Page 18 of Bad Seed

“I can only imagine how terrified you must have been to get that message,” Liz said.

“It was horrifying,” Josie said. “Our parents are deceased. Alex and I only have each other. I don’t know what I would have done. Alex must have had an angel watching over him, because the guy who witnessed the wreck also saved him from bleeding to death. Alex said he works at your hotel.”

“Really? I haven’t heard anyone talking about it. Do you remember his name?” Liz asked.

“Yes, Brendan Pope. I remember because it’s the same last name as the mountain above Jubilee.”

“Oh wow! He’s the head pastry chef here. He’ll be the one in charge of the baking aspect of your event.”

“That’s wonderful! I’ll get to thank him in person,” Josie said.

“He never said a word about this to any of us, although I shouldn’t be surprised. His people aren’t the kind to toot their own horn about anything. Anyway…back to the reason I called. I’m just confirming the number of attendees again before I make up the seating chart. Are we firm at two hundred?”

“Yes,” Josie said. “That’s how many RSVPs we’ve received and the cutoff for replies has come and gone.”

“Okay then, we’re good to go. Thanks, and our best to your brother.”

“Thank you,” Josie said, and disconnected.

Liz was still thinking about Brendan at the crash site when the door to her office opened abruptly and Larry Beaumont walked in. She looked up, a little taken aback by the rudeness of his behavior. He plopped down into the chair on the other side of her desk, gave her the quick once-over as he leaned back, then started talking.

“So, I hear we’ve scored a big event. Tell me about it,” he said.

Liz shoved a lock of her dark hair behind her ear, adjusted her reading glasses, and pulled up the file on her computer.

“Josie Fallin is hosting a big event for her fan club and—”

Larry immediately interrupted. “Who’s Josie Fallin?”

“The big country star who’s headlining at one of themusic venues here. She’s been here for a month and will be here for next three months before going on tour.”

Larry rolled his eyes. “Oh. One of those hillbillies.”

Liz glared. “That hillbilly, as you call her, is worth millions. Her fan base is worldwide. I think you need to keep that opinion to yourself.”

Larry flushed, but said nothing.

“Now, back to business,” Liz said. “We’ve been given a generous budget to set up the event exactly as she wants it, right down to specific food, decor, and special merchandise that she’s furnishing for giveaways at the gathering. I’ll be putting in the orders today so that we’ll be sure to have it all on hand in a timely fashion. It’s been scheduled for two weeks hence, which should give us ample time.”

“Oh, just give me a list and I’ll do the ordering,” Larry said.

Liz frowned. “No, sir. I’m the event coordinator. That’s part of my job.”

Larry leaned forward, slapped his hand on the arm of the chair he was sitting in, and raised his voice a good two octaves.

“And I’m managing this hotel, and I know where to get the best deal for—”

Liz interrupted. “Josie Fallin didn’t ask for the best deal. She asked for the best. It’s her money we’re spending, and she’s paying us handsomely for it. I know what she wants, and we’re not sacrificing quality.”

Larry stood abruptly, shouting now. “You don’t have the—”

Liz stood to face him, shouting back. “You forget who you’re talking to, mister. My father owns this hotel. He hired me to do this job, and he’s damn sure never going to fire me. And yes, I do have the authority to do the ordering for all the events I coordinate. I know how to do my job, and you just overstepped yours.”

Larry turned and walked out of her office as abruptly as he’d entered, slamming the door behind him as he went.

***

And now, hours later, Liz was sick to her stomach still thinking about the shouting match. Turmoil bothered her. Turmoil on the job was even worse. And this wasn’t the first time she and Beaumont had an argument, but this was the ugliest. She was beginning to wonder why he’d insisted on controlling something outside of his responsibilities. She was thinking about the wisdom of calling her dad when her laptop signaled a new email. When she saw it was from Brendan, she opened it.

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