THOMAS

According to my notes, tomorrow's wedding should happen without issues. The only thing I'm concerned about is the access to a full open bar and the effect on the guests who are fond of liquor. Everything else seems under control.

Abigail should have been here a while ago. She went by Amber to bring the crystal drops the bride found at the last minute in an antique market and wants incorporated in her bouquet. That should cover the last of her good luck tokens, something old. I only hope that Amber agrees to add them. She can be hard-headed if she believes the client's wishes clash with her vision, but if there's anyone who can convince her, that's my sister.

The front door opens, and a tall man enters. He looks lost.

"Hi! Good afternoon. What can I help you with?" I offer him a smile that he returns.

"You must be Thomas. Abigail asked me to meet you here at one in the afternoon."

"Of course! Didier, am I right?" I offer him a hand that he shakes firmly.

"At your service."

"My apologies that it didn't click immediately for me. She said you had dreadlocks and a ring in your eyebrow."

I'm no short guy myself, but Didier towers over me. He's good looking; with dark skin and very light brown eyes. Abi said he used to work at the ice cream factory, but the guy in front of me belongs on a runway.

"I had the dreadlocks removed yesterday and the eyebrow ring is at home. My head suddenly feels so light. I should have done it long ago. I assumed it didn't look presentable enough for fancy events."

"Considering that my brothers are Mr. Ink and Mr. Piercing themselves, I think you would have been fine," I laugh, thinking about how rogue my brothers look next to Didier. "Abigail is visiting one of our vendors about a last-minute change for tomorrow's wedding, but we can have a chat while we wait for her. Coffee?" I motion for him to follow me to the meeting area.

"Yes, thank you."

"I would offer you a pastry, but I'm afraid I finished what was left. I believe that my body is seventy-five percent dough and sugar," I say and he laughs heartily. "Anything from O'Brien is addictive. Maybe Abi has some cookies hidden around here. Want me to check?"

"You are very kind, but no. I'm happy with a hot cup of coffee."

"Abi told me you lost your job at the ice cream factory, which is quite unfortunate. What did you do before?"

"Every job you can imagine. We moved a lot, and I took on anything that could bring money in."

"Were your parents in the army?"

"I grew up in a circus. My mother was a performer and my father worked in the crew. He never recognized me as his son, but seeing that I look exactly like him, there was no doubt. I learned how to do everything related to building and maintaining stuff. Whenever we were stationed in a town for a week, I would go out scouting for things to do to earn extra money."

"A circus..."

"More like battered campers, the smell of animal crap and fake glamour."

"And did you ever perform?" This information has me fascinated.

"When I was a child, I had a little clown act. Then I trained at the beginning of my teenage years in dangerous stuff like sword swallowing and fire eating. My mother was an acrobat and contortionist, but my long limbs were not fit for anything like that. I grew up wild and the more dangerous the act, the more it had my attention. She put her foot down and forbid me to do it when I said I wanted to try a motorcycle act in a steel cage. She was barely over five feet tall, but her stare was deadly."

"I guess it's something all moms share," I laugh. "But the fire is fake, right?"

"Unfortunately no. We wear fire retardant clothing and gel over our bodies, but not even that protects you fully. I have a few scars to prove it, and once my hair caught fire," he chuckles at the memory.

"What did you do when your act was over? Did you just go to bed?"

"The work in a circus is never done. I would sell toys or snacks, help clean the animal cages or repair stuff. At times, I would help guide people out of the tent and to the exit after the show to avoid kids getting trampled. I know how to do book keeping and sewing. Part of surviving in that life is learning to do everything yourself."

"Did you experience any emergency situations?"

"Not during a performance, but backstage. Many times. Too many," he says thoughtfully.

"What do you mean? Fights? Drunken people?"

"All the above. Two of the guys in charge of the animals drank a lot. They were kinder to the caged beasts than to each other. We had to come in between them daily. Until one night, when we arrived too late to split them and one stabbed the other. We called for an ambulance, but by the time I came with the paramedics, the guy had died. I was nineteen and the memory still haunts me."

