No sooner had she done that than her phone rang again. She set the box down and pulled it out.

Viv’s name was on her screen. She’d given birth on Sunday, and it was Tuesday. Why would she be calling her? Maybe she needed her to cover shifts at Brewed Awakenings, but that was really more Audrey’s domain; Viv’s was Broken Nail Event Planning.

“Hello.”

“Do you remember me telling you about Singles Week?”

Taylor took the phone from her ear and looked at it to make sure that it was, in fact, Viv’s name on her screen. It was. It did sound like her. She put the phone back to her ear. “Viv, are you okay? How’s the baby?”

“Gabriel is great. He sleeps, eats, and pees. He’s perfect. Do you remember me telling you about Singles Week?”

“Yes. You got the idea from the show Schitt’s Creek, right?”

“Exactly! You do listen, which is more than I can say for Kevin. So, I have something coming up like that but on steroids, and I have another event that I can’t even tell you about. Well, Icould, but then I’d have to kill you. Just kidding, but I do need you to sign an NDA before I tell you. Which is why I’m calling. How would you like to work for me? It can be part-time. you can do it from home when you feel up to it.”

“For you?” She did work for her. “Oh, you mean for Broken Nail?”

“Yes. In the past forty-eight hours I signed the two biggest contracts, gave birth, and lost my entire team.”

“Your entire team?”

“Yep, director of events, event coordinator, head of marketing, head of catering, and venue manager.”

“Oh, no, that’s?—”

“It was Kevin. He’s been saying he wanted to start his own company, and he took advantage of me not being around as much because I was growing a human, and he poached the entire team, promising them things he’llneverbe able to give them. He basically Jerry Maguire’d, but he’s not Tom Cruise. It doesn’t matter, though. He had them wrapped around his sketchy finger with his big speech about more creative freedom and better hours and pay, and they all went full Renée Zellweger. Traitors. He not only took my employees, he’s also trying to lowball my bids to steal my clients. So now, I don’t just have to succeed; I have to crush them.”

“Is someone with you now?” Taylor was worried because Viv sounded a little manic. “Glenn or?—"

“Yes, Glenn’s here, and so are Audrey, Ava, and Grace.”

“Oh, okay.” That made Taylor feel better. Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it back and looked at it.

It was a text from Audrey.

Audrey:This is normal. She’s like this when she’s this mad.

Taylor felt better after seeing that and put the phone back up to her ear, and she heard Viv saying, “Just think about it, okay? I already told Audrey I wanted to poach you, which is how decentpeople behave, so there’s no drama there. I just made her an auntie, so she can’t really say anything. Anyway, I’m trying to put together a team, and I think you’d be an amazing asset.”

“I would?” Taylor was not suffering from false modesty. She honestly wasn’t sure what she could bring to an event planning team.

“You alphabetized the teas in the storage room,” Viv pointed out as if that was Exhibit A.

“I just thought that way it would make it easier to see when you’re running out.”

“And you’re right, it did. Your attention to detail is a chef’s kiss. And you don’t panic in emergencies. When the pipe burst in the back of Brewed, you calmly asked where the valve was to shut off the water, and when I didn’t know where it was, you figured it out. And when the power went out, you put all the perishables in the ice chest with ice so they didn’t get ruined.”

Taylor felt like Viv was just naming things that were common sense that anyone would do.

“Like I said, don’t answer now. I’m assembling a team. I’ll call you in the next couple of weeks. Just promise me you’ll think about it.”

“I will. I promise.”

“Cool beans.”

Taylor knew that was her sign-off.

“Viv, wait.”

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