“William, this is not a social visit. You invited me here to discuss your proposal to join the event planning committee. Please let’s focus. I’ve got other engagements today.”
“Yes ma’am,” he said with a mock salute.
She glared at him.
He held up his hands in surrender.
“Okay, fine. I’ll be serious. So, you already know that I want to be on your event planning committee, now let’s hear what your objections are.”
William thought back to what had led to his decision. After his long telephone conversation with Barbara a week ago, all he could think about was how he could see her on a sustained basis. He was not prepared to wait another ten months to see her again.
If there was one thing he was good at it was strategizing. There were several things he already knew about Barbara.
One, she seemed to be wary of romance in general and him in particular.
Two, she wouldn’t ever consider dating him if he didn’t embrace her faith.
Three, she was passionate about the Changing Lives Foundation.
Four, she still had feelings for him.
Five, she didn’t trust him because she thought that he would break her heart.
With this knowledge in mind, he had hatched a plan. It had gone like this:
One, he would take friendship if that was all he could get.
Two, he would attend church with her whenever he possibly could to show her that he was open to Christianity.
Three, he would lend financial support to the Changing Lives Foundation.
Four, he would seek out every opportunity to spend time with her.
Five, he would prove to her that she could trust him with her heart.
He had made the decision to be the main sponsor of the gala but knew that offer alone would not be enough to accomplish his goals. Sure, Barbara would be thankful, but how did that bring him in close proximity to her?
He had given the matter more thought and then the proverbial light bulb had gone on in his head. He would volunteer to be a member of the gala event planning committee. There was no way that he could accomplish all of what he wanted if he were in London. He decided he would go on holiday. He had been galloping for the last ten months. It was time to slow down and take his mother’s advice to focus on what was truly important. He would spend the next four weeks in New York City.
William now leaned back in his chair and watched Barbara try to dissuade him from joining the event committee. He wondered if she understood that any attempt to derail him from his course was pointless.
“Barbara, I acknowledge your concern about the demands on my time, but I assure you I’m not unaccustomed to fund-raising. My family has always been involved in charity work and I give away millions annually to charitable causes...personally, and through Lamport Holdings.”
Her expression didn’t change.
“William, giving away money and working on an event planning committee are two different things. I don’t want to appear ungrateful, but I just want to explain to you the process of selecting the committee members as well as the work involved.”
Barbara took a sip of her water and then continued.
“The members are usually drawn from the Foundation staff, my church, community groups, non-governmental organizations that we partner with and volunteers who are passionate about the work that the Foundation does in communities. The event committee is going to discuss mainly fundraising and then we will work to solicit as much sponsorship as we can.”
She paused for a second to ensure he was processing her little speech.
“Now, William, I don’t question that you’ve got skills and connections. My concern is your time. I do not see how you can commit to being on an event committee for the next nine months.”
He smiled at her and responded smoothly, “The same way you can. Or do you plan to quit making movies and just plan gala after gala for the rest of your life?”
He could see the heat rise from her neck to her face in annoyance. His sarcastic comment had no doubt made her acutely aware that her argument against his involvement was flimsy at best, comical at worse.
“Barbara,” he continued more gently. “I think you should let me worry about whether or not I’ve got enough time, don’t you? I’m taking four weeks’ holiday starting today and I will be available to assist with your fundraising efforts and anything you need me to do during that time. When I go back to London, I’ll ensure that I’m also accessible to you. If you turn down this offer simply because you consider me an emotional threat, then maybe you’re not really convinced that we should be just friends.”
Barbara stared at the floor in silence for so long he wondered if maybe he had gone too far. After a few minutes, she cleared her throat.
“You’re right. It would be stupid of me to refuse your assistance. Welcome on board, William.”
~*~*~*~
A few days later Barbara breezed into the lobby of the New York Waldorf Hotel and Towers with five minutes to spare. She glanced towards the lobby and did a double take at the sight of William lounging on a sofa reading his tablet.
As she walked towards him, she couldn’t help but be reminded of how strong and fit he looked. This was evidenced in the way his broad chest and well-developed biceps seemed to strain against his white open-neck shirt and navy blue blazer and how the slim fit of his dark blue trousers emphasized his powerful legs. She mused that when they had first met he had been well toned as a result of his athletic pursuits, but now he had the look of a man who also lifted weights regularly. This feature combined with his impressive height meant that the average man would probably think twice before challenging him to a fight.
When William glanced up and caught her watching him, a smile formed on his lips and his blue eyes sparkled. He closed his tablet and rose to greet her.
He took her hand and gently drew it to his mouth, all the while his gaze locked with hers.
Barbara sighed inwardly. Resisting this man was going to be very tough. “I wasn't expecting you to be down here already. I thought you were going to join us when the meeting started.”
“I wanted to be here to meet you when you arrived. Are you ready to go to the meeting room?”
