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Considering my frightened state last night, and the fact that I have one of my biggest events of the year tonight, I actually slept like a baby. I crawled into bed just after 11pm, and now I am up and ready to go at 8am.
My body is full of pre-event jitters. It is pure adrenaline that is coursing through my body, and I know I will be like this for the entire day and throughout the event tonight, then I won't be able to sleep tonight either. Tomorrow at around midday, once the event is complete and the event debrief is done, I will crash into a heap and sleep for days.
Such is the life of an event planner.
My stomach is too jittery, so I skip breakfast, deciding to have a coffee with the team at the venue when I get there. Probably the first of many as we all push through what will be close to an 18-hour day for us. Walking around the house, gathering my things, I notice how quiet it is. I thought mom was asleep last night when I got home, so I tiptoed around, but in the light of the morning, I know that isn’t the case. The house, our family home, feels lifeless. Cold and no longer the vibrant beating heart of the family that it once was.
I walk to her room and slowly open the door, peeking in to see her bed still made and not a thing out of place. Actually, as I push the door wider, I notice that there doesn’t seem to be a thing anywhere. The room is bare. The bedside tables are no longer holding the family photos or trinkets they once did. Her perfumes are no longer stacked on her dresser, and her jewelry is no longer displayed; now the surfaces are stark.
Walking to her closet, I’m confused as I step closer. It is empty. She has not only gotten rid of all dad's clothes, but most of hers are gone as well. I open one of her drawers and that is the same. I can’t believe she got rid of all dad’s things without telling me. I assumed that she would be staying with Brian, but by the looks of it, she has pretty much moved out.
I sit on the side of the bed, feeling an overwhelming sense of loneliness. Of course, I am in my mid-twenties, so I no longer need to be living with my parents and should find my independence. But with mom now making that decision without any discussion, and making it clear that she no longer wants to reside with me, it hurts.
As painful as it feels, maybe this is the final push I need. The feeling I have now, here in my family home, is in complete contrast to the warmth and freedom I felt in Hancock. Do I want to stay in D.C.? Sure, I have my business and my close friends, but is that enough?
Will Hancock be a new beginning? A fresh outlook for me, a new challenge?
I sigh as I stand and take one final look at the room. Mom and Brian are on the guest list for tonight, so I will no doubt speak to her briefly at the gala.
I walk back through the house, doing a mental checklist of the things I need, to ensure I am organized. My event bag is packed. Kelly, Beth, and I, along with most of our team, will be at the venue all day. We are expecting in excess of five hundred people tonight, all who will arrive from 6pm onwards. It is a black-tie function, so I have packed my formal wear along with hair and makeup supplies. I will be running around in flats and jeans today to get everything ready and then I’ll need to do a quick change at the last minute to fit in with the crowd.
My hair is up in a messy bun, my working hairstyle of choice, and I look around for the last-minute things I need to grab. I walk over to where my laptop and cell are charging, and immediately I am filled with dread at the sight. I forgot to turn on the power to them, so they are not charged. In fact, both have less than 10% life left in them, and I curse myself for being so forgetful. Although, since I was frightened out of my mind last night, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
I curse Richard again under my breath and grab them both and their chargers, throwing them into my bag. I will just need to charge them at the venue and hope they last the distance. At least my cell can charge a little in the car on the drive to the venue.
I stop one last time to check that I now have everything. Many other event managers usually attend their events as guests and have their team running around managing everything. But I prefer to be with my team on nights like tonight. I would rather be in the trenches with them, supporting them to ensure the event runs smoothly. Besides, it gives me a good excuse to not talk to Richard, because I will be busy running around and won't need to sit near him.
Richard. Urgh, just the thought of him gives me the shivers now. How I could have ever dated that man is beyond my comprehension. Dad was right not to like him, and I give a small thanks to dad in the sky for helping me dodge a bullet with that one. I just wish I had listened earlier.
With excitement running through my veins, I lock up the house and jump in the Jeep. I haven’t used my own car since being back in D.C. There is something about driving the Jeep around the city that I enjoy now. No longer can I sit in small, low cars, I prefer something higher, it feels stronger and safer, and I don’t think I will change back to my car any time soon.
As I reverse out of the driveway, I see the car parked across the street and know they are Jake’s men. Perhaps that’s why I slept so well last night, knowing that he was watching over me. I felt protected. I felt safe.
As I start my journey, I give them a quick wave and they pull out and follow me down the street. Jake has already given them my schedule for today. I will be at the hotel all day preparing and will be there well into the night, so it will be easy for them to know where I am. Perhaps the easiest job they have ever had. The gala won't end until around midnight and then I will stay with the team to ensure everything is finalized and packed up before heading home. I hope to be home by 2am if things all go as planned.
While I am driving, my phone rings, and I see Jake’s name light up on the screen. My battery is now flashing red, and I have 8% battery life left. I quickly answer and remember to plug it into my car charger at the same time.
“Hey!” I say, much happier than I was last night.
“Hey, baby girl,” he says, and I feel something is wrong. He sounds very serious for 8am in the morning.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“We have a bit going on at the moment,” he says, and I mentally kick myself because I know today he is flying to New York and is probably stressed about the memorial. He hasn’t said too much, I only know the basics, but I have been so caught up in my own workload and Richard’s stalker vibes to think too much about it.
“Belle, I am increasing the security around you today. I will have a team outside of the hotel as planned, but I am also going to have a few guys inside, following you.” Normally I would argue, but there is something in the tone of his voice that stops me.
“All right, thank you. But… is something wrong? Are you okay?” I am worried about him now. He obviously is anxious about today, and I don’t blame him.
“Baby girl, I know you are busy today, but I am going to email you a few headshots of some men. I want you to tell me if you have seen any of them, okay?”
Now I am on edge. “Jake, what is going on?” I ask quietly, because something tells me I don’t know everything.
“I don’t want you to worry, just look at your emails and let me know if you recognize any of them, okay?”
“Okay, yes, I will look at them as soon as I get to the hotel and let you know.”
“Okay. I’m about to jump on the plane, so I won't be able to talk to you while I am in New York, but I will call you as soon as I can, and please, just be careful today. Take security with you everywhere.”
