Damien waves me off. “You came highly recommended. One of Tri-City Media Group’s owners attended one of your parties and was thoroughly impressed. He convinced the others you were a sure fit to make our event a success.”
The compliment makes me smile. “We’re flattered. Thank you so much for the opportunity.”
Damien sits back in his chair, his gaze roaming back and forth from me and Jordan. “The station wants this year’s party to be different from the others. We want it bigger and better, which means we need a different venue. I was hoping you’d have some suggestions. We also want to make this year’s event for singles only. There have been lots of requests for it.”
Interesting. It’s actually not a bad idea. It just so happens I have a ton of ideas. I slide my small notebook out of my bag and write down some notes. “Don’t worry about the venue. Jordan and I have put together many events in downtown. I know the perfect place.” We just had a party at a nice hotel in downtown that’d be perfect. It’s also convenient having it at a hotel since it’s a singles only ball. I’m sure a lot of the hotel rooms will be booked up that night once it’s said and done.
I scribble a few more notes into my notebook. “How about food?” I ask, meeting Damien’s gaze. “Open bar? Dessert only? Costumes mandatory?”
His grin widens. “All of the above. I’m leaving it all in your capable hands. There’s no money limit on this. I was told to give you free rein on whatever your creative mind comes up with.”
Never in my life have we been given such freedom with planning a party. I honestly don’t know how much to do. Jordan seems to be in just as much shock judging by her gaping mouth. She looks at me and laughs. “Wow. This is a first.”
Damien slides an envelope my way. “My boss wanted me to give you this upfront. It should cover the entire party, and also, your fee for planning.”
The envelope isn’t sealed and I really want to peek inside, but something tells me it’s going to be way more than enough. “Thank you,” I say as I slide the envelope into my notebook. “We won’t let you down.”
Damien stands and holds out his hand. “I know you won’t. We’re all looking forward to the party. The tickets usually sell out within the first hour they’re posted. We’ll wait to put them up for sale until we hear from you on the venue. This way, we can figure out how many tickets we need.”
I shake his hand, and Jordan does the same. “Sounds great,” I tell him. “I’ll contact the venue as soon as we leave here and have an answer for you later this afternoon.”
Damien nods happily. “Perfect. I look forward to hearing back from you.” He walks over to the door and opens it. “Do you need me to walk you out?”
“Oh, no.” I wave him off. “But thank you though. We know where to go.”
He says his goodbyes and heads in the opposite direction down the hallway. Jordan leans in close and whispers in my ear. “How much is in the envelope?”
My heart races excitedly. I slip the envelope out of my notebook and pull the check halfway out. It’s like the air whooshes out of my lungs the second I see the figures. I slap a hand over my mouth. “Holy shit. It’s half a million dollars.”
Jordan grabs her chest. “Oh, my God. This is insane.”
Quickly, I push the envelope back into my notebook and take a deep breath. I thought we made a lot of money from the Carolina Cougar party, but this one takes the cake. I grab Jordan’s arm so we can get out of there. What I really want to do is scream at the top of my lungs and do a victory dance. I’m just floored at how far Jordan and I have come in just over eight years.
Picking up my pace, I pull Jordan with me. “We really need to celebrate tonight.”
Her eyes widen at something to my side. “Ensley, look out.”
Just as she says it, I bump into someone on my left. Not only do I bump into him, but I accidentally step on his foot as well, losing my balance in the process. “Oh my God,” I gasp just as a firm grasp grips my arm to steady me. The man beside me smiles and loosens his hold on me.
“Glad I was here to catch you.”
For a moment, it’s like I’m frozen in time. His voice sounds so familiar, but I don’t recognize his face. “I am so sorry,” I apologize. “I should’ve watched where I was going.”
His dark blue eyes twinkle. “No worries.” Then he holds out his hand. “I’m Owen Jameson.”
I shake his hand. “Ensley Anderson, and this is my business partner, Jordan McMahan.”
He shakes her hand, as well. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about you both. Everyone here is excited for the Halloween bash.”
“They should be. It’s going to be epic.”
Owen smirks. “I have no doubt. I’m sure I’ll see you ladies again soon.”
I’m too mesmerized by his voice to even respond. Jordan speaks up for me. “Yes, you will. Have a good day.” She squeezes my arm, and I follow her to the door. “Talk about gorgeous,” she says low. “He’s single too. I didn’t see a wedding ring.”
I roll my eyes. “That doesn’t mean anything. He could still be married, just not wearing a ring.”
She stops at the door and sneaks a glance over her shoulder. “Nope. He’s single. For some reason, he can’t seem to keep