It was true that when William had challenged her to look past her personal feelings and accept his offer to volunteer, Barbara had been shocked at how insightful he was. Was it that obvious how emotionally threatened by him she felt? If she had truly resolved that she was through with romance, then should she fear to spend time with him? Besides, if he was willing to sacrifice his time to help raise funds for the Foundation what right did she have to try to stop him?
As they had continued to converse, William stated that his offer to contribute included use of the grand ballroom of the hotel to host the gala, and use of the meeting rooms for the event and logistical planning committee meetings. Barbara found it hard not to be thankful for these blessings in spite of her reservations about spending too much time with William.
After commencing the meeting with prayer, the first thing Barbara did was lay out the ground rules – particularly for the benefit of new members like William, who were unfamiliar with the way things were done. Each committee member was expected to buy or sell at least one table as a condition of serving on the committee. They were also expected to send invitations with personal notes to friends and colleagues.
Barbara made it clear that while logistical details were important, they would be dealt with by the logistics committee. The responsibilities of the event committee members would be strictly to select the honorees and speakers, set sponsorship levels, and sell tickets and tables.
At this juncture, Barbara gestured in William's direction.
“Thanks to Lord Lamport's generosity we can already strike main gala sponsor and gala venue off of our to-do list.”
Barbara paused as the committee members clapped. William responded with a nod of acknowledgement.
The committee di
scussed the fund-raising strategy and selling sponsorships. Corporate tables and tickets were identified.
Barbara then prompted the meeting to consider the budget. She stated that this would inform the next item – ticket price and sponsorship levels.
“While we'll be happy to sell individual tickets to anyone who wants them, our main focus here has to be on selling tables or sponsorship packages. Remember, 10% of the people give 90% of the gifts, and 90% of the people give 10% of the gifts. So we must start where the money is and solicit sponsorship.”
A committee member recommended that the sponsorship levels remain the same as the previous year, with $10,000 as the top level. The other members agreed and Barbara was about to move on when William, who had been thoughtfully reviewing the figures on the sheet before him, interjected. “I disagree. I think that you should start your top level at $20,000.”
There was protest from a few committee members who argued that this figure was too high and would scare away potential sponsors. Barbara watched in veiled admiration as William calmly and clearly articulated the rationale behind his suggestion and eventually convinced them to give it a chance. It was decided that three levels would be created, $20,000, $15,000 and $10,000.
The discussion then turned to honorees. The manager of the Changing Lives Foundation, Joe Grant, had provided Barbara with a list of companies, individuals, NGOS and groups that supported the foundation. This list was now distributed to the committee members.
“For homework, I'd like you to please review this list and utilize your contacts in the community to select the best honorees possible. We will consider your choices at our next meeting and select no more than six.”
When a few members objected that this number was too few, she held up her hand. “If we exceed that number like we did last year we're going to find that the program is too long and boring. Remember, we discussed this when we conducted our post mortem in January. There were some attendees who indicated that last year’s ceremony went on a bit too long when we had ten honorees. I tend to agree with them. Let's try to keep the program tight this year. We want to leave people wanting more, not wanting out.”
This was met with some amused chuckles.
~*~*~*~
Immediately after the meeting ended, Barbara announced that lunch would be served in the private dining room located just outside the meeting room. She asked one of the committee members to bless the meal before they proceeded to the dining area.
After the “amens” had been said, William checked his voice mail messages, while the others drifted in the direction of the dining room. Virtually alone, he began returning a few business calls.
All this time, though, his eyes never left Barbara. She had not joined the others in the dining room but was in conversation with a committee member who had indicated that he wasn't staying for lunch. When William's calls ended he poured himself a glass of water and continued to observe Barbara as he drank.
The first thing that had surprised him about the meeting, although in retrospect it probably shouldn't have, was that Barbara had begun with prayer. He had personally never been to a meeting at which the chairperson prayed for what seemed like a good three minutes.
The second surprise was the way Barbara had conducted the meeting. He had never seen her in this role before and was impressed. He could understand why she was not only a successful actress but also a successful business woman. She was focused, organized, and forceful yet charming.
He shook his head in amazement at how after all these years he still found this woman to be so fascinating; so enthralling.
Barbara must have sensed him watching her because right after she said goodbye to the committee member she returned his gaze. Their eyes locked. After several beats, she broke eye contact and glanced down at her shoes. A moment later she looked up and asked, “Aren’t you having lunch with us?”
He nodded. “I’ve got one more call to make then I’ll join you.”
She nodded then turned on her heels and walked in the direction of the dining room.
William made the call and then joined the other committee members in the dining area. Most of the other diners were at the dessert stage of their meal and a few others had already eaten and left. He wasn't that hungry. He’d had a large breakfast that morning and with the mid-morning coffee break provided during the meeting he still felt satisfied.
