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Her mom retreats to the kitchen, and Kate says, “I need your help, Immy.”
“Absolutely. I’m about to be off for Christmas break and can take you to the doctor or for treatments. We can watch old movies—”
Kate shakes her head. “No, I need you to take my place in London. I have enough points on my Amex card to purchase your flight, and you can stay at the venue.”
As I put my coffee on the table, I tell her, “I’m not an events person. And I’m not you. I can’t fly into a foreign place and go kayaking or trekking up a mountain. I need time to plan and think things through.”
She moves and winces in pain. “You don’t have to do an adventure tour right away. As I explained, my next assignment is to organize a wedding at a remote castle in the country.”
My throat constricts as I watch her fight through the pain. I want to help, but I can’t organize a wedding. I’ve only been to London a few times. And I don’t have the skillset to lead adventure tours. I can barely manage a run in the park.
I touch her leg gently. “I hate that you are injured. And I want to help, but you know I’m not good at flying by the seat of my pants. I need structure and time to assess the situation before taking action.”
She raises her eyebrows. “I’ve done the preliminary work. And you’re the most organized person I know. I’ve seen you settle a classroom full of eight-year-olds about to go on summer break. It’s the same thing. You can handle a small wedding. And after that, you’ll love getting out in the wild and experiencing nature up close. People pay a ton of money to go on the adventures, and you’ll experience it all for free.”
“There must be someone from Bespoke Adventures that can fill in.”
Kate grimaces in pain as she attempts to move her arm. “No, I told you, this is the first Bespoke Event. They haven’t added staffing yet. Please, Immy. I need you to go and not let this wedding be a disaster.”
My mouth feels dry. I can’t fly to London at the last minute. “There are so many issues with me stepping into your shoes. The client will freak out. I won’t know anyone and—”
Holding herself upright, Kate narrows her eyes. “Take a breath, Imogen. I know you can do this. You’ve fantasized forever about having some adventure in your life.”
I sit up taller. “Yes, but that is pure fantasy. I’ll never act on it. I have a predictable job teaching third grade, and someday I’ll go to graduate school.”
Kate flops back on the sofa pillows. “Today is that day, Imogen Smith. Today is when you pack your bag and head off to do something completely outside your comfort zone.”
Ellen calls from the kitchen, “Don’t push her. Give her time to think.”
Kate looks into my eyes and says in a hushed tone, “If I can’t make this work, I’m going to be fired.”
“No one would fire you for breaking your elbow. It was an accident. A terrible accident.”
Sniffling, she says, “Alex Stern would. He is insane and expects no excuses. He didn’t want to organize this wedding. I promised him that I could do it in my sleep. And he tells all of his employees that failure is not an option. I hesitate to tell you this, but the woman getting married is a relative.”
Tears slip down her cheeks, and I can feel my resolve crumbling. She has saved me countless times with no questions asked. I can’t let her down. The idea of taking a leave from work and dealing with so many unknowns makes me feel queasy. But I know I can do it. It may not be pretty, but I can try.
Standing up, I tell her, “Okay. I’ll sort this out. You take care of yourself and get better.”
Warmth radiates through me. It feels good to make her happy and to do something. Hopefully, when my adrenaline rush slows, I won’t completely panic. But how hard can it be to solve small problems and gush over cute decorations?
She clutches a pillow with her good arm and asks, “You’ll go there and handle everything? I can tell Alex I have the perfect replacement?”
I nod. How bad can her boss be? I’ve heard stories since she started the job but always assumed the retellings were exaggerated. No one can scare off a rattlesnake with a look or scale mountains without equipment. Even so, Alex Stern must be an egomaniac.
I tighten my ponytail. “I teach tomorrow. It’s the last day before the Christmas holidays. You can book a flight in the evening and email me the details. I’ll handle my family. They won’t be happy, but they’ll survive.”
I pick up my coffee cup, and Ellen swoops in, hugging me from the side. “Thank you, Imogen. You’re amazing. Katie can’t lose this job. It’s everything to her.”
Smiling, I say to her, “I know.”
Glancing at Kate, I say, “I need to go. I have a thousand things to do, so I’ll be ready to fly out tomorrow evening. I’ll be back on the first?”
Kate shakes her head. “Part of my contract is that I must give thirty days’ notice if I need time off. Could you take a few weeks of leave?”
“I guess, but it would be unpaid.” My supervisor won’t be pleased. It’ll be disruptive to the classroom.
She holds up her hand. “I’ll cover your salary. I won’t need much to stay here, and you don’t earn much at the private school. Just text me the amount, and I’ll wire it to your account.”
