“Can he help us?” I asked
Lisa nodded. “Yes.”
I waited for her to dial, but she didn’t. So I smiled. “Lisa, you don’t have to call him. I’ll figure something out. I just need more time, is all.”
“No, don’t be silly. I can help. Besides, he owes me.” She pressed dial and lifted the phone to her ear. Whoever she was calling answered on the third ring. I heard a deep male voice say Lisa’s name into the line. She looked down at her lap. “Hi, Stephen. Yes, I know it’s been a long time. I hate to do this to you but I was actually calling to cash in on that favor.”
She was quiet for a minute as this man, Stephen, said something to her.
I tried to look busy so she didn’t feel like I was listening to every word she said, even though that’s exactly what I was doing.
“Look,” Lisa said. “I’m trying to get my hands on a venue for a fundraiser my brother is hosting. Yes, Lukas. Who else would I be talking about when I say my brother?”
I tried to hide my smile. Whoever this guy was, I suspected there was a bit of history there.
“Never mind,” Lisa said. “The point is we’re on a bit of a time crunch and we can’t get a ballroom anywhere. So I want yours. The Saturday after next. Six o’clock until, well, until whenever the night ends. Our guests are not the sort of people you can impose a curfew on.”
He said something on the other line that sounded a lot to me like “absolutely not.”
Lisa held up a finger to me. “You owe me, Stephen. Remember? And you know I’m not one to ask for help but you’re the only person I can go to right now.”
He said something else that made her smile.
“Yes, well, times have changed,” she said. “So are you going to give me the ballroom or do I need to go to someone else for help?”
He started talking about price.
Lisa shook her head. “I think you have the wrong idea, Stephen. I want it for free.”
He didn’t like that. I heard his voice rise and he started giving Lisa a piece of his mind.
She was unfazed. “I know it’s not ideal for you, but trust me. This event will bring people in. If you have any suites open, they’ll fill up, I promise. The press will be there. Your hotel will be featured as the beautiful backdrop of a spectacular evening for Seattle’s wealthiest citizens. Don’t tell me you can’t see the value in that.”
A couple more exchanges were made before it came clear that Lisa was coming out on top. Eventually, Stephen caved, and Lisa secured the ballroom for free with a triumphant smile. “You’re a dear, Stephen. You have no idea how much this helps me out. Thank you so much.” She ended the call and dropped her phone back in her purse. She wiped her hands together like she was a gymnast who’d just performed an incredible feat and was now knocking chalk off her fingers and palms. “Piece of cake.”
I eyed her suspiciously. “So who is Stephen?”
“He’s the owner of the Hotel Monroe.”
My eyes widened so much so that I thought they might pop right out of my skull. “The Monroe? Are you serious? We’re going to get the Monroe for the fundraiser?”
Lisa beamed at me. “Sure are, babe.”
“That’s the fanciest hotel in Seattle! And what, you say the right things and you’re able to swindle the ballroom for free on a Saturday night? How is that possible?”
“Stephen—I mean Mr. Edmonds,” she amended, “owes me a favor. And I’m a hard woman to say no to.”
“Why is this the first time I’m hearing about you knowing Stephen Edmonds?”
Lisa shrugged. “He’s a bit of a jerk. I don’t like to bring him up in casual conversation. He’s just the sort of guy you keep in your back pocket for things like this. I got him out of a pretty bad PR scrape a couple of years back and he told me he would make it up to me when I needed help. This seemed like the right time to cash in on that.”
I leaned forward with a conspiratorial grin. “Is there more to this thing between you and Stephen than just you being his PR rep?”
Lisa shook her head. “No. Absolutely not. I don’t like to talk about him because he’s not worth thinking about. Don’t get it twisted, Kayla. Sometimes, you keep people around because of what they can do for you. It’s just good business.”
I let the matter lie. Clearly, Lisa didn’t want to talk about it. But letting it lie didn’t mean I wasn’t suspicious. Something had certainly happened between the pair. Whether it was just business or something more, I suspected I might never know.
“Thank you for your help,” I said. “I felt like I was slamming my head against the wall trying to make something work. This is a huge load off my shoulders.”
“My pleasure.” Lisa got to her feet and retrieved her sunglasses from her purse. “Let me know if there’s anything else I can help you with. I have a lot of connections, so if you need hookups with caterers for a glamorous event like this, I’m your girl. I could probably swing some entertainment, as well as bartenders too. You are going to do a full-service bar, right?”
“Of course,” I said smoothly.
“Good. Make sure there’s a specialty cocktail or something. The rich love a fancy drink they can post to their socials. Branding is in the little things.”
“Right. Specialty cocktails. Anything else?”
Lisa shrugged and opened the office door. “I’m sure you have it under control. Email me what you have so far and I’ll start working on the marketing. I’ll contact the photographer from the farm
