“So, when are we giving our resignation again?” Craig says as soon as she walks out the door. We both start laughing.
“As soon as possible. Believe me, I am counting down the hours.” I look at my phone. I have missed calls from Luke and Madison.
“Madison is here to try to make me look decent for tonight.” I tell him. “I’m sure I need all the help I can get. I will see you back down here at five thirty.” We give each other a big hug.
I meet Madison in my room, and she begins the tedious process of trying to make me look human again. I hear my phone ringing. When I finally get it, I see it’s a missed call from Nicole. She must be calling to see how things are going. I feel really bad because she put a lot of hard work into tonight. I wish she could have stayed through tonight, but I know she reached her limit, and I don’t blame her.
“So, what time is Luke coming?” Madison asks as she curls my hair.
“He should be here around six. I told him that I’d be running around most of the night, but he still insisted on coming.” Madison doesn’t say anything. We really haven’t discussed Luke since Palm Springs. Considering she never really cared for Luke, I know that whole night really pushed her over the edge.
“I know what you’re thinking and you’re right. We have a lot to work out, and I told him that we need to talk, but I just wanted to wait until after tonight.”
“I understand,” she says finally. “Please know that I just want you to be truly happy. I don’t mean to lecture you or try to control your life.” She sits down. “I want you to be as happy as I am or as Abby is because no one deserves happiness more than you.”
“Now don’t make me cry because it will mess up my makeup, and if I cry I will be even more stuffy than I already am,” I say, getting emotional again.
Madison finishes working her magic and I still have about forty-five minutes to spare. I realize I’m starving, so we open all of the snacks in the room and discuss her wedding plans. We are way ahead of schedule on the planning. She has ordered her dress and the venue is booked. After eating a package of Pringles, chocolate cookies, and half of a Snickers bar, I feel pretty gross, but I count that as my lunch because I haven’t eaten all day.
“Do you want to see the ballroom before you leave? It looks really amazing,” I say proudly.
“Of course!”
“OK, let’s hurry because I will have to be dressed and back down there to meet Craig in thirty minutes.”
I take her on a quick tour of the ballroom and hurry back upstairs to get dressed. I breathe a sigh of relief that my dress still fits even after my mini-bar binge. My dress is a gold, floor-length gown with cap sleeves. It looks like it cost a small fortune but it didn’t. My shoes actually cost more than my dress, but that’s no surprise; they are gold Jimmy Choo stilettos, and they are worth every dollar!
I look in the mirror and check my reflection. Madison really did a great job with my hair and makeup. I actually don’t look sick, but as soon as I open my mouth, I sound like I’ve been a chain smoker for thirty years.
My heart is racing a million miles a minute and I take a few deep breaths. I check myself in the mirror, slip Kleenex in my bag, and head downstairs. Here we go!
I love people watching; it is without a doubt one of my favorite pastimes. It’s especially entertaining when you have a bunch of very important people in one place. I imagine this is how it is at the Oscars. Faith, Fashion, and Hope is no different, just on a much smaller scale of course.
People are hugging, laughing, and giving compliments that they probably don’t mean. I’m running around and checking on registration and the auction, but I really just want to sit down in a chair and listen. Craig said he even overheard a conversation about Carrie and her new mystery man.
“SEE! I told you,” he says animatedly. “She has a new man, and she doesn’t want anyone to know who he is.”
“Why wouldn’t she bring him here tonight? It sounds like the cat’s out of the bag if people are talking about it,” I say as I straighten up a few tablecloths.
“Maybe she will later,” he says insistently.
“Well, I hope for your sake she does,” I say, laughing. “The days of the Carrie drama will soon be ending and then what will you have to live for?” I give him a wink.
“I haven’t thought about that part. That is so sad,” he says seriously.
The event has started and I haven’t seen Carrie at all yet. Several of her entourage have been asking for her, so I try calling her phone but there’s no answer.
