Corporate Escapades

Chapter One

“Paris!” yelled Mya excitedly. “Open up! It’s Acts of Kindness Day!” She and Paris’s sister, Alli DeMarcé, stood in the hallway of the ADG Condo where Paris lived. Mya Jones fidgeted while she waited for her best friend to answer the door. She held a bouquet of balloons in one hand and a carrier with coffee in the other. She nodded to Alli, who proceeded to hit the buzzer next to the door.

Alli frowned. “She has to be in there, right?” She pressed the buzzer again and waited.

“She had better be in there,” replied Mya. “That girl is too busy taking care of everyone else to take care of herself. Shall we go in?”

Alli nodded and pulled a key from her pocket. Bending toward the door, her shoulder-length black hair swung forward as she fitted the key to the lock. She was just about to turn the knob when the elevator dinged behind them. The girls turned to see who was approaching.

“Hey!” yelled Paris DeMarcé as she bounced out of the elevator. “What’s up?” Her wavy black hair was pulled up into a ponytail that cascaded down between her shoulder blades. She was dressed in yoga pants and a sports top. Her well-toned body glistened with perspiration from the run she had just completed.

“Paris! You were supposed to sleep in,” scolded Mya. “You are not getting enough sleep. You are going to end up rundown again.” She shook her head. Paris and Mya had known each other for more than a decade. They had met in high school and become fast friends. Paris’s father, Mikel DeMarcé, had offered them both positions within ADG upon college graduation.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Paris said with a frown. “I’m too keyed up about today’s fundraiser. Alli, go on, open the door.” Alli swung the door open at Paris’s request, and they proceeded inside.

“Here,” said Mya, who shoved the balloons toward Paris. “These are for you.”

Paris grabbed the balloons from her friend and smiled. “Thanks, Mya. You’re always so thoughtful. I appreciate it.” She placed the balloon bouquet on the breakfast bar and looked up at them. “Good luck. Yes, we will need that today.”

“But first,” said Mya, “some coffee.” She held a cup out to Paris, who instantly snatched it up and inhaled deeply.

“It smells heavenly,” she exhaled. “There is nothing like coffee from Java Dough to start the day off right. Are you two ready to set up? We have a lot of work to do this morning.” Paris turned toward her refrigerator and grabbed a paper from underneath a large magnetic picture of the three of them standing over a grill. The photo had been taken at the first Acts of Kindness Charity event the previous year. They were now on the third event of its kind, and the attendance had more than tripled.

Alli walked over to the breakfast bar and grabbed a cup of coffee from the carrier. Reaching up with her cup, she tapped it to her sister’s. “Ready as I will ever be,” Alli replied groggily. Unlike Paris, she still felt half asleep. She had stayed up late watching movies with her boyfriend, Brody Alarie.

“Are we ever ready for these events?” asked Mya. “Time seems to fly by. We barely finish one, and we are on to planning the next. Don’t get me wrong, I love every moment of it,” she admitted.

Paris looked down at the paper in her hand. “I am ready, but you, my friend, are a perfectionist, so I imagine nothing ever feels quite finished,” she said pointedly. Perusing the sheet, she looked over the list of activities they needed to accomplish before the event opened that afternoon. “It’s ten minutes to nine right now. Vic assured me that he, Brody, and Jack would meet us on the grounds at nine-thirty. Did you eat breakfast, Alli?” She and Mya were always looking out for her little sister. At twenty-two, Alli was five years younger than Paris and did not always think practically. Most often, her head was lost somewhere in the clouds, fantasizing about what her life would be like in the future. She loved life and did not have a care in the world. Paris wished she could be so free, but at the same time, she also loved the structure and hard work she put into raising money for those who truly needed it.

Alli nodded her head yes. “Mya grabbed me a cinnamon raisin bagel.”

“Mya, you are the best,” praised Paris. “Now, let’s get a move on.” Turning on the ball of her heel, she headed back out the door with Mya and Alli following close behind.

