Chapter 3 Lexie
My heels click against the hardwood floors but don’t drown out Sydney’s laugh. I exhale short, quick breaths. God, I want to rip off Theo’s perfectly chiseled face. But, not only would this give Sydney fuel to deny my promotion, again, I’d be out of a job.
So, I’m going to suck it up, be professional, and after the meeting, tell Sydney that Justin is going to assist on the account.
All I need to do is get through the next hour.
The tray trembles in my hands and I squeeze the sides tight as I step inside the conference room.
Sydney, Annabelle, and Theo are gathered around the round table.
Theo’s leaning towards a pink-cheeked, ultra-wide smiling Sydney.
In less than twenty minutes after meeting, he’s charmed Sydney into falling for his act.
And honestly, I don’t know how Annabelle stands for this behavior. Gross.
“Promise me if you go there, you’ll try the caviar arancini. It’s the best in the city,” Theo says as he scribbles on the back of his card, and hands it to Sydney. “When you call this number, just give them my name and they’ll get you in.”
“I cannot believe you’re friends with the head chef,” Sydney says, holding the card against her chest like he just handed her a priceless heirloom. “Lexie, remember last year when we tried to make a reservation at Basil and Sage?”
I set down the tray and focus on filling up the water glasses. “I do, yes.” I force a smile. “They were booked up for a year, right?”
“Yes! Well, thanks to Theo, we won’t have to wait anymore,” Sydney says with the same amount of glee as if he said they named their newborn after her.
I curb the urge to roll my eyes and instead offer Theo a small nod before sitting next to Sydney and looking directly at the notepad she discreetly passed my way.
“It’s the least I can do since you’ll be stuck with me and Anna for the foreseeable future.”
“Hey.” Annabelle elbows Theo with a smirk. “I apologize in advance for him. At this rate, you’ll be asking for more than just money once you realize what you’ve signed up for with us.”
“Perhaps chocolate on demand should be part of the terms,” Sydney chimes in.
“Excellent idea. And maybe wine for good measure.” Annabelle glances at me. “Lexie, do you drink wine?”
Warmth spreads through me at Annabelle’s casual attempt to lighten the mood and include me in the conversation. “Probably more than I should admit.”
“I knew I liked you.” She lifts a brow. “White or red?”
“Whatever’s available. But I’m currently in my Malbec phase.”
“A woman after my own heart!” she says. “The next time we visit I’ll bring a bottle from my collection. I forget the name, but it’s from the Uco Valley in Argentina. You’ll love it. Actually, I’ll bring two, just in case.” She winks at me as if we share some kind of secret in-joke.
It makes me wonder what someone as beautiful and sweet as Annabelle sees in a man like Theo. She’s a freaking Barlowe—she could have anyone in the world. And yet, she chose the devil himself.
“So, you started your company eleven years ago, is that right?” Theo says to Sydney as he reaches for a glass of the mint and cucumber water.
“Yes, that’s right,” she says. “You did your homework, huh?”
“I did. You come highly recommended, and now that I’m here, I can see why. You run a tight ship, your staff seem to genuinely like you—which is not always the case—and we couldn’t be more relieved that our wedding is in safe hands.”
Could Sydney get any redder? Please tell me she’s not falling for this crap. I might be expected to act professional, but that doesn’t stop my pen from biting into the page. Just sit still and smile, Lexie. It’ll be over soon.
“Thank you. We’re thrilled to have you as a client.” Sydney flips open her own notebook and taps the pen against the page. “The first thing we need to do is talk about dates. When are you thinking of getting married?”
“July 15th,” Theo says so quickly, so firmly, that my head quirks.
A hushed, weighty silence fills the room.
Sydney’s smile drops. “July 15th? That’s only six months away.” When his stern glance doesn’t falter, she swallows. “Okay, erm, that doesn’t give us a lot of time. If you want to get married in the city, we’ll probably need to look at a minimum of twelve months out.”
Theo’s jaw is taunt. “It will happen on July 15th.”
