Page 63 of Off-Limits Bosses
“Affirmative.”
I moved as quickly as I could while still appearing elegant and calm. It was trickier than it sounded. Especially while wearing a brand-new pair of heels that were rubbing at my pinky toes.
When I got to the kitchen, Nolan was hovering by the doors impatiently. “What’s happening?”
“We need to use the west side,” I answered, grabbing one of the trolleys myself. “Oh, these look excellent. Nice work, Chef.”
“I’m glad I’m not you today,” Nolan said as we led a group of waiters and trolleys down the hallways. “I can’t imagine what it must be like getting everything in place and trying to keep everyone happy.”
I grinned at him. “Actually, I’m having fun.”
“You’re insane.” He shook his head. “But, to be fair, I like that about you.”
We made it upstairs with minutes to spare, sending the waiters in to offer Nolan’s brilliant creations to the mingling guests inside of the ballroom. I stole a few seconds with Nolan in the hallway, giving him a quick peck on the cheek and promising to thank him properly for all of his effort later.
“Mm, you better make good on that promise,” he said as I walked off to get to my next destination.
Almost all of the guests had arrived and were chatting to one another. I caught a few mentioning how nice everything was, how Dahlia and Forrest had chosen a good spot for their dinner.Others were commenting on Nolan’s mastery of food. There were one or two gossiping, but that was to be expected.
I found Landon at the far end of the ballroom, adjusting his cuff links. He smiled when I walked up to him. “I believe all of the guests are accounted for. Slight lag in schedule, but I’m sure we can win it back.”
“Are you ready for your welcoming speech?” I asked, stepping closer and pretending to fix his tie so that I could win a moment of closeness with him. “You do know what you’re going to say, right? Can’t have it go wrong at the very beginning.”
He raised both eyebrows, though he was more amused than offended. “I thought you trusted me. Tsk-tsk.”
“I do,” I chuckled, patting his chest after I let go of his tie. “Just making sure.”
“Mmhmm. You should double-check with security. Lots of high-profile people around.”
I nodded and checked the time. “Four minutes. Please proceed to the front of the room. Someone will already have your microphone prepared. Don’t go over ten minutes. I’m sure you know all of that.”
He winked at me. “I do. Don’t worry. You’ve done a great job preparing for tonight. You should be proud of yourself. I know I am.”
I felt my cheeks heat up as he walked off to get ready for his speech. He moved with such confidence that he drew attention automatically. I even noticed a few women glancing at him with longing, and there was a twinge of jealousy in my heart. Landon didn’t pay any attention to them, however. As soon as he reached the front of the room, his eyes immediately locked onto me, and he smiled.
I nodded in return, before rushing off to check in on every part of the event. Security had had an incident with a crazy fan, but that was sorted out already. Nolan was getting ready with the appetizers. The music and entertainment were both in place. Everything was going exactly according to plan. It was a little too good to be true, but I refused to overthink things.
When I was back in the ballroom, Landon had finished his welcoming speech, and Forrest had taken the microphone for a toast.
“Ah, sorry I missed it,” I said to Landon when I joined him against the wall, watching Forrest talk. “I’m sure you absolutely killed it.”
“I did,” Landon agreed, taking two flutes of champagne from the closest waiter and handing one to me. “There was a standing ovation, and I’m pretty certain I’ll get a nomination for some kind of award.”
“We shouldn’t be drinking on the job,” I reminded him, but he brushed me off.
“A toast isn’t exactly alcoholism,” he insisted, clinking his glass against mine when Forrest finished his speech. “You deserve to enjoy yourself. You’ve done something incredible tonight. Why not take some time to take it all in?”
I glanced around and realized that he was right. This was a huge achievement, one that most people would never experience in their lives. There was so much that could have gone wrong, but all of the issues had been minor and easily resolved. People were enjoying themselves, and I had been able to trust the rest of the staff to do what they had to.
“Okay then,” I said, before taking a sip of the champagne. It tasted expensive. “To The Pacific.”
“To us,” Landon answered. “I think someone is looking for you.”
I turned my head to follow his line of sight, and noticed Bryant waving me over. It wasn’t suspicious; people often asked me for anything they needed. But I still felt that slight anxiety that came with doing something I wasn’t really supposed to.
I bent my legs so that I could lower myself to Bryant’s eye level, pretending that I was performing the same service for him as I would anyone else.
“What can I do for you, Sir?” I asked playfully.
