Tessa was there when they arrived at the office, and again the guy downstairs seemed to have let her in. Not that Evy minded, but she figured it was time she told him to not let anyone up unless she was there.
They had an hour before the people she’d more or less hired yesterday would show, and she was ready to use that hour.
“You don’t need me here, right?” Tank asked and Evy looked back at him, feeling excited, worried, and downright terrified at once. “I have something I’d like to take care of. I’d be back in less than an hour to help you handle the people okay?”
He glanced at Tessa before looking back at her. Her best friend was on her laptop, sitting on what looked like a folding chair while her son was playing quietly in a small pack and play. “We’ll handle it until then,” she told him.
“Where are you going?” Having him around gave Evy a feeling of security she hadn’t realized she was missing in the first place.
Tank laughed softly, stepping closer to draw her against him. “I’ll be back. And you’ll be happy about it.” He winked and then pressed a soft kiss to her lips. She couldn’t believe she’d agreed to try a relationship with him, but if it meant getting kissed constantly, she probably wouldn’t mind all that much.
“Okay. I’ll be here. I mean, we’ll be here.” He nodded, pressed another kiss to her lips, then left again.
Evy didn’t even want to turn to her best friend, but after two minutes of ignoring the way Tessa cleared her throat, she didn’t think she could any longer.
“Say it,” she challenged and Tessa closed her laptop.
“There are about a thousand replies to the invitations. I wonder if we need a plan to attack them. I can stay around until about half past eleven because then I need to leave to do my show,” her best friend replied and Evy gaped.
“Come on, I know that’s not what you want to say.”
Tessa blinked innocently. “What else exactly should I be saying?”
Evy pointed at the elevator. “This… Him and me.”
“And what am I supposed to say?”
Evy tried to read her tone, guess what her best friend was thinking, but it was impossible. “I don’t know. It’s Tank. And you and Tank…”
“I’m not dating Tank. I’m not planning on ever kissing him, or going out with him, or sleeping with him, so how Tank acts around me—although I know by now most of it is bravado—has nothing to do with what you do with Tank. And maybe it’s a good distraction for you.”
“Distraction?” Ev echoed. “We’re going to… I’m going to… This is a serious relationship. Or at least we’ll try for it.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?” She felt like a parrot, but the things Tessa was saying were nowhere near what she’d expected.
Instead she’d prepared herself for judgments and fights.
“Yes, Evangeline, okay. Who am I to question your happiness or decisions? It’s not like you met Tank just yesterday, and even then I couldn’t say a thing because of Jazz. I mean, I knew nothing about him and wanted it all. I know I don’t need to worry because you’re not one to make impulsive decisions. If you decided to do this thing, you’ve probably had it in the back of your mind for a while.”
Evy wished she had a chair to sit on. She didn’t want to stand anymore because her mind was a mess. With Tank out of her vicinity she suddenly panicked, and not just for herself, but for him.
“I have trust issues, Tessa. I’m used to doing my own thing and I’m going to hurt him by still doing that, and I don’t want to. God, I’m the first real relationship he’s had, and if I mess up, he might never again be able to—”
“Jesus, Ev, slow down. This thing is fresh, and let’s try the positive way, okay? What if you are his only relationship because it’s perfect and right? What if you work out? Yes, you want to do it all by yourself, but in case you didn’t notice, Tank’s not really the guy to just roll over.”
Evy stared at her best friend. “You’re currently trying to convince me that I did the right thing in starting something with Tank?”
Which she believed was a good thing, but she couldn’t see Tessa agreeing.
“Fine. What the fuck have you been thinking, wanting to date such an asshole? Who has so far done nothing but make sure you have everything you need, and also who dares to take care of you when you don’t? How in the fucking world can you possibly like someone who’s been nothing but gentle with you? Jesus, how can you follow your own heart when it doesn’t matter what others are thinking? Like for real, how can you?” Tessa’s expression softened. “Do I approve of his attitude, or the way he goes about things? No. Do I approve of the way he looks at you? Yes. So much. Because he wants to take care of you and I have a feeling he’d do that no matter if you’re friends or lovers. And I approve because you never let me do that and I don’t have the strength to force my attention on both you and Jazz. And now, let’s please get something sorted so I know it’ll be okay when I leave you later on.”
Finally Tessa stood and turned away from her. It was funny, because Evy had considered things were easier now that Jazz did what he was supposed to and was fully invested, but it seemed she was wrong.