“Have you seen her yet?” I ask Craig.
“Not yet,” he says, rolling his eyes. “Is it wrong to hope that she caught your cold and is so sick she can’t get out of bed?” He gives a giggle.
“Not at all,” I reply. “I guess I’ll try to go hunt her down.”
Truly speaking, I really don’t care if she even shows her face. Because once she arrives, I know how this night is going to go. She is going to take all the credit for the success of the event even though she hasn’t been involved in any of the plans. Not that I care what her friends think. All that I care about is that the Cantons and their friends know the truth.
I wander around looking for her, stopping to say hello to some of our guests. We are using a meeting room on the second floor as our command center. I doubt she’s in there but it’s worth a shot. On my way to the elevator, I see Ace. He looks very dashing in his suit, and the second he sees me he gives me his million-dollar smile.
“Sienna, you look amazing.”
“Thank you,” I manage to say with my smoker’s/sexy voice.
He grimaces. “Oh wow. That’s not good.”
“I know. I can barely talk but at least I don’t look as bad as I did this morning.” I smile.
“No. You don’t look bad AT ALL,” he replies, giving a weary smile.
“Where are you heading? Shouldn’t you be rubbing elbows with the elite?” he replies sarcastically.
“Yes, I should, but of course, I am in search of Carrie. Not that I care if she shows up, but at least I can tell people that I tried to find her. No doubt she is still getting ready for her big night. I’m on my way to check our meeting room upstairs.”
“I’ll walk with you. I mean, if that’s ok?”
“Of course.”
We start to head upstairs, but neither of us says anything until he finally speaks up.
“So, is Luke here then?” he asks obviously wanting to get to the elephant in the room.
“Yes, somewhere. The last time I saw him he was talking with some business associates. I feel kind of bad because I am probably not going to be the best date tonight.”
“I’m sure he understands,” he replies softly.
We get off the elevator, and when we get to the meeting room, it’s empty.
“Oh well, she must still be in her room. At least I tried,” I say happily. Maybe my dream will come true and she won’t even show up.
We leave the meeting room to head back downstairs when we hear noises. Off to the right is a long hallway that has a little area where there are pay phones and a few chairs. Ace and I smile at each other and try to keep from laughing. Obviously, the people in there do not want to be found.
We tiptoe around the corner to have a peek, and all of sudden I feel like I’ve been hit by a cement truck. I found Carrie, and Craig was right all along. She does have a mystery man, except he is no mystery to me. It’s Luke.
I must be in shock because I stand there completely frozen in my Jimmy Choos. I am unable to speak or cry or anything. The four of us stand there in complete awkward silence.
CHAPTER 14
I close my eyes, hoping that I’m having another nightmare. There are some things that you just can’t un-see. Those are the things that will forever be burned in your memory: a train wreck, a scene from a horror movie, or in my case, my boyfriend and my boss together in a compromising position. Throw in the fact that my boss happens to be almost thirty years
older than my boyfriend and you will understand why I can’t un-see this. And to top it off, I’m working the biggest event of my career tonight.
Everything is starting to make sense. I feel like a little light bulb has come on in my head. This explains Luke being gone so much and Carrie being so curious as to my private life. The puzzle pieces are all coming together, and the last piece is Palm Springs. Luke was there with Carrie, and I can’t believe I am so STUPID that I never put that together. Luke is the first one to break the silence.
“Sienna, I can explain all of this. It’s not exactly what it looks like,” he says nervously.
I stand there staring at him with the look of disgust. “You can’t be serious. It is very obvious what is happening here.” I turn to walk away to somehow collect myself. Ace is still standing there in disbelief.
“Can I least explain?” he pleads.
I don’t respond at first. “Were you two together in Palm Springs? Have you been seeing each other? How long has this been going on?” I finally ask. “Don’t lie to me again.” I’m struggling to talk, and my voice is getting worse by the minute.