A scoff leaves my mouth. I cough to cover it up, but not before Sydney shoots me a death glare. The air in the room constricts. Every panicked emotion spreading on Sydney’s face is happening on my insides. Planning a wedding of this magnitude, in New York City, in six months is nearly impossible.
Annabelle is quiet at his side. Clearly, for whatever reason, this date is significant.
Like a true professional, Sydney’s smile returns. “Have you considered a destination wedding?”
I’m sure with the Barlowes’ money they could rent their own private island, which might be necessary, considering this wedding will probably attract every member of high society.
“Anna and I have spoken a little on this, but we haven’t decided yet whether to have the wedding abroad or in the city,” Theo says.
Sydney clears her throat. “Well, we could take a look at the contract, chat about expedited fees and things, but it’ll be a tight squeeze,” she says, masking the panic she must be feeling.
“Don’t worry, it’s our job to walk you through your options.
Let’s start with the guestlist, which will help narrow down venues and locations… ”
Sydney’s voice fades into background noise as she launches into her rehearsed routine. I check my watch, then check it again, irritation prickling beneath my skin as I wait for an opening—any excuse—to leave.
“Lexie, right?” Theo’s voice cuts cleanly through the room. Through me.
Sydney stops mid-sentence. The sudden quiet feels deliberate, as if he’s engineered it.
I straighten slowly, hyper-aware of his attention. My nails dig into the soft flesh of my thigh, grounding myself, keeping my legs from betraying me.
“What would you recommend?” he asks, eyes fixed on mine.
Why the hell is he asking me? I glance at Sydney who’s giving me a tight, unreadable expression. “Oh, um, Dr. Astor—”
“Please. What did I say about calling me by my last name,” he says, pulling that same bullshit disarming chuckle as earlier.
And there it is again. Nothing behind his dark eyes that indicates anything except him clarifying his name. Goddammit. Maybe he doesn’t remember me.
I wasn’t prepared for Theo to actively seek my advice. After spending years trying to forget him, the very last thing I want to do is give him the time of day. I swallow hard and resist the urge to scratch at my neck. “I, ah—”
“As I was saying,” Sydney cuts in smoothly, thank God, “our company is dedicated to finding you the perfect venue. But first, we should establish what matters most to you, so we can identify a location that truly reflects your needs.”
Theo turns his attention to Sydney. “The most important thing to me is that Annabelle’s happy.”
I hate that there’s actual sincerity in his tone.
“And that Bruno Mars is available to perform,” he throws in. “Think you can pull that one off?”
“Not sure he’s in our contacts, but I’ll see what I can do.” Sydney relaxes at his joke.
Theo reaches for a handful of nuts and rolls them in his palm. “Teamwork makes the dream work, right?”
Annabelle groans, saving me the trouble of doing it.
A long moment passes and Theo looks back at me. “So, what do you say?”
I’m momentarily confused before remembering the conversation. “For a performer? I have no idea.” Sydney’s stare burns through me and I quickly follow up with, “So much talent out there, huh?” I reach for my water and pray for the floors to crack open and suck me out of this space.
Theo pins me with a hard, very unamused stare, before his expression softens. “No… what are your thoughts about a destination or city wedding?”
I don’t know his game plan here, but I’ll bet my life that it’s not to hear what I think on whether Annabelle should walk down a sandy beach aisle, or one inside St. Michael’s Cathedral. “Depends on what you like. There are advantages to both.”
I focus all my energy on taking fake notes when the room goes silent. When I peek up, Sydney is unblinking, Annabelle is giving me a sympathetic smile, and Theo leans back in his chair, crossing his arms, clearly not letting this go.
“Would you care to share the pros?” His smile doesn’t camouflage the darkness in his tone and something hot flickers in my gut. “If you don’t mind, of course.”
My eyes narrow before I politely reply with, “Oh, of course. Sure. A wedding in six months’ time limits your options in the city.
But if you go abroad, it opens the entire world.
Do you want all of your friends and family to attend?
Then, logistically, a destination wedding might be a little tricky.
How many guests will you have? Outdoor or indoor? There are lots of things to consider.”
I’d like to think I sound direct and professional, but I think I probably sound more like a blubbery fool. I hold my breath and peek at Sydney. When she nods, I exhale.
