His reply was vague, stating that he knew nothing about who they were because the meeting was set up through an assistant, and then rah-rah-ed me about how I always brought my best, so he had no worries about how I’d pull it off. I was glad one of us had that much faith in my abilities.
Even back working at the resort, first meetings meant I wore a subliminally bridal dress, as always. This one was a white sleeveless, belted dress with buttons up the front, but I’d been stuck on the shoes. Sensible espadrilles for an old money couple, or sexy stilettoes for influencer types? I’d opted for the heels.
I walked through the buildings on my way to the ballroom with my tablet pressed to my chest, saying hello to my colleagues. The fact that I was sleeping with the boss was well-known, but it didn’t seem to change the way people interacted with me. I got teased by the groundskeepers, mothered by the kitchen staff, and bossed around by the concierge, just like everyone else.
I belonged.
Of course, I still got a little nervous before new client meetings. When I’d agreed to take the position at the resort, it was with the caveat that I’d keep my outside clients. I didn’t want any of them to think I was coercing them into choosing the resort for their wedding, but it turned out I needn’t have bothered. The attention Kristen and Carter’s show brought both the property and my role there meant that me and the resort were an expected package and we were busier than ever.
Dorian had even approached Drew about a possible spin-off show featuring our events division, but Drew had kiboshed it within the first ten minutes of the meeting. We’d spent more than enough time under the unforgiving eyes of cameras.
I picked up my pace through the lobby. I always forgot how freakinghugethe property was until I found myself late for a meeting.
A single, high pitched bark made me pause. Mrs. Barclay was in the house. I craned my neck and spotted her sitting in one of the waiting areas with her three leashed dogs all clustered by her feet looking angelic. She spotted me and waved so I had no choice but to walk over. We’d had plenty of run-ins in the months since our introduction. Thankfully, all of them had been much more pleasant than our first meeting.
“Good morning, Mrs. Barclay! How are you and the boys today?”
I knelt down to pet each of them on the head.
“We’re marvelous, thank you. Just waiting for their dog walker Jeremy to swing by for their adventure hike. They come back exhausted, and then they sleep all night! I can’t thank Andrew enough for suggesting it.”
I grinned at her. The truce between my man and his most frustrating clients was holding.
“I’m so happy to hear that,” I replied.
“Oh, and tell him that all three of them absolutelyadoredthose gourmet biscuits in our welcome basket. Are they made here on site?”
I nodded. “They are! It was all Drew’s idea to include them in the baskets, and he worked with our pastry chef to come up with the flavors. We’ve actually tried samples of both types ourselves, and I happen to think the cheddar biscuits are delicious.”
Mrs. Barclay’s eyes went wide. “Youatethe dog biscuits? How delightful!”
She was still laughing as I walked away.
It was as if Oliver stepping down had reinvigorated Drew to take a new look at his business. He’d always been innovative, but now he was constantly finding new ways to surprise and delight his guests.
I liked to think that I could also take some credit for his shift in perspective. He was lighter now. Happier. Still a driven AF bossman, but there was a peace in him that everyone seemed to be able to sense.
I paused outside the ballroom doors to check my appearance in my phone. Yeah, I was happier too, and you could see it in my face, even when I was feeling rushed and a little sweaty. I took a deep breath, put my hands on the double doors, and pushed into the room.
“Drew? What are you doing here?”
I glanced around the empty space, looking for my couple.
“Did you scare the clients away? I have a ten o’clock John and Jane Doe meeting that’s supposed to start in here.”
He chuckled as he walked over to me. “I don’t scare our guests. At least, not anymore.”
I was too busy punching at my tablet to look up at him. “Did I get the location wrong?” I squinted at the calendar. “No, it says the Hawthorne Ballroom.”
“Where all of the magic happens,” Drew joked, because we’d spent more than enough time in the space, especially during the show.
“Drew, come on, help me. I don’t want to be late for my meeting. Can you check the master calendar while I call Ethan? Maybe he filled out the wrong one when he put it on the calendar.”
I was about to connect the call when Drew placed his hand on mine and lowered my phone.
“Nice to meet you. My name is John Doe.”
I scowled at him then refocused on my phone. “Not funny. Let me do my job.”
