meant what I said. The c

usiness a lot of money, and I wasn't afraid to remind people of that when needed. I wasn't the sort of person to beg or plead for anything, and the thought of

ut I was close. The ballroom itself was gorgeous. If the event was going to be remembered for anything, it was going to be the setting. The high ceilings, the glistening chandeliers, t

be a nightmare," I mu

The last-minute scramble was nothing new for me. I thrived under pressure, but the pressure wasn't what bothered me. It was th

d. We'd known each other since childhood-before the weight of the family business started to consume me. He was a good guy, even if he could be a bit... unreliable sometimes. I had a soft sp

gave me a crooked grin, the kind that didn't quite reach his eye

n to the box. "No-well, not exactly. I

"Are you kidding me? These are not just as good! The lights I told you about are lined with gold. These a

ck, lifting his hand

I sn

ously, too. He knew what he was getting into when he agreed to help, and he was damn lucky to have a gig like this, considering my dad's connect

atering company. The last thing I needed right now was another screw-up, but here we were. I sighed, knowing that whatever was about to happen on the

a woman's voice said, cheery but with that edge of f

my nose as I tried to center myself. I didn't have time for this,

asn't exactly my first choice, but when you're hosting an event with people who love to make everything about themselves, yo

n, she

you've ordered crea

cond. Did you just sa

there a

roblem? Of course, there's a problem! I said crème brûlé

a beat. "I'm so sorry for the mix-up, Emma. I'll fix t

on her keyboard. "Good. Call me when you have it ri

tailing everything. So how did cream of mushroom even get into the mix? And it wasn't just that. Nearly everyone had somehow screwed up my orders. My florist had delivered roses instead of peonies-peonies! How was that even possible?

a disaster. Maybe I just needed a nap. I'd been up for hours, double-checking the venue, contacting the vendors, and making sure the guest list didn't have

feel the weight of it all pressing in, and the last thing I wanted to do was admit how overwhelmed I was. But maybe tha

ck dress approaching me with a clipboard in hand. I didn't recognize h

he asked, her voice po

traightenin

she said. "It's quite an intricate set-up, and I just

r a moment. I couldn't afford to lose it now, not wit

e when I finally snapped under all this pressure. For now, though, I just needed to ge