Black Tie Event

Chapter Six

"Cora says to go get dressed," Beckett said as Lucy and I finalized things in the ballroom. The two of them had, for the most part, taken care of cooking, which I was pretty sure Allison had facilitated to keep me from entering the kitchen and blowing our cover completely with my total ignorance of all things edible. That hadn't been what she'd meant by "Watch your own back and I'll try to watch it too," but it definitely fell into the same category.

"Is everything set to go?" Lucy asked.

Allison nodded. "Dinner's ready, and she's putting hors d'oeuvres on trays now. So, we should go get ready to serve."

She began the walk upstairs before turning around to tell us, "It's black tie, obviously."

No pun intended, the three of us all wore black, as, according to Lucy's description, we usually were to coordinate our outfits - save the hostess, who could wear what she wanted. By Cora's instruction, the entire ballroom had been decorated in a monochromatic palette - black, white and gray were the only colors that appeared, so we followed suit.

I couldn't help noting that both Lucy and, yes, even Allison, looked beautiful. I rarely saw Beckett in anything except what she wore to work, and even then, I didn't work with her often. Not that I'd tell her she looked nice, of course. She didn't deserve to know.

We stood nervously back in the ballroom, awaiting Cora's next instruction, all somewhat helpless when it came to what to do. This was why, I was sure, Lucy had said that Cora was the best at hostessing. She was organized enough, and just tryrant-crazy enough, to throw together an entire intricate event, seamlessly, while the rest of us couldn't make heads or tails of anything that was going on in all the apparent chaos.

The front doorbell rang, and Lucy jumped at the sound. "That's Mr. Shaw," she informed the both of us before running to get it and tripping all over the place in her heels. Standing still, she looked great, but when she was in action and her actual personality was coming through, she looked much like a little kid playing dress up in her mother's closet.

I found my heart beating fast awaiting the arrival of Collin Shaw. Usually there were only two ways to make my heart beat: coffee, and sex. I rarely got nervous. But now I was, for whatever reason, feeling intimidated. I just wanted him to like me, because, from what I had heard about him, he didn't like most things.

I heard the door opening and a, "Good evening, Lucy. How are things?"

He had a deep voice, and he seemed pleasant enough.

"Great," Lucy replied, her voice getting closer. "Everything is set for tonight."

Except Cora, it seemed, who was nowhere in sight.

"Did the new hires arrive?"

"Early this morning," Lucy explained.

"I'd like to see the ballroom," he requested, switching gears.

"Great," she said again. "That's where Hayden and Alexandra are now. I'm sure they'd like to meet you."

"Likewise," he said, and that's when the door to the ballroom turned and I saw Collin Shaw, millionaire real estate tycoon, for the first time.

He was tall, handsome, and well dressed, and he even looked successful.

His face lit up as his eyes fell on both of us.

"Hello, ladies," he smiled, sauntering towards us. He took each of our hands in succession and kissed them. It was gross, but I stifled it.

"Mr. Shaw, this is Hayden St. Claire and Alexandra Rivers," Lucy introduced, remembering not just our first names, but our Harwood-given last names, too.