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The women often flock around my teammate, slipping their phone numbers into his pocket despite his lack of interest. He may flirt, but I have never seen him go out with anyone or accept any of their advances. I once asked Patrick why he doesn’t date, and he deflected by saying, “Ask me again when the pot can no longer call the kettle black.”
“Point taken,” I had said, letting the matter drop.
The empty ballroom transforms into a lavish dining experience during the next few hours. Over 50 tables are set—each seating ten people—decorated with black tablecloths topped with red and white carnations in crystal vase centerpieces. The overhead chandeliers are dimmed just enough to create a relaxed atmosphere but not so much that our vision is diminished.
I hear Jerry’s voice through my earpiece, “Carter, you’ll be standing in the corner of the northeast quadrant of the room, between the two potted trees.”
“Roger,” I acknowledge, while I immediately proceed to the specified location.
“His name is Jerry,” Savannah teases. “Roger is busy with another gig upstate.”
“That joke never gets old, does it?” I ask.
“Never,” declares Patrick while Jerry grumbles, “After the second time I heard it more than a decade ago and in the 27,312 times since.”
“Don’t be such a curmudgeon, Jerry,” Savannah jokes.
“And don’t be lazy!” Jerry retorts, annoyed. “Let’s stop dawdling and get to work, people!” I hear him clap twice from across the room in a “chop-chop” fashion.
I settle into my position and stand statuesque for the next three hours, my eyes continually scanning the crowd. There are a lot of people here, especially if you include the catering staff and servers who arrived, bringing the number of occupants in the room to around 650. We focus on our respective quadrant and notify the others if someone looks suspicious.
This event is one of the rare times when we don’t have a team member roaming about as part of the crowd. Elise said she wanted us to be “out of sight, out of mind” so the guests didn’t feel uncomfortable.
“Carter, do you know anyone here?” Savannah asks quietly through our comms.
“Not that I’m aware of, why?”
“A woman in my area keeps glancing your way, and I don’t just mean in your general direction. She is staring at you like she’s trying to figure out if she knows you.”
“It’s possible. My degree is in business, and I’ve been to several events like this in the past with Ben. Maybe she recognizes me from one of those. Does she look upset or threatening in any way?”
“No, she doesn’t. But she’s not one of the guests, Carter. She’s one of the servers. I just wanted to warn you in case she comes over. You might be a target.”
“Rog…Thank you for the heads up,” I tell her, changing my response at the last minute. The last thing I want to do is get into the whole “Roger” thing again.
I guess the woman Savannah had been watching decided I wasn’t who she thought I was because no one had approached me by the night’s end.
Elise is chatting with Jerry, shaking his hand, and smiling broadly at him. I expect to see him return the smile, but he doesn’t, keeping his frown firmly in place. When he notices all of us staring at him, he says, “Show’s over! Go home, get some rest, and enjoy your day off. I’ll see you all at 10:00 a.m. sharp on Wednesday for our team meeting.”
“One day, Jerry, a woman will appear out of nowhere and turn your world upside down and your frown along with it. I hope to get a front-row seat so I can watch the fireworks!” Savannah’s cackle can be heard loud and clear over comms, forcing us all to wince.
“You and me both,” I mumble. Patrick’s guffaw and Jerry’s scowl made it readily apparent that I had voiced my thoughts for everyone to hear. Jerry narrows his eyes at me before turning on his heel and walking away without another word.
“Wait for me, Jer! I’ll walk with you!” Savannah shouts. I don’t think he hears her at first because he keeps going, but then he stops and waits for her to catch up. Patrick comes and stands next to me, still entertained by the situation.
“You ready to go? The last of the guests have left, and we’re officially done with the contract. All that remains is for the staff to clean up.”
“Yeah. It’s been a long couple of weeks, and a few days of some R&R sound great,” I tell him.
“I think Ben and Ethan plan to give us a full week off and allow some of the newer teams to step up and get more experience. We’ll get the final word on Wednesday.”
A week off would be nice. It would give me that chance to catch up with my friends and maybe go hiking with Leanna if she’s up for it.
Patrick and I walk across the sky bridge that connects the conference center to the parking garage. Patrick’s ride is parked about seven cars closer to the elevator than mine, but he doesn’t get in it when we both realize someone is standing by my vehicle, waiting for me.
“That’s the server that Savannah was warning you about. She’s the one who kept checking you out all night,” he whispers out of the corner of his mouth. “She doesn’t look like she could hurt a fly. Do you think she’s dangerous?”
“As dangerous as they come. She’ll destroy you in a nanosecond if you give her the chance,” I tell him, my voice low. His posture changes from casual to alert instantly as he reaches for the gun in his holster. I place my hand on his arm to stop him. “It’s okay. I meant it figuratively.”
