If Love Had a Price: If Love #3 by Huang Ana

Author:Huang, Ana
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-09-29T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

MentHer HQ was in chaos when Kris arrived the next evening. She didn’t volunteer on weeknights unless there was a mentee event, but she’d received a frantic text from Susan that morning asking if she could come in as soon as possible.

She didn’t mind. Nate was having guy time with Blue Hair and a few of his other friends, and she wasn’t exactly looking forward to a showdown with her father or Gloria at the mansion, part deux.

Kris raised her eyebrows when she saw the mess in the office. Other staff members usually clocked out at the end of the workday, but tonight, they were all running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

“What’s going on?” Kris asked Melinda, the program director, who wore a wide-eyed, frazzled expression and a blue T-shirt that did her coloring no favors.

“Summer Gala venue.” Melina tugged on a loose curl, her face etched with panic and frustration. “Pipes leaked overnight and the whole place is flooded. It won’t be fixed in time for the event and they’re booked for the rest of the summer, so they can’t move our date. They refunded everyone who’s affected and promised a discount for the next event, which doesn’t help us now.”

Shit.

The gala was two weeks away, and the chances of securing a new venue in that timeframe with MentHer’s budget was slim to none.

Kris tracked down Susan while Melinda rushed off to do whatever she needed to do.

“This is quite a mess,” Susan said wryly when she saw Kris. Lines of tension bracketed the older woman’s mouth, but she managed a wan smile. “Not what I needed in the middle of the grant writing process.”

“I can brainstorm new venues,” Kris said. “Two weeks isn’t that bad.”

“We were thinking the YMCA. I know the director and she said she can squeeze us in this weekend. It’s sooner than expected, and we’d have to scramble—let the girls’ families know immediately—but it’s better than nothing.”

Kris blanched. “The YMCA? Like the song?”

Susan’s eyes crinkled with amusement. “Technically.”

“But…” Kris trailed off. The gala was supposed to be a grand event for the mentees, complete with live music and fancy food and swag bags. For one night, the girls would be pampered beyond their dreams.

She couldn’t see anyone being pampered in a YMCA.

“I’m going to come up with an alternative,” Kris said, determined.

Two hours later, it was clear no alternative existed. It would’ve, had Susan allowed her to pay for a venue as a “charitable donation,” but the director kept bringing up “ethics.” Kris, who’d never had much use for ethics, vacillated between intensely annoyed and grudgingly admiring of the other woman’s dedication to her values until she settled on deeply frustrated.

Susan made the call to confirm the YMCA at ten minutes past eight.

It was already hella late, but Kris stayed behind to help contact the mentors and mentees’ parents. Luckily, they were all understanding of the sudden change in date and venue, and most of them could still make it.

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