“Message 40, September 13th, 2010, 10:30 PM”

“Wow, they are calling late,” she muttered as she listened.

“Hello, my name is Grace Justice, and I am calling on behalf of Shea Adler.”

And with just the mention of his name, Elli knocked her coffee cup all over her desk.

“Shit!” she yelled as she jumped up, wiping off the front of her skirt.

“If you would like to listen to the message again, press five.”

“Shit!” Elli yelled again, pushing five on the number pad.

“Hello, my name is Grace Justice, and I am calling on behalf of Shea Adler. I am planning his team party that he is hosting this weekend and we need a photographer. The one I had canceled on me, so I am in a spot. Melody referred me to you after Mr. Adler had mentioned meeting you yesterday. He asked me to tell you that whatever the price is to get you here for the party is the price he’ll pay. Please give me a call at -”

Elli wrote the number down quickly, and then listened to the message again, just to make sure she wasn’t imagining what was happening. Shea Adler had mentioned meeting her? He said he would pay anything for her to be at the party?

This had to be a prank.

Elli glanced at the clock and then dialed the number that Mrs. Justice had given.

The phone rang twice before a thick Boston accent came over the line.

“Planning Your Moment. Grace Justice speaking, how can I help you?”

“Yes, this is Eleanor Fisher, with Time Standing Still. I just got your message and was returning your call.”

“Yes! Hello! How are you?”

“Fine, thank you, and yourself?”

“Oh girl, I’m dragging this morning. My daughter kept me up all night, you would think by the age of 15 months she would be sleeping through the night!”

“I hate to tell you this, but my youngest niece didn’t sleep through the night until she was three.”

“Oh, good God, please don’t tell me that!”

“Sorry!” Elli said with a laugh.

“I just don’t understand. My son, a perfect angel! My daughter, a demon!”

That had both women in a fit of giggles.

“So anyway, sorry to get off subject and bother you with my problems.”

“Don’t you pay it any mind. I love talking about kids.”

“Okay, good. I’m hoping you can help me this weekend, Ms. Fisher.”

“Call me Elli. When is the party?”

“Saturday at one o’clock. I would need you until everyone leaves.”

“Okay, just a second.”

Elli pulled up her schedule. She had a wedding that day, but Harper could do it with Alice as her assistant. They would be fine, but then that left the studio business. Ryan could handle it, probably. Maybe she could call Alice’s brother, Jack, to back up Ryan. It could work.

“Okay, I might be able to. When do you need an answer?”

“When can you give me one?”

“By lunch?”

“Sounds good to me. I’ll be waiting for your call, Elli.”

“Okay, talk to you soon.” Elli hung up the phone and just sat there staring into space. Was this really happening? She was booked that day. She couldn’t do the party…right? She picked up the phone and dialed Harper’s number. It went to voicemail, but that didn’t stop Elli from continuing to call her. Harper finally picked up after the ninth time.

“I mean, Jesus, El. If I don’t answer, obviously, I don’t want to talk to you!”

“Shea Adler’s party planner called me to do his team party this Saturday.”

“Really?”

“Yeah!”

“Okay, well we have the Baker/Poke wedding this weekend, so Alice and I will cover it, while Ryan runs the studio, and we’ll have Jack come in to back him up.”

“That’s what I was thinking.”

“Of course it was! But you told the party planner you’ll call her back because you’re too chicken shit to do it. So call the girl back and tell her yes, and then don’t call me back until it’s a decent hour.”

The line went dead.

Elli didn’t pick it back up, though; she just stared at the phone, telling herself to pick it up and call Mrs. Justice back.

But she couldn’t.

The day went on, the party for Shea Adler heavy on Elli’s mind. Why couldn’t she just call Mrs. Justice back, and tell her yes? She had the coverage. What was the problem?

Seeing Shea again.

Her crush had gotten stronger after she spent most of the night staring at his pictures, and she didn’t know if she could face him again, let alone work for him. After her senior shoot, Elli was sitting at her desk when her phone rang.

Elli picked up, with her regular greeting, only to hear the same Boston accent from earlier.

“Alright now, Ms. Fisher, you have not called me back. Does that mean no?”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I’ve had clients all day, and lost track of time,” Elli lied.

“I’m just teasing you; will you be able to do the party?”

Just say yes, say it! Elli thought as she bit down hard on her lip.

“Yes, ma’am, I can. I’ll be there at 12:30. I just need the address and your email to send you the invoice.”

“Wonderful! You’re a life saver, Elli!”

Grace gave her the email and the address to a well known subdivision, before thanking her again, and then hanging up. After staring at the wall for what seemed like forever, she dialed Harper’s number.