Within moments, she sets a perfect latte in front of me, foam decorated with a little swan that’s almost too pretty to drink. “Now spill about yesterday before I die of curiosity.”
I take a sip, perfect temperature, perfect flavor, liquid salvation in a cup. “The event was flawless. Every detail worked. The reindeer were a huge hit, kids loved the goats, parents raved about the setup. I got three emails this morning from people who attended asking if I’m available for their events.”
“That’s amazing!”
“Well, I’ve decided if I can’t keep running Confetti and Meatballs, I’ll start my own event-planning business. Doesn’t look too hard to set up online. I just need a name, a logo, and a little shameless self-promotion.”
Lily grins. “That’s the spirit. You don’t need a fortune, just Wi-Fi, caffeine, and that scary level of determination you get when you’ve been wronged.”
“I prefer to call it entrepreneurial vengeance.” I take another sip of coffee, already feeling the spark of energy. “Now I just need a name that screams ‘professional.’?”
“Okay, shoot.” She leans on the counter, all in. “What’ve you got so far?”
I tap my chin. “If I’m doing this, I want something clean and businesslike. Something people won’t laugh at.”
Lily immediately ruins that. “What aboutChaos and Champagne?”
“No.”
“Party Like A Mother?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Okay, okay…” She pretends to think deeply. “Hannah-Saves-Your-Ass Events.Very honest branding.”
I glare at her through my coffee steam. “I’m trying to look legitimate, not like I host interventions.”
She grins, utterly unhelpful. “Fine.Evergreen Events.Hannah Parker Events—ooh, that one actually slaps.”
I pause. “That… doesn’t suck.”
“Thank you. My genius is underappreciated. Now, tell me how the bounty hunter beefcakes behaved at the petting zoo. And if the answer isn’t ‘shirtless,’ I will be personally offended.”
I laugh. “No shirts came off.”
“Tragic.”
“But,” I continue, “everything went perfectly. The animals behaved. Nobody cried. And Noel—” I start laughing before I can finish. “Completely blew out the seam of his pants.”
Lily gasps, delighted. “No.”
“Oh, yes. Right in front of Santa’s chair. Full exposure. Kane nearly choked trying not to laugh, and I think the reindeer judged him harder than the parents.”
She’s howling now. “You’re kidding. You brought them to one event, and they already gave you viral content.” Then she pulls out a plate, carefully arranging three perfect macarons. “But you’re still giving me info about the bounty hunters while you eat. I want all the details.”
The café portion is empty right now, too early for most customers, so it’s just us standing at the counter, Lily on her side, me on mine, with expensive cookies and good coffee between us.
“They were great,” I say, taking a bite of a macaron. Tart lemon, sweet raspberry, the crunch of the shell giving way to soft filling. Heaven. “Really professional. Handled everything perfectly.”
“And?” Lily prompts, grinning.
“And what?”
“What else happened? You’re leaving something out. I can tell.”
I take another bite, avoiding her eyes. “Noel told me we’re scent matches.”
Lily drops the towel she was holding. It hits the floor, and she’s staring at me with her mouth open, eyes wide. “That’s huge.”