"That's an awful thing to witness," I realize what a protected life I have lived.

"You mature quickly in a place like that. Life at a circus is not as romantic and adventurous as people think. It is hard and ungrateful work. On the days we got tons of visitors, it was fantastic, but performing for only a few was stressful because you knew the books would be on red on that day. As everywhere else, people had their own problems, hopes, dreams and frustrations, and they coped with them in different ways."

"And yet I feel very impressed with how you've dealt with it all. Didier, I think you can help us in so many ways. Serving drinks could be one, but I would love to have you around for much more."

"I'm honored that you think of me in that way."

This man is so humble, kind and skilled that I'm afraid if I don't do something about it, I will lose him to some other crappy job.

"Forgive me, for this will sound weird, and I probably should discuss it with Abigail first, but I think you could make a great assistant. We are so in demand at the moment that we are even delayed in invoicing, the most basic of our needs."

"I'm flattered, Thomas. But I don't have a proper education, only a general diploma," he shakes his head.

"You have all the education that this business needs. You can even start now if it fits your schedule. That box," I point at the bulky container. "It's full of stuff that I'm not even sure we have paid or if we have been paid. If you know how to use a computer, that's all I need."

"I do," he smiles and I can see that he's interested.

"Then it's settled if you want the job. I can fill your papers right away and discuss a salary. We are going nuts here and I'm spending so much time brokering the dress choices for bridesmaids that I barely have time for much else."

"But wouldn't you like to have a female secretary?"

"I'm a male planner. We kind of like breaking stereotypes around here. I'm pretty comfortable with you doing the job."

"Okay, I'm interested and can start straight away. Where do I sign?"

I write a figure on a piece of paper and slide it to him. His eyes widen in surprise.

"That's my salary offer and, of course, any hours worked at an event are extra."

"This is very generous, Thomas. I can be a flower girl if you want me to," he grins.

"Hopefully, we won't ever have to resort to that. And you are welcome to wear your eyebrow ring."

"I like this new look and I believe it fits much better around here."

"You are welcome to make the desk outside your own. Abigail and I sit in here most of the time or we are visiting vendors and clients."

I hear the front door opening and Abigail rushes into the room, looking flustered.

"Are you okay?"

"My car is making a weird noise, and I drove here slowly for fear of it stranding me somewhere. Did I miss Didier?"

"No, I'm still here," he says, and that's when Abi realizes that I'm not alone in the room.

Her face shows a mix of emotions, surprise and delight being the most evident. It's been a long time since I saw my sister react in such a way in the presence of a man.

"Where's your hair?" She grins.

"Somewhere in the trash can of a barber shop."

"Abi, I just hired Didier to be our new assistant to deal with all the back-office tasks we have been neglecting."

"You did? You did! Best news of the day. Does it mean I don't need to sort the box?" She looks hopeful.

"I'll take care of that," Didier says.

Abigail holds Didier's hand and shakes it so hard his body jiggles. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! And welcome to Morgan Events."

"That's the way she shows affection. Ignore her and she'll go away," I say to a very weirded out Didier while Abi looks at me with disapproval. "You know what that means, right?"

"Wait... Thomas, don't play with my emotions. You said the day we got an assistant it meant-"

"That we were flush enough to finally give ourselves a raise."

Abigail makes a happy dance and Didier smiles at her silliness.

"It also means we need to keep working hard to grow the business further, which I'm sure will work out now that we have Didier to help us. I have most of Carter and Dennis' engagement party figured out, but we should look at it together. Three weeks will pass in no time."

"Three weeks? Can you throw a party in such a short time?" Didier looks surprised.

"It's all in the planning and who you know," I exchange a knowing look with Abigail.

Didier brings the box of the damned invoices to the front desk and Abigail and I review the plans for the engagement party. I only hope we are doing the right thing and it doesn't become a setback for our business.