Page 29 of His Obsession
I put my hands on her shoulders and force her to take a breath. “You did,” I remind her. “Because your business is booming and you needed the help.”
“He doesn’t do anything I need him to do,” she gripes, “and he’s always asking questions.”
“This is his first event with you,” I remind her. “We knew there’d be growing pains, and he’s not a mind reader. Are you expressing your frustrations to him, or just hoping he anticipates your needs?”
“That was part of the job description!” she nearly shouts.
I glance behind me to make sure no guests are in earshot.
“Here’s what we’re going to do,” I say calmly. “We’re going to keep him on the bar tonight because this event is too important for any issues. You’re in charge of all the waiters and the kitchen.”
She nods. “I’m sorry, Val, I really thought he’d be a help tonight.”
“It’s okay, Ronnie,” I assure her. “Everything is going fine, we just need to get these trays moving on schedule so the guests don’t get hungry. Once the dinner starts, everything will be fine.”
She nods and turns toward her new assistant. She breaks the news that he’ll be overseeing the bar, and I can tell by his expression he isn’t taking it well. Unfortunately, it’s not my job to soften the blow. I probably have fifty other little disasters waiting for me, and ego is not in my purview.
I leave the staging area and run into the keynote speaker. He’s already on his third cocktail, don’t worry I’ve been keeping count, and his words are starting to slur as he practices his speech to himself. I need to get some food in him before he blacks out.
“Mr.Brighton,” I say with as much enthusiasm as I can muster. A man like this requires a lot of ass-kissing. “We’re so excited to hear your speech tonight. How are you feeling?”
“Never better,” he says, a little too slowly, like the words are sticking to his tongue.
“I’m so glad to hear that.” I smile. “Is there anything I can get you? A coffee? Maybe a plate of hors d’oeuvres?”
At that very moment, his stomach grumbles loudly.
“Could you?” he asks. “I haven’t seen any trays come my way.”
“For you, Mr.Brighton, I could have a dinner plate made early. Whatever you need, I’m here to provide.”
He smiles even wider. “Well, that’s very nice of you, dear.”
I hold back an eye roll at the condescension. He’s a man of a certain age, and he’s been a big-ticket seller for this event, so I accept his small dose of misogyny and move along. I’ll have a great time debriefing with Gia later.
I have Veronica fire up a plate for him, then station myself at the corner of the room to make sure the rest of the appetizers are circulating on schedule. Finally, cocktail hour comes to an end. There’s no line at the photo wall, and guests trickle through whenever they want.
I pass a couple admiring the decorations and smile to myself, specifically when they say how much nicer the gala looks this year compared to last. It’s the little wins that get me through events like this.
A prickle runs up my neck, and I turn toward the head table. Sebastian is sitting there with Mr.Brighton, his cousin Matteo, and a few of the biggest donors. He’s mid-conversation with someone, but his eyes are on me. The room tunnels until we’re the only two people in it, and I have to remind myself this is a work event. I can’t strip naked and offer myself to him on one of the catering platters.
Instead, I nod to him, and he raises a glass to me. I curse the butterflies in my stomach. He shouldn’t have this much of an effect on me, especially now. The whole point of sleeping with him was to get him out of my system, not make my infatuation worse. My cheeks flush, and I just need a moment to myself.
I step out onto a nearby balcony and take a deep breath. It’s the first moment I’ve had to myself since I woke up this morning, and I relish the slight sharpness of the air. It slows my thoughts down and reminds me of what’s truly important.
I’m great at my job. I’m killing tonight.
Once this event is over, I’ll only have to make polite conversation with Sebastian on the rare occasion Nico invites him over. I can put him out of my head entirely and keep focusing on growing my business. Who knows how many clients I’ll land from tonight? My entire future spreads out in front of me, vast as the LA skyline. And Sebastian isn’t part of it.
“Val, I’m so sorry to bother you, but the firework guy can’t find his fuse,” Tessa says from behind me.
I bow my head and take a deep breath. Back to work.
The night winds to a close as final remarks wrap up and guests file through for gift bags. I meet my staff in the kitchen while we indulge in our favorite post-event ritual, divvying up the leftover dessert.
“Tonight was incredible, everyone,” I tell them. “I threw you to the wolves with this one, and you rose to the occasion perfectly. Get ready, because there’s going to be a lot more of this.”
To my chagrin and embarrassment, they all start applauding me, and I finally do allow myself to roll my eyes.
