A flare of irritation shot through me. I knew he was joking, but I also knew that the sentiment was one that was true for some of the people working for me. Overall though, this was coming from Hugo and really only bolstered my determination to follow through.
“Shut up or I’ll fire you,” I joked, shoving my chopsticks into the cardboard container holding my lunch.
Hugo put his hands up and wiggled his fingers around with humour glinting in his eyes. “Ooohh I’m so scared now. What’s wrong? Big boss can’t take a little teasing?”
“Big boss puts up with far too much teasing from you.” I narrowed my eyes on a mocking glare but then laughed and took the bite I was already holding between my wooden sticks. “Let’s get back to the point, though. Do you think people would show up for a New Year’s Eve party even though it wouldn’t be compulsory to attend?”
“If there’s an open bar, they’ll be there.” He flashed me a winning grin and a quick wink. “Joking. I’m sure they’d be there anyway if they were promised a decent party. As long as they could bring their significant others along for it.”
“I guess we could allow that.” None of our employees would come if we didn’t allow them to bring their dates, so I wholeheartedly agreed with him. “Okay, let me look into it. I have a business card for the company the client used over the weekend. I might give them a call to find out if they could help us.”
Hugo released a low whistle under his breath. “Good luck, mate. Getting any events management company worth a damn to commit to a last-minute party at this time of year isn’t going to be a walk in the park.”
“I’m sure I’m up for the challenge.” I squared my shoulders and took a sip of my sparkling water, relishing the burn of the bubbles as I set my empty food container down on the table. “I’ll make it worth their while. This is their silly season anyway. One more party shouldn’t be too much for them to handle.”
The chopsticks in his hands scraped the bottom of his empty container as he gathered the last of his food onto them, popping the bite into his mouth and chewing as he stood up to throw the utensils in the bin.
When he’d swallowed, he went back to the couch and picked up his water bottle. “They might take you on, but you’d better be nice.”
“I’m always nice,” I retorted.
He arched his brows. “You’re always nice to me, Millie, and your mum. Other people? Not so much. Just be your charming self and I’m sure you’ll get these people to accept.”
“Like I said. If all else fails, I’ll just offer to make it worth their while. The client’s party was a raging success. I want the same people for this one and I’ll get them.”
Hugo released a sigh, but his mouth slanted upwards. “It must be nice to be you, so sure that you’ll get what you want just because you want it.”
“I happen to know you’re the same way.” It was true, even if I did have a lot more money at my disposal.
Hugo was our head of maintenance. He claimed to enjoy his job, which was why he kept turning me down when I offered to help him work something out to promote him. He was a whiz at fixing things but didn’t have much time for or interest in higher education.
As such, he was as high up as he could go in the company, and while he didn’t earn a bad salary, I knew he had nowhere near the resources I had. He made a finger gun and pointed it at me. “I might like getting what I want, just like everyone else. But I sure as hell don’t always get it.”
“Whatever you say, big guy.” I held my bottle in one hand while I smoothed my tie with the other. “I’d better make that phone call before I get back to work. For the record, if what you want is to help me plan this party, I can definitely make that happen for you.”
Laughing as he got to his feet, he walked to my door and turned to face me just before he opened it. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m sure you can work with this party guy to throw a rager. All I want to do is to be a guest.”
I inclined my head. “Your wish is my command. See? You got what you wanted.”
With a shake of his head and another laugh, he left me to make the call. I waited until I heard the door click shut before I pulled the card John had given me out of my wallet and dialled the landline number on it.
“Welcome to Eventfully Yours,” a friendly, welcoming voice said. “This is Rachel speaking. How may I assist you?”
“Hi, I need to speak to the man who put the event together for John Parker last weekend.” Damn it. I should have gotten his name. “It was a year-end function at the Cardiff building.”
There was a brief pause. “Oh, yes. Uhm, I think there’s been a misunderstanding but let me transfer you.”
A misunderstanding? How could there be a misunderstanding? I’d hardly said anything to the woman, but before I could ask, irritating island-style music began playing in my ear. I was on hold.
Great. Just fucking great.
Chapter 4
Heidi
“Strong, dark, and very bitter, just the way you like it,” Bonnie sang out as she stepped into my office without knocking. She was carrying a takeaway tray with two cups of coffee bearing the logo for a place down the street on them. “I hurried to get here, so they’re still piping hot.”
My mouth watered as the earthy fragrance of the freshly ground beans wafted to my nose. She passed me my cup and sat down in the eclectic walnut lounge chair across from my desk. I’d opted to have it upholstered in a canary-yellow water-weave pattern and the sight of it never failed to make me smile.
The entire office I occupied was a testament to the bright colours and patterns that made up my life here. My apartment back in New York had been one I’d rented fully furnished and it had been as drab as drab could be. Gray, black, and white with sleek lines and brushed metal for the appliances.
Once I’d gotten here and could choose my own things, I went with as funky, daring, and colourful as I could get. I loved it.
