“No one will catch any heat,” she said. “Everyone is going to be apologetic when they realize their mistake. But if anyonedoesget in trouble, I promise you I’ll make sure it goes his way.”
“His name is Graham,” Clive said, winking at her and stepping back to let her in. “You have fun now, Ms. Vincent. Don’t make me regret this.”
“Promise,” Stephanie agreed, and stepped through the door and into the party.
The atmosphere was lush and opulent. These people were being honored for business decisions they’d made, but they were very clearly the kind of people who had started life halfway up the ladder to success. Stephanie was wearing the nicest dress she owned, a black sparkly number that had cost her two months’ earnings, but she still felt underdressed.
A server walked by with a tray of champagne flutes. Stephanie snagged one and swallowed half of it in a single gulp. This was going to be a tough night, and she needed to be loose and relaxed if she was going to face it.
All right. Enough wasting time. You came here for a reason. You wanted to mingle with these people, get your name out there. Do it.
She looked around the room, spotted an ongoing conversation, and ambled up to join it.
The participants were three men she had never encountered before in her life, and they were talking animatedly. Stephanie edged her way into the group. “What’s all the excitement, boys?” she asked, grinning at them, thankful for the fact that men were almost always so easy to charm.
And, indeed, the three of them stopped what they were doing and looked in her direction. One of them didn’t even try to hide the fact that he was checking her out, looking her up and down as if sampling a meal. Stephanie tucked her arms behind her back to better accentuate her figure and smiled her most winning smile at them.
“And who are you?” one of the men asked, returning her smile.
“Stephanie Vincent,” she said. “I’m the founder and CEO of SilkSoft Skincare.”
“I’ve never heard of that,” the man said, but it wasn’t dismissive. There was a note of interest in his voice. He was probably only interested because he thought she was hot, but Stephanie would take that. It was a place to start.
“We’re an up-and-coming skincare line,” she told him.
“Are you accepting an award today?”
She gave a self-effacing laugh. “No, no,” she said. “I wasn’t nominated for anything. Not this year. But when I received the invitation, I wanted to come just the same, to spend time with the most successful people in San Valentino. After all, the people at this event are the people I want to be like someday, when I really hit my stride!”
“Well, stick with us,” said the man who had been looking her over. “We’ll show you the ropes. I’m Greg, by the way. This is Harry and Nate.”
“It’s nice to meet you.”
“We were just talking about the way tables are assigned at these things, and how the same people always end up seated together.”
“Do they?” Stephanie asked.
“Yes,” Greg said. “For instance, I bet you were assigned to a table way in the back, right? Probably some number in the twenties.”
“Twenty-three,” Stephanie lied.
“Right,” Greg said. “That’s where they’ll stick all the people they don’t know. The first-timers, anyone who hasn’t made a mark yet. And then tables one and two are going to be full of the most influential people. You’d think they’d mix it up a bit, let people who haven’t gotten their name out there get to know those who have. That’s what you’d like, I’d bet… the chance to spend time with some people who can help you advance yourself. Am I right?”
Stephanie hummed noncommittally, filing away the information he had given her. So the most influential and important people were going to be at tables one and two. That was good to know.
She spent the next hour circulating, shaking hands, sharing a few details here and there about her company and getting to know those of the people around her. She met restaurateurs, microbrewers, and app designers—more app designers than she had ever seen in one room at the same time. She hadn’t known there were this many apps in the world.
And here she’d thought the skincare market was oversaturated. She hadn’t known the half of it! Thank God she wasn’t trying to market an app, that was all.
Eventually, people started moving toward the dinner tables, drinks still in their hands. Stephanie bit her lip and lingered at the open bar for a moment, making up her mind.
“Here you are, ma’am.” The bartender pushed her scotch and soda across the counter toward her.
Stephanie nodded her thanks and made her decision. She had come here for a reason. If she wasted an opportunity—any opportunity—she would be failing herself. She took the drink and walked over to table number two.
Luck was on her side. There was an empty seat there. She sank into it, grabbing the place card on the napkin and balling it up in her fist without looking at it. It wouldn’t have her name, but whoever was supposed to be sitting here was obviously somewhere else. Maybe she wasn’t the only person who had decided to get creative with their dinner seating.
Then again, maybe whoever it is will show up any minute and order me to move.
