Chapter Twenty-Six
Rainey
A few weeks later, the day of the Thunder anniversary party arrives, and I thought I’d be a nervous bundle of energy.
Instead, I’m calm and determined. I’d slept at Lucas’s last night and we took two cars to the club this morning.
He lets us inside where I wait for Kaylee, Ashlynn, the two assistants we use for parties, and the electrician and handyman who will help with setup.
The florist is due to show up in a few hours before the party begins.
It’s a well-choreographed affair, one we’ve done before, but never with so much at stake, at least for me.
The girls are setting up the goodie bags on a large table.
I’m still excited about the vintage merch we’ve put inside each.
Kaylee and I watch the handyman set up the banners, and I do my best not to get upset we don’t have the tapestries because they would have been stunning.
But when the banners are set around the room with the spotlight over each, I take it in and I can breathe.
They stand out just as I’d hoped and everyone who walks in will notice them.
“Looking good!” Kaylee puts her arm around my shoulders. “I have to say, glitches and all, this place is perfection.”
“It is, isn’t it? Once the florist arrives, it’ll look even better.” I envision the tables with bouquets with team colors on each and can’t help but smile.
As we admire our handiwork, Ashlynn walks up to us. “The florist is here. He’s going to bring things in from the back. The caterers also just showed up. The kitchen has their own doors so they won’t conflict with the flowers being brought in.”
I nod. “That’s good.” I walk to the back delivery entrance and greet the florist.
“Rainey!” Adrian says, wrapping me up in a big hug. “Always good to see you.”
“Same here! We’re ready for you, so go do your beautiful thing!” I gesture toward the inside of the club and leave him to it.
As I pass the hallway, a hand reaches out and grasps my wrist, pulling me back against a hard chest. I never panic. I recognize Lucas’s familiar, spicy scent and relax into him.
“The club looks fantastic,” he says, his deep voice in my ear.
I grin. “I’m pretty pleased. The florist is here and so are the caterers. I’m going to check the kitchen next.”
“Want company?” he asks, kissing the side of my neck. A tremor ripples through my body at his touch.
“Always,” I murmur.
We walk side by side to the industrial kitchen in time to see the food laid out on the counters. I glance down and freeze. “What is this?” I ask of what appears to be vegetarian appetizers. My heart begins to pound double time.
“Are you okay?” Lucas asks.
I shake my head as the caterer, a woman named Sherri who I’ve never worked with before, but who’d been excited about offering a variety of selections for a football anniversary party, walks over to me.
“What’s wrong?” she asks, as she lifts the wrapping off the top of one of the trays.
My mouth is dry so I gesture to the food containers. “They’re all vegetables,” I manage to say.
She nods. “Yes. That’s what you said you wanted when you called to make changes to the menu.”
I stiffen and glance at Lucas. “I assure you I did not call. This is a party with football players attending. More men than women. They’re going to want meat. The glamour burgers we discussed. Tacos handed out. Not cauliflower and broccoli!” I say, my voice rising.
Lucas places a calming hand on my back, but it doesn’t work. I’m shaking with panic.
The caterer’s eyes open wide. “I don’t understand. I spoke to you.”
“It wasn’t me! Why didn’t you send me a new confirmation and menu list?” I ask.
“I did send one.” She walks to the counter and begins looking through her tote. “Here.” She pulls out the contract with an amendment, then a separate menu, and hands me both. “You signed them.”
My head is spinning as I accept the papers and look through them until I reach the signature page. I compare the original contract with my signature to the amendment and though at a glance, it’s close enough to mine, there are subtle differences. Besides, I know I didn’t receive or sign it.
“It’s not my signature.” I hand her back the paperwork.
“But—”
I blow out a long breath. “I’m not saying you could know. But something’s very wrong.” I glance at Lucas. “Can we talk?”
He nods. The blood rushing to my head, I follow him out of the kitchen, through the club, and down the hall to his office.
“What’s going on?” he asks.
I tug at my ponytail in frustration. “Whoever’s sabotaging me is someone close. They work with me. Have access to my files and my computer.”
He nods.
“Which leaves only Kaylee and Ashlynn. And I am telling you, it’s not Kaylee.” Even the thought makes me nauseous.
Lucas raises an eyebrow. “Ashlynn?” he asks.
“I don’t want to think so, but who else can it be?” I shake my head, my thoughts spinning. Why? Why would someone I’ve been so good to try and destroy me and my business? I don’t understand.
“What do you want to do?” Lucas asks.
I pull my phone from my jeans pocket and text Kaylee, giving her a brief rundown and asking her where Ashlynn is.
“Ashlynn is blowing up balloons. I’ll talk to her in a few minutes, but what am I going to do about the food? I can’t feed a bunch of men the rabbit food in the kitchen!”
“Breathe,” he says, brushing my ponytail to one side and massaging the muscles in my neck. “I’m going to make a few phone calls and see what I can do for catering. Meanwhile, get Kaylee so you can both confront Ashlynn.”
“But—”
“Teamwork, remember?” He kisses the back of my neck. “Now, go.”
I’m nervous, but I trust Lucas. If nothing else, I know he’ll try his best to fix things. After texting Kaylee again, I step out of the office and meet her at the end of the hallway.
“You’re kidding me, right?” she asks.
I shake my head. “Not about the food and not about Ashlynn,” I say, lowering my voice. “Unless you can think of anyone else with that kind of private access?”
She lowers her shoulders in disappointment. “No.”
I’m feeling the same sadness as my partner. “I know,” I say softly. “I trusted her, too.”
“She’s worked for us for over a year. Why would she undermine us?” Kaylee asks.
“Why don’t we find out?”
