Kissing Mr. Bradley

Chapter 14

Strawberry Chateau Villa lived up to its name.

A strawberry field brought a fresh scent of the fruit everytime the light breeze passed through. The villa itself was a French inspired venue near the countryside. The cream colored building, with its romanticized pillars and the waterfall statue of a womanly figure was made to pay tribute to the historical site that was surrounded by vividly green and maroon bushes.

Marjorie Lemons was a longtime event planner for the Bradley's. She had planned numerous birthday parties, wedding ceremonies and New Year celebrations. She topped every party from the last one and had a lengthy catalog of successful events, one after the other. The Black Tie Gala was her latest project that had been in the works for a long time coming.

"Come this way," Marjorie said. "Watch your step. This place has been around for centuries and every inch of it is a piece of history."

I watched my steps up the cracked stone stairwell that swirled up to where the main event would be held. We reached the top of the balcony. There, it was arranged with circular tables covered with glistening white tablecloths. At the center of every table was a glass centerpiece of tulips. Ahead of us was the makeshift platform and the microphone stand.

"The perfect stage front for entertainment," Marjorie said. "What do you think so far?"

I thought about Ethan's trust in me and how much he relied on my good judgment when it came to the Black Tie Gala. It would probably be one of the most challenging yet rewarding projects of my career at Bradley & Sons. I was determined to make the best decisions for the event, even if it meant slight possible changes.

I lightly touched the delicate flowers at the center of the table.

"Can we replace the centerpieces?" I asked.

Marjorie's plastic smile faded away. "You want to change the tulips?" she asked. "Tulips are a Bradley staple."

I looked to my side where an unusually quiet Ezra stood, his mind elsewhere. He couldn't care less about the flowers, the venue or the event. He was already on his second drink that day and we hadn't even had lunch yet.

"Is it possible to change the centerpieces?" I asked again.

Marjorie crossed her thin arms. "It all depends," she said. "What do you have in mind as a replacement?"

"Roses," I replied confidently. "You can never go wrong with a classic red rose, right?"

She thought for a moment. "I guess you're right," she accepted. "It is romantic and it compliments the theme of the night. I'll see what I can do."

Ezra surprisingly spoke up. "You'll have to run it by Mrs. Bradley first," he mentioned. "She can be very particular about these things."

"Yes!" Marjorie exclaimed. "Donna will have the last say in what stays and what goes."

"I'll run it by Mrs. Bradley then," I said.

Besides the centerpieces, there were more changes I wanted to make but before I could make that happen, a strong gust of wind and the harrowing sound of a jet crossed the sky.

Ezra smirked. "Here's your chance," he said to me. "Here comes Donna Bradley herself."

Not a moment later, Donna Bradley, the matriarch of the family, appeared as if from thin air. Wearing a full on white suit and a matching floppy sun hat with white pumps and a blood red lip shade. The round, dark shades covered her eyes. Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders as she paraded down the pathway. Everything about Donna was fiery and in charge. With every stomp of her heel on the steps leading up to the balcony, my heart pounded with both excitement and angst.