Chapter 27
October 4th
Today’s Schedule: Dallas Blogs! Networking Lunch, noon
Surprise Swiss Date for JP, 4 PM
I am so excited for this lunch.
I smile as I walk in the warm October sunshine. The sky overhead is a brilliant blue with a few clouds streaking through it. The temperature has dropped to the mid-seventies.
I’m once again out of my athletic wear, this time wearing an airy, one-shouldered, canary-yellow blouse and a pair of wide-legged, pleated, drawstring pants and neutral espadrilles. I’ve pulled half of my long hair up on my head, leaving the rest down, and accessorized with a pair of Kendra Scott drop earrings in a beautiful white opal.
Yes, it’s summery, but I’m a firm believer in dressing according to the temperature and not by the date on the calendar.
My outfit is perfect for both networking and the glorious warm weather.
Perfect.
It’s a word I use a lot these days.
As in what I’ve found with JP.
Ever since the storm in September, things between us have been perfect. The season opener is now two days away, and he’s been traveling for preseason games, but that hasn’t changed anything between us. We talk via Connectivity Video Chat and text. The same goes for when I’m out at a shoot all day. We always make time to connect; it’s important to both of us.
When we’re both home, we spend most of our time together. I’ve never wanted to be with a man like I do with JP. I love our time together, even if we are watching one of his old movies on the couch or he is teasing me about leaving all my makeup out on his bathroom countertop. He reads while I write blog posts. I enjoy being with him and doing nothing is fine.
It simply feels right.
It feels right because I love him.
That giddy feeling rushes through me as I think of love. The word that used to scare me to death. The word that was the last thing I ever wanted to hear from a man. The word that caused me to feel dread inside.
Now I embrace it fully.
I turn down the street, onto McKinney Avenue, and head toward Bread Winners. I love this restaurant. It’s one of my favorite places in Dallas. It’s located inside a charming, white brick building with outdoor seating and a blue awning entrance and blue french doors. The inside is lovely, with hardwood floors and chandeliers, and has an almost French Quarter vibe. And the food! Oh, the food is all kinds of amazing.
As luck would have it, my name was finally drawn for the Dallas Blogs! Networking Lunch this month, and they happened to be meeting here.
Again, one word comes to mind.
Perfect.
I step inside, and the first thing I’m tempted with are display cases filled with gorgeous cakes, pies, cookies, muffins, and pastries. I manage to resist running over and pressing my face against the glass to drool over the selections and head to the hostess stand instead.
“Hello,” the woman says warmly.
“Hello,” I say. “I’m here for the Dallas Blogs! Luncheon.”
“Oh, yes, they are out in the atrium,” she says, inclining her head in that direction.
“Thank you,” I say.
Yay! The atrium is my favorite place to sit when I dine here. It’s a brick patio with patio-style tables and chairs, and it’s full of greenery. It feels like you are sitting outside in the French Quarter.
I eagerly head to the atrium, excited to meet everyone. I love networking. I know this kind of event—walking up to a bunch of strangers and talking—would give Holly hives, but I thrive on it. I enjoy having the opportunity to meet people in my industry and learn from them.
I spot a group in the corner, sitting at a table with name tags, and I’m pretty sure I have found my people.
I approach the table to join the group. I’m about to introduce myself when a woman rises.
“Real.Life.Reese?” she asks, smiling at me.
I laugh. “That’s me,” I say, extending my hand. “Hi, I’m Reese.”
“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Elise Davis,” a willowy blond says to me.
“Nice to meet you,” I say, shaking her hand. Elise Davis’ blog is Positive Place, where she blogs about positivity in life, and she’s the mastermind of Dallas Blogs! Networking Lunch.
“Your place card is your name tag,” Elise explains. “Please put that on and have a seat. We’re waiting for two more people, and then we’ll get started.”
“Okay, thank you,” I say.
I move around the table, checking the three empty spots. Finally, I locate my tag, and I see I’m at the end of the table, next to a woman who appears to be around my age.
I can’t help but study her for a moment. She has some of the prettiest hair I’ve ever seen. It’s straight, cut right above her shoulders, but what’s fascinating is the color. It’s rose gold. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.
I pull out my chair and sink down, carefully hanging my purse across the back of it.
“Hello, I’m Reese Brannon,” I say to her.
