Page 107 of Have To Be Mine

“Let’s set up a meeting,” I said, pulling out my phone. “My assistant can coordinate our schedules. I just hired her, but she already runs my schedule like a pro.”

We exchanged information and he moved on to work the rest of the room. I grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and found a relatively quiet corner to observe from.

A woman approached, tall and gorgeous with her eyes undressing me. Old Dash would be all over that. I would have slipped her my room number and told her to join me.

She smiled. “Hi.”

“Hello.”

“You look lonely.”

“I’m not.”

She laughed. “Okay, but I am.”

“Sorry to hear that.”

“You seem like you’re in a bad mood.”

I shook my head. “Not at all. I’m just here to give a speech.”

“And then later?”

“Later, I’m going to go back to my room. Alone.”

She pouted but didn’t push it. Thankfully, my name was called and I didn’t have to issue another rejection.

I stood at the podium in the grand ballroom of the Athens hotel, looking out at the sea of faces. The room was packed with Greek officials, tourism board members, fashion industry leaders, and journalists from around the world. I honestly didn’t think I would be back here so soon, but they had been very kind and I wanted to make sure I kept that door open. I had been brainstorming more ideas for this place and I needed to make sure they would be willing to trust me.

I’d done this a thousand times. But tonight felt different. Everything felt different now. I felt like a different man. An actual grown-up. Normally, I’d give a short, cocky speech and then go get a drink and find a woman to take home. People in our world expected nothing more from me. I was supposed to be the cocky rich guy.

“Thank you,” I began, my voice carrying through the room. “I’m honored to be here, truly. When we set out to create this campaign, I knew we wanted to showcase our collection against the most beautiful backdrop in the world. But I didn’t realize how much Greece itself would become part of the story.”

Applause rippled through the crowd. I waited for it to settle.

“The response has been incredible. Not just for Blackwell Couture, but for Greece. The world has fallen in love with your islands, your history, your culture all over again. And I’m proud to have played a small part in that.”

More applause. But I wasn’t finished.

“However, I can’t stand here and take credit for something I didn’t do alone. There was one person who was absolutely integral to making this campaign a success. The most integral part, actually.” I paused, scanning the crowd even though I knew she wasn’t there. “Krista Hedley was the logistics coordinator who made the impossible possible. She kept me on track when I wanted to chase every wild idea. She challenged me to be better. And she had the vision to see what this campaign could become. She loves your cities. The history. She told me stories from Greek mythology and it inspired me. I have so many ideas that I’d love to see come to life.”

More applause.

“For anyone in this room looking for someone who can execute flawless operations under impossible circumstances, who can turn chaos into art, and will push you to create something truly extraordinary, Krista Hedley is your person. If anyone here wants her information, find me. Trust me, she’s worth the investment.”

The applause was thunderous now. I stepped back from the podium, nodding my thanks, and made my way through the congratulatory handshakes and backslaps.

I was pulled aside by one of the heads of tourism. “I just wanted to personally thank you,” he said. “Our tourism numbers are up by thirty percent and we’re expecting next year to be even better.”

“You live in a beautiful place,” I said. “I look forward to visiting often. I can’t wait to take a real vacation and visit some of the historical sites.”

“You just give me a call and I will make sure you get a private tour anywhere you want to go,” he said.

“I might just take you up on that,” I said.

I shook a few more hands, sipped some champagne and fostered goodwill. I knew there was no chance I was going to get to have an event at one of their precious historical sites, but I wanted to grease the wheels and cut through the red tape for our next event. And there would be one. Hell, I was thinking about a whole series with evening wear.

Finally, after way too long, I was able to escape. My suite was on the top floor, with windows on one wall that showcased the Parthenon. The view was worth every penny. Not that I was paying. They insisted on putting me in the nicest hotel in the best room.