Dear Santa(54)
“Brazil,” Everly repeated. Not bad.
Her smile deflated a little. “There’s only one small problem. It leaves on Saturday.”
Everly automatically shook her head. “That’s impossible. I’d need shots and to get everything organized here at the office, plus pack.” Her head was spinning like a bowling ball heading toward the gutter. No way could she make all that happen.
“That’s just it!” Annette declared excitedly. “I’ve taken care of everything. I’ve got you an appointment this afternoon for your shots and had the prescription for the malaria pills filled, and”—she stopped to take in a deep breath—“I contacted the Brazilian consulate and they have agreed to expedite your visa application.”
Annette clasped her hands and waited as if she expected Everly to applaud.
“Isn’t she wonderful?” Jack said, coming out of his office. He showed far more enthusiasm than Everly felt was necessary. “This is exactly what the doctor ordered.” He smiled at Annette. “Good job.”
“Thank you, Uncle Jack. It’s refreshing to have someone believe in me.” She stared pointedly at Everly.
It demanded effort for Everly not to roll her eyes.
“I’ll go first thing on Friday morning to collect the travel documents,” Annette said, “so you won’t have a single thing to worry about.”
The necessary shots were only part of what was needed. “What about my flight?”
“Booked,” Annette announced, and shared a high five with her uncle. “I have you in business class, leaving O’Hare early Friday evening. Timing, unfortunately, is a tiny bit tight, but you should be able to make the ship when it sails Saturday afternoon.”
Everly felt like everything was moving far too fast for her to keep up. “This is very last-minute…I’m not sure I can get everything together in such a short amount of time.” She needed to get to her desk and handle the most pressing issues herself and delegate the rest. Jack might be her partner, but she didn’t trust him to deal with the more stressing aspects of the business. She’d have to monitor him through emails to the members of her staff.
“One last thing,” Annette said. “I’ve got all the paperwork filled out. All I need now is your passport.”
“Excellent,” Jack said with a wide grin.
* * *
—
For the next three days Everly nearly camped out at her office. She left several of the less delicate matters for Jack to manage. Easygoing Jack had shown far more interest in his golf game than in what was happening with the business. She handled nearly every aspect of the online business, although they were supposed to be partners. The rest of what was on her desk she delegated to her most trusted associates, spending hours explaining what needed to be done and what to expect.
On Friday morning, she woke to a snowstorm. The newscaster predicted ten inches before noon. If her flight was held up because of weather conditions, she would miss the cruise ship.
“What happens if my flight is delayed?” she asked Annette, once she got to the office. “Are there any other options?”
“No,” Annette said, as if that had never entered her mind. “I was online searching for quite a while before I was able to find a flight that would get you to the dock on time.”
“You did a fine, fine job,” Jack complimented his niece, hugging her as if she’d scored an Olympic gold medal in gymnastics rather than managing to book Everly’s travel arrangements.
“But the weather,” Everly pointed out.
“No worries,” Annette said, and handed Everly her travel documents. “I’ve been assured that the cruise will postpone the embarkation up to three hours if by some chance your flight is delayed. There shouldn’t be a problem.”
Three hours. She had a three-hour window to make the ship before it set sail.
“Excellent, Annette. You’ve thought of everything,” Jack said, praising his niece yet again. “Brazil is perfect for Everly. Time to laze on a beach, bask in the sun, and let all the stress and worries of the job roll off her shoulders.”
Like that was going to happen.
“What are you doing standing here?” Jack asked. “It seems to me you need to get packing. Be sure to stop off at the pharmacy and get sunscreen.” He patted Everly on the back and escorted her to the elevator.
With more to do than her mind could comprehend, Everly headed home to pack. Two weeks on a cruise. Her flight was scheduled to fly out at five that afternoon, heading to Manaus, Brazil. According to the documentation, she had two stops and was scheduled to land at noon the following day. The cruise ship was scheduled to depart at three, plus she had that three-hour window if anything went awry.
* * *
—
Back at her condo, Everly pulled out her suitcase and tore through her closet. She needed summer clothes. The problem was her closet was full of business attire. She didn’t own a single pair of shorts.
Everly detested all this rushing, afraid she would miss packing something vital. This wasn’t the way she operated. She liked to plan everything out well in advance so she could be in control, but that option had been taken away from her. With only a few hours left to get ready, she packed what she thought would suffice, determined that she would shop for anything she needed once she arrived in Brazil.