“I’m Lila Chadwick,” she says, her pale-blue eyes shining at me. “I’m trying not to fangirl, but, um, I love Real.Life.Reese.”
“Oh, thank you,” I say, pleased that she likes my blog. “I appreciate that.”
“I’m trying to get your butt,” Lila says. Then she pauses. “That sounded creepy and stalker-like, didn’t it?”
She begins to laugh, and I join her.
I already like her.
“No, I get it,” I say.
“I’m doing your Better Booty rotation right now,” Lila says. “Actually, I should hate you, or my butt should hate you. I can barely move the next day after doing one of your killer videos.”
“Um, sorry?” I ask, grinning at her.
“No, thank you,” she says.
“What is your blog?” I ask, curious to know more about her.
“Pink Shoes Are Good News,” she says. “I’m kind of obsessed with pink. And shoes. I blog about fashion and beauty.”
“I wouldn’t have guessed,” I quip.
“Let’s put it this way. I’m not trying to pretend that’s what I like for the sake of followers. I really do like pink. And shoes.”
“I love shoes,” I say. “I have this crazy wish list of shoes I want that are as much as a car payment.”
“Right?” Lila says in agreement. “What’s at the top of your list?”
“I can’t buy any more shoes until next year,” I say, frowning, “but I covet the Tom Ford zipper T-back heeled sandal.”
Lila’s hand flies to her chest. “I adore that shoe. In black.”
I think I’ve found my shoe soul mate.
“In black,” I agree, nodding.
We continue talking while the others arrive. I learn that Lila has moved here from Arkansas, where she graduated from the University of Arkansas. Blogging is her passion, but to support herself, she works as an assistant sales manager in a fancy stationery store.
“Luckily, I like paper,” Lila jokes. “They paid for me to learn calligraphy, so double bonus.”
“Was it hard to move out here on your own?” I ask, as I can’t imagine leaving everything I know behind.
“I love the adventure of learning a new city, and I’ve always wanted to live in Dallas,” Lila explains. “Making new friends is harder. I make myself get out and do things. I was so excited to be drawn for this lunch, I can’t even tell you.”
“Me too,” I say, as I have a feeling I’ve made a new friend today.
Soon Elise calls lunch to order, and we all go around the table and introduce ourselves. The blogs are as varied as the women sitting around the table. There’s fashion, lifestyle, mom-life, home renovation, and organic living. I’m the lone representative for the fitness field.
Lunch is fascinating. As I enjoy my honey-glazed salmon salad, I soak up the conversation around me. Some bloggers are like Lila, where it’s a side business. Others are like me and make a living off it. We share marketing ideas and strategies. Then we talk about the downside, like the pressure to come up with daily content, how to not get burned out, and, of course, how to deal with trolls.
“I get them whenever I eat something unhealthy,” I share with the group.
“Ha, for me that would be daily,” Aimee Scott, a dessert blogger, says, laughing.
“Even though I state right up front I believe in balance and indulging sometimes, some people pounce on me the second I post a picture of a cupcake.”
We all start sharing some of the horrible comments or direct messages we’ve received and how we deal with them.
Of course, I don’t talk about some of the nasty comments I’ve received because I’m dating JP. People have said pretty rude stuff: he’s only dating me because I’m a fitness model, I’m a slut showing off my body in my workout clothes, and I’m a puck bunny using skimpy clothing to attract players.
I take a sip of my iced tea and reflect on this. I’m good at letting this stuff roll off. JP was livid when he saw them. In fact, it was the only time I’ve seen him as mad as when he wanted to punch Easton in the face at Harrison’s that night. I assured him they don’t mean anything to me. In fact, I teased him that I know he keeps me around for my stellar housekeeping skills, which eventually made him laugh.
I also know once the season starts, if hockey fans start up on JP’s play, I’ll be just as mad. In fact, I’ll probably have to sit on my hands so I don’t reply.
Hmm. Maybe I should have Holly hold all my electronic devices until after the game so I’m not tempted.
The truth is, people can call me a slut, an idiot, and a girl chasing after a celebrity because I know the truth.
Real.Life.Reese is in love with JP.
I love him. I love the man he is off the ice: the pianist, the old movie lover, the man who can speak to me in four languages, the one who finds joy in figuring out how to balance numbers, the one who likes adventure.
I smile to myself. I’m planning a little adventure for the two of us tonight, our last one before the season starts in two days.
And I can’t wait to share it with him this evening.