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“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“Actually, no. She was wondering if we had any sort of program that helped expedite and sort future clients in order to pair them with the best consultant. She said something about a system that helped sort the number of clients evenly so it gave you the opportunity to—”
“Make them salary,” I said, grinning.
“Yes, sir.”
“What a woman,” I murmured.
“What was that?” she asked.
“Nothing. Put a meeting on the books for me and Olivia to discuss that very topic. I want to speak with her face-to-face about it.”
“Of course, sir. I’ll get it on the calendar for sometime next week.”
“Perfect. Now, this party. Did you price it out for me?”
“I did, and it actually won’t cost us much. I priced it two ways. We can either have the party here, in the massive conference room on the other side of the floor.”
“Or…?” I asked.
“Or we can hold it in one of the ballrooms at the Savant. Have an open bar, a DJ, rent out some hotel rooms so people don’t drink and drive home.”
“I like the sound of that option better.”
“It’s the more expensive route,” she said.
“And I want to spare no expense for this party. Go ahead and get it planned. Halloween night. I’m sending out an email about it this afternoon. Open bar, five-star chef in the kitchen, live music, the works.”
“Live music, sir?” she asked.
“Yes. Live music. Like I said, spare no expense.”
“I’ll get on it.”
“Thank you, Katherine.”
I dismissed her from my office and started typing out the email. In two weeks, my entire company would know exactly how much I enjoyed throwing a party. A masquerade ball, complete with outfits, tuxedos, flowing gowns, and beautiful masks. I forwarded the email invitation to everyone in the office, then pulled up a separate email for Olivia. I copied and pasted the email invitation, but instead of the subject line being for the party, I wrote something a little different.
Dinner tonight at my place?
I sent the email off and leaned back into my chair. I grinned as I watched the email be delivered, then opened. I pulled up an email for Katherine and shot her the phone numbers of the bartenders and the chef I trusted for events like this. If she could book them, that was where I wanted her to start. And by the time I was done sending that email off, Olivia had responded.
But not in the way I thought she would.
Doesn’t shock me at all that you’re throwing a Halloween bash. Sounds like fun. Not sure about dinner tonight, I’ll have to think about it. But I’ll let you know.
Think about it. What was there to think about? It was obvious the connection we had was still there. Plus, I wanted to speak with her about her questions she was asking Kathy earlier anyway. Dinner at my house gave us time to do both, to talk professionally as well as personally. Lunch in my office had been a little too muddied with professionalism. If I got Olivia outside of the office, it gave me more of a chance to get to know her. To get to know the woman she had blossomed into. I wanted to know so many things. What happened with her dreams regarding her practice? How was her mother and her brother? Why wasn’t she pursuing her master’s?
I wanted to know these things. So I typed an email back.
Well, should you decide to come, I’ll be cooking salmon. I have some things I want to discuss with you anyway. Like the ideas you were running by Katherine earlier. Here’s my cell number. Call me if you’d like my address.
I sent off the information she needed and left the ball in her court. Maybe the mentioning of business matters would make her feel more comfortable coming to my place. One by one, people in the building put in their confirmations for the party. One by one, the guest list mounted. It grew from one hundred to two hundred. To three hundred. Consultants and their wives. Their husbands. Their plus ones. It made me excited for the holiday.
Especially with Olivia RSVPing the fact that she was attending.
I closed up my office right at six after contacting the four women I wanted to have meetings with. Two of them would have to fly in, but the other two were in the area. I scheduled meetings in my office with them and got those onto my calendar, then readied myself for the night. I went home and changed out of my suit, slipping into a pair of dark-wash jeans and a casual button-down shirt. I pulled out the salmon that had been marinating all day, grinning as my plan slowly came together.
But as I started cooking, my phone never rang.
I kept cooking for two, knowing Olivia would eventually call. I checked my email and saw she had received and opened my reply. So, she’d call. She had my number. I cooked the salmon and decided to top it off with a cheesy shrimp sauce. I fried up some yucca root fries I’d had on one of my many trips to Costa Rica and grilled some vegetables to round out the dinner. I set both of the plates on my kitchen table and lit candles all around us. I popped open a bottle of wine and set it in a stainless steel bucket of ice, then went and grabbed two crystal wineglasses.
