Mine to Lose by T. K. Rapp

car, you can give
me the address.” I’m more than grateful he insists on driving, because I’m
still not confident in knowing where I’m going all of the time.
    “That sounds great.” I stand and walk
toward the office door. “Let me get my other bag from the car and I’ll meet you
out front.”
    Business must be going pretty well,
because I’m ushered to a silver Infinity IPL G, which is apparently new since
it still has the temporary license plates. He tells me more about how his
company started, a story I find interesting. The company began small two years
ago with five clients; but since then, it has grown to over a hundred. He hopes
that this party will introduce him to potential clients who will eventually
choose to sign with his company.
    When we pull into the parking lot for Ivy
Glen, the old building that is situated on the back end of the lot oozes
character. It’s a two-story building that was once a bank but sold to a private
businessman in the eighties when the financier merged with another. The
intricate design of the deep reddish-brown brick and mortar, still original
from when it was built in the fifties, makes this place look more like a church
than a reception facility.
    I hurry to get out ahead of him to meet
my contact, Lisa, while he takes a call. I’ve talked to her a few times and she
has been patient and guided me as I try to navigate the world of event
planning.
    By her voice, I pictured a young, thin,
bubbly woman with red hair. The only part of that description that was correct
is the bubbly personality. Lisa is probably in her early forties, tall with
striking green eyes, dark brown hair, curvy figure, and a quirky sense of
style. From my conversations with her, she’s been in the Denver area for over
twenty years, so I assume she moved here after finishing up school.
    “Lisa,” I greet her, extending my hand.
“It’s so nice to meet you finally. My client should join us in just a minute.”
She glances past me and nods, acknowledging his presence.
    Lisa’s warm smile turns devilish when she
takes in Trey, and I internally roll my eyes. “It’s nice to meet you, Emogen.”
She makes eye contact with Trey. “Mr. Miller.” He doesn’t correct her, and that
strikes me as odd, but she shows us in to her office. As I pass her, she
whispers, “Well done.”
    I peek at her and smirk before shaking my
head. She gives me a quick wink as she rounds the table and opens up an album.
I laugh at her insinuation. While he looks over her portfolio of past events, I
sneak a glance at Trey to see what it is that Lisa seems so impressed with.
Perhaps it’s his tall stature, or chiseled jaw, but neither of those are enough
to elicit the reaction she had when we walked in. At least, not in my
opinion . To me, his rugged appearance seems out of place for an office
setting, but then again, when you own your own business, I guess you can make
whatever rules seem to fit. He is attractive, but if I compare him to
Ryan, there’s no contest. I shrug off her obvious attraction to him and try to
turn my focus back to the album in front of us. Only when I do, Trey looks up
and catches me looking at him, smirking as he returns to his conversation with
Lisa.
    I’m instantly embarrassed because I’m sure
he thinks I was checking him out, and my bright red cheeks will only solidify
that thought more. I sigh and resign my thoughts to the business at hand, the
T.M. Enterprises event. “Excuse me, Lisa,” I interrupt as she describes the
most recent corporate even she hosted. “How many did you say this facility
holds?”
    She looks through her folder and hands me
a sheet of paper. “The room just across from us holds three hundred, and the
smaller room holds about one hundred and fifty. If you wanted the entire place,
we can accommodate approximately six hundred.”
    Trey is pleased with her numbers, as well
as her presentation. I had a feeling he would like Ivy Glen, which is why I
wanted to bring him