In the courtyard, the sun was shining, and there was not a cloud in the sky. The flowers of spring were blooming, and they filled the air with a soft dewy scent that warmed Paris to the core. Scanning the courtyard, Paris was pleased to find that Vic Alarie and his brother Jack, as well as their cousin Brody, were already present. They were sitting at a nearby table munching on egg sandwiches and drinking coffee. She watched as Vic nonchalantly rose from the table. He stood at just under six feet. He was muscular and had a rugged charm about him. She loved his piercing blue eyes and short wavy brown hair, but that was where her appreciation ended.

“Good morning, Paris,” Vic called out. “I figured we’d better show up early, lest we invoke your wrath prior to the event’s start.” He gave her a lopsided grin.

“Whatever,” Paris replied, waving him off. Not even Vic could ruin this day for her. She watched as he plopped back down in his seat.

Paris and Vic had known each other since they were babies and their relationship had always been strained. Vic would pull her hair as a child and hide her treasured belongings. Paris would kick him for being mean, and then they would both end up grounded for tussling. In high school, Vic followed Paris around, scaring away any boy she became interested in. In return, Paris reported anything Vic did that might get him into trouble in the hopes that he would be grounded and unable to ruin her fun. During college, they went to separate schools, returning home only for breaks and summer vacation. Their families were close and spent much of their holidays and free time together.

The pair remained cordial and got along okay until spring break of Vic’s senior year. Paris cringed whenever she thought about it. They were on vacation in Cancun with Vic’s cousin Brody and his sister Breanna. Vic had stayed out until dawn the night before the trip and overslept the next morning, causing them to miss their plane and an entire two days of their vacation. Paris had been livid and swore she would never speak to him again, but unfortunately, as they were partners at ADG, she was forced to remain amicable. Communication was everything in a successful company like the Alarie DeMarcé Group.

“Good morning, beautiful,” said Brody as he lifted Alli into a hug. The couple had been dating for three years and were nearly inseparable. Brody was Vic’s cousin and best friend. He was a kind sweetheart who was madly in love with Alli. He looked like a surfer, with his pierced ears and sun-bleached hair fastened at the back of his head. He was fit and well-tanned and stood nearly three inches taller than Vic. Alli loved Brody for his great sense of humor and gentle demeanor. He was truly one of the good guys.

Alli’s face lit up, and she was instantly more awake. She squeezed him tight as he spun her around. “You must be the driving force behind your cousin’s early arrival?” She gazed warmly into his eyes as he placed her back on the ground.

Vic snorted in response to Alli’s comment. “The only time I’ve ever been late was for that stupid plane to Cancun. You all need to let it go.” The group ignored him.

“How do you know it wasn’t me?” asked Jack. He grinned up at Alli from his seat at the table.

“Because, ding-dong, you’re chronically late for everything,” replied Vic as he reached out and tousled his brother’s unruly blonde hair.

Jack jerked his head away and glared at Vic. “I haven’t been late for anything since I turned eighteen.”

“Careful, boys,” said Alli. “We don’t want any fights this early in the morning.” She winked at Jack. “Three months of being on time. Keep up the good work.”

Jack beamed at her. He was undeniably in love with his cousin’s girl.

“Hey, where is Breanna?” asked Paris.

“She’ll be here,” replied Brody. Breanna was his twin sister and his near opposite, aside from their similar features. While Brody enjoyed the pool and being close to home, Breanna wanted to party and travel the world. She and Vic were more alike than she and Brody. “Breanna had to bartend last night, so I told her to sleep in. She should arrive by ten-thirty,” he added.

“Okay, well, shall we get started?” asked Paris. The group gathered around her, and she handed out assignments. They had thirty minutes before the rest of the festival work crew would arrive and four hours in total to erect the festival grounds that would raise money for terminally ill children. She had come up with the idea, and Vic had backed her. When it came down to business and charity, they were usually in agreement.

Paris was all about charity. When she was not hosting charity events for ADG, she was volunteering in the community. Giving back was a big deal, and it filled her heart with joy. Due to her diligence in planning and executing charity events, the ADG board, made up of her parents, Vic’s parents, and Vic’s uncle, Cristo, had put her in charge of the Charity events, along with her regular job as a senior adventure planner.

