Mari & Ilna: What can I say? I'm enjoying this adventure every bit as much as I was on day one. Maybe more.
REAL Worlders-thanks for all the enthusiastic support. You guys are the best.
Accepting the Challenge (1/1)
Grace tapped softly on the resort manager's door and entered when she heard Boris's crisp clear, "Come in, please", from the other side.
"You wanted to see me?" She stood just inside the door awaiting instructions. Generally, when Boris called her to his office it was to assign her a task or an errand that could be explained quickly and she'd be on her way.
He indicated one of the soft, upholstered chairs across from his desk. "Close the door and have a seat."
Her mouth was suddenly dry. The word around the resort since she arrived an hour earlier for her shift was that Boris was not pleased. No one knew exactly what the problem was, just that there definitely was one. With Boris that never involved anger or yelling, that wasn't his style. His displeasure usually read more like disapproval and disappointment, which was in its own way much worse. "Is everything ok?"
"Everything is fine," Boris assured her with a tight smile. "I just have something I need to talk to you about."
Grace sat down and smoothed her skirt anxiously. Before her nerves had too much time to build Boris got right down to business.
"Am I correct in thinking you sat in on the design meeting with the representatives of the Waikiki Yacht Club a few months back?" he asked.
"Yes." Grace pulled out her ever-present notebook and found the tab marking her notes from that meeting. She flipped to the page and skimmed quickly to refresh her memory about the details. "Was there a problem?"
"Not exactly." Boris never ceased to be impressed with Grace's organizational skills. "Well not with anything you did."
She relaxed and took a deep breath. "That's good to hear."
"As you know the club has chosen Ko Olina as the location for their annual gala once again this year." Boris clasped his hands in front of him. "It's a long running tradition that I want very much to keep in place for the foreseeable future."
Grace nodded, unsure of exactly what he was getting at.
"Can you give me a summary of the meeting please," Boris requested, "focusing mainly on specific client requests."
He'd seen true potential in Grace from the time of Steve and Catherine's wedding and was thrilled when she'd taken him up on his offer of a job. He'd been impressed by how fast she picked things up and was happy to give her more responsibility around the resort as her knowledge base and confidence grew. That included sitting in on the initial design meetings with several clients so she could learn how an event moved from inception to completion and be involved every step of the way.
"We met with Mr. Kaimi and Ms. Analu." Grace looked up from her notebook and spoke from memory. "They want this year's gala theme to involve bold, bright colors. The style they've chosen is casual elegance. They presented an idea book with various color swatches and a list of flowers they'd like to see in the centerpieces. They want a traditional Hawaiian meal with options to address the dietary requirements of all attendees. They are also interested in having a separate smaller party for guests up to age 16 or so. Many of their members enjoy bringing their children to the event but in the past there have been issues with younger attendees becoming bored and potentially getting a bit ... " Grace chuckled. "...let's say mischievous. There was a matter last year of an ice sculpture battle that made quite a mess on the terrace."
"I remember it well." Boris tried to look disapproving but Grace caught the sparkle in his eye. "Have you been following the progress of the planning since the initial meeting?"
Grace nodded and checked her notes again. "The design was approved and locked in on the 24th of January. The menu was approved on the 29th. The club will get a list of dietary requirements to the head chef no later than 2 weeks before the event. The linen and flower orders have been placed. This all applies to the main event. Planning for the smaller event for the younger members is still in progress."
"Which brings me to the reason I asked to see you." Boris opened a folder on the desk in front of him. "This morning the club rejected the third design proposal we presented to them for the smaller event. They said it failed to … let me get their exact wording." He looked at the document in front of him. "Find the correct balance to appeal to both younger children and teenagers while at the same time being compatible with the theme and style of the main event."
He exhaled deeply.
"We need a plan for the smaller event in place ASAP or I fear the club may look at other venues to hold their gala in the future."
"What can I do to help?" Grace asked.
"That's one of your best professional traits, Ms. Williams," Boris replied with a twinkle in his eyes. "You don't focus on the problem; you look for a solution."
She blushed slightly. "Keeping the client happy is the ultimate goal. There's no point in dwelling on what isn't working. We need to find something that will."
"Exactly." Boris clapped his hands together. "To that end, I had a talk with Ms. Allen this afternoon and we both agree that you are ready to take on this challenge. I see a true talent in you and it's time to take it to the next level."
"Wait…" Grace wasn't sure exactly what was happening. "Are you saying … do you want …"
"We want you to submit a design for the smaller event," Boris confirmed. He handed her several sheets of paper. "These are the notes on why each of the previous proposals were rejected. Use them, in conjunction with your notes from the initial meeting, to create design and menu proposals for the smaller event. I'd like to present a theme and tentative menu to the client in one week. If they approve it we'll move forward with specifics. Are you ready for this challenge, Ms. Williams?"
Everything she'd learned about throwing parties, both since she came to the resort and her whole life for her family and friends, played out in her mind's eye. She knew she should feel nervous. She was only a high-school senior after all. Being asked to design an event for the most prestigious resort on the island. The size of the event and age of the attendees didn't matter. This was a huge honor. More than that it showed how much faith Boris and Jenna had in her.
The part of her that was nervous was taking a back seat to the part of her that was excited. She wanted to jump up and down in celebration but knew that wouldn't be appropriate.
Instead she locked eyes with Boris and smiled.
"I'm ready."
"Excellent." The look of pride on his face was unmistakable. "Feel free to make use of all the tools the design department has to offer. I'll schedule a meeting with the client for one week from now."
Grace beamed. "Thank you for the opportunity. I won't let you down."
She gathered all of her things and managed to make it out of the office and down the hall before letting out a loud squeal of excitement. She pulled out her phone and dialed then waited for the call to connect. The second it did she bubbled, "Danno, I've got some huge news."
THE END
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