the man, she’d asked around. She’d used her resources, she’d checked with other event coordinators, with her social contacts and best of all, she’d grilled her roommate. As the man’s personal assistant, Jessica was a font of information. She’d not only filled Mia in on Alcosta’s preferences and tastes as it applied to possible events, she’d discussed his work habits, his feelings about his criminal relatives and his hopes for helping others.
But Mia knew, just like any protests she made pointing out her own independence and maturity, the words would fall on deaf ears.
So before her mother could launch into one of her lectures on the depth of family roots, Mia changed the subject. “I have to go now. I’ve got a lot of work to do. Why don’t you call Megan? I heard she’s having the twins tested for ADD.”
“ADD?” Anne snapped. “They’re not even a year old yet.”
“I know, right.” And with that, Mia sicced her mother on her sister and ended the call with a grin.
The key to winning a battle, her father always said, was knowing the enemy’s weakness. In her mother’s case, that weakness was a chance to boss people around.
Yet another reason for putting a country between them. A great choice, she decided yet again, resting her elbow on the table to support her chin as she stared out the wide plate-glass window of her apartment at the misty view of the Golden Gate Bridge.
She loved it here—the weather, the people, the variety of things to do and, most of all, the generous altruism of the charitable community. It was an event coordinator’s dream. The Bay Area—and Northern California, in general—was home to some of the wealthiest people in the country, many of whom loved to give back. To their community. To the needy. To research, to civil servants, to causes, and to people and charities.
That’s where Mia came in.
All those years with her family made her especially aware of how much need there was in the world and how impossible it would be for her to fix it all by herself.
So she’d turned her organizational skills, people savvy and gift for smoothing the waters, combined with her bent for out-of-the-box thinking, into a career as a premier freelance event coordinator, serving some of the top international charities in the country.
And she was kicking butt.
Okay, she thought, looking at the files stacked like walls around her laptop, which was sitting on the kitchen table, maybe she wasn’t quite kicking butt yet. But after three years, she was definitely getting closer. Was there any such thing as nudging butt?
But a little more time building her reputation and event portfolio, a few more big clients on retainer, and a handful of successful, high-dollar fund-raisers, and she’d be there, dues paid, success in hand.
Before she could pay those dues, she had to pay the bills. Mia sighed, looking at the tallest stack on her desk. So, so many bills.
Okay. So maybe she was struggling a little financially, but she hadn’t chosen this career to get rich. And sure, she’d had to give up her tiny office and take in a roommate to help make ends meet, but that made her resourceful. And yes, she’d chosen to settle in one of the most expensive cities in the country, but she knew if she could make it here, she could make it anywhere.
So she focused on that.
She had a few other events coming up this month to handle, as well: a local ladies’ club holding a tea party to raise funds for a veterans’ memorial, a high school jamboree focused on building a new football field and an author event raising money for literacy.
She’d just lifted her cell phone to start those calls when it chimed in her hand.
Forever Families, the readout said. Mia’s biggest client to date, and her biggest challenge. Not in terms of her ability to handle things—she knew the organization so well, she could plan its events with her eyes closed—but because the director was incredibly determined to hire. And as appealing as regular hours, reliable paychecks and health care sounded, Mia was determined to make it on her own.
To prove that she could.
But Lorraine Perkins didn’t like to hear the word no.
The wife of one of the biggest real estate developers in the state of California, Lorraine was a social maven and one of the best-connected women Mia had ever met.
“Mia, darling, I’m just checking on the progress of our gala,” Lorraine said in those rounded tones only the wealthy seemed to pull off. “Not that I doubt for a second that you have it all well in hand.”
Of course she didn’t. Four phone calls a day was a sign of absolute faith. Mia silently waited for Lorraine to continue.
“As you know,” and she did know because Lorraine had insisted on mentioning it in each of those four daily calls, “if this weekend’s fund-raising goals are met, there’s a good chance that I’d put you in charge of our Winter Ball.”
The Winter Ball. Mia’s holy grail. A luxurious, complicated, multifaceted event spanning ten days, necessitating clever and innovative fund-raising techniques, savvy organizational skills, and, if rumor was true, the ability to juggle fire, water and ice all at the same time.
She knew this weekend’s event was the last in a series of what were essentially interviews testing her abilities. She knew, too, that Lorraine would rather handle the event in-house than bring in an outside coordinator.
But if Mia impressed her enough, she’d get the contract, she’d continue to freelance and she’d be able to bill herself as one of the top charitable-event coordinators in the country.
Best of all, she’d have done it all on her own.
“We’ll meet that goal,” Mia vowed. “Actually, things will be so amazing that I’ll bet we surpass it.”
“Oh, Mia, you’re such an optimist. But if anyone can do it, I’m starting to think you could.” Before Mia could revel in that compliment, Lorraine’s friendly tone turned pure business. “Now, you got my note about adding another fifty seats to the dinner, yes? Where are you at with that?”
“I’ve already spoken with catering and the location staff. The florist will add two more bouquets to the table,” Mia said, running her finger down her list as she recited check-marked items. “Because we’re losing square footage, the string trio will set up on the balcony just outside the ballroom.”
As she continued to recite her progress, she made a quick mental note to add extra space heaters to that balcony. Even though it was summer, evenings in San Francisco could get chilly.
“Perfect. It sounds as if you have a solid handle on it all. You’re one of the best planners in the Bay Area. And speaking of, I heard a rumor,” Lorraine said, her voice dropping with hushed excitement. “A wonderful, too-good-to-be-true rumor.”
“What’d you hear?” Mia scooted into a more comfy position in her chair and smiled, ready for some fun. She’d discovered the only thing the wealthy loved more than seeing their names written next to the word altruistic and the promise of tax deductions was gossip.
“It’s come to my attention that a certain young lady we both know and love has hidden connections.”
Oh,
