Wicked (Somerset University #2) - Ruby Vincent Page 0,73
what she said. They fought against banning the initiation? Wasn’t expecting that.
Heather and her supporters wanted to keep it too, a voice reminded. Chock it up to one of those things you’ll never truly understand.
“Alright,” I finally said. “Then, I guess I have one more question before we talk about the event?”
“And that would be?”
“The physical health requirement,” I began. “Can we make some additions?”
Her brows snapped together. “What do you mean?”
“Sally knew martial arts, didn’t she? What if along with runs and basketball, the girls also had the option to take self-defense or martial arts classes? Those require hard work, commitment, and strength training. If the girls choose that option, we could lower their strenuous exercise requirement. I think a lot of the girls would like it. The university has free classes and most people are on board with learning to defend themselves.”
“Huh.” Kessler leaned back, considering me. “Goodness me. That’s a great idea, Valentina.”
“Is it?” I didn’t mean to sound so surprised, but she had expertly thrown out my other ideas.
“I’m asking myself why we didn’t think of this before.” She patted my knee. “This is why we have these meetings. Bright young minds push us forward.”
“So... we can do it?”
“Absolutely,” she said. “I have to check with the rest of the organization but I’m certain they’ll agree. If the girls commit to one class a week, we can slash the strenuous requirement in half. If they do more, we can cut it down further.”
“Great.”
Wow. That was easier than I thought. Let’s see if I can keep this up.
“About the charity—”
Mrs. Dove walked in with our salads and tea. Kessler balanced her food on her knee, picking up her fork, and gesturing for me to go on. “I’m listening.”
I explained my idea for the event. Offering up the Evergreen Country Club. Telling her about the items we put up for auction and the charities we would sponsor.
“My boyfriends’ companies are willing to put up a two-week tropical vacation, art pieces, the latest in MT tech, and a lunch with a celebrity artist of Interstellar Records as the big prizes,” I said. “It’ll be around Christmas, so we can do holiday-themed prizes too. All the proceeds will go to the local food bank and I’ll arrange everything, Mrs. Kessler. You won’t have to lift a finger.”
“My, my,” she said, sounding amused. “It’s not often I get a proposal like this.”
“What do you think?”
“I think it’s a fabulous idea, Valentina.”
My hope soared.
“But you don’t have to organize it to get my approval. Send me your boyfriends’ contact information as well as any other relevant contacts, and I’ll begin the preparation.”
I wouldn’t fall down on the first volley.
“If it’s all right, I’d like to plan the event,” I said. “Zeta Rho Sigma is the only thing on my resume that falls under extracurricular. I can’t join more clubs or groups, but I’ve been looking into ways I can take on more responsibility within the sorority. Pulling off an event like this would be huge.”
She paused for the time it took to sip her tea. “Well, you’ve obviously done quite a bit of work on this already. I don’t see the harm in letting you take the reins.”
I pushed down a triumphant smile. “Great. I just need a list of your usual vendors and, oh yeah, the contact info of the alumni. I’m getting fancy, wintery invitations done up.”
“Don’t put yourself through too much trouble,” she said. “E-vites will do.”
Kessler moved around to her side of the desk, setting her food aside, and taking up her planner. “I will get the list of vendors and contact info to you this afternoon. Include me in every email you send out and loop me in on the final decisions. This is your show, but since we represent the Sams, Sallys, and my position as event coordinator, I have to ensure everything goes off without a hitch.”
“Understood.”
She wrote the final word with a flourish. “Very good. Thank you for meeting with me, Valentina. I will run your self-defense suggestion up the flagpole. You should hear back from me soon.”
“Thank you.”
I stood, shook her hand, and got out of there before she changed her mind.
I called Sofia in the elevator.
“She said yes,” I told her by way of greeting. “She’s emailing me the list this afternoon.”
“Which means we’re staying up late tonight. I’ll get the takeout.”
“This is why you’re my best friend. I’ll be there in an hour.”