Kaylee nods and together, we walk over to where our assistant is sitting by a helium machine, blowing up black and gold balloons. Head tipped down, she doesn’t notice us.
Ashlynn is young, twenty-two, and she’d been looking for a job for a while when she’d sent us her résumé.
During the interview, her exuberance and diligence impressed us.
We gave her a shot when she had no experience in party planning and until today, we haven’t been disappointed.
True, the past few months she’d been more tired and distracted, but everyone goes through rough patches.
Now, I have to wonder exactly what is going on with her.
“Ashlynn?” I ask.
She looks up, holding one uninflated balloon. “Hi, guys!”
“Kaylee and I need to talk to you,” I say.
She puts the balloon down and rises to her feet. “Sure. Do you need me to work on something else?”
I glance at my partner. “No. But I do need to ask, did you call the caterer and ask her to change the menu for tonight to all vegetarian?” I watch her carefully, wanting to catch any indication she’s lying when she replies, except I don’t have to.
Ashlynn bursts into tears. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to do it. Any of it. But she offered me money and with my grandfather so sick, and him not having insurance, I needed the cash for his medication.”
My eyes open wide. “Ash, who paid you to sabotage this party?” I ask, my voice hoarse. Even knowing it couldn’t be anyone else, I didn’t want to believe it was her.
She swipes beneath her eyes, smudging her mascara.
“Blaire. She said the more events you took on, the worse she’d look.
You succeed at everything you do, and she has to struggle with your leftovers.
To be honest, it didn’t matter why. It was the money I needed.
I hated doing this to you both.” She sniffs and finds a tissue in her purse beside her.
She’s a mess, but I have bigger problems.
“You’re telling me she paid you to ruin this party because she’s jealous?” Kaylee asks. Her voice is loud and shrill, and I don’t blame her.
“She wanted to make Rainey look incompetent. It’s more about you than Kaylee,” Ashlynn says, looking at me with regret in her eyes.
I don’t understand why she’d hate me this much, but that is a question for another day. “Ashlynn, you could have come to us instead of doing as she asked.” I’m hurt that she didn’t feel she could.
“She gave me a lot of money.” The young woman hangs her head, her embarrassment clear.
I shake my head and sigh. A glance at Kaylee and I know she’ll agree with what I’m about to do. Do I feel bad for her because her grandfather is sick? That she needs money? Of course. But that doesn’t justify her actions.
“You can take your things and go,” I say in a firm voice. I trusted her and she not only betrayed that trust, she tried to destroy the business Kaylee and I have been building.
Kaylee nods in agreement.
Without arguing, she rises to her feet. “I’m sorry,” she whispers, then turns and walks away.
“She got off easy,” Kaylee mutters.
“I know and we can talk about how to proceed later. It’s Blaire I really need to worry about.” Something tells me she won’t stop until I’m out of business and my reputation is in tatters. Something I’ve meticulously rebuilt since the Attwater fiasco.
Kaylee lets out a frustrated groan. “You’re in charge here, so it’s your call. What do we do about the food?”
“I still don’t know,” I say, frustration rising inside me, tears burning in my eyes.
“Rainey!” Lucas’s deep masculine voice calls my name.
We both spin toward him, but he’s already reached us thanks to his long strides. “Problem solved!”
“How?” It’s almost impossible to believe he’s found someone able to provide food on such short notice.
Lucas grins. “It pays to have friends. One of the guys from my childhood went into business with his father. They opened a barbeque restaurant, and I convinced them to shut down to customers for the day to make food for your event. What self-respecting player doesn’t like wings and ribs? Buffalo, barbeque, garlic parmesan…”
I release the breath I’ve been holding. “Oh my God, you’re amazing!”
“You really are,” Kaylee says, a grin on her face.
Looking proud of himself, he holds up one hand. “Wait. There’s more. I called around and there’s a burger place willing to send burgers. Not just any burgers, either. He does toppings like truffle aioli, fig jam, and blue cheese.”
“Lucas!” I rush him and wrap my arms around his neck. “You just saved this party!” I say, pressing a long kiss to his strong, firm lips before releasing him.
Then, I think things through, and my mood grows more serious. “This must cost a fortune! Between the food and covering the cost of them shutting down for the day?” I’ll eat the loss. I have to. It’s not like the caterer who thinks I called her and changed the menu will refund the money.
Beside me, Kaylee remains silent. She, too, understands the ramifications of what’s happened.
Lucas braces his hands on my waist. “It’s worth it,” he says. “You’re worth it.”
I open my eyes wide. “You can’t mean you’re paying for the food?!”
“It’s covered,” he says, his tone confident.
I look from Kaylee to Lucas, staring and mute. There are no words to describe what I’m feeling. From relief that the party can go on as planned to disbelief Lucas would do such a thing to stubborn refusal to accept his money. But that’s a discussion we can have later.
“Thank you! I’m going to talk to the caterer and explain she’ll set up at a side table for people who prefer vegetarian options, and have her make room in the kitchen for all the food that’s coming.”
“I can handle the caterer,” Kaylee says. “I’m sure you have plenty of other things to do.” She tips her head toward Lucas.
I blow her a kiss, and mouth, “I owe you,” to her.
She grins and rushes off to the kitchen.
I meet Lucas’s gaze. I consider myself an independent woman who can handle any crisis. I would have found a solution to the food problem, but the fact that I didn’t have to? That someone not part of my company, someone who just cares for me, stepped up and handled it? My heart is so full.
“Thank you. I will pay you back. This is a company expense, but I’m so grateful you figured it all out for me.” I hug him once more. “Now, I need to get back to work.”
He nods. And as I walk away, I think I hear him say, “Not paying me back, sweetheart.”
I shake my head and decide to deal with financial issues later.