Vic Alarie also worked as a senior adventure planner, and he was excited to be a part of a charitable event like the Acts of Kindness Charity Festival. In total, he and Paris had designed and hosted four different fundraising events throughout the year. While Paris generated the ideas, he helped solidify them. Outside of adventure planning and charity event execution, Vic sponsored underprivileged students to travel abroad. He felt that everyone should be given a chance to travel and explore the world if they so desired.

At twelve-thirty, the festival grounds were in working order and ready for guests’ arrival. Paris and Vic had made sure to have plenty of rides and games for the kids to participate in. They also hired several upscale food trucks to pull in some of the area’s local foodies. There was a tent for playing Bingo and a tent where a silent auction would take place. There would be a five-course meal held in the park beneath the stars in the evenings and a dance afterward. There was something for everyone. Best of all, the proceeds would all go toward providing expensive surgeries for sick children or making the wishes of terminally ill children come true. Their goal was to fund one hundred kids. Paris and Vic always pitched in some of their own money to help, as did their parents and Vic’s uncle. It felt good to give back.

“Well, what do you think?” Vic asked Paris. He and Breanna had just finished hanging lights in the dance hall and were relaxing at one of the decorated tables.

“I think we did a great job,” added Breanna. She ran her fingers through her spiky blonde hair, which was now damp from the hot afternoon sun.

Paris nodded. “It looks gorgeous.” She was impressed with how quickly Breanna and Vic had decorated the tent. As she scanned the area, Mya, Alli, Jack, and Brody approached the table.

“Well, we made one last round, and I think everything is in order. All vendors are accounted for. The auction is ready to go. The rides have been tested and are properly functioning. We have garbage cans spaced properly throughout the grounds. The last of the porta-potties have been set up, and all of the delivery trucks have left. Is there anything else you can think of that we may have missed?” asked Mya.

Paris scanned her list, and a frantic look crossed her face. “Did we disperse the ticket rolls to the ticket booths?”

“Done,” chimed Jack. He gave her a double thumbs-up.

Paris relaxed her tensed shoulders. “Thank you. For some reason, it is not checked off my list.”

“No worries, Paris,” replied Jack. “I saw them sitting on the table in the auction tent, so I took care of them. I meant to tell you.”

“Good work, Jack.” Paris had to stop herself from reaching out to tousle his hair. He was still a child in her eyes. He was the youngest of the Alaries, and as such, he worked hard to prove his manliness and worth.

“I think we are set,” said Vic, who had managed to snag a beer from one of the beverage booths. He cracked it open and took a long cool sip, and then handed it to his little brother.

“Don’t give him that,” scolded Mya. “He’s not old enough yet.” She took the beer out of Jack’s hand and took a drink. “But it does taste good on such a hot day.” She handed it back to Vic.

“No more alcohol until this evening,” stated Paris. “We still have a lot to do. Now, on to work assignments. Breanna, you and Jack will be running the bar by the dance hall. Brody, you are, of course, in charge of photographing the event. Mya, you keep the entertainment stage on track. Alli, you are hosting the wine bar and tasting from two until six in the dance hall before the actual dance. Vic and I will be greeting guests and making sure they donate to the cause. Here are your walkie-talkies in case you need anything. This is how we will maintain contact this evening. Our parents will come in and alternate with us on and off for breaks as the night goes on. Let’s all put our hands in,” Paris requested with excitement. “Vic, you do the honors.”

The group put their hands in, and Vic grinned. “Here’s to success!” he roared. “Now, let’s go make some money!” The group broke away, and he turned to Paris. “So, Paris, how do you feel?”

“I feel good,” she replied. “I think this will be the best Acts of Kindness event yet.”

“Nice work, partner,” he said and shook her hand.

“You too, Vic. Sometimes we really do work well together, don’t we?”

“Charity does that,” he said with a smile. “I’m sure we’ll be back to our regular selves tomorrow.”

“Hmph, that’s too bad,” said Paris. “I kind of like this side of you.”

“Don’t get used to it,” he teased. He handed the remainder of the beer to Paris and then reached out his other hand and pulled her to her feet. “Shall we?”

