Saving Grace

Chapter 7: The Dinner Disaster

I woke the next morning with an empty divot in the bed next to me, no Zayn.  I sat up in bed confused; Zayn didn't usually leave before I woke up.  As I was about to get out of bed Zayn waltzed through the door with a breakfast tray in hand and a pile of pancakes stacked on top.  

"What's this?" I asked amazed.

"Breakfast in bed," he responded.

"Did you make these?"

"Yeah."

"Imagine that, I wasn’t even woken up by a smoke detector."

"I'm never gonna live that down am I?"

"Not for awhile."

"Just eat."

"Gladly," I mumbled while stuffing my face with a bite of pancake.

We only had time to eat breakfast before he had to leave.  He dropped me off first and when I walked in my dad and Julia were giving Lacey a lecture.  I tried to slip by unnoticed but to no avail.

"Why doesn't she get told all of this?" Lacey shouted with a large gesture in my direction.  

"She will we just haven't had the chance.  Elena can you come in here?" My dad asked.

"Hey what's up?" I asked walking toward them.

"At the dinner tonight I need you to be mature."

"OK..." 

"I don't want any fangirling, or-"

I cut him off with my snickering.  "First of all, not really the fangirling type," (it was a lie but I was not going to be like Lacey), "secondly, I deal with celebrities in a professional capacity all the time; you don't have to worry about me."  At least the last part wasn't a lie I did deal with celebrities all the time with my job in New York, I could at least hide my inner fangirling if I had to.

I went upstairs to change before heading out to meet with George, the new manager I was helping. As I was walking through the living room again trying to make it out the door unnoticed my dad stopped me.

"Where are you going? We need to prepare you for tonight." he stated confused.

"Sorry but it'll have to wait I have to go to work."

"You've been here less than a week! How do you already have a job?" Lacey shouted.

"It's the same job I had in New York; I'm just dealing with the London branch."

"You can't push it back?" my dad asked hopeful.

"Unfortunately not.  Look I don't need to be prepped.  I have professional dinners all the time, if there's any specific information about your company I need to know then e-mail me, but now I really have to leave." and with that I walked out the door and headed downtown.  I really needed to think about getting a car, and British driver's license, all of this walking was starting to get tiring.  

I was out for a few hours.  We had taken inventory of the entire store so it took awhile.  When I got back it was around three, Dad's clients would be over at five so I should probably go get ready.  I took a long shower and went to go change. I could feel Lacey's judgment as I got ready so when I was done I decided to get some work done while we were waiting for my dad's clients, well potential clients.  Lacey eventually wandered downstairs and not long after, the doorbell rang.  I was trying to finish up the e-mail I was sending before heading downstairs, which resulted in Lacey, Julia and my dad all screaming for me.  

As I bounded down the stairs and into the living room I was met with five familiar pairs of eyes and one unfamiliar pair.  Apparently my father's potential clients were one direction, Louis had brought Eleanor and Liam had brought Danielle, I presumed, and Zayn was currently MIA.