Page 73 of The Estate
“Is that really bad?” Lottie asked quietly. “It sounds like you caught it in time.”
Before he could answer, Jess jumped in. “Well, it’s not great for a few reasons. Given the limitations of the estate’s kitchen, it might affect the food preparation to the point of having to change the menu. It also looks bad.” She sent Cal an apologeticsmile. “But you’re right. Thanks to Jake, the meeting can be arranged ASAP.” She paused, looking at Cal again, her head tilting in sympathy.
“But I think I can say with confidence that what is now worrying Cal is, if Trace forgot this detail for one of the most important events of the year, what else has she forgotten?”
Cal gave a wry smile. Leave it to Jess to jump to the heart of the matter. As an event person herself, she got it. With Trace’s recent job performance and all the moving parts, that was exactly what was bothering him.
It was the most visible event they’d ever hosted at the estate, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
“I’m so sorry,” Lottie said. “Is there…Can we help in any way?” she asked.
“No,” Cal replied quickly, with a shake of his head. This whole thing with Trace was already ruining what had been a wonderful afternoon. “Thank you for offering. I really appreciate it. But let’s not let it derail our day.”
“Thanks to Jake,” he gestured over to him. “I have a heads up and can fix it.” He glossed over the bigger issue of what else Trace could have messed up on. “So,” he rubbed his hands together, shoving his worry to the side. “Do you want dessert first or the tour?”
“Dessert!” Lisa shouted just as Lottie, Alex and Jake yelled “Tour!”
“Sorry, Lisa.” He smiled over at her. “Majority rules. We’ll take a tour. Don’t worry,” he added, seeing her frown. “I promise to make it short. You’ll be back for dessert before you know it.”
He heard Jake’s snort. “But that doesn’t mean you get to rush us, Lisa.” Jake called.
Rachel grabbed his arm, effectively tuning out the argument brewing between Lisa and Jake. “You okay?”
“I am,” he replied. “Lottie was right. It’s a quick fix and not the end of the world.” Seeing Rachel’s skeptical face, “Yeah, I know. But now that I know for certain that Trace didn’t set up that meeting, I don’t feel bad about interrupting her weekend. I’ll call her later today and get the lowdown.”
“Okay,” Rachel said hesitantly.
“We’ll think positive,” he added.
Smiling, she nodded, “We’ll think positive.”
As everyone stood up from the table, Cal led them into the house and directly to the ballroom. He pulled open the large doors and ushered everyone in. He was alarmed to see the state of the room. There were only a few chairs and round tables pushed to the sides. The floor was littered with dust and bits of trash.
“Sorry, everyone. Looks like the cleaners haven’t been in just yet.”
He saw a look pass between Rachel and Jess but didn’t want to address it. He launched into the highlights of the room like the twelve-foot coffered ceilings, the large crystal chandeliers, and flexible capacity from small cocktail receptions to seated dinners for three hundred. Even as he rattled off the features, he cataloged additional issues with the room. One week out from the gala, the ballroom should be in better shape.
Keeping his thoughts to himself, he ushered everyone into what he now thought of as the arcade room. Just the reminder ofthat afternoon with Rachel always made him feel lighter. Talking with her and working with her gave him a sense of peace. She seemed to make the most mundane tasks fun and interesting.
“Is this where they’re holding the silent auction?” Rachel asked, pulling him from his thoughts.
“The silent auction?” he repeated.
Rachel’s brow furrowed. “Yeah,” she replied slowly. “I heard from Mrs. S that it’s a huge part of the gala. They usually have a lot of items up for bid.” She looked around and he read the doubt in her eyes. “Will there be enough room in here? I don’t know what they have this year, but Mrs. S said the auction is the biggest fundraiser for them.”
Cal dropped his head and cursed under his breath. Trace hadn’t mentioned anything about an auction, nor had she raised any concerns about space. Maybe she’d already confirmed the room would work, but in his gut, Cal knew she hadn’t. His stomach twisted, making him nauseous. There were red flags all over the place.
Looking at Rachel, he asked, “Do you mind taking over the tour? I just need to check something.”
Rachel stepped closer, laying a hand on his arm. “Are you okay?” she murmured.
He took a deep breath, trying to tell himself that most likely he was overreacting. “I don’t know,” he replied honestly. “I really need to get in touch with Trace.” He raked his hand through his hair, pulling it in frustration. “I’m going to call her again. But I also want to grab the event file from her office. That should have all the information. Hopefully that will allay my fears. I just can’t imagine what I’ll do if this event isn’t perfect.”
“Is there anything I can do?” she replied.
He dropped his hand to cover hers. Her offer warmed him and brought his panic level down a notch. “Thank you, but no. I’m sure everything is fine, and I’m just being paranoid. It’s not like I haven’t been checking in with her. She’s assured me it’s on track and all set. I just need to see it for myself or hear it from her.”
“I understand,” Rachel gave his arm a squeeze. “I’m sure it’s all set. Trace knows how important this is for the estate. I’ll take everyone down to see the chapel.”
