it's christmas eve tomorrow

thursday flies by in a rush of papers, decor, five cups of coffee, and a half eaten sandwich for lunch.

friday afternoon is here and it's the moment of truth. i have somehow managed to do the impossible and that is to plan about seventy five percent of the gala in five days. granted, the twenty-five percent will be a difficult percentage but i'm proud of myself nonetheless. all that's left is for vivian to give the okay on the caterer i've chosen and the orchestra i found. i have a meeting with her in less than fifteen minutes to have a food tasting and to have the five strings audition for the biggest gig they'll most likely get all year.

"the orchestra and caterers are downstairs in room one twenty waiting for you, ma'am." i tell her, standing in her doorway.

vivian stares out the window with a blank expression, her long legs crossed and her dark hair pulled into a high pony.

"vivian?" i speak again, clearing my throat. this time her head turns, a dazed expression on her phone.

"oh yes. alright i'll be down in five. make sure they're ready." she tells me half heartedly in slow words, looking tired.

"of course." i say softly, my brows furrowed. i can't help but feel concerned for her. ever since that conversation she had with mr. ward she's been distant and has little opinion on the decisions i've made. i'm basically planning this entire thing single handedly at this point.

bringing a clipboard with my check list for the day on it, i take a seat at a circular table, the band all set up and ready to go while the caterers place the samples on a long beautifully decorated table. my foot taps on the floor as i wait for vivian to arrive.

twenty minutes pass and the orchestra is growing anxious, the food getting cold. i check my watch, sighing as another minute passes. just as i'm about to call her, someone passes the door and then backtracks, peeking his head through the door.

"what's going on in here?" the ceo asks me, confused, "where is vivian?"

"um..." i don't want to throw her under the bus so i say, "she's not feeling her best and has asked me to take care of this."

his eyes narrow and he checks his watch, "you're new so i'm not very comfortable with you making these decisions just yet. i have a few minutes before my board meeting so let's get started." he approaches the table, taking a seat a few chairs away from me and facing the orchestra, "you may begin."

beautiful classical music fills the air and a small smile spreads across my lips. a plate is set in front of me topped with three different hors d'oeuvres of various size and color.

i pick one up, tasting it. a burst of flavor of garlic and parsley makes for a delightful snack especially since i accidentally skipped lunch. the other two are equally delicious.

mr. ward and i continue to taste the samples set out in front of us as the orchestra goes through at least three songs. i barely look over at him, afraid that i'll be met with a glare or a scowl. when "five strings" stops playing, i have finished sampling every delightful option and have about five in mind for the first half of the night and another five for the evening consisting of mostly dessert choices.

i quickly voice my opinions to him and he looks at me with a thoughtful expression. "i agree, have them ordered. have you chosen the wine yet?" i shake my head, "perfect. i will fax you a list of the wines we always use for our events. don't wander off of the list but please do a tasting so you can choose which one you think is best."

"you're giving me the choice?" i feel weirdly shocked since he told me, just moments ago, that i'm too new to make and sort of decision on my own.

he stands up, dabbing his lips with a napkin, "i think you've done a good job so far. vivian updates me daily on the progress and, while i assumed she was the one making these decisions, i now see it's been you all along. good work. i'll see you on monday, miss harris." before i have a chance to respond he's already left the room and i'm left speechless.

what does this mean? am i making the decisions now without any supervision? probably not. nevertheless, i feel as if i've received the highest compliment. all of the hard work the week has been worth the feeling of being fully capable.

☆☆☆

the house is silent as i walk inside, my keys hitting together between my fingers as i kick the door closed, a stack of work in my hands.

"hello?" i call out, waiting for a response, "mom? dad?" my brows furrow when i don't hear anything. it's not unusual that my mother isn't here because she's usually shopping or visiting my dad at the office. i guess i was just hoping the house wouldn't be empty.

trudging upstairs in my heels, i finally make it to my room, setting the stack of paperwork and lists of receipts on my desk. kicking my shoes off, i jump into my bed with a grunt, sighing as i nuzzle into my pillow, completely exhausted from waking up so early each morning. it's finally catching up with me.

my eyes open in a snap when my closet door suddenly moves, a thud emitting from behind the white wood. slowly sitting up, i quickly dial 911, ready to hit the call button. my eyes locked onto the area, i watch as the door slowly opens and i immediately hit the green button and place it to my ear.

it rings as i stand up, approaching the closet warily. just as the door opens up completely, the line picks up and a familiar girl pops out from amongst my clothes.

"nine one-one, what's your emergency?" a woman speaks.

my mouth gapes as i stare at what's playing out before me, completely unable to comprehend. "my best friend just came out of the closet." i mutter, shocked as a grinning lillian regards me with a raised brow, fighting laughter.

