‘You could call Delaney and get her to manage it with a retort in their rival’s edition tomorrow.’
‘But you wouldn’t do that?’
‘No. I’d play Mr Nice. I’d invite Andrew and your mother out to dinner, congratulate them on their relationship, see how the land lies and try and get a feel for what he’s up to.’ She threw the magazine down onto the desk. ‘You know what they say about friends and enemies.’
Oliver nodded. ‘Yes.’ He sucked in a breath. ‘Yes, I do.’
The Crystalline Hotel, Downtown Manhattan
‘It’s gorgeous! I can’t keep my eyes off of it!’
Angel had been squeaking with excitement since the second Cynthia had opened the doors into the Crystalline’s ballroom. The room had an arched ceiling with diamantes embedded in every inch of the plaster. Light streamed in from the Art Deco windows and when the many spotlights connected with the tiny sparkles they produced pinpricks of light on the mellow duck-egg blue walls and the vintage parquet floor.
‘What do you think?’ Cynthia had addressed Hayley and she turned to the woman, her eyes alive.
‘I think it’s a beautiful setting.’ She swallowed. ‘My mind’s buzzing with ideas to make it even more perfect.’
‘I knew it would be,’ Cynthia said, smiling.
‘Did you know that Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers oncedanced here,’ Angel announced, twirling around on the dance floor, her arms in the air, one leg cocked at an angle.
‘Did they really?’ Cynthia asked, clapping her hands together and looking delighted.
‘You’ll have to excuse my daughter; she’s a bit of a walking encyclopaedia,’ Hayley said, unzipping her rucksack and getting out a notebook.
‘I think she’s a doll.’ Cynthia sighed. ‘I longed for a daughter but it wasn’t to be.’
‘Well, if it’s any consolation, she’s not even ten yet and she already raids my wardrobe. So…’ She looked up from her pad. ‘How do you usually have the setting arrangements? Round tables? Long ones?’
‘Usually round. Businesses tend to buy a whole table or two.’
‘And they would sit all together?’ Hayley asked, writing notes.
‘What do you mean?’
Hayley looked up again. ‘Well, if they all sit together that would mean that every year, they sit next to the very same people, all from their own companies.’
‘That’s usually what happens.’
‘It isn’t very good for talking to other businesses though, is it? I mean, as well as the charitable cause, this is a great networking opportunity, a social gathering. I’d want to talk to people I don’t know yet, meet some new friends.’
Cynthia put her hands to her mouth, her eyes growing bigger as she looked at Hayley.
‘Have I said something really stupid? Because I can retract it and just go back to thinking how we can decorate this place.’
Cynthia shook her head. ‘No, you’re absolutely right. Why has no one ever thought of that before? We don’t want people being insular all night; we want interaction and cooperation, making new acquaintances. We can sell tables but we can mix up who sitswhere. Can we make a note?’ Cynthia asked, striding into the centre of the floor where Angel was still dancing.
Hayley scribbled as she followed Cynthia. She also made a note about getting drapes around the windows, creating a more intimate setting without making it feel small. The room had a presence all of its own. She was going to ensure any enhancements she made were in keeping with the era of the building but definitely noticeable. It was going to be classic and classy. The platinum and gold could definitely work.
‘So, do you have a speaker all lined up?’
‘You should get someone really cool like Michelle Obama or maybe Miley Cyrus. She’s interesting,’ Angel said.
‘Shall I write down “wrecking ball” as well as “glitter ball”?’ Hayley shook her head at Angel.
‘I was hoping Oliver would speak this year,’ Cynthia stated.
Hayley swallowed. She wanted to shut her ears. If she didn’t hear anything, it wouldn’t influence the other area of her life she was keeping separate from this one. She started to hum ‘Stop The Cavalry’ in her head.