“Tess—”
“No, sweetie. We’re perfect, okay? Don’t worry. All I’m saying is if he can calm your mind, hold onto him. That’s what matters. In between all the craziness you need someone who makes you feel as if you finally can breathe and slow down.”
Tank made her feel a lot of things, but she wasn’t sure slowing down was one of those things. However, calmer definitely was true.
Her phone rang and Evy grabbed it from her pocket. It was Sweetie’s Bake, the bakery doing the cakes, and Evy’s stomach dropped. If they cancelled on her now, she’d get a heart attack. “Jackson?”
She walked out of the main room into her stuffed office, and after having stood in the free space, she felt suffocated inside her own tiny room.
“We need to know when you’ll be coming by for a tasting. We have sixteen flavors you can pick from and that means you need some time. Bring at least two more people because it’s usually easier if you have others trying it as well,” the woman on the phone announced and Evy laughed briefly, relieved it was something good.
“Hold on.” She leaned into the doorframe. “Tess, cake tasting. When can you and Jazz join Tank and me?” She figured it was the best having those two there.
“Tomorrow morning? That way we have it out of the way. Jazz gets time off when he needs it, so I just have to let him know.”
“Tomorrow morning is perfectly fine. Half past nine?” the woman on the phone offered and Evy agreed, then hung up.
“Okay, so,” Tessa started, kneeling next to the bag with the letters. “We might have to turn people down.”
And thus the first real day of work started, compared to the day before when she’d just been flying by the seat of her pants.
* * *
Evy was in the middle of explaining their sorting system to the workers when the elevator doors pinged and a guy came out who she’d never seen, carrying something, then another one, and a third, placing what they’d wrapped in foil next to the elevator before leaving again.
“What’s going on?” Evy asked, but of course no one knew.
She walked over and checked the wrapped things, realizing it were stacked chairs. The elevator pinged again and this time Tank came out, carrying something that looked like boards while a third and a fourth followed carrying things that looked like legs.
“What’s going on?”
Tank grinned proudly. “This space here is unused. You need tables and chairs so people can work. You now have tables and chairs. They are cleared out super-fast, so if someone comes and complains, we can clear out the space anytime you need it. And no, this is not up for discussion.” They placed the boards down, he threw a screw driver and a pack of screws at the guy who’d carried it with him and then he came closer, pulling her into his arms.
“What is it with everyone giving me ultimatums today? Just telling me to accept things and be done?” she asked and pressed her hands against his chest, feeling his heart race under her palm.
“Because you protest too much, and I don’t have time for it. Let us set up and then we’re good to get new tasks. Besides, those are guys who are going to help whenever you need something stronger done.”
“Or when you need things to be screwed up somewhere, put up, hung, whatever. Tank knows how to reach us,” one guy explained and Evy looked back at her now boyfriend.
“Thank you, I guess,” she whispered and he kissed her forehead.
“No worries. How are things going?”
She nodded toward the five women opening the envelopes. “I’d never thought how it would be, having to put every name down on a guest list. We need security around the whole event, and with approximately a thousand people attending, we need a lot. I wonder which company is best to use,” she mused. It was something she’d thought of when reading a few of the names on the envelopes.
“Tessa said something about starlets and other VIPs a while back,” he agreed and then thought for a moment. “Easiest would be asking the Aquarium what they think. Maybe they have a crew at hand.”
Evy liked that idea. “Thing is, we might be a little short notice with that. I mean, the company might already have set up smaller events.”
And it was possible. She wasn’t sure they’d cancel them for her, no matter how big the opportunity was.
“You don’t need security. The Army will provide soldiers. It’s an Army event after all,” Tessa said, coming out of Evy’s office where she’d been on the phone, grabbing her son from the travel bed.
“Why didn’t you say that before?” Evangeline fussed, still glad the issue was solved already.
“Because you didn’t ask and I assumed you read the contract you got. Anyway, I’m gonna go and do my show. Do you need me to be here afterward?”
Somehow Tessa had turned into her partner-in-crime with this project and it eased Evy’s soul a lot. There was still some tension left between them and she wasn’t exactly sure why that was, but she figured they needed an evening of TV shows and wine.
“Tank and I will be at the Aquarium. We’ll take Leila, so we might be a few minutes longer there.”
