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She wanted to seem aloof and in control even if inside she didn’t feel that way at all.
If she had looked back, she would have seen Caleb still watching her, all the way down the hall.
Chapter Eleven
It was Wednesday morning when, once again, her boss was waiting for Jenni when she arrived at her office. This time, Dee looked a little more well-rested and seemed to be in a more positive frame of mind.
“Good morning, Jenni,” she said. “I’d like to talk to you in my office, so grab a cup of coffee and come on by.”
Jenni was glad for the chance to have that second cup, but she was uncertain as to what this early morning conferencecould mean. More than likely, Dee would want an update on sponsorships.
As she hadn’t heard anything back from Second Bank, she assumed her efforts had not amounted to much. She wondered if Caleb had even talked to Mr. Ragland about her presentation.
Dee was sitting behind her desk, and Jenni had barely sat down across from her when she said, “I have no idea what you said to the gentleman you met with Monday morning, but you must have made one hell of an impression."
Jenni said nothing, still not sure whether making an impression was related to almost walking through a glass door, or whether the bank would actually be donating something for the gala.
“I had a call from Bill Ragland yesterday right after five,” Dee was saying. “I almost didn’t pick up the phone, but I am sure glad I did. Apparently, he had just met with one Caleb Prescott who recommended not just that they contribute to the gala, but to be a presenting sponsor.”
She stopped and let the words sink in.
Jenni was speechless. She felt her heart skip a beat and her mind started to play out scenarios of what Caleb may have said about her.
Realizing she wasn’t really paying attention to Dee, she reigned in her thoughts and sat even more upright.
Dee went on. “He said that Prescott was genuinely impressed with your presentation and felt it would be in the bank’s best interests to take on a very high level of sponsorship. This is just incredible. I’m so happy, but I am also so proud of you. I knew you needed to start getting out!”
Jenni didn’t know what to say. She knew she should be thrilled. Obtaining a presenting sponsorship was quite a coup, especially since their long-time major sponsor had pulled theplug a few weeks ago due to an economic downturn in their business.
Dee had been frantic, and these past few weeks she had been focused on trying to find a replacement. Now one had dropped into their laps quite unexpectedly.
But this also might mean she would be dealing with Caleb regularly in the run-up to the event. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that at all.
“I told Ragland you’d be in touch soon to begin to work out the details of how they would like their sponsorship to look. I will work with you, but I know you’ll have ideas as well, and you’ll be the point person. We’ll want to keep them informed every step of the way and make sure that they feel this sponsorship is as beneficial to the bank as it is for us. I suggest you get some thoughts together, and then give Caleb Prescott a call. You can go from there.”
She stood up and walked around her desk and gave Jenni a warm hug. “You know I’ve had so much on my mind with my mom that I haven’t been able to think about the gala as much as I should have. This is a big deal for us, and it takes so much off my plate. Thank you so much, Jenni.”
Jenni walked back to her office, shut the door, and for several minutes just stared at nothing at all.
Was Caleb’s support a way to test her? To see her fail? Why would he do that? He barely knew her.
She was being ridiculous.
None of that mattered now anyway. Her role was to get the gala together and see that it was a big success, and if that meant working with him, so be it.
She opened up her laptop and began listing all of the things that would need to be done, and some questions she would need answered right away before she could proceed.
Normally, this challenge would have meant Jenni was laser-focused on the task in front of her, but she found her thoughts drifting.
Obviously, she’d paid more attention to Caleb Prescott than she’d admitted.
Caleb had that sweet, slightly crooked smile that she found attractive to the point of being almost seductive. She had noted his eyes were hazel and that they crinkled up at the corners when he laughed, which she realized was quite often.
Seeing him in a suit only emphasized how in-shape he was, and how did he have a tan already? It was just April.
She could almost feel her fingers running through that sandy hair.
Stop it,she said to herself.You are a professional, and you are way out of line here. This is business, and important business at that.
