Page 63 of The Estate
“Hey Cal,” Jess said, pulling him out of his thoughts. “I must ask…”
“Jess.” Rachel interjected, her voice held a note of warning.
The two sisters had a silent stare off, a million messages flashing between them on facial expressions alone. Jess must have won, because Rachel sighed loudly, her face resigned.
“Cal,” Jess started again. “I’d rather not speak out of turn.” She pinned Rachel with a look. Cal watched the corner ofRachel’s mouth twitch as her eyes lifted skyward, as if praying for patience.
“But,” Jess continued. “I gotta ask about your event planner.”
Cal glanced between the two sisters before asking, “What in particular did you want to know?”
“Well, she seems… a little high-strung for the job.”
Before he could respond, Rachel laid her hand on his arm. He barely resisted covering it with his own. “Cal, we noticed Trace was pretty agitated tonight.”
Jess snorted, but Rachel ignored her.
“She had a very fiery argument with somebody, I believe, who works for the caterer, perhaps.”
“An argument, right out by the ballroom,” Jess added. “With guests present.”
Cal ground his teeth together. Jess’s observation was valid and if they’d witnessed Trace arguing with a vendor, that wasn’t good. Arguing within earshot of guests was borderline unforgivable.
“So, between witnessing that and knowing of some of the issues you’ve faced recently because of her actions or inactions,” Jess said. “I have to ask, why the hell haven’t you fired this woman?” Jess finished bluntly.
Cal ran his hand over his face. The Trace issue was just steadily getting worse. “Thanks for letting me know about the incident tonight,” he said, looking at both of them. “I appreciate it.”
Turning to Jess, he added, “That’s a totally valid question, and one I’ve asked myself many times. I’ve noticed, and as you’vebeen privy to, as the number and scale of events have grown, there have been issues.”
He held back, tempering his words, not willing to throw Trace completely under the bus when she wasn’t here to defend herself. But damn, it was getting harder and harder.
“As I was building the business,” Cal continued. “I just didn’t have the time or energy to address it. And I should have. I’ve met with her recently, and we talked through some of the issues that have been happening. Perhaps if I had addressed it earlier, it wouldn’t have gotten to this level.
“But I didn’t and here we are. And frankly, with the events I have lined up, I can’t do this without her. But I will have a word with her about tonight’s issue.”
Cal looked down, his jaw clenched. “Things have to hold together for the foreseeable future.” Glancing at Jess, he could see her nodding.
“I get that,” she said. “It’s tough having something so important be so out of harmony.”
“Tell me about it,” he laughed dryly. “We just booked a huge gala event. It’s last-minute, so things are a bit rushed. But it’s a tremendous event with a huge crowd and media attention. It’s absolutely critical to White Hall Estate’s success.”
Cal noticed Rachel frowning and wondered what had brought that on.
“I’m betting on the gala to take us to the next level so my business plans can grow with it,” he finished, catching Rachel’s wince.Was she so unsure of him and his capacity to pull this off?
“Rachel?” he questioned.
“Oh sorry,” she said, avoiding his gaze. “It’s nothing.”
Cal didn’t believe her. Did she know something he didn’t know? Had she and his parents already decided about the property? The more time he spent with Rachel, the more his conviction grew that she saw the value in his work. Was he wrong? Was she frowning because of their kiss?
Rachel smiled at him. “Just a random thought.”
Cal was certain that Rachel’s smile had the power to fix almost anything. He still felt the gentle touch of her lips as she’d kissed him. The urge again to take her in his arms and return that kiss she started was like a chant in his mind. He wanted another taste. She was addictive in the best sense.
“Congratulations on booking the gala,” Jess said.
Cal realized with a start that he’d been just sitting there, staring at Rachel’s lips. The amused twinkle in Jess’s eye told him she knew full well what he’d been doing.
