Chapter 29
Adriana
“Okay, rehearsal dinner is starting soon,” I announced to the room full of staff. “Everyone knows exactly where their station is, right?”
They all nodded.
“No questions?” I said, staring them down, daring them to say something that they should have known already. Nobody asked anything. “Good. Then let’s get moving, and make this the best night of Dahlia and Forrest’s lives. Remember, the press is all over the place. No mistakes.”
People rushed out into the hallways, each heading to the exact place that they were assigned to. I made my way to the ballroom where the dinner was being held, taking my own position by the door to welcome people as they arrived. Landon stood on the other side of the door.
Bryant was one of the first people to arrive. “Looks like it’s all good so far.”
“Yeah,” I smiled, feeling the warmth in my chest from our earlier conversation. “You’ll be seated at table two. Don’t worry, everyone around you will be interesting.”
“I’d expect nothing less,” he said, walking through the doors.
The line started growing, filling with people in extravagant gowns and suits and draped in jewelry that cost more than the average house in an upscale neighborhood. Each one was assigned their seats, and left their assistants behind at the door with a whole list of instructions.
There were several camera flashes going on at all times, and throughout it all, I pretended as if all of this was completely normal.
I had an earbud in one ear with a connected microphone for the coordination on this one, rather than using my usual tablet.
It was something to get used to, but far more efficient and professional-looking.
I could hear people confirming and checking in constantly, and it was a bit difficult to focus on what was going on right in front of me.
“Security check, lower left west wing, complete.”
“Bringing up champagne, water. Check in north staff entrance.”
“Petals placed around main table.”
I did my best to tune most of it out as Landon and I continued to get all of the guests inside and seated. There was a schedule to keep to, and we were already about three minutes behind. I would have to find a place to drag that time back.
“Course one ready for transport from kitchen.” It was Nolan’s voice that made me focus on the earbuds again. “Please confirm preparation.”
The first course was the hors d’oeuvres meant to keep people from getting hungry before the main events began. They needed to be delivered before all of the guests were accounted for. But the north entrance would be overcrowded. I needed to find an alternative route.
“I’ll be back,” I said to Landon, who offered me a smile and a nod before I rushed down the hallway and started speaking into my microphone. “Kitchen, please await further instruction. Do not transport.”
“Affirmative.”
I moved as quickly as I could while still appearing elegant and calm. It was trickier than it sounded. Especially while wearing a brand-new pair of heels that were rubbing at my pinky toes.
When I got to the kitchen, Nolan was hovering by the doors impatiently. “What’s happening?”
“We need to use the west side,” I answered, grabbing one of the trolleys myself. “Oh, these look excellent. Nice work, Chef.”
“I’m glad I’m not you today,” Nolan said as we led a group of waiters and trolleys down the hallways. “I can’t imagine what it must be like getting everything in place and trying to keep everyone happy.”
I grinned at him. “Actually, I’m having fun.”
“You’re insane.” He shook his head. “But, to be fair, I like that about you.”
We made it upstairs with minutes to spare, sending the waiters in to offer Nolan’s brilliant creations to the mingling guests inside of the ballroom.
I stole a few seconds with Nolan in the hallway, giving him a quick peck on the cheek and promising to thank him properly for all of his effort later.
“Mm, you better make good on that promise,” he said as I walked off to get to my next destination.
Almost all of the guests had arrived and were chatting to one another. I caught a few mentioning how nice everything was, how Dahlia and Forrest had chosen a good spot for their dinner. Others were commenting on Nolan’s mastery of food. There were one or two gossiping, but that was to be expected.
I found Landon at the far end of the ballroom, adjusting his cuff links. He smiled when I walked up to him. “I believe all of the guests are accounted for. Slight lag in schedule, but I’m sure we can win it back.”
“Are you ready for your welcoming speech?” I asked, stepping closer and pretending to fix his tie so that I could win a moment of closeness with him. “You do know what you’re going to say, right? Can’t have it go wrong at the very beginning.”
He raised both eyebrows, though he was more amused than offended. “I thought you trusted me. Tsk-tsk.”
“I do,” I chuckled, patting his chest after I let go of his tie. “Just making sure.”
“Mmhmm. You should double-check with security. Lots of high-profile people around.”
I nodded and checked the time. “Four minutes. Please proceed to the front of the room. Someone will already have your microphone prepared. Don’t go over ten minutes. I’m sure you know all of that.”
He winked at me. “I do. Don’t worry. You’ve done a great job preparing for tonight. You should be proud of yourself. I know I am.”
I felt my cheeks heat up as he walked off to get ready for his speech.
He moved with such confidence that he drew attention automatically.
I even noticed a few women glancing at him with longing, and there was a twinge of jealousy in my heart.
Landon didn’t pay any attention to them, however.
As soon as he reached the front of the room, his eyes immediately locked onto me, and he smiled.
I nodded in return, before rushing off to check in on every part of the event.
Security had had an incident with a crazy fan, but that was sorted out already.
Nolan was getting ready with the appetizers.
The music and entertainment were both in place.
Everything was going exactly according to plan.
It was a little too good to be true, but I refused to overthink things.
When I was back in the ballroom, Landon had finished his welcoming speech, and Forrest had taken the microphone for a toast.