“Yes, we were,” Luke says. “But, it was business like I told you. Carrie is helping me get my new business concept off the ground.”
“I can see that, and this is how you are repaying her?”
Carrie is still sitting there in silence. She finally speaks up a few minutes later. “It shouldn’t be much of a shock for you, Sienna. After all, you have Mr. Eckelund to turn to.”
I’m about to lose the small bit of composure that I have left, but Ace steps in at just the right moment to respond to Carrie’s accusation.
“With all due respect, Ms. Anderstone, I told you that Sienna and I are strictly friends, not that I owe you any kind of explanation. It has never gone beyond that.” He turns to Luke. “Honestly mate, I have to tell you that I am shocked. You had a good thing with this one here.” He points to me.
Luke sneers at Ace. “Shut up, MATE. This doesn’t concern you. You have been trying to work your way in since you came to town. I know more than anyone how you operate.” They continue to argue with each other. Carrie sits there unfazed by what is happening around her. Suddenly, I remember that downstairs the event is going on without me. This is my event, and the Cantons are counting on me. I get up and start to head downstairs still in a complete daze.
“Wait. Where are you going? We need to talk about this,” calls Luke. I turn around to face the three of them.
“I am going to finish up the event that I planned,” I say robotically. As I head downstairs, I feel like I’m having an out of body experience. I get to the elevator and tears well up in my eyes. How could this happen? How am I going to get through this night? I feel like such a fool. The signs were there all along and I didn’t see them. How could I not see them?
I get off the elevator and run to the bathroom. I dab the corners of my eyes with toilet paper and take a few deep breaths. If anyone says anything about my red eyes, I’ll just say that it’s my cold. Perfect excuse. I give myself a little pep talk: this is business, I’m a professional, it’s time to be a big girl. I make my way back to the meet and greet and pretend that nothing is wrong.
I manage to make it through the first hour without any incidents. I get a little nauseous when I see Carrie laughing and talking with people. She acts like nothing has happened. I stare at her, and when she catches me looking at her, she quickly turns away.
“Sienna, are you OK?” I turn around to see Ace holding out a glass of water to me.
“Thank you,” I say. My voice sounds worse than ever. “I am just trying to get through this night.” I smile as a few guests walk by.
“You are doing a wonderful job. I really don’t know what to say,” he replies while staring at the floor.
“I would rather not talk about it right now. Dinner is getting ready to start.”
“Of course. I will see you later.” He starts to walk away. I grab his arm.
“Thank you for checking on me and for everything.” He doesn’t say anything; he just smiles and walks away.
I hurry to the kitchen to check on dinner. The servers are ready and the food looks fantastic. I admit that I’m trying to avoid sitting down at my table. Craig knows me well enough that he will probably see right through my act. I have no idea if Luke is still here. I remind myself that I need to be out there for the Cantons. I could always make up some reason to hang out in the kitchen. I think about it for a few minutes. No! I refuse to let her win. I refuse to hide; this is my event and I will try to enjoy it.
When I finally make my way to the table, Luke is not there. Craig is sitting with a few committee members.
“Where have you been?” he asks, giving me a curious look.
“I was checking on things in the kitchen. I’m not feeling well at all, just trying to not get too close to anyone.” I manage to smile through my pain.
“Where is Luke?” he asks, looking around. The sound of his name feels like I’m being kicked in the stomach over and over.
“There was an emergency and he had to leave.” Just then, our celebrity host welcomes everyone to the event. That was perfect timing to get off the whole miserable subject.
The rest of the night is a success. The schedule flows perfectly, the musical guests are fantastic, and the best part is that so much money has been raised to help the children. I get very emotional during the program when sweet, little Faith comes out on stage. I have been holding in tears for most of the night, but this gives me the chance to let them out for a few minutes. I try to collect myself, and then I hear my name being called.
