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‘Good,’ she said. ‘Because I’ve been dieting all week to get into this blasted frock, and now I could eat a roasted ox—whole.’
Eddie slid an arm round her waist. ‘Let’s see if we can find one,’ he began but was interrupted by a tall thin girl with glasses who came darting out of the crowd.
‘Adam—at last. We have a problem.’
Adam detached his sleeve from her grasp. ‘Carol, this is a party. Can’t whatever it is wait until tomorrow?’
‘No,’ she said. ‘Because it’s about tonight. The gifts for the WAGs haven’t been delivered and Signor Belisandro is expecting to make the presentation. It’s one of the reasons he came over from Italy. Tell me that you did confirm time and date with the suppliers?’
Adam’s mouth tightened. ‘Yes, of course.’ He added coldly, ‘Do you want to check?’
‘We’ll have to. The hotel manager’s arranged a room and a computer so we can find out what’s gone wrong. Until we do, the party’s over for both of us.’
Adam swore under his breath, then turned to Dana. ‘My sweet, I’m really sorry. Stick with Nic and Eddie for half an hour while I look into this foul-up—if there is one.’
She forced a smile. ‘Of course.’ And added, ‘Good luck.’
‘He’ll need it,’ Nicola said caustically as he disappeared with Carol. ‘If I’m any judge, it’ll take more than half an hour and a lot of fast talking to get out of this one.’
Dana stared at her. ‘You think it’s his fault?’
‘I’d put money on it. Adam prefers the big picture, the grand gesture. He sees details like delivery dates to be the province of lesser mortals. Which is probably why Carol got promoted and he didn’t.’
It also explains why he’s so keen to change jobs, thought Dana as they made their way to the buffet.
Nicola gave a sigh of bliss when she saw the carvery offering sizzling hot joints of beef, ham and turkey on one side of the room, and the cold table on the other, with every kind of seafood and a mouthwatering display of exotic salads.
Her companions tucked into the meat with gusto, while Dana, beginning to wish herself a hundred miles away, confined herself to a modest helping of lobster and rice.
Nicola’s prediction proved to be correct, and over an hour went by with no sign of Adam. And being without him was making her feel oddly vulnerable.
‘I think I’ll just slip away,’ she told her companions, remaining firm in the face of their protests.
She was crossing the huge foyer to the cloakroom to find her wrap, when she heard her name. She turned to see Zac emerging from a lift and paused reluctantly.
As he reached her, he said, ‘I hope you are not leaving.’
‘Yes, I am. When Adam invited me here tonight, he was not expecting to spend the evening working.’
‘I regret your mutual disappointment, but if he had carried out the task assigned to him, it would not have happened,’ he said. ‘Also your invitation came from me. If you remember, I promised we would meet again.’
She stared at him. ‘You—promised?’
‘In my note,’ he said. ‘You did receive it?’
‘Yes,’ she said thickly. ‘But I didn’t realise it was from you.’
‘Ah,’ he said lightly. ‘Another disappointment. But you cannot go yet. There is someone who wishes to meet you.’
‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘However, if you don’t mind, I’ll stick to my original plan and find a cab.’
‘But I do mind, Dana mia.’ He took her hand. ‘Because I wish you to stay. Besides, my father does not care to be kept waiting.’
His father...
‘That’s unfortunate.’ She tried unavailingly to free herself.
‘Or for having his wishes thwarted.’
She glared at him. ‘It must run in the family.’
His grin mocked her. ‘I congratulate you on your perception, mia bella.’
‘And I am not beautiful,’ she snapped back.
‘Not perhaps in that dull dress,’ Zac agreed softly. ‘But without it—Madonna!’
To her fury, Dana found she was not only speechless but blushing to the roots of her hair as she was conducted into the lift, and carried swiftly and silently straight up to the top floor.
CHAPTER EIGHT