“Ah, sorry I missed it,” I said to Landon when I joined him against the wall, watching Forrest talk. “I’m sure you absolutely killed it.”
“I did,” Landon agreed, taking two flutes of champagne from the closest waiter and handing one to me. “There was a standing ovation, and I’m pretty certain I’ll get a nomination for some kind of award.”
“We shouldn’t be drinking on the job,” I reminded him, but he brushed me off.
“A toast isn’t exactly alcoholism,” he insisted, clinking his glass against mine when Forrest finished his speech. “You deserve to enjoy yourself. You’ve done something incredible tonight. Why not take some time to take it all in?”
I glanced around and realized that he was right.
This was a huge achievement, one that most people would never experience in their lives.
There was so much that could have gone wrong, but all of the issues had been minor and easily resolved.
People were enjoying themselves, and I had been able to trust the rest of the staff to do what they had to.
“Okay then,” I said, before taking a sip of the champagne. It tasted expensive. “To The Pacific.”
“To us,” Landon answered. “I think someone is looking for you.”
I turned my head to follow his line of sight, and noticed Bryant waving me over. It wasn’t suspicious; people often asked me for anything they needed. But I still felt that slight anxiety that came with doing something I wasn’t really supposed to.
I bent my legs so that I could lower myself to Bryant’s eye level, pretending that I was performing the same service for him as I would anyone else.
“What can I do for you, Sir?” I asked playfully.
“Ah, I just wanted to be part of your big night,” he answered and I could hear that he was jealous of how involved Nolan and Landon were. “But maybe there’s something you could do to make it up to me later.”
“We’ll see,” I whispered. Luckily, the ballroom was loud enough that I was sure nobody could hear us, as long as we kept our voices low. “Right now, you’re a guest, so maybe you need to put in a request so people don’t get suspicious. Unless you want more rumors among the staff.”
Bryant grinned. “The gossip keeps them motivated. Just go see if the bride is happy.”
“Of course,” I nodded, and straightened up to go check on Dahlia, who was smiling whenever she wasn’t facing Forrest’s mother.
The night went by in a blur for the most part. I found myself sneaking more moments in with Landon, Nolan, and Bryant, taking care of the festivities in between. I was having as much of a good time as any of the guests were, if not more.
Eventually, things began to wind down, and people began to leave in drips and drabs.
I rushed to and fro to get the cleaning crew in while not making it too obvious.
The room had to be ready again for breakfast in the morning, and the night staff wouldn’t be able to do it all by themselves in time if they didn’t start as soon as possible.
Landon was the one focusing on greeting guests and thanking them for their attendance, while Nolan had retreated to the kitchen, probably to get it prepped for the morning.
By the time it was all done, I was exhausted, but the adrenaline was still high. It was unlike any feeling I had ever had before.
“Would you meet me by the pool to check on something?” Landon’s voice drifted over my shoulder when he walked past me after the last of the guests were gone and the staff was finishing up. “It’s important.”
“Sure,” I answered with a quick nod. I finished up the last of my duties and made sure that everyone was aware of what still needed to be done.
Then, I headed for the elevator and down to the ground floor.
I was starting to feel how tired I was and really looking forward to crashing into my bed.
Hopefully whatever needed to be done by the pool would be over quickly, and we could debrief and leave for the night.
When I got outside, the quietness drifted over me like a comforting blanket.
Landon was standing in one of the cabanas at the far end of the pool, clearly waiting for me.
It wasn’t obvious what it was he wanted me to check, but I had a feeling that it had been an excuse to get me out there for some other reason.
“Mm, things out here look fine,” I said when I reached him, crossing my arms and peering at him suspiciously. “There’s nothing I need to check, is there?”
Landon laughed dryly and awkwardly fidgeted with the gold watch on his left wrist.
“You got me,” he answered, glancing around as if he was making sure no one else was there. “I wanted to talk to you in private. There’s a bunch of assistants waiting in my office to go over the morning schedule, so that wasn’t going to work.”
“Right.” I watched him in anticipation, noticing how awkward he looked. It was somewhat funny to see him that uncomfortable. Landon wasn’t often caught with his walls down, and I was impressed with myself that I’d managed to get him in that state.
“I, uh,” he started, then chuckled at himself and tried again. “I think I’m in love with you. I have been for a while. I just… I’ve been terrified of actually telling you.”
I smiled at him, warmth building up in my chest as I walked closer and grabbed his face with two hands. “I’m done being scared. I feel the same way.”
I pulled him toward me to kiss him, tasting the expensive champagne when our lips met. He hesitated for a second before putting his arms around me and leaning into the moment entirely.
There was a cool breeze brushing over my skin, and the calm of the night around us made it feel as if we’d fallen into an entirely different world. I closed the rest of the gap between us, feeling Landon’s heart beating through our clothes.
“Excuse me, what the hell is going on here?” The voice that came suddenly made us leap apart, and both of us turned to see Forrest standing by the doors that led out to the pool. “Is this how staff climb the corporate ladder at this establishment? Unacceptable!”
Before either of us could try to explain, he stormed off. I wasn’t sure where to, but I knew that we were in real trouble this time.