“Okay, Dedra, enough about me. Hi, how was your weekend? How is your boyfriend? Thank you for covering for me. And leave me alone—”
“Hey, not so fast. I need details about this wedding that we literally moved heaven and earth for. Hello, celebrity planner and cousin to Huntsville’s most famous couple.”
“That’s not saying much, considering they met in and will actually make their home in Hope Springs.”
“Yes, well, we can still claim them.”
“I honestly don’t want to talk about the wedding right now.” Kenya pinched her nose, fighting off a wave of nausea. Did she eat this morning before she took her pain pills?
Dedra grasped Kenya’s arm.
Kenya flinched but felt a tad grateful for the momentary stability.
“Wait, that’s it, isn’t it?” Dedra shifted to step directly in front of Kenya, her face and curly bob filling her field of vision. “Oh goodness, Kenya, please don’t tell me you busted up the weddingwith whatever caused this accident. Especially after you busted up the dinner with the Bellon Group for the wedding.”
Kenya gritted her teeth. Was it the memory or the pain making her feel like she was being tossed at sea? She shut her eyes, hoping that would help her reset and that the pieces of information floating around her head would settle back into the pathway she’d formed for today.
“Dedra. Can we focus, please? I promise I’ll share all the juicy details with you later, but right now we need to get through this presentation so I can get the go-ahead for the convention.” She eased herself away from the wall, sucking in a breath. “That’s the priority. I need thirty minutes to get everything set up.”
Dedra nodded, adjusting Kenya’s bag so she could offer her other hand to her. Kenya waved her off, stretching her face into what she hoped was an easygoing smile. “I’m good. At this rate, I’ll be brand-new by the afternoon.”
“By the looks of it, it will take us all afternoon to walk down the hall.”
Dedra led the way to their shared office, a rarity on a floor full of cubicles. Kenya had protested leaving the bustle of the communal office space when her position changed from event runner to planner and then to one of two event managers. She’d enjoyed being in the mix, the swirling mass of conversations and opinions adding fuel to her creativity. But perhaps the change was worth it for this moment. She only had a few minutes, but she would sit at her desk and pray that the nausea subsided long enough for her to prepare for the Zoom meeting.
Dedra hung Kenya’s tote on one of three chunky hooks attached to the wall. She pulled out the rose-gold laptop and placed it on the desk while Kenya eased herself into her chair. The sigh barely left her mouth when someone stepped into the doorway.
“Kenya. Good morning. Have you checked your messages yet?” Vance Cothrane had a knack for popping up at the worst times, and this morning was no different. Kenya considered herself skilledat interacting with most people. But she struggled with him the most because he was also everything she wasn’t. She was confident in her abilities, but he had an edge that she knew she would never have. She hoped one day she’d shake off her propensity to compare and greet her fellow event manager with an unforced smile. He’d combined his bachelor of event management and special events certification into a thriving career. She’d thrown herself into every opportunity and thankfully had the experiences and unique successes to show for it without the college degree. Well, and the wounds, it seemed.
As if reading her thoughts, Vance glanced down at the foot she didn’t have enough time to slide under her desk. He let out a whistle. “That’s not good.”
“No, it’s not.”
He opened his mouth to say more but shut it. She could see his wheels turning, calculating dates and project needs and probably wondering how in the world she would pull off one of their major events in eight weeks. The North Alabama Investors’ Tour she was heading up for the city that would have everyone on their whole floor with feet on the ground.Ugh,the irony.
“I didn’t see the email either, Vance. What’s up?” Dedra asked, not even bothering to check her computer.
“It was just sent but is urgent. Evelyn already talked to the reps and has to move our presentation up an hour. She got a call from the mayor’s office and needs to meet with him. And they were eager to adjust to avoid moving their other meetings.”
Kenya sat up, swallowing the bile rising in her throat. She didn’t like the familiar way he referred to her clients or the tone in his voice that let on that he knew all about her little—well, huge—mistake. “Ourpresentation? For next year’s tech convention?”
A slight smirk crossed his face. Oh, he was enjoying this. “That’s the only presentation scheduledthismorning. You good to go?” His eyes flickered to her foot. “Or do you need me to take it over for you? Again.”
“Again?”
“She’s good!” Dedra spoke up, rising from her chair across the room.
Vance’s gaze bounced from Dedra to Kenya. She wanted to wipe that look off his face. Too bad for him, other people’s doubt was fuel to her fire too.
Kenya waved him off. “Thanks for the heads-up.”
As soon as he walked out the door, Kenya shifted to Dedra, planting her hands on the table. “What does he mean, ‘again’? Did he—”
“Yeah, girl, Evelyn called him in for that dinner on Saturday night. I thought there was no point in telling you since you were at the wedding and I didn’t want you to focus on that. But you better pray because we are doing this now.” Dedra took Kenya’s computer off her desk and placed her own tablet on top. “I’ll go make sure the system is on. I know most everything is in your head, but I’ve got my notes if you need me.”
She started to walk out but then paused to glance back at Kenya, concern in her eyes. “But you also don’t have to do it either. The convention possibility is one of many that will come up. It’s not like you’d intentionally be skipping out if you need to step back.”
Kenya pushed herself up, waiting for the room and her stomach to settle before straightening. “You know why I must do this. This meeting gets me one step closer to becoming a creative director. I messed it up already. I can’t do that again.” Kenya wanted—no,needed—to leave some of the mundane tasks behind so she could focus more on the visionary aspects of event planning. That was the part that gave her life. She’d worked too hard to take a step back. Having trouble with her steps didn’t change who she was or what she could do. She’d grown up dealing with obstacles her whole life.
