life.
With Affection,
Damon.
A giggle bubbles up from inside me. He signed the card, “With Affection.” That has to mean something.
“Ooh, flowers! Who are they from?” Trevor is like a ninja; I never hear him approach until he’s beside me.
“It’s none of your business. Don’t you have something better to do than skulk around my desk?” I feel comfortable teasing Trevor because he dishes out more than he gets.
We work closely together, and I’ve become fond of him. I’d even call him my friend.
Trevor laughs. “I’m like a sprite. I don’t walk—I float. It’s a fabulous skill to have when you want to know the inside scoop on something. No one hears you coming.” He reaches for the card in my hand, but I’m quicker and move it out of his reach. “I bet it’s from your lover boy upstairs.”
“He’s not my lover boy. Besides, why would he send me flowers?”
“I can read you like a book because your face doesn’t allow you to lie.” He inhales the scent of a rose and steps back. “An entire box of books arrived for you this morning. I put them in the assembly room.”
The box of books he is referring to is Bound. I thought it would be fun to tie all the books with red scarves and place them in the top of the bag. It’s an unspoken message to Damon and a little fun for the guests.
“I’m almost finished with the gift bags. What do you want me to help with after that?” The more I learn, the more I can sell myself to my future employer.
“I need help keeping our headliner happy. Can you make sure the dressing rooms are stocked with everything they need?”
“Do I finally get to know who the band is? I thought that was a secret.”
“You’ve earned my trust. If you won’t divulge anything about your relationship with Damon, then I figure I can tell you Reluctant Capitalists is playing for the grand opening.”
I suck in a breath. “You’re kidding? You don’t have the actual band playing on opening night. It’s a cover band, right?”
“They’re the real deal, and I’ve heard they’re picky.” He leans against the desk. “They like certain liquor, flowers, and foods. I’ll tell you what I know, but you need to dig deeper. Happy bands mean great shows. The opening experience can make or break a club, so there’s a lot riding on this.”
“If you get me their manager’s name, I’ll get on it right away.”
He picks up a sticky note and writes something down. “I’ll make sure you have everything I have.”
“Perfect, and I’ll make sure they’re the happiest band ever.”
“Seriously, though, Kat, they better be.”
Trevor calling me Kat made me think of how Damon only calls me Katarina, and I love the way it sounds, in fact, I think I prefer it.
“Hey Trevor, can you call me by my full name? I am kind of partial to the sound.”
“No problem, Katarina. Now, go finish the bags, girl, so you can earn your keep,” he jokes.
“You’re a hard taskmaster.” I shoo him away.
“Tell that to my boss, and he can punish me.” Trevor bends over and slaps his own ass. I walk past him and smack him myself. He has no idea how close he is to actually knowing things about Damon.
“Mr. Noble isn’t your type.” I pinch my chin and look him over. “I see you with a gay version of Ryan Gosling.”
“Oh, yeah, I’ll do Gosling. I’d also like a piece of Ian Somerhalder.”
Who wouldn’t? “They’re both straight, but it’s not a bad idea to set your standards high.” I wave over my shoulder and head to the assembly room. “I’ll see you after lunch.”
Everything I need is here, and the only money I spent was on tissue paper, ribbons, and bows—and the one hundred copies of Bound that cost fifteen hundred dollars out of my budget.
The retail value is nearly nine thousand dollars per bag. I didn’t hit my goal of ten grand, but I’m proud of my accomplishments.
These gift bags have everything from designer chocolates to designer watches. They also include music, movies, books, spa packages, kitchen gadgets, and gourmet foods. A piece of all the elements of Ahz is included, and I would love to receive swag like this.
Why is it the people who can afford everything get stuff for free, and the people who would appreciate it most, never have an opportunity to receive it?
As I tie the last red scarf around the final book, my