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I frown when I remember how my ex-boyfriend had sidetracked my efforts to advance. Pierre worked at the Louvre as a curator and kept dragging me along in a relationship that ended up not going anywhere. He sapped my energy and monopolized my time, while at the same time refusing to commit.
Taking a deep breath, I remind myself to stay present. This is not a good time to think about the past. I didn’t study art and archaeology at the Sorbonne to spend the rest of my life as an event planner. Never again will a man drag me along like that and distract me from my dreams.
As I enter the Great Hall, I’m struck with memories of Miles and our time there on Saturday. Once more, I wonder if I’ll ever see him again. Will he visit on one of the days that I’m working here? The thought that preying on women at the museum, discussing art, and seducing them might be his modus operandi had crossed my mind several times. After all, it hadn’t seemed like his first time at the hotel that night. But why go to such efforts and expense just to have sex . . . and without having any protection on him? I threw away the presumption because he had seemed too polished to be such a lowlife. But who knows?
Hastily, I push him out of my thoughts.
“Ms. Bartholomay.”
I whirl around, and a bright smile forms on my lips at the sight of my boss. The middle-aged woman with a moon face, friendly brown eyes, and a welcoming persona walks toward me with a young woman beside her, carrying a file.
“Good morning, Mrs. Winters.” I nod and smile at both.
“I trust you had a nice long weekend.”
If by nice you mean sleeping with a stranger and having him blow me off, then yeah, nice is the word.
“Yes, I did. I hope you did, too.”
“I sure did. Let me show you around.”
As my new boss takes me to the employee area and introduces me to my colleagues, I wish I hadn’t come here on Saturday to have a look around and get a feel for the place before starting work. I would never have met Miles and spent two days wondering why he didn’t want to see me again.
When she shows me to my office, a small but airy space, a thrill runs through me.
“I’m sure you already know what being an event planner at the museum entails, but I’ll go through it again for the sake of emphasis.”
“I’d be grateful to hear your expectations.” I quickly fish for my pen and pad in my purse and begin jotting.
“We hold a variety of events all year round. Some are private, some are public. You’ll be tasked with planning events like meetings, corporate dinners, or non-profit receptions for our members and patrons. We also offer after-hours tours around the museum for special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. Sometimes, we have private film screenings. You will see to all the arrangements of these events and make sure there are no double bookings.”
“Understood.”
“If you have any questions, I’ll be happy to answer them. But for now, I have a meeting to get to. Amelia will give you details concerning the upcoming event you’re going to organize.”
My heart skips a beat at the mention of starting work immediately, even though I’ve not yet gotten my bearings. But I draw in a deep breath and let it out slowly. I’m more than equal to the task. This won’t be much different from working as an event planner at the Louvre.
She nods and walks away. A smiling Amelia, possibly in her early twenties, comes into my office a few seconds later.
“Is it true you worked at the Louvre?” she questions, her long face shining and her blue eyes twinkling with curiosity.
“Yes.”
“How wonderful. I’ve always dreamed of working there. You have to tell me all about it at lunchtime, but for now, we’ve got work to do.”
I nod and pick up my pen and pad again.
“Your first big event is a reception for one of the Met’s Friend Groups. They’re a group of people with high ticket annual memberships, up to fifteen thousand dollars a year range.” Her eyes widen, and she adds in a whisper, “Can you believe that?” She giggles and rolls her eyes. “If I had that much money to spare, I would tour the world.”
I beam at her, acknowledging inwardly that I like her friendly spirit. She’ll make working here fun.
“I’d buy all the paintings in the museum and hang them in my living room.” I give her a conspiratorial smile.
She bursts into laughter. “Anyway, the dues are highly welcomed because they help to support the museum and its departments. The patrons are involved with the museum’s libraries, conservation, and curatorial departments. They hold most of their activities between September and June.”
She hands me some papers showing the various friend groups, their schedules, and annual dues. Arranging events for them will keep me busy throughout the year.
“After the reception is the opening of an exhibit of Mayan art,” Amelia mentions off-handedly.