Tessa’s expression lit up. “You will love it, Evy, seriously. And so will Leila. Take your time. For today I’m just gonna call electricians, so maybe you can actually arrange a date when we can get inside the ballroom to see how we want to decorate it and what we need in terms of electricity. So perfect plan. And after you talk that out, enjoy your afternoon. I’ll go over the list and start with the seating chart with the ladies. Jazz is coming by later. Ela demanded to have alone time with her grandson, so…” Tessa winked and Evy laughed.
“And being here is your thought of a romantic date?”
Tessa laughed, too. “No, but we wanted to go over some other things as well and if you organize some paper and pens, the ladies can start on planning how we do the cards. Printing would be faster though,” she pointed out again.
“Not happening.”
Tessa sighed in resignation. “Organize paper and we’ll try things tonight. I’ll see you later.” She hugged Evy and then playfully punched Tank’s shoulder. “Try not to be an ass and thanks for the desks.”
She walked away after that. “Careful, you’re getting soft, T,” Tank called after her and Tessa chuckled, then vanished inside the elevator when the doors opened.
“I know events are less busy when planning until you get to the two weeks right before it, but taking an afternoon to—”
“Hang out with your daughter and your amazing boyfriend seems to be exactly the right thing to do? I agree. Stop worrying, Ev. You can do whatever you need to do tomorrow, all day. I’m going to hang with—”
“Me, Jazz, and Tessa at a cake tasting.” She grinned and he gaped.
“Best job ever.” He kissed her nose when one of the guys interrupted.
“Desks are put up. We’re out. Catch you soon, Tank. Call us whenever.” Tank nodded and Evy shook her head with a smile when the guys fist-bumped before leaving.
“I guess it was too much to ask to have a professional business with handshakes and all,” she sighed and Tank shrugged.
“It’s an Army thing. Tell me which paper and I’ll get it.”
And just like that he proved that he could do both, serious and playful. After she’d written a list for him and he took it to grab the things, she couldn’t help but wish the afternoon was coming much faster—although time was already running.
* * *
Tank got everything he was supposed to and then decided to pick Leila up early. If she still needed to sleep, he’d just take the pack and play Tessa had left in the office. The spare key Tessa had used earlier lay in his car.
He couldn’t even say why he’d asked her to hand it over, but somehow he felt good knowing something that belonged to Evy was constantly in his car.
He put the car seat into the back seat of the truck and had to admit that it would take forever if you hadn’t done it often before.
Luckily he planned on doing it much more. Once he was done—and had cut his finger in the process, although he still didn’t know how—he rang the doorbell.
Hilary opened, clearly surprised to see him. “I decided to pick her up earlier. Evy’s back at the office and you can trust me with the girl. I’d—”
Hilary nodded. “I just have to change her. Come in. I already packed everything.”
She turned and walked away while he strolled into the house at a much slower pace. “We’re doing it, you know?” he stated loudly.
“Ew, I don’t need to know about your sex life,” she complained.
He rolled his eyes, glad Hilary couldn’t see it. “The relationship, Hils.”
Her brunette head popped back into the hallway and she studied him up and down. He couldn’t remember how often he’d seen her house from the inside now, with the staircase straight ahead, a small hallway leading to the living room, and kitchen on the left. He even knew the rooms upstairs, although those he’d only seen when they’d prepared everything for the two to arrive.
“You are?” she asked and he needed a second to remember what he’d just told her.
He buried his hands in his pockets and then lifted his shoulders until they almost touched his ears. “Yes. You’ll hear her complain a lot about how much I suck. Prepare for it. I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know how to be romantic. Hell, I don’t even know what to properly say half of the time.”
Hilary vanished again while he decided to wait in the hallway. “Why is it that you really never had a relationship before?” Hilary eventually asked a little louder and he turned away, staring at the mirror to his right.
He didn’t see himself, but instead saw all the times his mother had looked at him and told him he wasn’t worth being loved anyway, right after having told him that love wasn’t important.
“It’s something I probably should tell Ev first, don’t you think?”
Hilary reappeared, carrying a rather quiet Leila. “She didn’t sleep much during her nap. I assume she was too excited. Maybe you can get her to calm down on the ride and catch some more Zs. And… you don’t trust me? You can tell me everything, darling. I’m everyone’s secrets box. I keep them all.”
He cocked his head, holding out his hands and Leila instantly reached for him, too, with one thumb between her lips. She looked incredibly young then and Tank needed to remind himself that she wasn’t even two yet. The way she babbled and walked sometimes made him think she was a little older already.
“’lo Tant,” she greeted him and he kissed her small head.