“Since the party is over now, am I allowed to say how much of a hit it was yet?” Bonnie asked, drawing my attention back to her.
I nodded, feeling my lips curling into a smile I couldn’t hide. “I’d say we knocked it out of the park for sure. I’m glad it’s over, though. That client was too demanding for this time of year.”
“Aren’t they all demanding this time of year?” Bonnie arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow at me. “It is our busiest time of year and everyone wants their event to better than the previous one.”
“True, but I’m also tired this time of year and none of my other clients have been quite that demanding.” I wrapped my fingers around the coffee, glad that it was in a protective sleeve so I didn’t get burnt. Taking the lid off the cup, I blew on the surface and inhaled the rich scent once more. “Thanks for this by the way. I really needed it.”
“No worries.” She smiled and held her cup up to mine. “Cheers to another roaring party, Heidi. I hope to have half the talent you do for this line of work one day.”
“It’s easy enough if you have the time to plan it properly.” I gently tapped my coffee against hers and then pointedly rolled my eyes to the ceiling. “You have plenty of talent. You just need a reminder every so often to boost your confidence. Do you think you’ll want to make a solo run of it soon? Maybe in the new year?”
Her deep green eyes widened, but before she could give me an answer, there was a knock at the door. It was a familiar rap rhythm that I knew belonged to the receptionist. “Come on in, Rach. It’s just me and Bonnie in here.”
Our receptionist’s blonde head popped into the office a second later, amusement lighting her brown eyes. “There’s some guy on the phone who wants to talk to the ‘man’ who organised John Parker’s party last week.”
I blinked back my surprise, even though I should have been used to it by now, and laughed. “Put him through.”
She nodded and shut the door again while Bonnie’s lips pursed and her head shook. “Why do people always assume you’re a guy if you don’t know th
e name of the person who planned a party?”
“Because of the bar, the quality of the alcohol, and the bartenders.” I winked. “They think only man will pay so much attention to those details.”
“If only they knew,” she teased, chuckling quietly as the phone on my desk started to ring. Instead of picking up the receiver, I hit the speaker button so Bonnie could listen in as well.
“Hi, this is Heidi speaking. What can I do for you today?”
A long pause preceded a deep, smooth voice that sent shivers skittering down my spine as if it were a caress. “Heidi? I’m sorry, I was expecting to hear a man’s voice. I didn’t know a girl had been in charge of organising John’s party.”
Bonnie and I exchanged a look and she mouthed “arsehole,” but I let any annoyance I felt over the assumption go. I preferred to look at it as a compliment when cocky men assumed a woman couldn’t have thrown a party like the ones I did.
“Sorry to disappoint.” My tone was even and professional, even if the tiny giddy part deep inside of me swooned at what a sexy voice this particular arsehole had.
I wondered if he’d be available for phone sex because I would totally have paid for it to have that voice at the other end of the line. Unfortunately, I had a feeling that wasn’t why he was calling.
“How may I help you?”
“I want you to set up a New Year’s Eve party for my employees, but I need it to be the biggest party Sydney has ever seen.”
I was so stunned that I would have laughed if it didn’t sound like he was completely serious. “Do you mean this New Year’s Eve? I would have loved to, but this is our busiest time of the year, and there are only six weeks left to then. Even if I could make alternative arrangements with the events I already have lined up, reserving myself to organise something like that for you would cost a lot of money.”
Bonnie nodded her agreement. A quick mental calculation of what my fee would be if I were to take the next six weeks to organise a party at the scale he had mentioned made my heart beat faster. It really would be a lot of money.
“Do you know that you really shouldn’t jump into conversations about money if you’re looking at making any or actually getting any business?” the guy asked, his voice still sexy even if it was brisk and more than a little rude now.
I bristled and I felt my hackles rise. I didn’t know what this guy looked like, but I was assuming with a voice like that, he had to be at least reasonably good looking. It might have been jumping to conclusions, but I was sure that he wasn’t used to hearing the word no.
There’s no time like the present for him to get a little taste of it, then. People could say what they wanted about me, but I was good at my job, and being told how to do it by a complete stranger wasn’t going to fly with me.
“It would be amiss of me not to inform a potential client of the possible cost involved for any project, let alone what you’re asking for. Realistically, if you want such a big party, you should have hired someone to start planning it at least a couple of weeks ago. I’m confident in my ability to deliver what you’re asking for, but there’s not much point in continuing the conversation if you’re not prepared to pay what it would cost.”
“How much could it really be?” he asked flippantly, but there was an almost mocking undercurrent in his tone. Condescending arse.
I gave my hourly rate and then launched into the rest of the problems we were likely to face. “Any space still available to be rented for an event like this will come at a premium for New Year’s Eve. You can rest assured that all the suitable, reasonably priced venues will already have been booked. Similarly, the vendors’ availability will be a challenge and they will also hike their prices for the short notice and time of year. If you combine all that with my fees, I think you’ll find the total price is not something you want to laugh at.”
