12 The Sponsor

It was a beautiful noon and the weather had warmed up, the sun shining brightly.

Alice remembered when she was a little girl. At that time, her grandma carried her to the riverside, where they would set up a swing for her to bask in the warm sunshine. Little Alice often held a piece of delicious cake. The air even had a sweet and salty taste.

Alice and Lily were towards the staff café when suddenly Lily grabbed her and pointed ahead, "Look."

Ahead, Mr. Thompson and John were walking towards the café, John's black coat fluttering in the wind, exuding a dashing charm.

Two men slowed their steps involuntarily and waved to them.

Lily whispered in Alice's ear, "I wish I could have lunch with the handsome guy."

You two, come over, please, Mr. Thompson greeted, "We're already very familiar, let's have lunch together."

Alice smiled and mouthed the words, "Your dream has come true!" She slightly tilted her head to look at John walking ahead, feeling that he was indeed perfect in every way--youthful, handsome, wealthy.

The four arrived at the cafe, where a waitress approached, "Mr. Thompson, would you like a separate room?"

Mr. Thompson was about to nod, but Alice saw John's a little unwillingness.

A thought crossed her mind, and she promptly smiled, "Mr. Thompson, why not try the buffet? It's one of our highlights. Besides, Mr. Williams is always busy, we shouldn't keep him."

Her words were soft and gentle, like a breeze, and John smiled at her. She spoke in a soft tone. It was rare, yet natural, not at all like a young girl's coquetry.

In fact, Alice was right; John had just bumped into Mr. Thompson, and didn't have a scheduled lunch together. He agreed with Alice's suggestion, smiling, "Not at all, Mr. Thompson is the busy one."

How could Mr. Thompson miss the hidden meaning, "Young people just like simple and convenient." Alice quickly arranged a table by the floor-to-ceiling windows, and John slowed his pace with Alice. Lily glanced at John and found he was about to speak to Alice but stopped with fondness.

Standing in front of the buffet, Alice almost frowned as she pondered her selection.

Although the variety was dazzling, the colors enticing, she was actually not hungry at all--she just took a piece of little cake and a cup of orange juice. John stood behind him, "You are on a diet?"

Alice smiled, "Yes, I am."

John fell silent, he looked at her, as if amused, "A bit chubbier would be better." His words carried a deeper meaning, and Alice paused, seeing him walk away smiling.

Dining and schmoozing were par for the course, and Alice only sat there, smiled, and answered a word or two.

Mr. Thompson and Lily were seasoned at it too; their conversation was like smooth instant coffee. Politeness and compliments are meaningless--even the usually carefree Lily sat gracefully. The whole world was wearing masks.

Alice looked up absentmindedly at the window, her eyes slightly round, smiling or squinting.

They always formed crescent moons. With her baby face, she looked even younger. Her gaze was always clear and penetrating, yet she often tried to avoid John's--he knew, she wouldn't be like that at work, she would look at guests with sincerity and warmth, making them feel comfortable, yet also like she was not herself.

This time, however, she forgot to avoid John's, and John was taken aback. Complex emotions existed in those crystal-like eyes.

Mr. Thompson, have my secretary mentioned that our Chinese customer, Shaw Jin, who is staying at the hotel, is an avid history buff. Could we find someone to accompany him?

He plans to visit the museum and some nearby historical sites in a few days. John paused, "Just good Chinese seems not enough. It is better to know well about history."

Mr Thompson laughed. "Yes, she said that." She patted Alice on the shoulder, like a treasure: "Miss Smith majored in history at Oxford. "

Alice turned her face away in frustration and wanted to say that she had almost forgotten everything she had learned at university. When she saw Mr Thompson's eager eyes, she could only nod in agreement.

No problem, we'll host the history academic forum in the coming days. Mr. Thompson chuckled.

Alice had to remind him, "Mr. Thompson, we just got a message, the sponsor has some issues, it might not even happen."

Mr. Thompson paused, "Really? When did this happen?"

Alice sighed, "Just now."

John had been listening quietly, and he just happened to chip in, "Roosevelt's scenery is perfect for a history forum."

So they dropped the topic and finished their lunch.

The doorman had already parked the car at the banquet hall entrance, and as soon as they came out, John bid them farewell and then turned to leave.

Mr. Thompson was also in a hurry to leave, looking busy. Lily snorted, "Look at Mr. Thompson, off to his afternoon nap, I bet."

No teasing the elderly, Alice sighed, feeling amused, "Why are you so excited?"

Lily made a victory sign, "I'll tell the others in the lounge who I had lunch with." She turned and ran off, leaving Alice chuckling.

On the way home after work, Alice ran into John's young assistant, driving John's car, carrying a stack of files. She greeted him, and the young man said, "Miss Smith, need a ride?"

Alice shook her head to decline and took the subway to the Boston Public Library, where she picked up several tourist guidebooks. She had one advantage: the more pressure and the less time, the more she could learn and progress.

Back home, she continued to learn – until she felt sleepy. When she put down the book and tried to sleep, she failed again. Loads of memories come to her.

The foreign VIP that John mentioned was out for inspections those days, so there was no rush – the next day, they got a message saying they had found a new sponsor, and it was pretty much confirmed.

Alice was finally able to focus on the academic forum. She also received a call from Lemon's secretary's office. It turned out Lemon was the sponsor.

The top management also attached great importance to this Forum: "We need to handle both – keep good cooperation with Lemon in business, and host academic conferences to enhance the hotel's taste and culture.

Anyway, since the sponsor of the forum is Lemon, it's a one-stop service, we must do a good job no matter what happens."

Alice didn't give it much thought, just treating it as normal business.