Bittersweet Symphony

Chapter 158 - Hostess

"Mrs. Andrews, I'm so glad you're here!" Claire exclaimed, a look of relief washing over her. "We have a little problem."

"A problem?" I frowned, worried that someone backed out at the last second. I can't have that. I've paid for a lot of stuff. I'm not afraid to take back my promises. "What is it?"

"One of our caterers will be late. They were going to start the main course."

"How...late will they be?"

"They won't be here until after everyone has arrived. By then, people are going to be hungry and nothing will be ready, but the next courses."

If I wasn't pregnant, I would have thrown a fit, but I held my tongue. It's not Claire's fault, and I knew she'd do anything in her power to make this banquet perfect. "Well, we'll have to think on our feet, won't we?" I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "We can keep the guests entertained while we wait for the food. Maybe we could have some appetizers out earlier, or even a little show or something."

Claire nodded, her shoulders visibly relaxing. "I'm sure our entertainment won't mind distracting anyone tonight. The magician you didn't want to hire is still on call. Do you think he'll be able to woo the crowd into forgetting dinner?"

I didn't want to have a magician around. Who likes magic these days? It'll be so awkward to watch everything pan out, if no one likes his tricks. I'll still have to pay him, so that's a loss on my part.

"I suppose so. He should at least try to keep everyone entertained while we wait," I said, not sounding too convinced. "I had another restaurant on hold. They serve all types of things, so a few snacks won't kill anyone as we wait."

"I don't know what I'd do without you, Mrs. Andrews."

"Claire, I'm sure you'd manage just fine." I patted her shoulder, leading her back into the ballroom. "So...what else do we need to get done?"

"The florists should all be here in an hour. I've already memorized where you want each arrangement to go. It'll take awhile to set up the floral backdrop for photos, but--"

"They don't have to worry about that. It'll be a night to remember, so they'll probably take pictures everywhere."

"All media will not be allowed on the grounds until thirty an hour before guests are due to arrive. We have ample time before that happens."

I nodded in agreement, grateful for the reminder. "Well then, I guess we should focus on the other tasks at hand. Any updates on the decorations?"

"Everything is on schedule," Claire replied, checking her watch. "The decorators are setting up the centerpieces as we speak. The colors should complement the theme perfectly. They're even working on a few surprises for the main event."

"Sounds lovely," I said, trying to keep the excitement in my voice. "I'm sure everyone will appreciate the extra effort."

As we continued to walk around the venue, making sure everything was in order, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. This was my time to shine, and I was more than determined to add this event to my biggest accomplishments of all time. Right after becoming a CEO without lifting a finger.

I noticed there were more security guards than normal. "I didn't request that many security guards, did I?" I asked Claire.

"No, that was Mr. Andrews' idea. He was concerned about the possibility of an unauthorized person crashing the party. With all the high-profile guests, he didn't want to take any chances."

"I see," I said, nodding understandingly. While I trusted Alister, I couldn't fault him for wanting to make sure everyone was safe. Seeing buff men everywhere assured me that nothing bad could possibly happen to me. "I might end up going home earlier than expected. Nothing too serious. I'm getting closer to my due date faster than we thought."