Chapter 16
HARPER
Callie’s last day has consisted of me steering the ship while she fields visitors. She’s spent much of the afternoon as a weeping, emotional mess.
“These bloody pregnancy hormones,” she says, pulling the last tissue from the box as her latest visitor leaves.
She’s finally moved away from our shared desk and, like a queen, has positioned herself on the sofa by the window, holding court with minimal disruption.
To say she’s loved doesn’t even come close to describing it.
I’m surprised Alessandro has been decidedly quiet, leaving her to it.
He has, however, barked a few orders in my direction from the confines of his room.
It’s not my leaving day after all. It’s my induction into… whatever the hell this is.
“You’re allowed to be emotional,” I say, having just finished preparing Alessandro’s latest presentation and sending it to him for sign-off. “Enjoy the moment.”
I deliver another box of tissues to the table, which makes her laugh and then cry even harder.
She gets up and pulls me in for a hug, her growing bump a barrier between us.
“Don’t be a stranger,” she says, pulling back but holding me by my upper arms. “Promise me.”
I nod and smile.
“I knew I’d like you from the moment you walked in with Sophia,” she says, her eyes flicking to Alessandro’s door. “Don’t worry about him. He’ll come around. He doesn’t like change, and has yet to realise you’ve been in charge this past week.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever be as good as you,” I admit truthfully, but I’ve never been one to throw in the towel, so I’ll just have to rise to the occasion.
Callie laughs again, the sound wrapping around me like a hug. She’s the same age as Kat, my older sister, and has, I realise, helped in my transition away from my family. Her friendliness has been something I’ve needed to get me through the past couple of weeks.
“I’ve worked here for over nine years, Brooke. I have a feeling that when, and if, you stay that long, you’ll be streets ahead of me.”
Her words warm my heart. Her faith in me is something I cherish.
Having always been Harper Frazer, I’ve never had to prove myself.
People were happy to kiss my arse and say what they thought I wanted to hear.
It was never something I enjoyed, but it was a fact of my previous life.
Callie telling me that Brooke Feldmann is doing a good job makes me feel as tall as the Empire State Building.
I glance over and smile. “Well, you are loved and are going to be sorely missed,” I tell her, stepping back as the telephone rings on my desk.
I move back to answer it, Callie retaking her seat.
“Brooke, it’s Molly,” comes a breathless, slightly stressed-sounding voice. “They’ve sent birthday balloons.”
I resist the urge to drop my head to the desk and bang it up and down several times.
“Thanks for the update,” I say, smiling at Callie as she looks over.
“Callie’s there?” Molly asks.
I hum in affirmation. “Not a problem, I’ll get straight on it,” I say, needing to end this call and get this problem resolved as quickly as possible. I glance at the clock. Two hours until the party is due to start.
Shit!
I replace the receiver.
“Is everything all right?” Callie asks. “You look a little flushed.”
“Time of the month. Always happens,” I say, getting up and grabbing my handbag. “If Alessandro needs me, I’ll be back in ten,” I say, switching the phone to redirect calls to my mobile.
I leg it to the elevator and press the button, pulling up the balloon and party favour supplier’s contact details.
The call connects as I step into the lift and press the button for the fourteenth floor. It’s only then that I realise Callie must be wondering why I’m heading to the lift and not the bathroom. A problem for when I return.
“Checkers Balloons and Party Favours. Davina speaking. How can I help?”
“Hi Davina, this is Brooke Feldmann from St Clair. Apparently, there appears to have been a mix-up with our balloons and party favours. I ordered ‘Baby Shower’ and have apparently been delivered ‘Happy Birthday’ ones.”
There’s silence on the end of the phone. The elevator opens, and I make my way to the Couture Salon. My jaw drops. The room has been completely transformed, with covered tables and chairs arranged around the perimeter. The runway has been dismantled, leaving only a small stage at one end.
Molly dashes towards me, a Happy 5th Birthday balloon in hand.
Davina’s voice comes back on the phone. “Let me get hold of Ralph. He’s doing the deliveries today.”
“Can you call me back as soon as possible? The party is due to start in about an hour and a half,” I say, shaving half an hour off the deadline, leaving us time to set up.
“As soon as I hear something, you’ll be the first to know,” she says, although her tone does not offer much confidence.
“They’re all birthday,” Molly says, her eyes wide.
“Breathe,” I tell her, patting her arm. “Get them back in their boxes. Hopefully, Ralph hasn’t offloaded anywhere else yet. And if he has, then he’s going to be a busy man,” I say, sucking in a breath and trying to calm my own racing heart.
