Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 103851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 519(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 519(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
7
PICNIC PLEASE
LONDON
The following Friday morning I’m up at an ungodly hour. Usually I get up a few minutes before my alarm goes off at 5:07, but today my eyes pop open at four thirty and I can’t go back to sleep.
Jackson scheduled a Zoom meeting, but I’m uncertain whether this will be a video call or an audio call, so I err on the side of caution and take extra care getting ready for my day. I pick out a dress—it’s supposed to be warm and balmy today. And the peach chiffon over the white underlay is a particular favorite. Maybe after our call, I’ll spend some time getting the field ready for the weekend. Avery is in charge of the major setup, and I always focus on the small details, the things that make it personal like color coordinating the benches and seating to go with the team jerseys when we’re hosting a sports-related event and dinner.
After I arrive at Spark House I spend the next hour preparing centerpieces for upcoming events. This weekend we’re hosting a soccer awards banquet for my sister’s college alumni, so everything is color coordinated to work with the team uniform in black and silver with gold accents. I found some cool round bowls and octagonal gold decals. Each bowl will be decorated with the stickers to resemble a soccer ball, then filled with white sand and a circle of fake turf with a miniature soccer net and players.
If I could, this would be the part of the job I’d spend most of my time on. Unfortunately, it’s a small part of a much bigger picture, so I focus my energy on putting together the first one of everything and leave it to the part-time staff to make the rest.
Once that’s done, I head back to the office, tackle any new emails, and review Jackson’s agenda and questions. I have to admit, he’s incredibly thorough. It’s hard to concentrate on any one thing, and I find myself wishing I’d scheduled this call for earlier in the day so I can get it out of the way.
Harley comes barreling into the office and skids to a stop in front of my desk, very nearly knocking over the centerpiece I was working on earlier.
“You have a visitor.”
“A visitor?” I glance at the time on my computer screen. It’s eleven thirty-two. My conference call with Jackson is in less than half an hour. I’ve been counting down the seconds since I sat at my desk thirty-nine minutes ago. “But I’m not expecting anyone.”
“I think you’ll be happy about this one.” Her smile is almost maniacal.
“But I have a call soon.”
“With Jackson. I know. He’s early.”
“What are you talking about?”
Avery appears in the doorway, wearing the same ridiculous smile as Harley. “She’s right here.” Avery sweeps a hand out like she’s Vanna White preparing to turn letters.
Jackson steps around the corner, and my mouth instantly goes dry and my palms dampen. I don’t understand how anyone can get anything done when he’s around. He fills up the entire room with his presence and seems to suck the air right out of it.
He’s dressed in a crisp gray suit with a pale peach tie, in the same shade as my dress. It’s as if we color coordinated today, like we’re going to a school dance. I drink in the sight of him, from his polished shoes to the gorgeous smile, dark hair tamed with product, and vibrant eyes that I want to drown in.
What the hell is wrong with me? I’m supposed to be working with him, not eyeing him like a chocolate bar and bag of chips during Shark Week.
I roll my chair back and rise on slightly unsteady legs. “Hi, Jackson. I didn’t realize you were in Colorado. I thought this was supposed to be a Zoom call.” My voice is pitchy, as though I’m suddenly channeling a teenage boy.
“You’re right, but this morning I decided I wanted to come out and see the place, get a real feel for it. And almost all of my meetings this week have been Zoom calls, so I figured I’d change it up. Get some fresh air.”
“Right. Okay. Well, this is a pleasant surprise.” At least my lady bits are pleasantly surprised. The rest of me is a little unprepared to deal with Jackson in three dimensions.
I introduce Jackson to Avery and Harley, who both thank him for the opportunity.
“Selene has an amazing following,” Harley says. “I think it’s great that you’re partnering with her for this initiative. It’s wonderful to see a company like Holt Media working with influencers to help promote businesses in an organic way.”
“That was exactly the thinking behind it,” Jackson says. “And Selene is very savvy when it comes to this side of things, so bringing her on board was definitely something we can all benefit from.”