Page 1 of Heat Island
ONE
TRINITY
I drummy fingers against the wooden tabletop, eyes darting between my laptop screen and the café entrance. The virtual meeting that should have ended fifteen minutes ago drags on like a bad blind date. My sister, Josephine, will walk through the doors of Perk Up any minute for our scheduled weekly coffee klatch.
I will never hear the end of it if she catches me working during this most sacred of hours.
“So as you can see, the Sunset House offers several unique advantages as a wedding venue,” I explain to the pixelated faces on my screen, voice low enough that neighboring tables won’t overhear. “The lakeside gazebo can accommodate the ceremony for two hundred guests, and our agency has an exclusive contract with a local yacht club for events on the water?—”
A notification pops up on my phone, making me trail off.
JosieGrossie: Running 10 min late. Traffic.
Thank god. I exhale and straighten my shoulders, sitting up a little higher. Ten minutes is more than enough time to nail this contract, stash my laptop in the bag under my chair and pose with my hand on my chin so my perpetually tardy sister thinks I’ve been patiently waiting for her this entire time.
“Trinity? Did we lose you?” The concerned face of one of my more anxious brides fills the screen.
“Nope. Still here.” I flash my most professional smile. “Let me just share my screen so you can see some examples. Last season, we had a bride make a very unique entrance on a floral-draped canoe. You might have seen the reel that went viral on Instagram.”
The truth is, I’m juggling three major events this week. Two weddings and a corporate retreat for some biotech start-up. My calendar has become a war zone of overlapping commitments.
My coffee dates with Josie might be a recurring fixture on my master schedule, but this is a big-ticket client that I have to accommodate. They could only meet with me at noon or eleven p.m.. Considering that I have to be up at five a.m. for pre-dawn yoga, this is my only reasonable option.
Any omega who wants to be taken seriously at their job has to work hard. One who owns their own boutique event planning agency basically has to be a machine. An alpha might land contracts with a handshake and a confident smile, but my reputation is built on attention to detail and an ironclad work ethic.
The fact that I haven’t slept over four hours in a single stretch since high school might also have something to do with my success.
“That’s exactly what I want,” the bride gushes when I pause the slideshow on a floral archway made ofimported orchids that matches the color palette of the wedding party. “Isn’t it beautiful, Daddy?”
I wait for a response from my actual clients, the alpha fathers of the blushing bride who are funding her elaborate wedding.
“Trinity, these designs are exactly what we envisioned,” one of them says, his deep voice crackling through my earbuds. “But the timeline seems aggressive. Our daughter’s engagement was just announced last week, and she won’t be getting married until next June.”
I swallow hard, while the bride makes a protesting noise without actually challenging her father’s assertion. Typical omega. They might think of her as their spoiled princess, but only because she lets her alpha daddies believe everything is actually their idea.
It’s my job to play hardball for her, and this is the moment to close the deal.
“The best venues usually book at least eighteen months in advance, especially for a date in the summer. Because of the connections I’ve cultivated, I can secure your date, but we need to move quickly.” I lean closer to my screen, lowering my voice like I’m sharing a shameful secret. “If cost is an issue, we could discuss off-peak options. October is very affordable, though it is the rainy season.”
I don’t miss the raised eyebrows or grumbled negations. Alpha pride is always the easiest target to hit, especially when it concerns something as public as a wedding.
Another of them clears his throat. “The budget is certainly not a primary concern.”
The café door swings open, bell jingling. Josie walks in, blonde hair swinging behind her like a cape as she zeroes in on our usual table, which is currently unoccupied. A cute little wrinkle forms between her furrowed brows.
I’ve got about thirty seconds before she realizes I’m at a table in the corner, partially obscured by the long barista counter.
Watching her look around in confusion, I make a point of not hiding my sudden distraction. “Please take all the time you need to decide. Though I do have another meeting scheduled now. I’ll email a list of other venue options that typically don’t sell out for summer.”
“We’re ready to move forward,” the first alpha interjects after a squeak of alarm from his daughter. “Go ahead and send over the contract.”
“Wonderful. I’ll be in touch soon.”
I slam my laptop shut just as Josie spots me. Her eyes narrow suspiciously as she weaves through the tables.
She slides into the chair across from me, unwinding her scarf. “Were you working?”
“Just finishing up an email,” I lie, shoving my laptop into my bag. “You know, since you were running late.”
