Something More

Chapter Sixteen

On the night of the party, Lisa's job was to help wherever needed and to make sure everything flowed smoothly between the kitchen and the dining room. And to keep Maureen from bothering anyone aside from her. Jisoo and her staff had done the majority of the prep either earlier or when they arrived three hours before service was to begin. Now it was just a matter of making sure everything was in its right place.

As Jisoo and her sous chef, Jeff, dished up the first course, Lisa had a final meeting with their servers. Most of them had worked for TMG in the past so they didn't need much instruction, but she needed to nail down a few of the finer points of the night. She double-checked that they all knew their assignments and the overall floor plan.

Maureen and Dalton had a large, ornate house with way too much unused space. She couldn't imagine growing up in a place like this and she wondered how Jen felt about it. The front living room opened into the dining room, which thankfully accommodated Maureen's guest list. Good thing she didn't add any more.

With a last reminder to come to her if they needed anything, Lisa released the servers so they could attend to any last-minute setup. She turned to check on Jisoo but ran straight into Jennie instead.

Jen steadied her by gripping her upper arms. "Whoa. You okay?"

"Sorry about that. What's with us and bumping into each other all the time? At the bar. Here."

"I think it worked out pretty well at the bar and since, don't you?" Jen asked, her voice low.

"Verdict's still out," Lisa teased.

Jen whispered in her ear, "I can show you more evidence if you need it. Tonight."

Lisa swallowed and gripped Jennie's hand. The heat in her eyes made Lisa want to slip away to one of the many bathrooms in the house and have a little fun. Responsibility won out, and she asked, "My place?"

"Yes."

"I need to get to work and you need to head out there."

Jennie groaned. "Do I have to? Got a spare server uniform? It's not like Dalton would even know if I was missing."

"The night will be over before you know it. Then the fun can begin," Lisa replied with a wink.

"Looking forward to it." Jennie moved toward the dining room, playfully mimicking banging her head against the doorframe.

Lisa chuckled and waved her away. She turned to see Jisoo rolling her eyes and grinning, and she smiled wide. "All set?"

"Yep. Soups are ready to go out. Can you watch the room for course change? Give us a five-minute warning so we can dress the salads."

"I'm on it."

She entered the dining area and stood to the side, her hands behind her back and eyes scanning the room. Watching people eat was boring as hell, but she didn't mind this task as it meant she could sneak glances at Jennie and take in how sexy she looked tonight. Lisa had figured she'd be in a dress, but she wore a burgundy suit and vest with a black button-up. Instead of her typical tight bun or ponytail, she had her hair down with loose curls.

Lisa stared so long she almost missed that most of the guests were finishing with their soups. She slipped into the kitchen to signal Chu, but then resumed her position in the dining room.

When she caught herself staring again, Lisa took a breather in the kitchen, sitting on a stool at the island. "Big house, huh?"

"Oh yeah. Be happy you missed the tour. Maureen likes to brag about the extravagance of it all," Jisoo whispered.