Paris took a swig of the celebratory beer, and then, linking her arm with Vic’s, she allowed him to lead her out of the dance hall. It was time to change into their evening attire and move on to phase two.

#

Paris looked out over the crowded dance hall and watched as her sister and her sister’s friend Krista poured wine for twenty people. Alli was an amazing sommelier. Her food and wine pairings came together as if by magic. At only twenty-two, she was truly gifted, and people from all over came to her wine events at ADG.

Paris walked across the room toward the wine bar, her flowing lavender Chanel dress swishing in the cool evening breeze as she went. She was in her element, and she loved checking in with her guests to see how their night was proceeding.

“Paris, lovely to see you this evening,” said an older man with dark-rimmed glasses. “Have you come to taste some wine with us?”

“No, Devon, not tonight.” She winked at the poker celebrity and his new wife. “I have to keep my head about myself as there is still a good portion of the evening to go. Is Alli taking good care of you?”

He nodded in return. “She always does.”

Paris turned toward Alli. Her sister joyfully interacted with her guests as she poured the tasting glasses for one of their newest dessert wines, which she was serving with a cinnamon truffle. As she finished the final pour, she turned away from the group, and her face took on a pained look. Paris discreetly moved toward her. “Are you okay?” she whispered.

“Not really,” said Alli. “I think I’m going to be sick.” Turning, she made a mad dash for the condo.

“Krista, we will be right back,” she informed the other sommelier. The group was so busy

discussing the wine and truffle pairing that they had not noticed Alli’s spontaneous disappearance from the tent. Turning away, Paris followed after her sister. She marched through the door to the condo and headed for the common bathroom in the entryway. Pushing the door open, she could hear the agonizing sounds of her sister’s retching.

“Alli, are you okay?” she asked. “What’s going on?”

Alli let out a groan. “Just give me a minute. I will be fine.”

“Are you drunk?” demanded Paris. “I told you not to drink at these events. It makes you look bad. You are to remain professional at all times,” she scolded.

“I’m not drunk,” replied Alli. “Just stop, please.”

Paris frowned. “You’re not drunk? Really? You’re bent over the toilet doing what then? This is just like last year at the Food and Wine Festival when you couldn’t hold your liquor, and I had to take over the tasting for you. How can you be so careless?” she demanded. As she waited for an answer, Brody came strutting through the door. “What are you doing here?”

“Alli, are you okay?” asked Brody. He leaned his head against the stall door as if to hear better.

“She most certainly is not,” stated Paris. “She’s drunk.”

“Alli, you haven’t been drinking, have you?” he gently coaxed.

“No! I haven’t. Tell my sister to get out!”

“What is going on?” asked Paris. “Why are you here?”

“I called him and asked him to come,” replied Alli.

Brody turned to look at Paris, a solemn look on his face. “She’s pregnant,” he whispered.

“Don’t tell her that! Why did you tell her, Brody?”

“What?” Now Paris felt sick to her stomach. “How?”

“Well, I’m assuming it happened like it usually does. Boy meets girl, boy and girl sleep together, baby comes out nine months later,” Brody replied.

Turning away from Brody, Paris addressed Alli. “Mom and dad are going to flip out. Do you have any idea how wrong this is? Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“I did tell someone,” she replied. “I told Brody this morning.”

“Just this morning? You just found out THIS morning?” she questioned. “Alli, you are so irresponsible. Think of what this will do to your career? You’re a wine savant. You taste wines as part of your job. How can you do that if you’re pregnant?”

“Well, Paris, I guess I’m now useless to you,” she snarled as she pushed open the door and emerged from the stall. Turning to Brody, she said, “Come on. Let’s go. I need some food, and clearly, my sister is not going to be supportive.” Turning, she dragged Brody toward the door.

Brody looked at Paris and gave her a frown as he allowed Alli to lead him away. “We will discuss this more later,” he whispered.

“Please, Alli, don’t go. I am concerned. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you!” pleaded Paris.

Alli shook her head in anger. “Go deal with your event, Paris. My life decisions are of no concern to you.”

#

Fifteen minutes later, Alli and Brody were cruising down the highway with the top down in Brody’s black Miata.