“All great points,” Sydney says, sliding a binder towards them.
“Let me give you this brochure that highlights some of the amazing partnerships we have with resorts abroad that will cater for a wedding like yours.” As Sydney talks them through the options, I discreetly watch Theo and Annabelle, searching for any sign that this is all a farce.
Instead, there’s an easy intimacy between them—comfort, affection—which is absurd, because Theodore Astor is the furthest thing from affectionate.
“We really need to think this through, Theo. I mean, with our parents…” Annabelle trails off.
Theo’s lips tug into a grin. “I don’t think anyone in this room wants to hear about the family drama.”
I would. Knowing Theo’s life isn’t as perfect as it looks might actually make this whole situation bearable.
Sydney pushes her dark frames back up her nose and clears her throat.
“Why don’t we regroup on the venue once you’ve had a chance to discuss?
We’ll also need a rough guest-count estimate.
From there, we can move on to the more decorative elements, like reviewing designs, themes, the type of celebration—traditional, formal, rustic.
I imagine your families would appreciate something a bit more elegant. Perhaps a black-tie event?”
“I’ll take any excuse to see my lady dressed up.”
I mutter under my breath sarcastically, “Does he ever stop?”
Theo casually plucks a grape from the tray and brings it to his mouth, only to ask, “Did you have something to say, Lexie?”
Shit. There’s no way he heard me. And yet the gleam in his eyes tells me he knows something. That this is deliberate. Another move in whatever game he’s playing.
The moment this meeting ends, he’ll probably drop the company and pin it on my incompetence.
“No.” Too much awkward silence passes and I pray the sweat beads brewing below the skin at my temple stay put.
Sydney tries to get the conversation back on track when Theo cuts in. “You’re awfully quiet, Lexie. If you’re uncomfortable sharing your ideas since you’re just an assistant, please let me know and I’ll keep referring to your boss.”
Just an assistant. Heat floods my cheeks. God, I seriously—seriously—hate this man. Of course, he says it in a way so that no one else would catch the insult wrapped in fake kindness.
But I do.
The urge to stay silent loses out to something sharper.
“I’d be happy to offer ideas where needed,” I say evenly.
“But my professional advice would be this: regardless of your family’s expectations—or anyone else’s—you should choose what feels right for you.
Not for them.” A long pause follows, and I grind my feet into the floor to keep from wiggling in my seat.
“Well, that’s great to hear,” Theo says. “People like us live in the spotlight and it’s easy to forget it’s okay to be our own people.”
Annabelle reaches for a cookie. “With my parents being, well, who they are, there’s going to be a lot of eyes on this event.”
My ears perk at the heavy-hearted tone.
“Yes, there will be. And we’re ready to handle this,” Sydney says, firmly. “Lexie is an incredible assistant, and we have a full staff ready to cater to your needs.”
Annabelle looks at Theo. The silence builds as whatever secret language they share passes between them. He gives Annabelle an almost microscopic nod, then turns to me. “And you’re available to take this on with such short notice? Full commitment, no distractions.”
“Of course,” I lie. The second they leave, I’m marching my ass into Sydney’s office and demanding Justin switches with me. “I live to serve.”
“I have no doubt.” Theo strums his fingers on the table, then slides the chair back. “Would you two excuse us for a moment.”
“Of course,” Sydney says, and watches them step into the hall. The second the door closes, I brace myself for her wrath.
“This feels promising,” she whispers. “But six months is tight. We need all hands on deck. Overtime, weekends, everything. But we got this, Lexie. This is huge.”
This is not lost on me. The opportunity for the company, for Sydney, for the team is incredible.
But I absolutely will not be part of it.
I can’t. I’ve been around Theo for less than an hour, and my skin is itchy, my throat is dry, and if I have to do this for six months, I’m pretty sure my entire physiological system will crash.
I wish I were joking.
A few moments later, the door creaks open and Annabelle and Theo walk back in. “Anna and I chatted and we’ve decided on a change of plans,” Theo says, as they take their seats. “Sydney. Thank you so much for your time. But Anna and I would like Lexie to be our lead wedding planner.”