“Fine.” I look at her cautiously. “Why? What did you do?”
“I’m offended!” she almost shouts at me. “You automatically assume the worst, don’t you?”
“Not entirely. However, I’ve known you since high school, and that face you’re making right now,” I point at her, “means something is up. Let’s cut to the chase and you tell me what it is.”
“Okay.” She sits down across from me. “I may have booked a fundraiser for us.”
“Go on.” This is only going to become worse.
“It’s for a big, big, big client.”
“And…”
“And,” she sucks in the air through her teeth, “it’s for Ashton Campbell and the Utah Bears. Their event planner backed out. Plus, it’s next weekend,” she rushes out quickly.
My mouth drops. “What?”
“We can do it. Together, we can do this.”
“You’re nuts. You want to plan a whole fundraiser in less than a week?”
“Lex, I know it seems impossible, but it’s very simple. It’s for an animal shelter, and all we have to do is a small lunch, and maybe find a location,” she whispers the last part.
“No freaking way. There’s no way, Tiff. The permits alone for the animals would take almost two weeks to get,” I try to explain.
“It wouldn’t because I have a contact at the county office that can help me with that. Come on, Lexie. This is for Ashton Campbell. This is for the Bears.”
“That’s not helping your case.” I point up to the wall on my left where all my Las Vegas Gamblers memorabilia is.
“Fine,” she groans. “Think about the contacts, then. Think of what it could do for our business.”
I hate to admit that she’s right. If word got out that we planned a Utah Bears event, it would really help us take our company to the next level. I rack my brain trying to see if this is possible. “How many people?”
“Three hundred, plus the animals.”
“Well, we could see if the dog park would let us do it there. I know someone in the Parks Recreation department. Plus, if it’s only lunch, we could spin it for a ‘bag lunch day in the park’.”
“Family friendly, I like it.”
“Fine, but stop taking short orders!” I yell at her.
“You’re my favorite,” she squeals, jumping from her seat. “I’m going to make some calls.”
We both get right to work. The dog park is on board, especially since it’s helping out a local no-kill shelter. I’m even able to find a caterer that had an opening, and said that a bag lunch would be easy to make in bulk. Tiffany is also able to have the permits ready by the middle of the week, and is able to rent tents and chairs.
Thankfully, it all comes together, and I’m still able to make it to Sadie’s school to pick her up. I park the car and walk up to the main door. Even though I usually wait for her in the car, it’s too pretty to be cooped up.
“Mommy!” Sadie runs up to me.
“Hi.” I bend down and wrap her in my arms. “Did you have a good day?”
“Yes. Mommy, come meet Reed.” She pulls away and tugs on my
arm towards a boy a little taller than her. “Reed!” she calls to him.
He turns. Reed has brown hair that hangs over his forehead and bright hazel eyes. He smiles when he sees Sadie, and it’s cute how his face lights up.
“This is my mommy,” Sadie says proudly. I don’t know why those four words almost bring tears to my eyes, but they do.