It's almost midnight now and I need to go to sleep. The client dinner is the day after tomorrow and I have a million things to finish up to make sure the event exceeds any and all of Celine's expectations. I've never worked this hard on an event. I'm determined to get that promotion.
"I wish I could hold you right now," Aiden says.
"I do too." I look back at him on the screen, wanting to be with him more than anything.
"A week from tomorrow, we'll be back in Vermont. It's really not that far away if you think about it."
"Seems like forever."
He sighs. "You're right. It does."
"Aiden, I'd love to keep talking but I really need to get to bed. I need to be at work in a few hours."
"Yeah, I should be going too."
"I'll be working late tomorrow night and all day Saturday so I probably won't talk to you again until the dinner."
"About that. There's a chance Celine will try to act like she and I are still together."
"Meaning what? She'll be kissing you?"
"She might try. Or she'll put her arm around me or try to get me to say something to prove we're still together. But whatever happens, none of it is real. I'm just playing along until this is over. I know it might upset you but try not to react. If you do, Celine might suspect something's going on between us, which could put your job in jeapardy."
"I know." I hear the anger in my voice. I can't help it. I get angry whenever I even think of Celine. She's made my life at work unbearable and kept me from being with Aiden. I just want this to be over.
We end the call and I go to bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep because I'm so anxious about this dinner. Just two more days. In two days it'll be over. I'll still have to wait to be with Aiden but at least I'll be done with this horrible event.
It's Saturday night and soon the guests will arrive for the client dinner. Everything's ready but I'm more exhausted than I've ever been in my entire life. I stayed up all night making little chocolates shaped like a star, the symbol that's in the logo for the investment firm. The chocolate shop I hired to make them bailed on me at the last minute because of a water leak in the ceiling that forced them to shut down. I convinced them to sell me the chocolate molds, along with the chocolate, so I could make them myself. My mom and I made chocolates for my cousin's wedding a few years ago so I've done it before but I'm not an expert.
After the chocolate set, I had to wrap each star in a little bag and tie it with a ribbon. It took forever because Celine wanted extras for people to take home. By the time I was done, it was five in the morning and time to get ready for another long day of work.
Celine called at noon to check how things were going. I didn't tell her about the chocolates and don't plan to. I'm hoping she doesn't notice any imperfections, but if she does, there's nothing I can do about it.
The dinner is now less than an hour away and I'm counting the minutes until it's over.
"It looks as though you might just pull this off," Beverly says, running her hand over the back of the chairs as she inspects the table.
Beverly wouldn't normally show up before an event, but since this is the first one I'm doing on my own, she insisted on stopping by to check my work to see if I'm worthy of the promotion. I don't know why she wouldn't give it to me. I've done everything Celine asked and more. I've gone above and beyond to make this event as perfect as it could be.
The dinner is at a historic hotel in a room that looks like it belongs in a castle. Hand-carved dark wood panels line the walls, large brass sconces provide light, and there's a massive fireplace with a marble mantel. The investment firm bought the hotel a few years ago to save it from being torn down. They restored it, then sold it to a small hotel chain. It's a gorgeous building, and perfect for this event.
"Nice job on the centerpieces," Beverly says. "Was that Celine's direction?"
"She directed me on the idea but I made it come to life," I say with confidence. This is not the time to be humble and downplay my work. I need her to know how much of myself I put into this project, and how hard I worked to make it a success.
"I need to get going." Beverly comes up to me, her thin red lips curling up just enough to let me know she's pleased. "Best of luck tonight. I hope to hear great things from the client on Monday."
"You will." I give her a confident smile. "Thank you, Beverly, for stopping by."
As she leaves, Bianca and Celine appear. They must have walked in together because they're in the middle of a conversation.
"We totally need to do that," Bianca says, flipping her hair. "I've wanted to try that spa for months now."
Celine grabs her arm. "Let's go tomorrow afternoon. We're going to need a long massage after this dinner. It's been so much work. I'm exhausted."
She's exhausted? From what? She didn't do anything except order me around. I haven't even seen her since Thursday. She's just been phoning me with her demands. She said she'd be here today to help but then she didn't show up.
"That sounds fabulous!" Bianca squeals. "You think you could get us in?"
"Are you kidding?" Celine says with a laugh. "They love me there. They'll do anything I ask."
Celine and Bianca have become best friends. They go shopping together, go out for drinks, and meet for dinner at least
