29. Natalie
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
NATALIE
Noah stood in the doorway of Natalie’s office. He pulled several sheets of paper from a folder and placed them on the desk.
"These need your initials as soon as you can give them a once-over. Also, your meeting with the floral designer has been pushed back to two.” Noah paused for a beat, an apprehensive look now clouding his features. “And there’s one more thing.”
"What?"
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news." He dropped one additional sheet in front of her. "But Mrs. Everett has canceled."
Right on time, Mr. Barton. God, it's almost too easy.
Fake emotional outburst, take one. Action!
"What the hell? She can't be serious," Natalie protested as she took the page and pretended to read it, Noah watching her like a hawk. "I spent hours with the woman, Noah. Hours! And now she's changed her mind?"
"A client’s prerogative, unfortunately, without a signed contract in hand. I've put a few feelers out and as far as I know she hasn't contacted the competition."
A few feelers? Oh, Noah, you little liar, you.
"She didn't even wait for my proposal. I spent hours I don't have on this. I’m finalizing the moodboards as we speak."
"If you ask me, it's a blessing in disguise. You don't have an unscheduled minute in your life right now."
"I can't believe she outright canceled. I thought we had an amazing rapport. Does Otto know?"
"If he does, he hasn't said a word to me."
Natalie's mind whirled with the thrill of deception.
"I've got to call her. There's no way she could have changed her mind.
She was rock solid at the restaurant—so much so that I actually had to rein her in.
She tried to steer this engagement party straight into Oscar Night after-party territory, swag-bags and all. "
"Give me a minute and I'll see if I can find her number," Noah offered.
Right, you sneaky little shit. You've got Miranda Everett on speed dial—probably Dash too.
Noah returned in seconds, a bright orange Post-it note in hand, bearing Miranda's number.
"Maybe the happy couple called off the engagement or whatever it was," he suggested. "Wouldn't be the first time it's happened."
She reached for the phone. "Only one way to find out."
Noah flashed a thumbs up sign before retreating from her office. A cat-like grin on her lips, she mentally prepared her script, then placed the call.
"Miranda Everett," the woman answered.
"Hi, Mrs. Everett, it's Natalie Powell with Soiree in Chicago. I hope I'm not catching you at a bad time."
"Goodness, no. In fact, I was about to call you."
"Is everything okay? My assistant shared your email with me."
"No, no, everything's fine, honey. Once I got home and really started to think about it, maybe a big fancy party isn't the way to go. I don't think Amy is the big elaborate party type. The last thing I want to do is scare the poor girl off. And Thom most certainly wouldn't want that."
"We did plan quite a festival, didn't we?"
"Nobody loves over-the-top more than yours truly, but I got caught up between the martinis and the chocolate cake and all your incredible ideas. I hate that I wasted your time."
"Maybe we don't have to throw in the towel yet. With a few changes, we could keep the same venue but make it a much more intimate party."
"How intimate are you thinking?" Miranda questioned, her tone suddenly more enthusiastic.
"I say forget the glitz and glamor and focus on something more meaningful, like a family dinner.
Keep the number super tight. No more than a dozen or so guests.
Invite those who are closest to Thom and Amy.
Make it something really special, something that speaks to their love of family and their shared southern roots.
An amazing meal. Fabulous desserts. Plenty of good wine and champagne.
Lots of candles. Maybe even a little three-piece jazz ensemble to score the evening.
Dressy but not formal. Classy yet still comfortable. "
"I love it. Everything you said sounds perfect."
"Well, I have to be honest. You asked me what type of engagement party I'd plan for myself, and this is exactly what I'd want. A quiet night to celebrate with those I love the most. I'm a big believer in simple elegance. But I understand if you'd rather cancel altogether."
"Ms. Powell, that business degree wasn't for naught. You're one hell of a saleswoman. I'll take one simple elegant evening at the same rooftop venue, same date, but let's make it a party of say … eight?"
"You got it." Natalie's smile widened.
"You’ll be there to make sure everything goes according to plan, right? I don't want to stumble through this party without you."
"Definitely, but you won't really know I'm there. I'll be bringing my assistant too—that is if you don't object."
"The well-dressed young man with the quick wit and gorgeous smile? Absolutely,” Miranda said.
Her tone bordered on lyrical, forcing Natalie to bite back a laugh. "I promise to make it a night to remember. If you can give me twenty-four hours, I'll have a new set of moodboards …"
Natalie’s voice trailed off as her focus shifted to her cell phone, and an incoming text message from Blaine Sheridan.
My God, could the timing be any more perfect?
Blaine: Got your email. Everything looks good. I look forward to seeing you soon.
Natalie balanced the desk phone between her ear and shoulder and typed a quick reply. A giddiness popped through her body like firecrackers.
“Sorry, I got interrupted there for a sec. I’ll have the moodboards—”
“Don’t worry yourself with moodboards, honey. I'm sure whatever mood you set, it will be perfect."
Oh, it’s gonna be so much more than just a mood.
It’s time for the rabbit to catch the fox for a change.