“We can put it to a vote at the next board meeting.”
“I know, but I need to know you’re on my side, Jameson. Everyone looks to you when it comes to weighing out the risks. You’ve got my back, right?” I held out my fist. “When have I ever not come through for you guys?”
His face switched from guarded to wide open. “I’m not doubting you, Hunter.” He squeezed the bridge of his nose under his glasses. “If you say you can get it done, I believe you.” He knocked his fist into mine.
They trusted me to pull this off. The relief was swift. A lot of times I felt like they were all waiting on me to screw up, to finally not be the guy who could get anything. To fail and be shown the door. I’d already said goodbye to enough people in my life and I couldn’t not have these guys in mine.
“But wrapping up this much of our cash flow into one event…it’s a risk.”
“One I am fully aware of and don’t take lightly. I’ve already got ten bands lined up who can take the spots of the four who dropped out once Audio International said they were cancelling.”
“Sounds like you’ve got a plan.” Jameson gave his nod of approval.
“Always.”
He checked his watch. “I’ve got to pick up Teresa from Girl Scouts. My mom’s working a double.”
“Tell Rachel I said hi.”
He glared and disconnected his laptop. “No, I won’t.”
I sighed and shook my head. “I didn’t mean it like that, just normal friend of her son ‘hi’.”
His glaring continued.
“Will you get over it already? I’ve seen your mom naked exactly once, and it was an accident.”
He shot up, jamming his glasses back up his nose, and threw on his blazer, although we were a strictly business-casual office unless working an event required anything more. “I don’t want to talk about it.” He searched his desk and gathered a few more things before sliding everything into his bag. “Teresa’s birthday is coming up, and you know she wants us to make her cake again.”
“I’ll get her a great present. What’s she into this year?”
“Teresa doesn’t want presents. She wants everyone there to celebrate with her.”
Exactly, which was why I did not want to get caught in the cake catastrophe that had happened for the past two years. “I can get her a cut-the-line pass at Sesame Place. She’ll be walking down Sesame Street hand in hand with Big Bird and Elmo.”
“You’re coming—early enough to help.”
“Fine, but I’m strictly on cake-eating duty. Make sure the face isn’t looking at me this time. Thomas looked like he rode through the night stealing children’s souls.” I shuddered. Last year’s attempt at Thomas the Tank Engine had been a horror movie jump scare.
“Oh no.” He rounded the desk. For all his mild-mannered-reporter look, he was still an inch and a half taller than me, and I wasn’t exactly short. “You’re on baking duty just like the rest of us. Better start brushing up on those skills.” His hand clamped down and patted my shoulder on our way out of his office.
“Can’t we just buy her one?”
“Stop trying to wriggle out of this. We’re doing it. End of discussion.”
Leo walked out of his office and shoved his blazer on. The fabric looked a thread away from ripping.
“I thought you were supposed to get smaller after you left the pros.”
He stopped mid-button. “I refuse to turn into a flabby former player, but the volume of hay bales I was lifting all summer getting these company retreats put together was enough to kick my ass more than any linebacker. I’ll never forgive myself for making cozy, s’more-filled company team building adventures a thing.” He dragged his fingers through his hair and turned to leave. “I’ve got a meeting, then I’m headed straight home after I’m finished.”
Jameson stepped forward. “I added Teresa’s birthday to your calendar.”
Leo’s shoulders sagged. “Can’t we buy her a cake and take her go-carting or something instead? Hunter could probably get her a starring role in Cirque du Soleil or her own pony if she wanted.”
I opened my mouth.
“She wants us all there. It’s all she wants.”
Leo’s lips pressed together. “You know we can’t say no to her.” He checked his watch. “I’m out of here. See you guys tomorrow.” With a half salute he disappeared through the double doors and took the stairs instead of the elevator.
A voice shot through the open-plan space in the center of the office where the assistants and coordinators sat. “And you’re the biggest asshole I’ve ever met!” A shower of paper and folders flew into the air.
August stood feet away from the desk with both hands behind his back.
His most-likely-no-longer-working-for-us assistant telegraphed all kinds of red-flag-waving behavior.
“I told him not to hire a guy.” Jameson pinched the bridge of his nose.
The entire office had ground to a halt, everyone waiting for the eventual eruption.
“At least I’m good at what I do, unlike you.” August’s crisp cool voice was a stark contrast to the fuming happening feet from him.
I dropped my head, exhaling from the bottom of my lungs.
The guy lunged, fist flying through the air straight for August’s face.
Like he was a superhero in his own movie, August sidestepped him and grabbed his arm, twisting it behind his back. “Now you’re fired. Thanks for making it easy on me. The paperwork can be a real bitch.”
The guy struggled. I hadn’t even had time to learn this one’s name.
Wrestling against August’s hold, our ex-employee didn’t stand a chance.
August marched his new ex-assistant right past us, out the front doors of the office and down the stairs. At least it was only three flights down.
Jameson shook his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose under his glasses. “Severance packages are going to have to be included in our bridal fees if he keeps this up.”
“How many is that so far this year?”
“Eight.” Jameson stared after the now-closed glass doors leading to the elevator. “I don’t know why I bother putting out ads. At this point I could pull someone off the street and they’d probably last as long as the seasoned professionals he’s chewing through.”
“At least he’s not this big of an asshole to clients.”
“He charms them in his own way.”
August stepped off the elevator with two cups of coffee like he’d just gone down for a stroll, not to throw someone out of the building.
He set one of the cups on Phylis’s desk. She preened, patting his hand, and he pecked her on her cheek before walking back into the office.
Everyone else around us snapped back to their work the second he crossed the threshold.
“Do you have to run off every assistant we hire?” Jameson’s grip tightened on his bag.
August walked past us with his arms spread wide. “Do I have to keep working weddings?”
“You’re practically booked into the next century and obviously you do great work.”
He charged forward, jabbing a finger on the hand holding the coffee toward us both. “You said this was temporary. I’d do weddings to get the business off the ground, and then I’d have an out.”