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Noelle chimes in. “Do you even knowhowto have a normal conversation?”
“Hardy har har.” I know I’m the queen of giving my friends shit, so even though I act like it bugs me, I love it when the girls give it right back.
I grab a potato skin and then saunter off toward the stairs to go somewhere quieter. Once I reach Amelia’s room at the top of the landing, I take a seat on the bed and hit my boss’s name to call him back.
“Penelope.” Charles answers after one ring. “I’m sorry to bother you on a Sunday.”
“No, you’re not, but I appreciate you acting like you care.”
He laughs. “You know me too well. Anyway, I’m sorry but not really sorry to interrupt your weekend, but an event popped up that I need you to assist with. It’s in two weeks.”
“Who dropped the ball this time?” I ask, knowing that the only reason he would give me such short notice is because someone isn’t doing their job.
“It doesn’t matter. All I need is for you to be there to manage a few things and make sure our company doesn’t look like we can’t handle our shit.”
I’ve worked for Edelman PR Company out of their Los Angeles office for the past five years, and in that time, I’ve made a name for myself as a rep that my boss can count on because I truly am a badass bitch. I manage clients such as fast food companies, department stores, and even celebrities, though I’m very selective about which celebrities I choose to take on. There’s just a certain line I can’t cross there for personal reasons, which I won’t get into at this time.
Sighing out loud and pinching the bridge of my nose while I mentally recall every event on my calendar for the next two weeks to ensure there’s no conflict, I accept defeat. “Fine. Who’s the client?”
“It’s Zio’s Vodka. They’re revealing a new line of flavored vodka and seltzers and sponsoring a night atLoft 24. You’ve worked with Hayes Weston and his employees many times before, so I know they can trust you to make sure the night goes off without complications. Just delegate what you need done to your team, and don’t let me down. Zio’s is making a name for themselves, and I want them to know they can count on Edelman’s to make sure everyone knows who they are.”
“I understand. I’ll make sure the night is flawless.”
“I know you will,” he says, and I swear I can hear the smile in his voice.
“Now, if you don’t mind, I have a Super Bowl party to get back to.”
“I didn’t know you were a football fan. I thought you always avoided sports.”
“I do on a professional level, but let’s be honest, Charles... I’m really just here for the booze and food.”
He laughs. “That sounds more like you. Enjoy the rest of your day, Penelope. I’ll see you in the office tomorrow.”
“See ya then.”
Hanging up the call, I stare down at my phone before pushing off the bed and walking to the window to take in Amelia’s neighborhood. I berate myself for not saying no to Charles, even though I know how to say no when it counts. This was just a battle I didn’t feel was worth fighting, and honestly, alcohol companies are clients I know how to please with my eyes closed.
A family walks down the sidewalk in front of Amelia’s house, pushing a double stroller as the mom and dad laugh at each other before the man bends down to kiss his wife’s temple.
And just that sight has a flash of memories lunging forward, a mixture of reality and visions of a future that I don’t let myself think about very often. But they slam into me, reminding me of a life I was supposed to have but never got to and the decision I made to never let that be a possibility again.
Shaking off the rush of emotions that just bombarded me, I turn and head back downstairs, knowing that a few glasses of champagne and more snacks that I refuse to feel guilty about today will help distract me from thinking about how different a day like today would have been if my life had turned out the way I planned.
And maybe that’s why I don’t bother planning much anymore except when it comes to my job.
When I enter the kitchen again, the sound of Ethan, Damien, and Nick screaming at the television helps drown out my thoughts, especially as I see a glass of champagne waiting for me on the kitchen counter. I grab the bubbly liquid and another potato skin and then head into the living room to join my friends who are more like my family since I haven’t really seen mine in twelve years.
“What did your boss want?” Noelle asks me as I sit down next to her.
“He needs me to run point on a vodka launch party in two weeks. It’s for a new client, and he’s afraid the agent he assigned doesn’t know their head from their ass, so I have to step in and show them how it’s done.”
“Which you will,” she says.
“You know it, girl.” We clink glasses just as the whistle rings out from the television.
“Damn! Come on, Kansas City!” Ethan shouts. “This game better not be like this the entire time.”
“Like it would be any different if Dallas were playing,” Nick mutters under his breath. Ethan is a diehard Dallas Cowboys fan, and Nick, Amelia’s brother, loves giving him shit about it. And I’m not gonna lie, I usually get in on that action, too.
