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They chatted a bit longer, and by the time they ended the call, Jenni felt a little better about everything and even allowed herself to bask in her big achievement of the week.
She poured another glass of wine. Having lost interest in the show she was watching she began to channel surf. She came upon an obscure sports channel featuring, of all things, a saltwater fishing show.
She started to move past it but decided to watch for a bit. Now that the last week was in the rear-view mirror, she could actually think about the fishing part of it in a different light.
It hadn’t been all bad. In fact, she had found it somewhat exhilarating once she got over her nerves.
She remembered her Uncle Ron vacationing with the family when she was a little girl. He never missed an Outer Banks vacation. Up before the sun, he’d fish until breakfast and more often than not would have something to show for it.
He’d often tried to encourage her to pick up a rod and try it, but it never held any interest for her. Moreover, since her dad wasn’t an angler, she’d never taken up the hobby. Clearly, as she learned from Barb, May Ellen, and Caitlin, in addition to allthe other women she’d seen on the beach, women anglers were plentiful.
It certainly got you outdoors and close to nature. Maybe too close when you had to handle bait. But more than that was the closeness to the ocean, breathing the salt air, and watching the sun dance on the waves. Maybe she’d been too quick to cast aside any thoughts of her taking up the sport.
She drained her glass and laughed at the pun she’d made. Maybe, just maybe, after the gala was over and she could make some plans for the summer, she’d pay Uncle Ron a visit and see if he could give her some pointers. Wouldn’t he be surprised?
Jenni set her glass in the sink and made her way to bed. As she lay there, she felt calmer than she had in months.
She knew the weeks ahead would be insanely busy but would also fly by. Best to get some good sleep in now, and thankfully she did.
Chapter Thirteen
In the weeks that followed, sleep did indeed become a precious commodity. Jenni’s thoughts were full of the gala all day and all night. She had planned and executed several special events in the past, and they’d all turned out reasonably well, but the stakes were higher for this event, both personally as well as professionally.
She found that getting an uninterrupted night’s sleep was almost an impossibility. Lists upon lists of things to do rattledaround in her brain at all hours of the night. The pencil and pad she kept by her bed were used more than once to capture a thought she was afraid she’d forget by morning.
The staff atRaleigh Winswas small, and she didn’t have many helping hands besides her own to take care of the myriad responsibilities.
She met with the caterers, talked to the printers, worked with the staff at the venue for all of the audio-visual needs, kept spreadsheets of who was attending, and worked on collecting and organizing the silent auction gifts. The running of the auction was no small feat in and of itself. She knew that much larger organizations were now using all sorts of hand-held devices and even phone apps for auctions, but she and Dee were trying to keep the costs down to maximize their final return.
Dee had been in and out of the office tending to donor requests, but she was also being pulled away from time to time to tend to her mother.
Jenni’s heart ached for her, and she was so thankful that for now, her own parents were doing just fine. She realized she hadn’t spent much time with them at all recently and vowed to make amends during the summer.
Apex was really a suburb of Raleigh, and so it should have been easy enough to catch up with them, but they were leading busy lives and so was she.
Still, when she saw Dee, she knew she had to do a better job of not just texting but actually calling or better yet, visiting her parents.
All that being said, it meant she was putting in a ton of hours and felt tired all the time. As expected, she and Tory were in almost constant communication.
Jenni admitted to herself they were almost friends now. In fact, they were.
Jenni was also keeping up with her teaching responsibilities, and those demands never ended as well. But she believed in what she was doing, and it would take more than a gala to make her stop.
It also gave her a convenient excuse when Caleb texted again.
Hey Jenni! How about drinks on Wednesday after work? Are you free this time?
Sorry Caleb, but I honestly can’t make it. ?
She thought, and honestly hoped, the sad face emoji would ease the sting. She hadn’t heard from him since.
When she and Jenni talked, Tory indicated Caleb had been very busy. Apparently, Mr. Ragland’s illness had turned into much more than anyone had anticipated, so Caleb, as well as the other vice presidents on the bank staff, were picking up his responsibilities as best they could. Jenni was careful not to ask Tory about Caleb, but Tory often volunteered information.
The event was a week or so away when she and Tory decided to take a break and have lunch together. Tory had stepped up to help Jenni in ways beyond anything that related to the sponsorship, and she felt she needed to show her gratitude.
It was a warm May lunch hour when they met and decided to sit at an outside table to enjoy the springtime air before it turned stifling hot in the summer.
“So, how are your numbers looking?” asked Tory as she perused the menu. “Both in terms of attendees and potential fund raising, if it’s ok to ask.”
