My fingers brushed over hers, and an instant electric jolt rushed through my body. Surprised, I paused for a moment and gave Adriana the opportunity to fully pull out the chair. Shehadn’t skipped a beat. Had she not felt the same energy run through her?
I swallowed and straightened, moving fast to grab a chair for Forrest while Adriana handled Dahlia’s. I pushed that strange feeling as deep down into my soul as I could. I was nothing if not a consummate professional, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to allow any kind of inappropriate thoughts to put that in jeopardy.
“Our chef has prepared an incredible selection for you,” Adriana said, though there was a slight tightness in her voice. “The amuse-bouche should be out shortly.”
“Seriously?” Celeste’s tone was instantly disappointed. “Why did we go through the effort of making this booking if nothing’s ready on time? The amuse-bouche shouldn’t be out shortly. It should be here now. Where were you trained?”
“My apologies,” I quickly said, looking up to the door just as Nolan appeared with an assistant and the first dish. “Ah, here it is now. Our signature Oscietra caviar cloud, with the requested golden leaf from the atelier in Florence. It pairs beautifully with our single-vineyard blanc de blanc.”
Nolan presented the dish with a flourish, as he always did, but I noticed the silent nervous glance he received from Adriana, who was helping to place the wine on the table. He completely ignored her. Clearly something had happened between the two of them. That was just great. As if I didn’t already have enough to deal with today.
“Oh, how lovely,” Dahlia said, smiling as she looked over at Forrest. “Isn’t it so pretty?”
He nodded and gave her knee a little pat, but Celeste seemed less impressed. “That’syour pairing? Honestly. I hope the rest of the courses are better than this.”
She rolled her eyes, and Dahlia glared at her. “I think it’s perfect. You haven’t even tasted it.”
“Of course, we have a variety of options if this particular set is not to your liking,” I commented, preparing myself for a tasting full of complaints. “Though I must insist that our chef is a true artist, and I believe his suggested menu will make for a beautiful reception.”
Nolan said nothing, simply walking off to prepare the next course. That was good. If he opened his mouth, it was possible that things would escalate. Adriana watched him go, her shoulders pulled tight, then turned her attention back to the guests.
“Delicious!” Dahlia declared as she tasted the caviar, and Forrest nodded in agreement.
Celeste pulled one corner of her mouth to the side as if she were working incredibly hard to stay furious. “It’s fine. Not quite what I envisioned for my son’s wedding, but it’ll do.”
Clearly, she was the type to find something wrong with everything, but she wasn’t the first guest like that in my hotel, and wouldn’t be the last. I was also hoping that she didn’t have a particularly huge say in the wedding’s menu; in the best case scenario, it was mostly Dahlia’s opinion that mattered.
“I believe you have a more oceanic theme for your wedding,” Adriana said, diffusing the tension as she looked toward Dahlia rather than answering Celeste’s criticism. She had good instincts.
“Oh, yes,” Dahlia said, clapping her hands together. “It’s going to be on a private beach. I’ll be arriving by helicopter.”
“I told her sand would be going everywhere, but it seems she doesn’t care,” Celeste said in my direction, as if she expected me to agree. “In any case, I suppose the bride’s opinion trumps all.”
“Mother,” Forrest warned, looking at her with darkened eyes. “Please.”
Celeste rolled her eyes. “In any case, what’s next, then?”
Nolan appeared on cue, this time announcing the course himself. It was one he was well-known for, and something that he was particularly proud of. “Norwegian King Crab mosaic, paired with Chablis Blanchot Grand Cru.”
It was meticulously arranged on the plate, a true work of art. Dahlia’s eyes widened, Forrest seemed mildly impressed, and Celeste’s expression only soured. Adriana took the wine from Nolan to pour it, and I noticed a muscle jump in his jaw. What the hell had happened between the two of them? It looked like Nolan was about to declare war, and Adriana seemed unable to look him in the eye.
She reached for Celeste’s glass, and her sleeve brushed against the woman’s shoulder.
“What are you doing?” Celeste snapped, almost jumping out of her chair as if Adriana had decided to pour the wine over her head.
“My sincerest apologies,” Adriana answered smoothly, without skipping a beat. “It won’t happen again.”
“You know it won’t,” Celeste growled at her. “Honestly, where were you trained? Is this your first time in this position?”
She turned her anger on me quite quickly after that. “Do you often hire incompetent employees? You know I won’t have some inexperienced nobody ruin my baby boy’s big day. I want only the best. You should be aware of that. Was it not in the brief?”
“Mother,” Forrest warned again, his tone low and firm. I found it interesting that most of his words were spent addressing her behavior. I was certain he’d barely ever speak at all otherwise. “You are making a big deal out of nothing.”
“Just stating the obvious,” Celeste shrugged. “Well, Mr. Klein?”
I smiled politely at her. “How about a bottle of our finest champagne, to cleanse the palate?”
Celeste seemed to think about that for a moment. Adriana used the opportunity to finish pouring her wine and move away, taking a position behind Dahlia instead. She glanced toward the doors leading to the kitchen again. Another sign that there was something up between her and Nolan. I wondered if I would actually need to address it, or if they could sort it out themselves. Whatever the case, I’d keep an eye on it. The last thing I needed was my employees infighting.
