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“Paula’s firmly in work mode, but I’m here to have fun,” Valerie replied, taking a sip of the champagne flute in her hand, her eyes sparkling.
“I’m sure she’ll get me out there on the dance floor soon enough. It’s okay to mix business and pleasure on certain occasions,” Paula said, planting a kiss on her wife’s cheek.
“Is there anything else you need? I’ve got the run of show for the event, so I’m ready to address the group after everyone’s done eating,” she asked, returning her eyes to mine after sharing a smile with Valerie.
I shook my head. “I think we’re all set. I’m going to check in with the kitchen to be sure everything’s set and on schedule for dinner service. It’ll be time for me to welcome everyone before long.”
“Well then, let’s go check out the silent auction items, dear. Maybe you can win me a trip to Rome this year,” Valerie said, gently pulling Paula in the direction of the tables in the back corner.
“Have fun,” I called after them as they left.
I headed into the kitchen and confirmed with the caterer everything was on track, snagging a stuffed mushroom cap off a waiting tray on my way back to the room. All that time behind the cash register at Ridge Reads left me comfortable in these sorts of scenarios. I could make small talk with a tree if I needed to. I met many of DC’s elite, who considered the IBA to be a priority for them. There were even a few members of Congress and their staff present.
Soon it was time to get dinner started, and I walked onto the stage, asking everyone to take their seats. The hum of the crowd grew to a loud buzz as our guests found their way to their tables for the evening. I had the seating chart memorized at this point, and my gaze wandered over to table fourteen, which had been reserved for our whiteknight, anonymous donors. I needed to eye the table to determine who I needed to thank for saving my ass.
A man approached the table who I had seen chatting with some of our politically related attendees earlier. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place where I knew him from. He shook hands with the man and woman already seated at the table and stood behind his chair, looking around expectantly, obviously waiting for someone. I checked my watch, noting we were right on schedule, and gazed back into the crowd to see if everyone was seated yet. My eyes came back to the familiar-looking man, his hand raised in a wave as he greeted his companion. My mouth dropped open in shock as Hayden stepped up to grab his extended hand, pulled him into a hug and patted the stranger on the back. They both turned to take their seats, and when I took in their faces side by side, I realized this must be one of Hayden’s brothers. Otherwise, he had a knack for finding doppelgängers to be his friends. Hayden seemed to feel my gaze, as his eyes met mine and he raised his hand in a wave.
My eyes dropped to my notes, my mind racing. Hayden was our mysterious donor? Well, I presume his brother’s company was. It had been a corporate donation, but it seemed obvious Hayden was the driving force behind their support. The donation had come in after I had gotten sick and shared with him why I was so desperate to go to the office. White knight, indeed.
I shook my head slightly, not wanting Hayden’s sudden appearance to throw me off task. It was time to get this shindig started off right.
“Hi everyone, and thank you so much for your support of the Independent Bookstore Alliance’s Bookstore Future Fund. We dialed up some of the finest October weather here in the nation’s capital tonight, so make sure you take advantage of the views from our vantage point on the top floor. We’ll have dancing after dinner, and the silent auction bidding will close at nine thirty sharp, so be sure to stop by and bid generously on these amazing prizes. With no further ado, dinner is served.”
Like clockwork, waiters appeared from the wings, carrying salads on trays. I felt a smile cross my lips. The gala was officially off and running. Mom resisted so many of my ideas for the store, but here, my ideas were not only listened to but implemented. It was a good feeling.
I maneuvered my way down the stairs leading from the stage, heading toward my chair at Paula’s table to attempt to scarf down some food before my attention was inevitably needed elsewhere. I sensed Hayden’s eyes following my path, but I absolutely needed food before I dealt with that.
I joined my coworkers and received their congratulations and warm wishes on the gala. It was hard not to hope they weren’t jinxing me. There was a lot of evening left, but things should be mostly smooth sailing from here. I tried to pace myself on the salad waiting at my seat, but I realized I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast, and getting some calories in my system was an immediate necessity.
The salads cleared and waiters brought around bottles of wine, looking to refill glasses. I held my glass up for the one glass of white I was allowing myself this evening and smiled at the young woman as she twisted the bottle expertly, not spilling a single drop.
“So, Charlotte, Paula tells me your family owns an independent bookstore in New England?”
I swallowed my mouthful of wine quickly and smiled at the older gentleman to my left.
“Yes, that’s correct. It’s a general interest bookstore in Holly Ridge.”
A woman, who I assumed was the man’s wife, leaned over, joining the conversation. “Al, I’ve told you about Holly Ridge. They’re the town that hosts that lovely Christmas festival every year. I saw it on that blog about small-town festivals.”
“We cohost the holiday festival with our neighboring town now. My best friend is the festival planner. It’s a wonderful tradition. It’ll be strange not being there in the lead-up this year, but I do like my work here.”
The man I now knew as Al nodded. “It sounds like a lovely place with lots of history. Does your family’s store do well there?”
I took a sip of wine, looking in Paula’s direction to see if she was paying attention, hoping for a hint as to exactly who Al and his wife were and how candid I should be. Our dinner had just arrived at our table, so she was distracted tucking in, as well as continuing her conversation with her guests on her other side.
“We definitely have a rich history as the only general interest independent bookstore in the county. Like all stores, we struggle to compete with Jeff’s website and other retailers who can offer books for less. It’s part of why I’m so excited to have the chance to intern with the IBA. I think the work we do is important for stores like my family’s.”
Al’s wife continued to lean in. “How did you all fare during the pandemic?”
I felt my cheeks start to warm. “It was a struggle. We didn’t have an online ordering system, and what we have for non-in-person ordering isn’t the most… ideal situation for the long-term. I’m not faking my enthusiasm for the Bookstore Future Fund. A lot of stores, Ridge Reads included, wouldn’t have survived without it. But we have great support from our local community. It’s just where we decide to go next that’s up in the air.”
Al’s wife smiled kindly. “Your family must be missing you greatly while you’re here. I can tell you’re so passionate about the work of independent bookstores.”
They miss my shift coverage, that’s for sure.
I took a beat to cut my chicken while I considered my answer.
“I’m hoping what I’ve learned here will benefit Ridge Reads and many other bookstores in the future. We’ll see where things lead me in December when my internship is up.”