He decided just to take a little soup. He helped himself at the buffet table then searched for Barbara with his eyes. He found her sitting at a table at the back of the room with four other women. To his pleasure, he observed that there was one empty seat left at the table, right next to Barbara. He made a beeline for it.
After he had sat down, he turned to her and whispered, “Thanks for keeping this seat vacant for me.”
“You should be so lucky,” she shot back under her breath and then resumed her conversation.
William chuckled softly. After a few sips of his Minestrone, he was asked a question by one of the women and he joined their conversation.
As he conversed with the ladies, William noticed that Barbara quietly ate her meal and made minimal input. Every time the women giggled at a joke he made he could almost feel her mentally roll her eyes.
Eventually, the table guests dwindled away one by one and only Barbara and William were left in the room, except for the waiting staff.
William had completed his meager meal and now sipped a cup of Earl Grey tea as he watched Barbara closely. She finished her fruit salad, dabbed her mouth with her napkin and took a sip of her water. Eventually, she turned to him.
“Don't you have somewhere to go?”
“Are you trying to get rid of me?”
“Did anyone ever tell you it’s impolite to answer a question with a question?”
“Who would dare to tell me that, besides you?”
Barbara narrowed her eyes. “William Lamport, are you trying to be difficult?”
“Now who’s answering a question with a question?”
Barbara looked heavenward.
William guffawed. “Fine, I’ll answer your question, although teasing you is rather more fun. I'm on holiday, remember? So, no, I have nothing in particular to do. I'm as free as a bird.”
She raised one perfectly waxed eyebrow. “Is that why I saw you on the phone talking shop earlier?”
He shrugged. “I still like to keep tabs on what's happening. This China expansion is major and, while I've left the tidying up to my senior management team, I still like to check in every few days and make sure that things are running smoothly.”
She nodded.
“Listen, you really added value to our meeting today. The members are already saying that this year will be bigger and better than ever with you onboard.”
She sneaked a peek at him. “I'm glad you didn’t let my earlier resistance stop you.”
He chuckled. “I'm made of very stern stuff. You're going to have to do a lot better than that to deter me. That aside, I’m happy to help with the gala. In fact, a few more sponsorship ideas occurred to me after the meeting. Why don’t we discuss them over dinner tonight?”
“Can’t. Got church tonight,” she returned hurriedly.
“How about tomorrow night, then?”
“I have a business meeting.”
He remained unfazed. “Friday night?”
“William, it’s not a good idea for us to go on a date. Just friends, remember?”
“Who said anything about a date? I’d like to hear more about the Foundation. I’ve only been given a very brief overview so far. As your main sponsor I should be better informed, don’t you think?”
One corner of her mouth tugged upwards. “Okay, William, you win. I'll have dinner with you, but I want to be clear that it’s just a friendly dinner – nothing more.”
William smiled. Her response was one that he could live with. She could call it whatever she liked. The point was she had agreed to have dinner with him.
Cha
pter 8
William took Barbara to The Lion Restaurant in Greenwich Village. Upon arrival, they were ushered into a private dining area. It was tucked away from the hustle and bustle of The Lion’s main dining areas and just beyond a secret door.
On their way to their seats, they saw a few prominent persons who nodded or smiled in recognition. One or two greeted them warmly, curiosity about the connection between them clearly written on their faces.
Barbara’s stomach was suddenly in knots. Perhaps agreeing to dinner had not been such a good idea. She and William were too well known for people to ignore the fact that they were out together. She knew that by the next day every gossip in town would be speculating about the extent of their relationship.
Already, some eager photographer had snapped pictures of them entering the restaurant. She almost could see the tabloid headlines now:
“A YEAR AFTER HUBBY’S DEATH BARBIE FINDS LOVE IN THE ARMS OF BRITISH BILLIONAIRE.”
She groaned inwardly. They should have gone somewhere less public. She looked around at the décor. And less intimate. It was definitely a mood setter, with its plush wine-colored velvets, black leather chairs, and soft lighting.
She glanced at William. He had agreed that this wouldn’t be a date, but it was beginning to feel very much like one.
“Shall I order a bottle of wine?” he asked.
“Only if you’re going to drink it yourself. I don’t drink.”
“How…disturbing.”
A snort of laughter escaped Barbara’s lips. Before she could respond, the waiter appeared at the table to take their drink order. William ordered a dry martini.
“Aren’t you even going to order a soft drink?” he asked.
“I’ll just stick with my water, thanks,” Barbara replied as she perused the menu. “So, why did you choose this back room and not the main dining area?”
He was all wide-eyed innocence. “Given who you are I assumed that you would’ve preferred a more private meal, away from the prying eyes of the public. Was I wrong?”
The Royal Couple: A Christian Romance (Royals Book 1) Page 7
