Naomi nodded.“Absolutely.”And then, she took a quick look around the gallery, taking in the light, the space and the flow of the space.She also tried to remember what the show she’d seen with Leah the year before had looked like, catching bits and pieces in her mind.
Granted, that night had been completely obscured by the beginning of Leah’s encounters with Samuel and their wild public interaction, but it was still a good night.
Either way, she was ready to work magic with Jason by her side.“Okay,” she said.“Let’s make an exhibition.”
*
Jason hadn’t beento an exhibit like that before; it wasfun.The photographs were gorgeous and the people representing the school board were ecstatic at the amount of money they raised.
And watching Naomi in her element as a professional planner?
And as the brand-new contract with the bright NN Events logo was removed from a folder, and signed by Tom, it felt like the beginning of a new era; the second contractor signed to her new company to provide wedding services.
“Before you go,” Walker said, “I need to give you something.”
Knowing he was talking to Naomi, Jason watched as she nodded.
“This,” Walker said as he passed over a business card, “is my friend’s card.He’s the visual artist who moonlights as an event designer.”
“Thank you,” Naomi said as she accepted the card.
“Call him—he’s expecting to hear from you, and he’ll meet you before his show to talk weddings and other things.”
“Thank you,” she said.
Of course, Jason knew Naomi well enough to know that the second she got into the car, she started searching this guy out.“So,” he asked as they turned onto Broadway, heading toward the highway, “who’s the photographer’s friend?”
“Max Parker-Roth,” she said.“Obviously Tom likes him, and Molly seemed to.”
“Why are you thinking you need an event designer for the wedding?”
She smiled.“Technically there was one for the last version of the wedding, even though I have no idea what they did,” she said.“But the thing you need to remember is never overestimate capabilities, and, when you’re starting a business, it’s crucial that you have a full list of contacts.Especially ones that are highly recommended by professionals you trust.”
Jason nodded, remembering back to his own Rolodex and his contacts, each of them he’d trust to help or have his back or even open doors for him.“I see,” he said.
“Not to mention,” she continued, “the wedding provides a perfect opportunity to test him out.The venue doesn’t give that much room to design beyond the planned setup, which means I could do it if necessary, but I’d like another eye.Also, he’d be working with people he knows.”
Once again, the very smart businesswoman he was very proud to know had arrived.But there were still questions to ask.“And where are we going to find him?”
“Downtown.His show is at a place I know,” she said, her hair hanging down, as she focused on the phone.
Gorgeous.
“I think a few of these guys have done exhibits there,” she continued.“I think I remember going to Tom Walker’s exhibit there last August.”
Which was enough for him.Then again, the ‘with Naomi’ part was enough for him.“So, we go?”
She nodded.“We go.”
“You’ve signed your second contractor to your brand-new company,” he said with a grin.“What do you want to do next?”
She laughed as he drove down the highway.“Debrief,” she finally said.“More specifically, what did you learn?”
He hadn’t expected to have the discussion that went over the event yet; but he guessed it made sense—the night was fresh in his mind, and hers.He just wished he was discussing something else with Naomi at this time of night.
But she’d agreed to help him.“Contingency.Contingency.Contingency,” he said.“If you and I weren’t there, he would have figured it out, but he wouldn’t have been comfortable because he didn’t have a contingency plan for if his friend didn’t show up.”
“Very, very valuable lesson to learn.”She smiled, and if nothing else, he loved seeing her in her element—the businesswoman that she was.
