Elena, after she dropped her call with Fiona picked up her bag and left her office, heading to a restaurant to meet with a couple whose wedding she was planning.
She was going to meet the couple to find out what they wanted, after receiving a call from them that afternoon, telling her they wanted to make some changes in their event plans.
Just as she stepped out of her office, her phone started ringing and she brought it out to see that it was Dan calling. She felt a twinge of guilt as she silenced the call and tucked her phone back into her bag.
Following her conversation with Fiona, Elena had been avoiding Dan, intending to end things with him as Fiona had suggested. However, her busy schedule had made it impossible for her since she wanted to do so in a face to face meeting with him.
She made a mental note to call him after her meeting later so that she could finally have that conversation she had been putting off. With that thought in mind, Elena hailed a cab and settled in for the ride.
As the taxi glided through the city streets, Elena's mind wandered to the upcoming meeting and she found herself pondering about what the unknown changes the couple wanted to make to their wedding plans were and how it would affect the plans they already made.
Because of the thoughts on her mind, Elena didn't notice how long the ride took as all she saw was the cab stopping in front of her destination.
Elena paid the fare, stepped out onto the sidewalk, and made her way into the restaurant.
A smile spread across her face when she stepped into the restaurant and found the couple seated at the far end of the restaurant. She made her way to them, her steps confident.
"Mr. Ashford, Ms. Winters," Elena greeted as she took a seat across from the couple who smiled on seeing her.
"Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice," Mr. Ashford said and she waved it off.
"It's nothing. I'm at your service after all," she said and they laughed.
"What would you like to eat? I'm sure you wouldn't mind us buying you lunch after calling you out this way," Ms. Winters said and Elena nodded with a smile.
"If you insist," she said, picking up the menu. After perusing the options, she placed her order.
"So, what are the changes you want to make? I'd like us to dive into business while I await my order," Elena said, looking from Mr. Ashford to his fiancee and then back again.
"Indeed," Mr. Ashford began, "we have a special request."
Ms. Winters nodded to what her fiance had said. "Yes. Well, we.. want to introduce someone to you. We want you to work with him for the wedding. He's the owner of this restaurant and we'd like him to be in charge of the cuisine that day," Ms. Winters said, and Elena's eyebrows arched slightly, this gesture, a testament to her curiosity at the unexpected request.
"I see," she said, her mind already racing with the possibilities and potential challenges this new development might bring. "So, who's this person?" she asked but before either of them could speak, Elena's orders arrived followed by a man who commanded attention.
He was in his early thirties, dressed in a sleek suit pant and a crisp, white button-down shirt, his hair was styled in a curly round cut that made his facial features more pronounced.
He carried with him an air of confidence as he stopped beside Elena, his presence momentarily distracting her from the conversation.
An involuntary smile played on her lips as she eyed this man from head to toe. Although he wasn't looking directly at her, Elena could feel her knees go weak just by sitting there and staring at him.
He was her kind of man. Elena thought.
"He's here. Elena, meet Phil Jacobs, the owner of this restaurant and the chef we want in charge of the catering," Mr. Ashford said, looking at Elena before turning to Phil.
"Phil, this is Ms. Elena Malcolm, our wedding planner," He introduced and Phil flashed Elena a smile, revealing his perfectly dimpled cheeks which only seemed to take Elena's breath away.
"Nice to meet you, Elena.... I can call you that right?" Phil quickly asked and Elena nodded.
"Sure," she said, stretching out her hand to him. "I'm looking forward to working with you, Mr....."
"Call me Phil, please," Phil cut in as his eyes locked onto Elena's, his gaze sparkling with a hint of friendliness and professionalism.
Phil, after exchanging pleasantries with Elena, took his seat so he could discuss what he had in mind with Elena while she ate.
Phil began discussing his vision for the wedding menu, his passion for culinary art, evident in every word. Elena nodded in approval, impressed by his creativity and soon, they both fell into a rhythm of ideas and inspiration.
Mr. Ashford and his fiancee exchanged a knowing glance, pleased to see their wedding planner and chef clicking so well. This showed that they didn't need to worry about the change they made affecting their wedding negatively.
"I love the idea you brought about incorporating seasonal ingredients and locally sourced produce. What do you think, Mr. Ashford, Ms. Winters?" Elena asked, with a smile and Ms. Winters nodded.
"Yeah. I also do."
"I was also thinking we could create a custom menu that reflects the couple's personal taste and preferences. What do you think, Elena?" Phil asked and Elena shrugged as she dropped her cutlery.
"I think it's a great idea but then, it solely depends on Mr. Ashford and his fiancee here," Elena said and when the couple nodded in agreement, Phil flashed Elena a smile and they continued.
As they delved deeper into the conversation, Elena found herself feeling a jolt of excitement at the idea of collaborating with this charming and talented chef in front of her.
Before they knew it, they had spent over an hour brainstorming ideas for the wedding menu while Mr. Ashford and Ms. Winters beamed with satisfaction, clearly thrilled with the direction their wedding planning was going.
Because time wasn't on their side and they had all agreed the meeting would last an hour, they all wrapped up the meeting and said their goodbyes.
Before Elena could leave, Phil stopped her "I'm sorry but can I have your contact information? That way, having a meeting with you would be a lot easier," he said and although Elena was pretty excited he would be having her line, she keot her face professional.
"Take care and see you some other time," Phil said and with that, the two exchanged a warm handshake, marking the beginning of a beautiful professional partnership