“Sienna Harris, can you please come to the stage?” Mr. Canton says. I look around, and Craig is whispering for me to go. I dab my eyes again and make my way to the stage.
“Excuse me, friends. On behalf of Faith, Fashion, and Hope, we would like to recognize Sienna Harris and her team for planning this magical evening. She has spent countless hours putting up with us to make this first event a success. She sees our vision, and we appreciate all that she has done.”
I stand there literally shaking, probably from a combination of nerves, caffeine, and cold medicine. I smile and give a little wave while applause rings out. I thank them all as I make my way back to our table.
“That was so awesome!” Craig exclaims. “The best part is that Carrie is SO pissed. Look at her.” I look over and see her glaring at me. “I am so happy right now,” he says joyfully.
“I’m glad you are so amused by all of this. Now let’s go check on the auction and get ready to visit with people.” I walk past Carrie’s table, trying not to acknowledge her existence. I see her still glaring at me out of the corner of my eye. Ignore her, Sienna! Ignore her. I remind myself.
A few hours later, I take off my shoes and sit down at a table. I lay my head down and let out a huge sigh. I did it! I really did it! The event was perfect even though my personal life is in shambles.
“OMG, we did it!” Craig yells as he sits down next to me. ”What a fabulous night! Carrie was out of here like a bat out of hell. Did she say anything to you? Not that I expected her to help with cleanup or anything. I’m sure she is fuming after Mr. Canton’s shout out to you.” Craig continues talking a mile a minute. I don’t say anything to him—not only because I barely have a voice left, but also because I don’t really know what to say. I have to tell him what happened though.
“Hey, are you OK? I keep forgetting that you’re sick.” He rubs my back.
“No. I’m not OK.” I struggle to lift up my head. “Something happened earlier tonight, and it’s pretty bad.”
“What are you talking about?” Craig asks curiously. I take a deep breath as I struggle to tell him the story.
“Do you remember at the beginning of the meet and greet when we were looking for Carrie? Well . . .”
I tell Craig the whole story and a look of shock comes over his face. I’ve never known Craig to be so quiet for this long.
“Is this some kind of a joke? Carrie and Luke? No way,” he says finally.
“Really, Craig. Do you think that I am that sick and twisted to make this up?”
“You held this in all night?” he asks softly.
I just shake my head. “Now you know why I got so emotional during the program. As touching as it was, I am pretty much an emotional wreck. But I just couldn’t let them take this night from me.”
“Wait a minute!” he exclaims. “Palm Springs! I never thought . . .”
“I know. I thought the same thing. Now you know why Luke wasn’t here tonight. I didn’t actually tell him to leave. He must have left at some point, not sure when. So, your conspiracy theory was right; Carrie has a mystery man and he happens to be my boyfriend.”
“Hmmm,” Craig says thoughtfully. “We have to plan some good revenge to get her back. You know I have some good revenge stories.”
I try to stop him but he keeps rambling on, “Did I ever tell you what my cousin did to get back at his girlfriend for cheating? This really is the best story. After he found out about her double life, he went to the bathroom in her purse and NOT number one. That’s right, NUMBER TWO!” He holds up two fingers.
“Whatever! That did not happen!” I shriek.
“It most certainly did, and it was the best revenge EVER!” he says proudly.
I am so disgusted right now. At first, I think he’s making this up. Craig has a pretty active imagination, but then he sends a text to his cousin and he responds confirming the crazy story.
“Well, I can promise you that I have no plans to go to the bathroom in Carrie’s purse,” I reply, making a face. “Although, can you imagine her finding that in her Birkin bag? That would definitely be a memorable moment.” I’m laughing so hard that I start coughing again. Wow, I really needed a good laugh after all the crying.
“Seriously, though, I think our resignation will be revenge enough, and any guilt I have felt about it is a very, very distant memory. Anyway, let’s get working and finish up.”
An Event to Remember. . .or Forget (Event to Remember Series Book 1) Page 16
