Marion patted my back. “I’ll go and get the files from the previous years so you can see what was done before. Just talk with them. Find out their ideas, what they want. Take some notes. Then we can sit down and go through everything. I’ll help you as much as I can, but given how few of us are here right now, I can’t walk you through it the way I normally would. This is your trial by fire, Vivian.” Marion inclined her head toward the group.
“Theo Anderson is the public relations chair at KGP. He’ll be your point of contact. Now let’s head over there so I can introduce you. You’ll be fine.” I was glad Marion had such faith in my abilities. But then again, she didn’t know me yet. Sure, I was no dummy, but I wasn’t sure a whole lot of credence could be given to my ability to not fall on my ass.
I plastered a smile on my face. The same smile I wore during each and every rush event. I figured I could imagine that I was getting ready to chat up a bunch of vapid freshmen hoping to get into my sorority. And if that didn’t work, I’d just picture them in their underwear.
I quickly learned that picturing one particular person in the group would be a very bad idea.
“Mr. Anderson, I’d like to introduce you to our new Events Coordinator, Vivian Baily,” Marion announced, placing a hand on the arm of a very attractive man.
Theo Anderson turned to Marion and blessed her with a smile that was absolutely swoony. He had a mouth full of blinding white teeth. There was no way he achieved that sort of perfection without years of braces and bleaching.
He wore a tailored suit that fit snuggly over broad shoulders. His face smooth and fair and classically handsome. He looked almost boyish with thick brown hair that fell over his forehead and an adorable dimple in his cheek.
He didn’t look to be much older than I was and when he turned his eyes to mine, the deep blue twinkled warmly, putting me instantly at ease. I couldn’t help but smile stupidly at him.
He held out his hand and I took it without hesitation. “I hear we’re going to be spending a lot of time together,” he said and I laughed nervously.
“You heard right,” I replied quickly. I pulled my hand away hastily and tucked it into the pocket of my skirt. Theo Anderson was really pretty. Almost too pretty. His appeal was obvious. And my interest was instantaneous.
Uh oh.
Theo Anderson turned to the other people in his group and quickly introduced them, though his eyes never left my face.
Marion excused herself a short time later, leaving me to my doom, err, job.
“So, Mr. Anderson, why don’t we start with having you tell me what ideas you have for the event. We can brainstorm and narrow down concepts,” I suggested, proud of myself for sounding like I knew what the hell I was talking about. I waved the group toward a small table by the open bar and concession area.
“Please, call me Theo. Mr. Anderson makes me feel so old,” he quipped and it was on the tip of my tongue to ask him exactly how old he was. And normally I would have. But the personality quirks of every day Vivian Baily wouldn’t fly in my new nine to five.
“Okay, Theo,” I acquiesced. I sat down with Theo and the rest of his team. A woman, he had introduced as Shelly, opened a file folder and began to hand me printouts and project schemes.
I was trying not to get overwhelmed. But the scope of this event was huge. It was way beyond anything I had ever coordinated before and I was silently cursing Marion and whole “time to throw you in the deep end” pep talk.
After thirty minutes of making illegible notes and shuffling piles of papers as they were shoved my way, my head felt like it was going to explode. Theo Anderson’s eyes spent most of the time fixed to my face in a way that both exhilarated me and left me uncomfortable.
“Okay, I think that’s enough for today. I’m getting the feeling that you’ve taken in about all that you can,” Theo laughed and I didn’t know whether to be insulted or relieved.