“Hey girl. You’re gonna sleep some in the car, right?”
“Not tired,” she assured him and he chuckled, winking at Hilary. “I can tell. We’ll go back to your mommy’s work and you can play a little there, okay? Then we’ll go see the fish.”
“Fish!”
She cuddled into him although the fish had caused a short burst of excitement.
“I trust you, but one thing I learned about relationships when watching Tessa and Jazz is that he trusts her with everything he thinks, and only her in the beginning. You need things just between the two of you, and if I do this, I want to kinda have what they have, you know? The way they are a unit, the intimacy that comes by sharing everything with someone. It seems to be something worth striving for,” he explained, wanting Hilary to understand.
She leaned against the wall, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “You’re going to miss your asshole days eventually, Tank. Not because she’s not enough, but because you’ve done that for so long. Keep people at arm’s length.”
That was the one thing he worried about, too. “Well, I’m counting on Jazz and the guys to keep me in line.”
“You need to want it.”
He nodded. “Hils, I do. But I also know sometimes things don’t happen the way we want them to. Anyway, I have to get back. Evy is waiting for the things I bought, and she doesn’t know I picked up sweetie pie here yet, so…”
“Have fun at the Aquarium.” This time Hilary smiled. “Bye, Leila.” She walked closer, kissing Leila’s cheek, and Tank grinned as the girl waved lazily.
He grabbed the diaper bag standing next to the door, shouldered it and then went outside, putting the bag away first before strapping Leila in. That was easy in comparison to installing the seat.
“Tool tar, Tant,” the girl announced, looking around, and Tank couldn’t help but think he needed to clean the damn thing up. It looked like a single car, with empty beer cans and the gym bag in it, as well as discarded clothing items.
He couldn’t even remember when he’d last had beer with his friends on the back of the truck, only to dumb the cans inside.
“Thank you. Okay, now try to close your eyes as I’m driving, okay?”
“Otay.”
He watched in the rearview for a second how she closed her eyes and sucked on her thumb again, then he went back to the office, hoping Evy wouldn’t mind him having gotten the child already.
* * *
There were less people than anticipated and Evy couldn’t decide if it was good or bad. Although eight hundred was still a large number.
“Okay, everything has been opened and everyone jotted down,” the elderly lady from the day before had stated.
Jo was her name, Evy knew by now.
“Good. I’m so not up to date with gossip. I have never even heard of some of those not-so-important people.” The women had talked about one name or the other while reading them out, and it was obvious that between some of those so-called stars there were animosities. “I don’t think having me doing the seating is a smart decision.”
Jo patted her back. “No worries, boss lady. We got your back. We know our gossip, and I know Miss Rowan definitely knows them, too.”
It was weird how they kept calling Tessa by her last name when they didn’t do that with her. It wasn’t even that that they lacked the respect, but rather the fact that they were in awe of Tessa.
“I think she told you to call her Tessa, right?” Because it seemed it was what Tessa would do.
“Yes, but… I mean… It’s TR. Of all the people on this list, she and Jazz are the ones I’m most excited about.”
Evy had decided to invite all those who’d volunteered to help her along to the event. “So? You can still call her Tess.”
The women just shrugged and then returned to the table they had the plans on. Evy glanced at her cell to see the time and realized Tank had been gone over an hour. She didn’t feel eager to start on the seating plan, and she was even less eager to think about anything else, but she had to occupy her mind somehow.
“We need a DJ or someone to play music, so what do we—”
“I’m sorry,” Jo interrupted. “I think I heard on Radio TR that it’s actually the radio station providing the music. I know Miss Rowan also hoped for a small orchestra to start after dinner. She wanted some classic ballroom dancing and so on. I’m sure there’s a list somewhere. I mean, they wouldn’t make you organize all this without giving you basic information, would they?”
Evy sighed. She’d signed her contract and that had been it. She couldn’t remember any other papers. However, the fact that the station would be responsible for the music made her feel slightly better.
Even though she would still go to talk to them. There was no way she wouldn’t clear with them first what they were okay to play and what not.
“Okay, so orchestra. Do you have an opera or whatever where I could find something like this?” While she liked the idea of having some classical music played, she wondered how exactly Tessa had imagined that.
Another woman who helped out, this one maybe twenty-three, stepped forward. She had short white-blonde hair cut in a pixie style that was cute. She was also tattooed from head to toe and at first Evy had been worried about her, but she was a quiet person who had great ideas one she opened her mouth. Her name was Scarlet.
