Sleepless in Manhattan (From Manhattan with Love 1)

“You bury them.”

“Eva and Frankie were there for me right through the bad times. I don’t want to let them down. I’m scared of messing this up.”

And that, he knew, was the only reason she was here.

Because of her friends.

Nothing else would have brought her to his door.

“Stop thinking about it. Just do it. Take a deep breath and jump.”

“I’ll fall.”

“You’ll fly, Paige. Don’t think about your business, think about the job. Stop thinking about all the things that could go wrong, and focus on what needs to be done. Do the job. Do what you’re good at. Once you’ve done a few jobs, others will follow.”

“But how do we get those first jobs? If you have any advice I will gladly take it.” She swallowed hard. “I’m starting to think we need a miracle.”

“Word of mouth is the most powerful form of recommendation.”

She nodded. “We need a big event that will impress people, but no one is going to recommend us until they’ve hired us, and no one will hire us until someone has recommended us. And I’ve been thinking about that—” She bit her lip. “What if Chase Adams is telling people not to hire us?”

“He isn’t.”

“How do you know?”

“Chase Adams has been out of town and out of contact for a few weeks. His office said he’s on vacation.” He frowned. “Which is strange, now I think about it.”

“Why is that strange?”

“I’ve known Chase for ten years. He’s never taken a vacation. At least, not the sort where you don’t answer your phone.”

“Great. So Matilda was fired, we all lost our jobs and he’s on vacation! I hope he’s having a really great time.” Anger barely masked the misery and Jake made a decision.

“When he finally reappears, I’ll handle him. In the meantime, I’ve been thinking of running a corporate event.” He hadn’t, but it would do him no harm to hold one. “Showcase some of our work. Invite current clients and a few people I’d like to have as clients but who currently haven’t seen the light.”

“It sounds like a good idea. I hope it goes well.”

“It will, because Urban Genie will be running it. Actions speak louder than words. You’ll do a great job and by the end of the evening you’ll have more work than you’ll be able to handle at your kitchen table.”

“You want us to run it?” There was a shine in her eyes. “That’s...too big a favor.”

“It’s not a favor,” he said smoothly. “When I run an event I want the best, and I know that’s Urban Genie, even if other people don’t know it yet. Talk to your team and come back to me with a detailed proposal. Stun me. I want your best, most creative ideas.” Because that was what would guarantee her more business for the future.

She stirred. “How many guests?”

“I want it exclusive.” He narrowed his eyes, thinking of how it would work best for Paige. “Senior staff only.” She needed to meet people who could make decisions and sign off on the budget. “Small and select. One hundred maximum. Any venue suggestions?”

The uncertainty left her and she was all professional. “Rooftop. Glitzy. Manhattan at its starlit, magical best. Do you have any dates in mind?”

“I want it in the next month.” It was an almost impossible challenge at such short notice. He waited for her to tell him it couldn’t be done, that an event of that nature took months of planning, but she didn’t. In fact he could have sworn there was a glimmer of a smile on her face.

“Downtown?”

“I leave that decision to you.”

“There’s the Loft & Garden at the Rockefeller Center. They have a beautiful English garden with a reflecting pool.” She was thinking aloud, her eyes unfocused.

“Don’t they have a list of preferred vendors?”