Page 62 of Tormented Bastard
Heart and Soul
Eden
The ballroom of the hotel looked like an anthill. People from the catering company, hotel staff, and my company staff moved all over the place setting up the last-minute touches.
I wore a headset, listening in on various conversations that were happening between different groups setting up. Only a few minor blips had occurred so far, and in my book, they were easy to fix and move on. So far, everyone who needed to be here was here or en route.
Except Chase and that had my stomach in knots.
I was still stunned by the turn of events over the last few days. Just days after I left Sandy Seas, Liz had called me to let me know that Chase would be happy to be the speaker if we still needed one. At that point, I had been desperate, not knowing how I was going to explain to my clients that I still had no speaker. In spite of the fact that I no longer wanted to have anything to do with him, I agreed to whatever his terms were, which had been surprisingly little. Eden the professional was doing the happy dance and wished Chase would hurry up and arrive.
But Eden the woman was riddled with nerves and wasn’t ready to see him. I wasn’t sure I ever would be, but the last time we parted was still too fresh in my mind. I laid a hand on my stomach, hoping to loosen the knots that were so tight in my gut it was painful.
“DJ is two minutes out,” Katie’s voice came through the headset.
“Copy that,” I responded. I blew out a breath and focused back on my job. I hadn’t come this far to screw it all up now. With a tablet in hand, I clicked off a couple of boxes on my checklist and lifted my gaze to check the room. I found one of the waitstaff putting out the wrong silverware and rushed to correct it. I was walking away to check sound when my cell phone rang.
Liz Fallon calling.
My gut clenched seeing her name across my screen. If Chase had changed his mind last minute on being the speaker, I was so screwed.
And so was he because I’d kill him with my bare hands in his fancy-ass house.
Swiping at the screen, I plastered a smile on my face even if she couldn’t see me. “Hey, Liz. How is everything?”
“Hey, Eden. It’s fine.”
“Good. I haven’t seen Chase yet. Is he here?”
“He’s on his way, but before he gets here, I need to speak to you in private. Can you meet me in the Presidential suite?”
“Now?”
My incredulous tone must have made its way into my voice because she said, “Please. I know you have a million things to do before the start of the event, but I just need a minute of your time.”
I rubbed a hand across my forehead, almost knocking myself out with the tablet. Maybe that’s what I needed. To be knocked out. Just wake me up when it’s all over. I sighed, but my voice was tight when I spoke. “Yes, that’s fine. I’ll be up in a few minutes.”
“Thanks so much. I really appreciate it. I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t important.”
“Right. I’ll see you in a few.”
I looked around and spotted Katie coming into the ballroom and waved her down. She hurried over to me.
“Hey.” She blew a piece of hair out of her face before looking me up and down. “I haven’t seen you since you changed. You look amazing. That dress is banging.”
I rolled my eyes and chuckled. “Thanks.”
“What’s up?”
With a heavy sigh, I pulled off my headset and gave it and the tablet to her. “Liz called me. I need to go speak with her for a few minutes upstairs. Can you hang on to that for me, please? I’ll be back as soon as I can. Also, can you find someone to check the sound? That needs to be done ASAP.”
“I’m on it.”
We rushed off our separate ways. I wound my way through the tables quickly, keeping my eyes downcast. If I made eye contact with anyone, I could be waylaid, and I didn’t have time for that. My heels clicked on the marble flooring as I crossed the lobby to the elevator bank and pressed the button. Rubbing my temples, I paced the small hallway area outside the elevators doing my best to tamp down the worry that made my blood run cold.
At this juncture, I didn’t trust Chase not to screw me over. Not after the way he’d acted on the island. Things had been going so well. We’d opened up to each other. He talked like he’d wanted me, wanted us. But apparently, I’d lost my ability to read the man.
What am I saying? I’d never been able to read Chase Hanover. It was the whole reason he’d broken my heart in the first damn place. Not once, but twice.