“I love this time of year,” said Alli. Flores in the spring is perfect. Eighty during the day, sixty at night. I wish it could stay like this always,” she gushed.

“Are you okay, Alli?” he asked. “I hate that you and Paris are fighting. You know she’s just concerned and the news caught her off guard.”

“She needs to take a chill pill,” replied Alli. “It’s not like I can take this situation back. We are having a baby either way, right?”

“Yeah, we are.” He replied contentedly. “Do you still want to move to Las Vegas?”

“Not anymore. Flores is much safer and less criminal.”

“Criminal?” asked Brody.

“Well, you know, sin city.” She laughed.

“True. I always thought Flores was a great town to raise children in. Besides, all of our family is here. Maybe down the road, we can revisit the concept of living in Lake Meade or Henderson, but right now, the hour commute doesn’t sound too great with a little one on the way.”

“Totally in agreement with you on that,” she replied as the car unexpectedly began to shake.

“Hold on,” said Brody, his face wrinkling in concentration. “I think we may have blown a tire.” He slowly eased the car onto the shoulder for inspection. Hopping out, he ran around to the passenger side to take a look. “Yep, back tire is f’d. We’ll have to call for assistance. This car doesn’t come with a spare.”

Alli sat in the passenger seat, watching the traffic go by as she waited.

Hanging up the phone, Brody got back into the car and sat down. “It’s going to be at least half an hour. This isn’t how I pictured the night going.” Shifting his body so that he was looking at her, he grabbed her hands in his. “I love you, Alli. Everything is going to be okay. You’ll see. Paris will come around, and your parents will be excited to have a grandchild.”

“You are amazing,” she said, looking into his eyes. “You always know just what to say. How do you do that?”

“I just know.” He looked at her adoringly.

“You make every day feel special. As long as we are together, and our baby is born healthy, what more could I want?”

“How about a little heat and passion?” He grinned.

“Well, that goes without saying,” she replied as she gently touched his face.

Unable to contain their excitement as they waited for roadside assistance, they held each other close and kissed passionately, basking in the warmth of their blossoming future.

Coming up for air, Alli noticed her phone was buzzing inside her purse. “Hold on a second,” she told Brody. Pulling the phone out, she saw that it was Mya. “Hello?”

“Hi, Alli. Paris told me what happened. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’ll be okay,” she replied softly.

“I don’t think she meant to hurt you,” stated Mya.

“I love my sister, but she can be so maddening at times,” Alli declared. She hated fighting with Paris. Why couldn’t they just get along?

“She’s going to call you later. Please talk to her. You are the only sister she’s got. You need to work through this and forgive her for her untoward reaction,” said Mya.

“I tell you what. If Paris calls, I promise to apologize and also to forgive her. I know in the end she means well. By the way, Mya, what do you think about our news?”

“Oh, Alli, congratulations. I’m truly happy for you both,” said Mya. “You will be a wonderful—”

“Hey, Mya, we blew a tire and are waiting for roadside assistance. I think they might be here. Give me a sec?” she requested, pulling away from the receiver. “Brody, is that roadside?” she pointed toward a set of bright headlights shining directly on them.

Brody, turning, saw the lights and realized they were coming way too fast. “Oh, my, God!” he yelled as he laid on the Miata’s horn.

“Alli! What’s happening!” Mya shouted into the phone.

Alli could hear Mya screaming through the receiver, but she was frozen in place. Brody fumbled for his keys as he continued to slam on the horn. Awakening, the driver jammed on his brakes, causing the metal beast to emit an angry groan. The smell of burning rubber filled the air. Alli knew it was too late. Everything was moving in slow motion. As the truck collided with the Miata, Alli’s phone was ejected from her hand, and the sensation of being airborne took over.

On the line, Mya could hear the sound of a horn and then high-pitched screaming that sounded like her friend, followed by crunching metal and the loud screeching of brakes. The screaming stopped, and there was a brief crackling sound. She continued to yell Alli’s name, but there was no answer. She felt dizzy, and she could not breathe. Hanging up, she dialed 9-1-1.

****That's all for now, but I would love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to shoot me a message.