day, and it's turning into an even finer evening as well.
Before long, the first guests arrive, and with the servers doing most of the work and this being Evelyn's final event with EVC and Mr. McKinley, I stay in the background. I watch her work, and I watch him work the room. He is much more personable with his staff outside of the office, and it's clear this sort of get-together is not a first, because he knows the name of each and every spouse and genuinely cares about everyone in the room. He asks about their jobs, children, even pets.
Most importantly, his guests seem at ease around him, and I don't see anyone behaving as if he is the boss and they are his underlings—far from it. He notices me in the background and waves me over.
"Yes, Mr. McKinley, is there something I can get for you?" I ask subtly.
"Olivia, have you had a chance to meet Gloria at the office yet?"
"Yes, sir. We met earlier this week. It's nice to see you again, Mrs. Quinley."
"Nice to see you again, Olivia, but please call me Gloria. No need for formalities," she says, reaching out to shake my hand.
"Gloria's been with my team from the start, and I couldn't do it without her. You'll work with her as often as you will me, so don't hesitate to go to her if I'm not around." He turns his attention to the silver-haired gentleman to her left. "And this is her husband, David. He's got a mean golf game, but I can still take him on the racquet ball court."
His hand touches my shoulder as he continues his introduction, but I barely hear it. His touch has all of my senses on high alert, and I swear I can hear my own blood raging through my veins. "David, this is Olivia. She'll be stepping in to fill some of Evelyn's tasks as well as some additional tasks we're adding to the role."
We continue to make small talk, and he introduces me to his dinner guests. He is professional yet personable. He insists I eat with everyone, and when Evelyn assures me this is the usual procedure and that no team member is less than the others, I take my seat. I'm used to my place in the background. I would have thought working for such a big company would have me even more in the background, but he runs his team much differently than I would have expected.
Of course, he does.
Dinner conversation is fascinating and normal. There isn’t any talk of acquisitions and real estate deals. The evening is full of regular conversation filled with laughter and storytelling. I was relieved when the open seat at the table was at the opposite end of the ever-so-gracious host. Having him too close throws me off balance. Being the new kid in town, it's important I'm not caught off guard. I'm busy making mental notes of all the players here tonight for future use, but it's hard...his rich, deep voice makes it so hard to focus.
I do my best to take it all in. I hope if I stay quiet and simply absorb my new surroundings that should do the trick, but he won't let me. He finds a way to include me, if even in the smallest ways. From his end of the table he stills manages to fill me in on the background of the stories being told so I have all of the information and can relate to the conversations. He asks if I'm enjoying my wine. He even tells Russell Berry that they'll have to be sure to include me the next time the team uses the suite at Levi's Stadium for a 49er's game.
It's clear he doesn't exclude anyone, but he is making a point to make sure I feel included and a full-fledged member of the team. I’m sure I am reading too much into it, but every time he speaks my name, it feels personal and private. I love the way my name sounds coming from his perfect lips, but it leaves me feeling exposed.
As dinner starts to wrap up, I can't help but rise from my seat and begin to assist the servers with clearing the table. Any way to find a quick escape is what I need right now. I’m feeling too much, and it’s causing an edginess to prickle under the surface, and I need a moment to clear my head.
Evelyn touches my hand