Page 4 of Dreaming of You

Chapter Two

An hour later, Kate rolled her neck around on her shoulders, trying to ease the tension out of her tired muscles as her tiny Honda crept along the Golden Gate Bridge, caught up in Friday night commute traffic. After the busy week she'd had, she would much rather be at home in her yoga pants, eating a pizza from Tony's and reading a book or watching a movie. But Olivia Hunt's daughter's wedding could put her company in the black for the year, so she needed to get in a party frame of mind fast.

At least she didn't have a wedding this weekend. She'd have a chance to relax, catch her breath, and, of course, figure out what to do with the cupids.

She smiled to herself as Barrett Fox's image flashed through her head. He'd looked so stunned, bewildered that he'd somehow been attacked by a statue—a statue he probably didn't even understand.

But she doubted he needed to be hit by Cupid's arrow to find love. Even covered in dust, the man had been impossibly handsome: with thick, wavy hair, a square, purposeful, masculine face, and penetrating green eyes. Those eyes could certainly burn with anger. She wondered what else they could burn with.

Shaking her head at that foolish thought, she focused on the traffic and her upcoming pitch to Olivia Hunt. The woman had invited her to her husband's birthday party, because she'd wanted Kate to see their style and to meet her husband and daughter, Candice, the bride-to-be. She hoped the groom-to-be would also be there, as she liked to meet both the bride and the groom. It was part of her job to be the bridge between opposing styles, which happened fairly frequently between brides and grooms, and with Olivia Hunt in the mix, there would be a strong maternal figure in the plans as well.

While landing the wedding could make her year, sometimes the high-society brides were the most difficult to work with, not that bridezillas didn't come from every economic class.

Traffic sped up as she got to the end of the bridge, and it took only a few more minutes to reach the Sausalito exit. The Hunts' house was located in one of the steep hills overlooking the San Francisco Bay, but the Hunts had a parking valet who grabbed her car at the end of the drive, while another man drove her up to the main house in a golf cart.

The front door was opened by a maid, who took her coat and purse while a waitress offered her a glass of champagne. Very efficient, she thought, her experienced eye taking in the neatly attired help and their quiet, unobtrusive manner. The Hunts obviously worked with party planners and caterers on a regular basis, which made her wonder why they were even talking to her. She knew one of her other brides had recommended her to Olivia, but still…the Hunts could have their pick of full-service firms. It wasn't going to be easy to compete, but she would give it her best shot.

After receiving a glass of champagne, she wandered into the living room, pausing by the bay windows to take in the spectacular view of San Francisco at twilight, the lights on the Bay Bridge, the eerie presence of the hulking Alcatraz prison sitting in the middle of the bay.

Turning away from the windows, she searched the crowd for Olivia Hunt, but it wasn't the bride's mother who caught her eye; it was the tall, dark-haired man in a light-gray Armani suit.

No way!

Barrett Fox was here? What were the odds of that?

Maybe actually not that long. Fox Management was a huge company, and apparently Barrett ran it. Of course he'd know the Hunts. They were all in the same league.

Frowning, she just hoped he wouldn't do anything to mar her chances of winning the job. She hadn't made the best first impression.

She couldn't help noticing that Barrett had not only changed his suit, he'd also changed his attitude. He looked much happier now than he had in her office building. There was a smile on his face as he leaned in to hear what a beautiful brunette had to tell him.

Was that his girlfriend?

Although there was more than one woman in the group surrounding him, so who knew? He was clearly very popular. She didn't notice a ring on his finger. Did that mean he was single? Or he didn't like jewelry? Considering the expensive watch on his wrist, she was going to pick single.

But why? He would certainly check off a lot of boxes for most women.

As his gaze moved in her direction, she instinctively tried to hide behind a waiter, but the man moved away to serve canapes to another group, and she found herself looking straight into Barrett's surprised green eyes. A speculative expression spread across his face. He was probably wondering how she fit in to this party of San Francisco elites.

"Miss Marlow?"

She jumped as a woman put a hand on her arm. Turning, she saw the sophisticated and attractive Olivia Hunt, who looked like she was closer to forty than late fifties. Her copper-colored hair was pulled back at her nape, setting off beautiful diamond earrings that sparkled in the light. Her brown eyes were sharp and assessing.

"Mrs. Hunt," she said. "Thank you so much for including me. It's a lovely party."

"I'm so glad you were able to come. Candice will be here soon. She and her fiancé, Anthony, are eager to speak to you."

"And I'm looking forward to meeting them." She paused, knowing she was probably about to be too direct, but it wasn't in her nature not to say what was on her mind. "I appreciate the opportunity to pitch my services. You obviously have a lot of connections with party planners. I'm wondering why you're interested in my small firm."

"Well, as you know, we attended Danielle Wetherington's wedding last year, and Candice loved everything you did for Danielle. It was beautiful, charming, and personal." Olivia smiled. "My daughter thinks my party planners are more geared to sophisticated and older soirees, which isn't really true, but it is Candice's wedding, and she needs to have a planner she can relate to. I would have been more comfortable using one of my friends, but I'm interested in what you have to offer. Of course, this is just the beginning of several conversations, I'm sure. I'm hoping tonight will give you somewhat of an idea of what kind of party I enjoy."

"I appreciate the opportunity and your candor."

Olivia gave a soft laugh. "And I appreciate yours. Most people don't ask me why I might want to hire them. They're just happy to be in the room."

"I am happy to be in the room and in the running, but I do know that the relationship between the wedding planner and the bride and groom and extended family needs to be in sync. That's when the magic happens."

"Well, that's what we're looking for—magic. Please help yourself to the buffet, mingle, enjoy yourself. When Candice arrives, I'll send her in your direction."

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