‘Maddison, the job market is no joke right now. You’ll beluckyif you can even get an interview,’ she says, her voice growing colder and spine growing longer as she launches into her new tirade. ‘You have no idea. You haven’tdonethis as long as me. We took you in straight after uni. . .’
‘I think she’ll do great,’ Gus interjects, much to Pippa’s dismay and my own surprise. ‘Good luck, Maddison. Any company would be lucky to have you.’
He smiles at me. It’s soft yet firm, and packed full of support. As little as we may talk, I know what it means without him having to say any more.
Step one done; all that’s left now is the jump.
The Jump
We did it. After six months of long nights, extensive research and precarious planning, we turned Evie’s infamous grounds into an almost unrecognisable water resort. The kind that brings ‘resort style’ into the glamour age.
‘I’mobsessed!’ a guest is yelling to her phone as she walks past me, livestreaming. ‘This whole place is incredible. Like and follow for a three-sixty tour!’
I cross-reference her with my guestlist, scribbling a wonky asterisk next to her handle so I remember to request the analytics from her livestream. I’m so engrossed in my clipboard I barely notice the two men who appear in front of me.
‘Great job, Maddison!’ The sheer volume from Maxwell makes me jump out of my skin and look up from my board. ‘And you scrub up well!’
I run my fingers over the beads of my dress. ‘Thanks, Maxwell. Really appreciate it.’
Evie insisted Anika dress me for the Summer Splash, stressing that it was mandatory as a ‘face of the event’ to put my best foot forward in the most fabulous pair of shoes. Three mid-week consultations in Anika’s loft and many video calls with Evie later, and we finally settled on the winning outfit: a jewel-toned minidress with cutouts and the kind of intricate boning and beading that has me worried I’ll break something if I so much as breathe wrong.
‘Well done, Maddison– you really did Abbingtorn proud!’ Oliver adds.
I nod back at him, my stomach soaring at the validation before sinking with guilt at the knowledge I’ve just resigned. I wonder if Pippa’s already told them. Surely they wouldn’t be sokind if she had. Or maybe they would– maybe they’d try to guilt-trip me into staying.
A carriage loop-de-loops above us, carrying a barrage of screaming passengers and saving me from my guilt-ridden spiral. My breath catches as we all look up at it. I know this one well. I tested it myself. Tested it with Aiden.
They continue their compliments and run through their event highlights, but I barely hear a word. All I can think about now is him. I harken back to that day, to his hold, to the way he made my stomach fizz.
My phone buzzes in my clutch, giving me an excuse to walk away and be saved from the onslaught of small talk.
Need u upstairs, hurry pls.
I politely excuse myself and make my way upstairs to Evie Eesuola herself.
‘Oh, you look stunning!’ she shrieks as I enter the room, immediately running over and upsetting her full glam team. ‘Turn around– let me see! Anika was so right about the hair.’
Anika demanded that the outfit be worn with a voluminous high ponytail. I told her I didn’t have any hair that would work in such a ponytail, but I could make a sleek middle-part work. Next thing I knew, I was shipped a full range of extensions and clip-on ponies from Evie’s latest collaboration.
‘Are you excited?’ she asks, as her glam team come and join us to further fuss around her.
I nod along, despite being past the point of excitement. The party started an hour ago and I’ve been on my feet for the last four. Evie’s only so excited because she’s yet to make her fashionably late entrance.
‘What you’ve done here is amazing. You should be so proud of yourself.’ She places her hands on my shoulders. ‘I have told theboard everything and I’ve already been inundated with emails since they’ve arrived. I cannot wait to announce you and Aiden as the heads of my new events team.’
‘The job is ours?’ I ask in disbelief.
There is no way that it’s taken less than an hour for the board of Evie’s whole company to see what Abbingtorn couldn’t see in my four years with them. But her smile stretches wide across her face, eyes squinting with unbridled glee as she nods and claps her hands with excitement.
‘It sure is– congrats, Mrs Head of Events!’ She brings me in for a hug, to the further annoyance of her glam team. ‘I am thrilled to have you on my team and I’m sureMrHead of Events will be even more thrilled than I am.’ She finishes the sentence coyly, pursing her lips and raising her eyebrows knowingly as she waits for me to slot the final piece into the puzzle. She’s not going to say it if I won’t, but she won’t stop staring until I do.
‘He told you?’ I ask, testing the waters.
Either that, or Aiden wasn’t as sure of those blind spots as he thought. If it were the latter though, I’m sure she wouldn’t be smiling. She’d probably be demanding some sort of cleaning fee.
‘He didn’t need to,’ she laughs, putting my chest at ease. ‘I saw the change in him from the second that you showed up. Five years with me and I’ve never seen him walk with so much spring in his step. You challenge him.’
‘He challenges me too,’ I say.
