More silence. Now it’s my turn Kayne shrug.
“I rest my case.”
The clock on the wall tells me this meeting needs to end.Now. We’ve gotten nowhere, and I have no choice but to leave the ideas in the hands of my trusted comrades. I’m more than exhausted, and the fact that I have a dozen other things I need to do, including packing luggage, isn’t making it any better.
“I thought we could find a solution before my trip, but this isn’t it. Making a drastic turn is too risky, in my opinion. We would benefit more with a solution aligned withourvoice. A story that will put us back in the spotlight.”
There are a few cheerless faces flickering across the table. Felix shakes his head and closes his laptop with a little bit too much force.
“Thank you, everyone, for your thoughts. I appreciate you. I would like to come back from Hawaii with some concepts that will raise these numbers and get us back on top of our game.”
Everyone stands, some wishing me a safe trip before leaving the conference room and others mumbling things I’m sure they wouldn’t repeat in my face. Lo stays behind. Arms crossed. Face vexed.
“Don’t give me that look,” I tell her.
“I’m just saying. You’re going to Maui. She’s rumored to be there.”
“Yes,rumored. We don’t know that for sure. We also don’t know if it’s the same time I will be there. Do you know how many people get married in Hawaii? Destination weddings are a thing of the norm.”
“Yeah, but this is a celebrity destination wedding. A-list.”
“I don’t know.”
“Fine. Forget it. Take your little trip,” she quips. “Relax. Have a ball. Maybe a little Hawaii Bliss will get you to see that this is a good idea and you’ll change your mind.”
“Sure. Ok. If I happen to randomly see them in Hawaii, we can put it back on the table.”
I huff out a sigh. I don’t have any more energy to give to this topic of conversation. My thoughts have already moved pastModand onto the chaos of packing a week’s worth of clothes, beauty products, and accessories.
“Deal?” begs Lo as she follows me out of the conference room.
“Deal,” I roll my eyes because that’s about as likely as a snowball's chance in hell.
2
good note
MARLEY
I’m runningon fumes by the time I wake up the next morning. My plan was to pack the night before, but after a long hot shower, my body begged for rest, and I ended up dozing off before the sun went down. Now I’m up at one in the morning, packing for a seven-day trip that takes off in less than four hours. I am pushing my luck, I know.
Goodness me.
“Hawaii,” I murmur under my breath.
Just saying it aloud feels like a breath of fresh air. Later today, I'll be sitting by the ocean, drinking spiked piña coladas in a fresh coconut shell, listening to the rhythmic crash of waves with the ocean breeze washing away every ounce of stress. No deadlines. No emails. Just me, the sun, and the ocean.
With the help of my travel agent, I created an itinerary for my stay in Maui. There is sunrise yoga, a chocolate farm tour, and, because all the dolphin excursions are booked,insert ugly cry, a scenic hike up a volcano. The rest of the days involved reserving a cabana on the beach and reading romance novelscarefully selected from my TBR. Sometimes simplicity is the most powerful way to have the best unwinding trip. There will be no over-planning, just focusing on what my mind and body need right now.
Peacefulness and serenity.
One hour, thirty minutes, and two packed suitcases later, I sit drained in the middle of my walk-in closet, overthinking everything I’ve packed and wondering if there is anything I forgot. When it occurs to me that I’m not even dressed, I throw on a leopard print midi skirt and a fitted tee. Then I put on some no-show socks, slide my feet into some Pumas, and add some pep to my step, my mind racing.
What else? What else?
Am I forgetting something?
Oh, weekender bag. Pack weekender.
