LITMIR.BIZ

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at our table had their dinner, I sliced a piece off my flank steak and took a small bite, the rubbery consistency in keeping with the venue if not the price of the ticket. “Said the thirty-four-year-old pot to the kettle.”

      It was Andy’s turn to laugh, and laugh he did. “Okay, okay, point taken. But let’s be honest here. Callahan Advertising Agency is a helluva lot bigger than Zander Closet Company.”

      “For now.” I plucked the ornamental green leaf off my potatoes, leaned in front of JoAnna, and handed it to an eye rolling Carter. “Anyway, Shamus and Mavis never had a child of their own so the running of the company was left to Kevin. I’ve only met him very briefly once or twice, but I didn’t really get the appeal.”

      “He’s not good at what he does?”

      “No, I just mean his not so subtle flirting didn’t really do anything for me.”

      “Why would it? You have me,” Andy teased.

      “Exactly.” I dipped my butter knife into the pat of butter atop my bread plate and slathered it across the bottom of my dinner roll. “Besides, he doesn’t have dimples like you do and he has a wife and a baby who, based on the empty chair and highchair I can see from here, are around here somewhere.”

      “Oh.”

      “Uh huh. And the little blonde with the curlicues on Mavis’s other side? That’s one of theirs, too.”

      “Why does that little girl look familiar?”

      “She’s been in a few of the ads Callahan has done. Most notably the one for last fall’s Boo at the Zoo commercial.”

      “That’s it! I knew I’d seen her before. She’s a real cutie.” He took a bite of his salmon and then looked again at the head table. “Mavis looks positively enamored with that little girl.”

      I smiled over the top of my dinner roll. “She does, doesn’t she?”

      “That’s the same way Stu looks at you, you know.”

      I let my gaze travel around Andy to the bald man on his opposite side, my heart swelling at the sight of a man I’d loved my entire life—a man who was so enthralled with the housecoat-wearing woman on his far side I couldn’t help but cringe. Like it or not, Grandpa Stu saw something in my next door neighbor I would never understand.

      My grandfather…

      And Ms. Rapple…

      I must have shuddered for real because Andy set down his fork and patted my hand in a show of understanding. But even with that, I had to look away from the pair before my rubberized flank steak found its way back up my throat.

      Category by category the show advanced—Best Humorous Slogan, Best Emotional Slogan, Best Jingle, Best 30-Second Spot, and, finally, just as dessert (chocolate cake!) was finishing up, the lights dimmed, Kevin Callahan’s wife and baby reappeared at the head table to Mavis’s obvious delight, and Carl Brinkman returned to the stage, this time in a top hat and tails and brandishing a cane he spun in the air like a baton.

      “Well, folks, we’ve come to the pinnacle of the evening—the very award the late great Shamus Callahan built this entire award show around forty”—the anchorman–turned–master of ceremonies stole a peek at the head table for confirmation—“one years ago.”

      Applause broke out around the room only to subside as Carl held his hands up in a silencing gesture. “In fact, the coveted Golden Storyboard statue specific to the night’s top award was designed by Shamus’s wife, Mavis.”

      Clearly uncomfortable by the renewed applause now aimed at her, Mavis smiled quickly and then busied herself with her granddaughter and the just-returned grandbaby now seated atop her lap.

      “And the humiliation just goes on and on, doesn’t it?” JoAnna whispered in my ear.

      “Humiliation? What—”

      JoAnna swept the air between us. “Forget that. This is your night. Are you ready?”

      “I’m scared to death, quite frankly,” I whispered back.

      “Enjoy the moment no matter what it brings.”

      And that is why I loved my secretary. She had a way of cutting through the background noise to get to the part that matters—at work, in life, in love.

      I felt Andy’s hand encase mine a split second before Grandpa Stu winked at me and Sam and Mary Fran flashed a dual thumbs-up. Swinging my gaze to the left, I met Carter’s proud glance with what I hoped was a thankful one on my part. I was blessed and I knew that. No matter what happened in the next ten minutes, I had what mattered more than any award could ever mean.

      “To present the Golden Storyboard, for this year’s Best Overall Ad Campaign, is last year’s winner, Cassie Turner, from the Ross Jackson Agency. Cassie?”

      The model-thin advertising executive strolled onto the stage in a gold floor length dress that hugged her curves like a second skin. Her trademark blond locks hung down her back and across her shoulders in such glorious ringlets that even Carter had to sigh. But I didn’t care about any of that. My focus, my heart-pounding attention was fixed on the plain white envelope in Cassie’s bejeweled hand as she fairly glided into place behind the podium.

      “Well, well, well, we meet again,” Cassie said around a dazzling smile of bleached teeth. “Only this time, and rather surprisingly I might add, I will remain at the bottom of the staircase”—as if on cue, the red velvet curtain beside the podium parted to reveal the famed spiral staircase, as well as the platform and screen it led to at the top—“while this year’s winner carries his or her Golden Storyboard to the top.”

      I looked down at the napkin in my lap and then back up at the stage, my face warm from my tablemates’ renewed and not so subtle attention.

      “So, without further ado, I present to you the nominees for this year’s Best Overall Ad Campaign.

      “Ben Gibbens of The Beckler and Stanley Agency for the creativity that was this year’s St. Louis and You campaign for the St. Louis Tourism Commission.

      “Deidre Ryan, of The Whitestone Agency for the creativity that was this year’s Books Can Take You Places campaign for the St. Louis Public Library System.

      “Lexa Smyth of The Callahan Agency for the creativity that was this year’s Get Moving with MetroLink Campaign.”

      Andy brought his lips within a few centimeters of my ear. “I didn’t know you were up against someone from the founder’s agency.”

      “I am. But it’s okay. Really. It’s an honor to be nominated—”

      “Get Moving with MetroLink? I remember that one,” Ms. Rapple whisper-gushed from the other side of my grandfather. “Best commercial I’ve seen in years.”

      I started to look at Carter for the commiserating eye roll I knew I’d find, but then Cassie moved on to the fourth and final nominee—me.

      “And Tobi Tobias of The Tobias Agency for the creativity that was New Town’s Where Vacation and Life Become One campaign.”

      Like a robot, I started to applaud just like I had for the first three names, but stopped when JoAnna’s hand reached out and stilled mine. “This is your moment, Tobi. Savor it.”

      And savor it I did. I savored the applause from the tables around me, the smiles from my loved ones, and the sweet kiss on my temple from Andy.

      Yes, it was official. I would never, ever forget this moment for as long as I lived.

      “And now, I present to you, the winner of this year’s Golden Storyboard for Best Overall Ad Campaign—Deidre Ryan!”

      A gasp from the front center of the room was followed, a half second later, by a squeal from the vicinity of Deidre’s table, and, finally, the thunderous applause of the crowd that drowned out all but the sound of

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