Solomon chuckled. The elevator dinged as they slapped, clasped, and shook each other’s hands.
“You are as corny as you were when I first met you,” Solomon said as Ben stepped back so the doors could close.
“But corny still gets the girls!”
SHAKE HER HAND,give your plan,get asecond chance. Shake hand(no,that’s too formal),giveplan(Kenya,you do have a plan,right?),hopefully geta second chance.
Kenya mentally repeated the words, letting the rhythm settle her breathing as she arrived at the office. She caught up with Dedra and then scooted to her desk to hide her foot before others arrived to look at her with pity. No doubt, many of them were aware of her nasty fall and her failure during her presentation last week. At least she had managed to get all of the contents of her stomach into the trash can. She wouldn’t have wanted to put any more stress on the cleaning crew.
But maybe she could salvage that presentation with a dazzling new one.Please,God. Shakehand—no,stand first,with confidence. Even though you havea boot. Because you’ve got this. Yes,stand. Noankle can stop you. You’re a Stewart. Stand. Givea dazzling plan,and—
“Kenya! There you are.” Her boss blew into her office.
Where else would she be? Instead of going to Evelyn’s office to meet with her, Evelyn had insisted on meeting Kenya at hers so that she wouldn’t exacerbate her injury any further. The pity had grated, but Evelyn had good reason for it.
Dedra sent a look of support as she exited and closed the office door behind her.
“So, how are things going?” Evelyn asked.
Kenya shifted in her seat, gulping against her suddenly tight throat. “I’m doing okay and will be doing much better over time. I just started therapy, which should allow me to recover quicker.” Kenya ignored the echo of Solomon’s voice saying that it could last twelve weeks.
Evelyn nodded, unconvinced, her blue eyes cool. “So, last week’s presentation...”
Okay,Kenya,remain professional. Don’tlet her see your weakness.Oh, who was she kidding? She’d shown a lot more than weakness that day. “Evelyn, once again, I apologize for whathappened. I probably should have taken that day off to rest and get settled, but this presentation and this client, you know, have been my priority since last year. I still believe that Huntsville is the best place for them to host their convention, and if I can reach out to them again, I know I can convince them to give me—I mean, this agency—another chance.” Kenya tried unsuccessfully to keep the desperation out of her voice. She smiled so wide, her cheeks ached.
Evelyn perched on the edge of Kenya’s desk. “Yes, that client is very important, but so is the reputation of my company.”
“I know, I know. The mix-up on scheduling was my fault, but I didn’t plan on injuring my ankle—twice. This was a fluke. And it will not happen again.”
Evelyn’s smile remained thin. “I know it won’t. Fortunately for you, the Bellon Group was intrigued by the beginning of your presentation and would like to see the whole thing again in a few weeks.”
Kenya allowed herself to release a little breath of relief.Thank you,God,for thethird chance.
“But”—Evelyn leaned close with a squished expression on her face, like an adult trying to talk reasonably with a toddler—“this hinges on your ability to secure the commitment of a top-tier local vendor.”
Kenya sucked in a breath. Vendor management was not in her job description.
“This is not your usual area,” Evelyn said, “but considering this unique situation, I’m letting you take the lead on that part. The Bellon Group wants to ensure the buy-in of the local engineering community.” She threaded her fingers together. “I appreciate your tenacity and your willingness to push through your pain to meet expectations. But I also value agents who are savvyandknow their limitations. I wonder if you know yours.”
Evelyn’s statement stung. Kenya knew her limits all too well and had been working a lifetime to make up for them.
Evelyn continued. “You showing up here like you did just after injuring your ankle wasn’t proof of your commitment as you probably intended for it to be. Unfortunately, it also made me, as your benevolent and typically compassionate employer, look like a jerk.”
Kenya gasped. “Evelyn, that wasn’t my intention, and you know that. My goal is to give a hundred and ten percent to whatever I do. I love this job, and I value this agency.”
Evelyn’s gaze drifted over the office and landed back on Kenya. “You have made that obviously clear with your eagerness to go above and beyond on behalf of this agency. But many of the clients we work with are not just looking at how styled and engaging our presentations are, they look at how we operate as a team because that is what they will see play out in the implementation of their event. If I come off as a dictator employer, making my employees come in despite hell or high water, then that affects the reputation of my agency.” She pursed her lips and placed her palm flat against the desk. “So, yes, you will get to do the presentation again, pending a suitable sponsoring vendor in place that I sign off on. Let’s make it worth the Bellon Group’s time by securing a company that will not only serve as a high-level sponsor for next year’s proposed convention but will also attract more interest with a premier exhibit space.”
Evelyn took a quick breath through her nostrils. “And you better be much healthier when you return, okay?” She clapped her hands together, the sound reverberating in Kenya’s chest like the slamming of a door even though this should feel like an open one.
The proposed dates were a year and a half away, but if their pitch wasn’t accepted and a venue booked soon, the Von Braun Center’s calendar would fill up, leaving no other suitable option for a tech conference of this scale.
And what does Evelyn mean by “return”?
“So, out of the generosity and graciousness of my heart, I’m going to give you a couple of weeks off to make sure of it. From there you have the 5K fundraiser coming up that you will run pointon from the sidelines, but I am going to make Vance the lead for the North Alabama Investors’ Tour.”
Kenya blinked. That last statement was more jarring than Evelyn’s terms for the presentation.
“Evelyn, please. I don’t think that will be necessary. I’m going to be in consistent therapy. I have those sessions already in my schedule. On the correct dates and with correct times.” She laughed nervously. Evelyn didn’t join her. “Um, I should be good to come to the office each day in between and still keep up with the work that needs to be done for the tour.”