Monty approaches.
“Wow, the transformation is amazing,” I say, earning myself a smile.
“For Callie, anything. This place is going to be heaving later. Everyone I know is coming. You’ve done a great job of organising this, considering you’re only two weeks in. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. Callie’s been so great at helping me settle in. She deserves a send-off she’ll remember. Is all the food done?”
“Chef has everything in hand. As you can see, the room has been transformed. We’ve moved the presents you sent down earlier to the stage. They’re hidden under the tables. When Alessandro is ready, he just needs to let us know, and we can move them out into the open.”
I suck in a breath.
Oh shit.
One thing I didn’t do was ask Alessandro if he was happy to give a speech. I kind of assumed—
Shit and double shit!
If he doesn’t, then who? Sue, head of HR?
My phone rings before I can begin flipping out.
“Brooke Feldmann?”
“That’s me,” I say automatically. The name is finally taking on a life of its own.
“I’ve caught Ralph at his next stop. He’s turning around and heading back your way. You’re in luck, he got your order mixed up, and I caught him before he began unloading.”
I’m not sure ‘in luck’ really covers it, but I’m not going to argue.
“That’s great, I’ll get a team downstairs ready to help turn this around as quickly as possible,” I say, not sure if that is actually feasible or whether I’m overstepping.
The call ends, and I look up to find Monty and Molly watching me.
“Taking charge, you’ll go far,” he says with a wink.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to overstep.”
“Don’t apologise. These guys are going to be standing around shortly. If it means we can get organised faster, it’s all hands on deck.”
I nod, suddenly aware that this is not necessarily how Brooke would operate. This is pure Harper, but needs must, and this party requires a win.
I turn to Monty. “I need to get back upstairs before I’m missed,” I say, feeling guilty about abandoning them.
“Go.” He waves me away. “We’ve got this, I promise,” he says, motioning to his team, who are now busy repackaging everything.
I smile. “Thank you. Any more issues, call me.”
Monty smiles and laughs as I practically sprint to the elevator. Ten minutes have turned into closer to thirty.
Shit.
Callie is alone at the desk.
By the time the elevator lands on our floor, I’ve stabilised my breathing.
“Everything okay?” Callie asks as I make it back to the desk.
“All good,” I say.
“Er, Alex came out. He wanted to see you.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, counting to ten.
“Don’t worry, I told him I sent you on an errand,” Callie says.
I shoot her a look of gratitude. “What am I going to do without you?” I ask.
“You’ll manage. I have no concerns. You’re going to rock this.”
“I’m glad one of us has faith,” I say, heading towards Alessandro’s door.
I inhale deeply before knocking.
“Come in.”
I let myself in, closing the door behind me.
He looks up, his blue eyes burning into me. Until now, Callie has been the perfect barrier, but from next week, I’ll have no shield against the man in front of me.
He motions to the chair opposite him.
I take a seat.
“You wanted to see me?”
“How are the plans going?”
Now he asks?
“We’ve had a small issue with the balloons and decorations, but that’s now been resolved.”
“Everything is ready?”
“The Couture Salon has been transformed by Monty and his team. It looks amazing. Chef has the catering handled. The drinks were delivered last night, and a bar has been set up ready. The majority of staff have responded, and the whip-round is more than I could ever have imagined.”
He chuckles at my use of whip-round.
“Callie is well-liked,” he says.
The understatement of the year.
“I have big boots to fill,” I say.
“You do,” he adds, clearly not wanting to sugarcoat it or lie to me. Something I find strangely reassuring.
“At least organising this has helped get my face out there,” I say, trying hard not to grimace.
It certainly has. There’s been no hiding, and every day now more and more people are greeting me as I move around the office. The only positive is that no one has shouted, ‘Look, there’s the missing heiress, she’s been under our noses all this time.’
There doesn’t seem to have been a hint of recognition. Maybe Kris was right when he said the Americans weren’t as familiar with the whole Frazer family apart from Kat, and that’s only because she runs one of the top hotel chains here.
I look up, our eyes clashing. “I forgot to ask, are you happy to give a small speech for Callie and hand her the gifts?”
He inclines his head and stares at me. My heart rate picks up. “I… I can ask Sue in HR if you’d rather not,” I say to fill the silence.
Although if he refuses, he’ll drop in my estimation. Callie has been his PA for five years. If he can’t say a few words, then screw him.
“Of course,” he says. “Just tell me when.”
I let out the breath I’ve been holding. “Great.”