"i'm sorry, i don't understand. what's the emergen-" i hang up quickly, throwing my phone to the side and pulling lillian into a tight hug.

"what are you doing here?" i laugh, squeezing her as hard as i can, wondering if this is even real or if it's my imagination and my best friend is still in haiti far far away from me.

lillian pulls away, tucking her dark brown hair behind her ear as she laughs, covering her mouth with a giddy smile. "it was dakota's idea that we didn't tell you when we were coming."

"i didn't even know you were coming at all!" i gasp.

"well we had to come home sometime." she laughs in amusement, walking over and taking a seat on my bed, "by the way, you took forever to get here. my legs were starting to cramp up."

i roll my eyes, sitting in my desk chair. "tell me about it. the traffic on friday evenings is the absolute worst coming from the city."

"so..." she looks at me with raised brows, "how are things with your new job? you're working in the city? that's pretty cool."

i sigh, nodding. "yeah i actually like it even though my boss, vivian, can be a real pain in the butt."

lillian gives me a pitied look, "i'm sorry. at least it's only the first week so hopefully it can only get better? when's this gala happening?"

i think for a moment, trying to recall the exact date, "in a couple of weeks."

"wow. that doesn't give you much time." she states, looking down at her hands.

"no." i shake my head, "they couldn't keep an assistant so a lot of the work didn't get done until i started."

"that sucks." lillian tell me with a curled nose, "but you've always been so good at that whole party planning thing. your mom's galas were always so pretty even in the photos." she compliments me, making my cheeks burn.

"i guess i'm alright. i enjoy it at most and that's what really matters." i sigh, pausing, before throwing her a knowing smirk, "so, what's up with you? how was haiti with dakota?" i wink.

lillian's cheeks redden slightly and she fidgets with the corner of my bedspread, "it was good. we met so many amazing children and it was hard to leave them. i just wanted to take all of them home with me." a sad expression takes over her pretty face, "dakota literally almost talked me into adopting one of them." she laughs, shaking her head at the mention of her fiancé.

"maybe after you're married." i suggest, "adopting is amazing and i'd love it if you guys did that."

she gives me a small smile, "yeah, maybe we will. i would say that we're too young but...those kids aren't getting any younger and the older they get the harder it is to find homes for them. dakota and i will most likely discuss it after the wedding."

a sly grin spreads over my lips, "speaking of the wedding, have you set a date yet?" excitement rises in my chest. i can't believe she's here right now and that i actually finally get to ask her these questions.

lillian blows air through her cheeks, slowly standing up. i watch with furrowed brows, "what? is there something wrong?" panic sets in. i'll tell you one thing, if two people as in love as lillian and dakota break up then there's no hope for love in my life. they are the epitome of a strong healthy relationship. i think it's because they've learned not to take everything in life so seriously. the relationship has been really good for lillian considering it used to be so hard for her to lighten up before she met him.

my best friend shakes her head, keeping her eyes low. "no...nothing's wrong i just have something i need to tell you."

a frown sets itself on my face, my heart beating a little slower. "what is it?" please don't say you're leaving again.

"well..." she breathes, "the thing is, dakota and i were talking and neither of us have ever really wanted a huge wedding. it just isn't what will make us happy. so we're getting married...in two weeks." her face scrunches up as if she's expecting me to freak out or have a bad reaction.

jumping up from my seat, i can barely contain the loud scream that comes from my lips. her hands immediately come up to cover her ears and her eyes are squeezed tightly. "i'm guessing you're not mad that i didn't tell you sooner?" she yells over my hollering.

"mad?" i ask, a huge grin on my face, "i couldn't be happier. i mean, it's cutting it close to the gala but i can definitely still help plan your wedding. i wouldn't have it any other way."

a look of relief floods her features, "then that leads me to my next question." she tells me, grabbing my hands, "symphony?"

"yes?" i laugh.

"will you be my maid of honor? please? i literally can't do this without you." she tells me, my heart warming at her words. she was gone so long i was beginning to think she had found a new best friend in dakota. looking at her now i know that i should have known better than to think she'd ever replace me.

"i would be honored." i reply, "no pun intended."

lillian laughs, "thank you. now...what do we do first?" she looks at me with desperation.

"first we get dakota over here to help us make some decisions. we have a lot to do in two weeks, my friend." i snort, grabbing a pen and some paper. so much for taking a nap.

"i'll call him right now." she pulls out her cell phone, "you're the best, sym."

i smirk, "i know."

☆★☆

dakota and lillian are getting MARRIED. *crying emoji*

if you read trapped in then i'm sure this will be at least a little bit exciting (i hope haha).