Evy had the sneaking suspicion she just wanted to help with the event because she hoped to meet a soldier, and who could blame her?
“Honestly, boss, maybe you should check the papers on your table. When T made me get the letter opener she’d brought, there was a manila folder on your desk. We all know important things are in those folders.”
Evy sighed. She didn’t think so, but then again, it couldn’t help to check. She went in there, and really found an envelope that hadn’t been there before. She lifted and then opened it and a lot of handwritten pages fell out.
Shaking her head, she took the first. They were all from Tessa with the most important notes, the things they’d planned, everything that had been spoken about with the other event company—and yet clearly never had been organized.
Of course Tessa would provide it for her. She should’ve checked earlier. Then again, Tessa could’ve said something or—
“Mom?”
She looked up and then stood, glancing around the table toward the other office. Tank carried Leila and a diaper bag, making her heart skip a few beats. Her little girl held onto him as if he was her favorite teddy bear.
“Here,” she called and Leila looked at her. She had lines on her face, as if she’d slept on a pillow or something.
“I figured I could pick her up and she could play a little or, hopefully, sleep some more. Hils said she didn’t nap, but she got some shut-eye in the car.” He shifted the girl and Evy went over to take her from him.
“I can take her,” she offered, but he shook his head.
“I’m peachy. Want to me to put her in somewhere? I’m getting the paper and everything afterward,” he promised.
“Just put her down and let her run around. Anyone willing to help Tank down there and bring the stuff up?” she asked, watching how Tank rather reluctantly put Leila on her own two feet. She scrambled off instantly, looking for things to touch and probably lick.
“You know, I think you could get me into bed just with the way you treat my daughter,” she whispered as he stood again.
He leaned in. “Trust me, babe, I have better things to wow you with concerning the bedroom activities. However, since I want everything else, too, I’m glad your daughter is so easy to deal with that it makes you happy.” He winked before kissing her sweet and slow.
She couldn’t believe how touchy he was, how much he seemed to enjoy PDA.
“Paper, boss lady?” Jo asked and Evy blushed up to her hairline while Tank winked at the woman.
“Coming. Would you be ready to help me carry some stuff?” Jo nodded while Evy stepped back, returning to her office to get the papers and read them where she could watch her daughter.
Leila had found one of the toys belonging to Johnny and made it jump up and down on the spot.
“That’s a koala, sweetie, not a kangaroo. They don’t jump.”
“This does,” Leila insisted and Scarlet crouched down.
“Jumping koalas are much cooler than kangaroos anyway,” she stated.
Leila looked up, glancing at the tattoos and then pointed at them. “You painted? Have no paper?” she asked and Scarlet laughed.
“It’s because I like being painted. You know, showing the world what I like.”
Leila held out her arm. “Paint me?” she asked.
“Surely not, sweetheart. You’re not old enough to decide that yet.” Evy laughed and joined Scarlet until Tank returned, then she offered Leila a chance to draw on the table.
“I can sit with her if you want,” he suggested after placing everything on one of the free desks.
“I’m going to join you, too. They are going to start on planning the seating, but I can’t help them.” She shrugged and then smiled as Tank took the girl and placed her on the top, pulling out two papers and some pens. Evy pulled a chair close and started reading over everything Tessa had written down. Only with a half mind she heard how Tank and Leila talked about whatever they were drawing and as much as this hadn’t been planned, with Tank and Leila both at not-her-office, she couldn’t deny that it was almost her perfect day. The only thing she was looking forward to even more was the visit to Aquarium.
She’d arranged a meeting with one of the representatives at half past three and the time didn’t seem to pass fast enough—until Tank suddenly announced that they should leave now if they wanted to be on time.
Standing, she didn’t let him repeat it twice.
“Tessa will be back soon. Until then just practice the swirls and whatnot. If either of you has a great idea for elegant decoration on the cards, put them down, too,” she ordered and then walked over to her office. She didn’t mind leaving people alone in the wide space, but she wasn’t going to let anyone in her office. She’d given Tessa the spare key earlier in case she needed something, but that was it.
“Go, boss lady. We’ll either figure something out or just leave. Have fun and maybe take pictures. While we do all the twirling and swirling, we might come up with awesome decorations,” Jo offered and Evy liked the idea.
“Ready?” Tank asked from behind her and as she turned, finding Leila in his arms again, she couldn’t help but think that work would probably be the last thing on her mind when they got to the Aquarium.