Page 53 of The Funnel to You

Me: Thank you again. Good night, Matt.

Just then the bell rings again, and this time it is Ashley. She just smiles when she sees all the boxes.

“How did I know it was going to be more than just a bag?”

Chapter Forty

Sasha

Tiramisu Latte

Social Post: Airport fit. Also, why is it so cold here? TLDR: Welcome to New York!! #allthesass #nybound #sashaloveslipstick #ootd #coloradogirl

Image Description: Mirror selfie of me and Ashley.

Tuesday is non-stop! The flight was smooth and we didn’t have any bag or car issues so we are in our hotel right on schedule. We are sharing a room at the Double Tree in the city and it’s absolutely perfect. The cookies upon check-in were still warm and we were able to have help getting everything to our room. We both overpacked a bit because we don’t know how many “dinner meetings” will be happening this week and it’s always easier to pull from things you already know that fit than try to go shopping. Especially in a big city right before Christmas.

The room is beautiful! It’s light and clean and there is a massive basket of goodies on the beds. They have our names on them so we know which one is for each of us. I tip the bellman as he leaves the room after helping us unload the bags from the cart.

No surprise at all when we see that the baskets are from Matt.

“I think my brother’s love language is gift giving.”

“It’s mine too.” I respond quietly as I take in the basket. It’s massive! It’s filled with masks, bath salts, coffee mixes, tea, mints, pens, notebooks, a couple of books, fuzzy socks, slippers, and snacks. He thought of everything.

I snap a quick picture and send it to Matt.

Me: This is perfect. Thank you so much.

Matt: You’re welcome, Sunshine. Thank you for letting me take care of you in this way even when I am not with you. How’s the room?

Me: It’s great. We had help up to the room and everything looks great. We have a quiet night so I think we are going to just do room service for dinner. We have our first meeting tomorrow at ten so we have a little space for the time adjustment.

Matt: Don’t worry about dinner. I already have that taken care of.

Me: Of course you do. :)

Matt: Let me know if you need anything. You’re going to do great tomorrow. Enjoy the goodies tonight so you are refreshed after the trip.

Me: Will do. Sleep well, Matt. Thank you.

Seven on the dot, there’s a knock on the door with dinner. Ashley squeals behind me when she smells the pizza. New York bucket list item number one is now checked off.

Wednesday morning is perfect. The meeting with Natalie and Chelsea is perfect and very conversational. Most of what we needed to discuss was done over Zoom before we got here, so we are able to tour the facilities and film some content today as we meet different facility members and see how things are made. Luckily, we don’t have any meetings in the afternoon or a dinner meeting today. Natalie knew after the travel yesterday that we would need a quiet day and we are so thankful for that. The four of us plus Natalie’s husband and a few others from the company go out for an early dinner at an Italian restaurant in the city.

It’s only 5:00 when we get there so it isn’t super busy and we are able to be seated right away. The food is great and the conversation is even better. We are all going to work great together and I can’t wait to see how the rest of this week goes as we start implementing things for the collection and the initiative.

“So are you all ready for the gala on Friday night?” Natalie asks us once we finish dinner and are just sitting down enjoying our coffee and tiramisu.

“Gala? I thought it was just a dinner.” I ask. I did not pack for a gala. And by the look on Ashley’s face, she didn’t either.

“Oh, I’m so sorry about that. It should have been sent out to you last week with the full itinerary. We are doing a gala and there is a women’s organization that is hosting the full event. They are doing several awards and grants during the event so we are hoping to get some good connections with the Pink Every Day initiatives amongst those in attendance. I will be presenting as part of the evening alongside other new community outreach endeavors. I actually wanted to see if you would like to split the presentation time with me since this was your brain child.”

I have no words. This is so much to process. I am not ready for this. Hosting a girls’ night out or a spa meeting is one thing – presenting to a gala is something else entirely.

“How many people will be in attendance?” I ask, trying to mask the nervousness in my voice.

“We are expecting around 1,500 guests including the mayor and a few other political and societal figures. They will be giving away over two million dollars in grants and awards to different charities and organizations. We officially got invited last week when we made the campaign public and you were specifically named on the invitation.” Natalie responds and Ashley reaches over to rest her hand on my knee under the table. She knows how important this could be for us but how insanely nervous I am.

---