Page 37 of Rules of Engagement
Eliza's wariness and distrust plagued Carter into the next day when he watched her do her thing with the skill of an orchestra maestro.
Last night, Mac and Lincoln had arrived as Eliza had skittered away claiming wedding-planner duties, but between him and the guys, they managed to get Eliza to bed by one.
Alone. Which, having walked her to her room on the third floor, was saying something.
She'd been so adorably rumpled and exhausted all he'd wanted to do was climb into bed and hold her until he had all of the answers he wanted about how she'd wound up that way. His gut told him it was more than just what had happened with her ex, and Carter hated that she'd experienced that ugly side of life.
He'd gone up to the suite he'd booked for Lincoln and took the pullout since Mac and Linc were both already snoozing in the queen beds. Just punishment for involving them in the first place, no doubt.
This morning, he'd called a couple of his guys, Mac had contacted Marsali, and Eliza had looked appropriately shocked when the group appeared to help set up for wedding number two. Lincoln had offered to stay, but Carter had sent him home to his fiancée since they had their own wedding to prepare for and things to be done.
Once Eliza's shock had worn off, though, Carter could've sworn he'd spotted a sheen of tears she quickly blinked away.
Exhaustion would do that, though. And he hoped she didn't burn out before getting her business back on its feet.
While the hotel staff handled table arrangement and covers, Marsali tracked the florist, Mac and Carter's guys set up an indoor gazebo, and he and Eliza unboxed the lanterns, battery-operated candles, hardback books painted the same color for uniformity, and greenery that would be the table arrangements since the bride was a librarian and the groom an avid reader.
He'd thought the books strange as decor at first, but when Eliza explained, he realized it was a sweet statement for the couple's interests.
"Okay, last one," she said, opening the Post-it-numbered box.
He had to give Eliza credit. For all the chaos involved with the setup, everything was organized and flowed well because of the effort she'd put in beforehand, as well as the timing so that the florist and catering crews weren't tripping over each other.
Tables completed, he stepped back and took a look at the way the room was being transformed so quickly. Beautiful yet very different from the one last night. "You're amazing, you know that?"
Eliza blinked up him, a smile forming on her beautiful lips. "That's what all the boys say."
He watched her turn on her heel and carry the now empty box toward the others to be stored behind the scenes, every step a saucy sway of her hips that brought salacious thoughts to mind. "I'll bet they do."
Four hours later,breakdown began. It didn't take nearly as long as the setup, and Eliza was grateful, because every part of her body ached at this point. If not for Carter and the rest of the team he'd assembled, it would've been impossible to get everything done on time. Eliza struggled to breathe when she realized how close she'd come to royally screwing up a wedding. "Are you sure I can't hire you?" Eliza asked Marsali. "You've got a serious knack for this."
"Can't. Sorry," Marsali said, folding a box top into place and holding it while Mac taped it up. "I'm happy to pitch in when I can, but you know I'd much rather get them here than anything."
It was true. Marsali had a God-given talent for matching couples, and it would be a shame for that to go to waste because she was doing other things. "Can't blame me for trying. Every time I hire someone, they drift away, thanks to James."
"Can they drift back?"
Eliza lifted her head and turned at the voice belonging to one of her former employees. "Oh. Uh, hey, Kellie. What are you doing here?"
The young woman looked decidedly uncomfortable, as well she should considering she'd left Eliza in such a lurch by not giving notice.
"I saw some tweets about the wedding and… Eliza, I owe you a huge apology. I'msosorry. I never should've left, especially the way I did, but James insisted and… he promised a sign-on bonus and better pay but…"
When the woman's words trailed to a stop, Eliza raised her eyebrows and waited. "But?"
"Well, I'm still waiting on the sign-on bonus, and as of this week, they're two paychecks behind and all we hear are promises. Things aren't… They're not going well there."
Well, isn't that interesting?"How is that possible with all of the weddings he took from the business?"
"You haven't been reading his reviews, have you?" the younger woman asked.
And have them rubbed in her face? "No, I-I didn't want to read them after all that happened." Eliza was vaguely aware of Carter, Marsali, and the others listening to their conversation, but since Kellie wasn't worried about privacy, why should she?
"I get it. But you should know James and Clarissa are hit-and-miss at best, and people are starting to get ticked off because of it. Some of the events were handled so badly the couples are demanding refunds, and others are beginning to cancel because of all the screwups and the rumors going around."
The statements should've made Eliza feel better. Maybe they did somewhere deep inside, but the fact that it came at such a high cost left her far from pleased when it all could've been avoided. "Rumors?"
"That they're using the money for personal use and not paying the vendors, or substituting cheap items for the more expensive ones they're paid for. That kind of thing. Look, Eliza, I'm sorry. I know I screwed up and I'll have to earn your trust again, but I'd really appreciate a second chance. I've learned my lesson and Ireallywant to come back. I'll do whatever you need me to do."
