Starry-Eyed Love (Spark House)

“Avery will want to buy yurts.”

“She’s obsessed with the freaking yurts. I think she honestly just likes saying the word yurt.”

“It’s gratifying, almost like dropping an f-bomb,” Harley agrees. “I could maybe take on a side nanny gig again.” Harley’s eyes light up like she’s a kid in a candy store.

“You need to find a guy in his thirties who’s looking to settle down and have a family, like stat.” I snap my fingers.

Harley loves babies the same way every human with a heart loves puppies. She’s destined to be a mom. In fact, she used to be a full-time nanny until she started working with me and Avery at Spark House.

She waves a hand around in the air. “It’ll happen one day.”

“I really hope we win them over.” The more I talk about it, the more I want it.

Her smile is soft and maternal. My baby sister is wise beyond her twenty-five years. “If it’s meant to be, it’ll be. They already think we’d be a good fit, now we just have to make sure they’re the right fit for us.”

* * *

My meeting isn’t until eleven, but I leave at nine thirty so I can get a lay of the land and one more practice round with my presentation. I move to the back seat of the SUV, so I’m behind the cover of tinted windows, pop my earbuds in, and go over the entire thing from start to finish before I head inside.

The Concord is an opulent hotel in downtown Denver. Vaulted ceilings, state-of-the-art architectural designs, sleek lines and beautiful curves with dark trim, and luxurious furnishings make it the perfect combination of contemporary and classic.

I looked up what it costs to stay a night here, since it’s good to know what the going rate is. Even the most economical room would be considered a splurge. Mills Hotels are some of the most renowned in the world, and they’re basically everywhere. Because they are so different than Spark House, I’m not concerned about the rumors of them expanding into Colorado with more properties. The people who can afford to stay here generally aren’t the type of people looking to book an event at Spark House.

I make my way to the conference center and sign in with the receptionist stationed outside. I take a seat in the makeshift waiting room, which is empty apart from me. Even with all the research we did last night on Holt Media, I feel woefully uninformed about what exactly it is that they want to discuss with me. Apart from a few Instagram posts by that Selene woman regarding the Teamology initiative Holt Media is planning to roll out, there isn’t much available online about it.

While I wait, I review my list of questions. I wish I could do something constructive with my hands, but making origami stars in a waiting room doesn’t exactly send out a chill, polished vibe. So instead, I clasp my hands and settle them in my lap.

At ten fifty-eight, a man appears at the doorway. He’s wearing a charcoal-gray tailored suit and polished black shoes, and he’s holding a tablet. His dark blond hair is cut short and neatly styled. In fact, every single person I’ve seen come through here is incredibly poised and put together. He adjusts the frames of his glasses and glances at his tablet. “London Spark?”

“I’m London.” I shoulder my bag and stand, running my hands down the front of my pants to smooth them out, but also to absorb any dampness on my palms.

He gives me a warm smile and extends his hand. “I’m Mitchell. We spoke on the phone yesterday.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mitchell.” I give him a firm handshake.

“And you as well, Miss Spark. Thank you for making the time to come out and meet with us today. I’m aware you have a very busy schedule. You’re hosting a fiftieth wedding anniversary this weekend, is that correct?”

I nearly stumble over my response, surprised that he knows this. “We are. It’s been such a joy to organize. It’s amazing to see all of these people come together and celebrate love that has lasted generations.”

“It certainly seems that way based on your social media posts.”

Of course he would check out our social. “Ah yes, my sister Harley manages that side of things. She’s great at promoting the companies and businesses we work with to make our events special.”

“That’s an important part of the event process.” He nods his agreement. “My parents celebrated their thirty-fifth recently, and we had a big party to celebrate. Fifty years is quite the accomplishment.”

“Especially if they’re not hiding each other’s hearing aids so they can’t override the other’s decisions on what the color theme should be.”

He chuckles. “Sounds like maybe you’ve had some experience with that in the past.”