Page 31 of Sunny Skies Ahead
Are you stressed about having to go back?
Imogen Phillips
No, I’m stressed about the fact that eventually I’m going to go back and everyone is going to be so used to doing things a certain way, that everyone is going to forget what it’s like when I’m here
Sorry for the rant
Me
Don’t apologize. I think I get it now.
Being away from Watford was causing Imogen anxiety, but not in the way I’d originally expected. I’d accepted the fact that the conversation was over, which is why I jumped when my phone started vibrating and Imogen’s contact picture appeared on my lock screen.
It was a self-portrait she’d taken on the back porch of her farmhouse a few weeks earlier. She was sitting on a wooden bench, legs crossed, holding a bundle of yellow tulips near her face that obscured part of her smile, and matched her yellow sweater perfectly.
It was artsy, and cute, and so damn attractive. That yellow sweater haunted my dreams, because it perfectly encapsulated who Imogen was: sunny and bright and creative.
I forced myself to get a grip as I swiped to accept the call. I put it on speaker while I continued to scan the document in front of me for typos.
“Hi,” Imogen said, sounding out of breath. “Sorry for dumping all that on you out of nowhere.”
I couldn’t help the smile that overtook my face. “It’s no problem. Sometimes you’ve gotta let it out.”
Imogen chuckled. “True, but enough about me. I want to talk about your email inbox, sir, and the state that you gave it to me.”
I let out a disbelieving laugh and slouched back in the seat.
“All right, hit me with it. Tell me all of the ways I screwed up.”
The shuffling of papers on the other end of the phone told me Imogen was all too delighted to dive in.
“First of all, I’ve already established a new email specifically for grant proposals. I know you’re working on a couple for the Winding Road nonprofit, and I want to make sure that we don’t miss any important communication. I’ll text you the details so you have them. Secondly, I have gone through the extensive effort of color coding every single one of your folders and organizing all of your existing emails into said folders.”
I shook my head. “I promise you, Imogen, if you ever leave us that inbox is going to go right back to where it was, and all of your hard work will be for naught.”
“You wouldn’t dare disrespect my hard work like that.”
I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face. At this point, my smile was permanent wherever Imogen was involved.
“It has nothing to do with how much I appreciate your effort, but unfortunately, I’m not built like that.”
“You’re saying I’m built different.”
“I’m saying you’re built different,” I agreed, a grin still on my face. We settled back into conversation about Imogen’s plans to expand the Winding Road photo feed. I was grateful we were on the phone, and not in person. Imogen was incredibly distracting on a good day, and it was hard to focus on anything she was saying when she had a very focused, very cute expression on her face.
“With all that said, since I can’t be there in person, would you or Lucas be willing to take some pictures of the property and send them my way? I really want to take some good pictures and video of the venue so that we can start promoting it. The photographs and video are due back from Abbie andConnor’s photographer towards the end of this month, so hopefully we’ll have that as well. They’ve already given the okay to use pictures from their wedding promotional materials for the venue.”
I stood from the table and headed into the kitchen to pour myself a fresh cup of coffee.
“I’d be happy to oblige.”
“You have my thanks,” Imogen teased. “I’ve got to put out some fires here, but call me later if you need anything.”
“Will do,” I said, and hung up the phone.
I rubbed the back of my neck and ran the cover letter and objectives I’d written up through my grammar checker one more time.
I’d get Imogen to read over it before I formally submitted it. The objectives sheet would stay the same for most of the grants I was applying to, but the cover letter would need to be adjusted and tailored for every organization.