“Money is not an issue,” he said without a moment’s hesitation. “I’ll need you to come down to my office so we can get this show on the road.”
I wondered if he had noticed that I hadn’t actually said I would take him on as a client yet. “There’s still the matter of the other events I already have booked. I’m afraid I’m going to have to get back to you regarding my availability.”
“I’m sure you’ll find some way to make yourself available for the fees you stand to make on this project.” Again, there wasn’t a second of hesitation.
Damn him for being right. There was no way all my other events combined could make more than what we would make on this one. Looks like he won’t be hearing no from me after all.
“I can see you on Wednesday morning at eight,” he continued like he already knew that he had me. “An hour should be sufficient for this first meeting.”
Wow. Not a single question in there.
The audacity of this man was going to take several years off my life before the end of this one, but for what he would be paying, I would be able to take that holiday I’d been thinking of much sooner than anticipated.
A trip to Vietnam would be a nice way to spend my bonus and to unwind after spending the next six weeks working with him. “I’ll bring the paperwork, but I need your name and the address for the meeting.”
“Archer Lee,” he said. “My offices are in Darling Quarter Park. Security will give you directions. They’ll know I’m expecting you.”
Bonnie’s mouth dropped open, her eyes wider than the Great Barrier Reef. Not that I’d been to it. Maybe I should look into that option for my holiday too.
I couldn’t deny that my own mouth had gone a little dry. This time, I knew who Archer Lee was, considering that Bonnie had given me the crash course on him only three days ago. He must have been the friend Mr. Parker had given my details to.
No wonder money wasn’t a problem for him. I opened my mouth to agree to the meeting, but he hung up before I could get the words out.
For a few seconds after, Bonnie and I both just stared at the phone. When our eyes met once the shock had worn off, we started talking at the same time.
“What an absolute c—”
“We have to go.” Her voice was louder than mine, cutting off my insult. “Even if it is just to see the building.”
“It’s the building you want to see?” I sat back in my padded leather chair, my brows raised as I crossed my arms. “Because I distinctly remember something about him praying for a break if you ever got your hands on him.”
The corners of her mouth turned up in recognition of her words from Friday night. “True, but even I’m not prepared to handle that much of an egotistical dickhead. I really would like to see the building, though. I’ve heard those offices are really sick.”
I sighed, and not just because the term “sick” when referring to something cool was one I was still having some trouble getting used to. “I don’t really want to indulge his whims. I know it’s a lot of money, but he didn’t even say goodbye. He just hung up the phone.”
Bonnie pressed her palms together and gave me her best puppy dog eyes. “Come on, Heidi. Please? Let’s just go hear what he has to say. You can always turn him down after the meeting if you really don’t think you can work with him.”
I chewed on my lower lip as I thought it over. If it was just the money, I might have been able to turn the guy down, but this meant so much to Bonnie. There wasn’t any doubt in my mind that the building wasn’t the only thing she wanted to see, but I could give her this one small thing for all she had done for me.
We would meet the infamous Archer Lee, have a good ogle at both him and his building, and then we could decide if the money would be worth putting up with his attitude. “Fine, we’ll go. I’m not saying yes yet, though. No way. He has to ask nicely at least once. Otherwise, we’d be validating his shitty treatment of folks he doesn’t even know.”
“You got it.” She beamed at me, and to have gotten that one smile from my best friend would make even the most heinous meeting I’d ever had worth it. “Oooh, this is going to be so much fun.�
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Chapter 5
Archer
Early morning sunshine glinted off the crystalline waters of the Sydney Harbour when I woke up on Wednesday morning. Sailboats bopped on small swells and blue skies stretched as far as the eye could see.
Sitting up in my bed after silencing my alarm, I drew my knees up and looped my arms around them, taking a minute to appreciate the view. The home I’d bought for Millie and me as soon as I’d been able to afford it was situated in one of Sydney’s most exclusive harbourfront enclaves.
I’d fallen in love with the grand sandstone manor and its rolling, park-like gardens the first time I’d seen the house, but I’d made an offer on the spot when I got my first look at the views. It had been built so the bedrooms, the en-suite bathrooms, and the living spaces offered breathtaking views of the iconic harbour and the city skyline beyond.
I didn’t spend nearly enough time at home to appreciate them fully, but I tried to take a minute to enjoy the beauty of it whenever I could. When my second alarm went off, I climbed off the bed and ambled across the hardwood floors to my bathroom.
All but the very top row of the windows were frosted for privacy, but I still caught glimpses of the manicured green lawn and the masts of the sailboats outside. As I was doing up my tie once I was done in the shower, the doorbell rang.
I glanced down the broad metal face of my watch and knew that it had to be my mum. I hadn’t realised it had gotten quite that late yet.
Still in the process of tying the knot, I walked out of my room to let the most formidable and yet loving woman in my life into the house. “Morning, Mum. How are you going today?”
A fond smile tipped her thinning lips up, deepening the lines that had appeared around her mouth in the last few years. “I’m just fine. How are my beautiful granddaughter and my favourite son?”
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