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14
By the time 7 pm rolled around, Austin and Jane finally had a moment to breathe. They had spent the day going from one crisis to another. The one thing that impressed Austin was Jane’s ability to stay calm and fix each and every issue along the way. She didn’t look as if she’d broken a sweat, which was crazy because there were times throughout the day when he certainly had. Jane handled every situation like a pro, which made him realize why his father and mother appreciated her so much. She may be type-A, but it worked for her on the job front.
“If you’re hungry,” Jane said, “now’s the time to grab something from the kitchen.”
Austin looked over to her and shook his head, “How the hell do you do this without eating all day?” he chuckled. “Just walking from event to event is the equivalent of a workout!”
“You get used to it,” Jane laughed back with a shrug. She had been impressed with Austin’s stamina because they had been non-stop for almost 12 hours and, shockingly, he hadn’t complained. She kept thinking he would say something, but he didn’t, which really surprised her in a good way. She had thought that he would disappear and take breaks, but he had held steady. Saturdays were always busy because there were usually multiple events going on, but today was crazier than usual.
“Used to it?” Austin joked, “to not needing sustenance?”
Jane laughed back, feeling herself much more at ease with Austin after spending the workday with him. “Honestly, the day goes by so fast, I don’t even know what time it is half the time. I just rush from event to event, but if you want an insider tip,” she said looking at him with knowing eyes and a devious smile, “grab something when you’re passing the kitchen, especially when it’s time for them to send out the hors d'oeuvres,” she winked.
“So that’s the secret,” he chuckled, knowing there was no way she could go all day without food. He had snuck off to the bathroom a couple of times and had run directly to the kitchen for food all day. Thankfully his brother Ben worked there and he kept giving him small bites every time he came through. He wasn’t used to being on his feet without a break.
“Oh, please,” Jane laughed, looking over at him, “I know the kitchen kept you fully stocked all day.”
“Who told you?” He smiled, surprised that someone had given him up.
“There are eyes everywhere,” she said, holding up her cell phone. “And you’re a Drew, so there are extra eyes on you,” she added with another wink, knowing Kimberly had gotten a kick out of giving her a few updates on him.
“I should have known,” Austin added, knowing he had been caught.“I can’t get away with anything here.”
Jane looked over at him and happened to catch him looking at her. As their eyes locked, she glanced ahead quickly, trying to avoid direct eye contact with him because she wasn’t comfortable with the electric current rushing through her body. She had been surprised about how she was feeling about him today. She had constantly found herself feeling butterflies in her stomach, which was something she couldn’t stop, at least not for him. She also had chickened out all day about saying anything about high school and knew that since it was the end of the day, she wouldn’t have the time to mention anything. It had been a crazy day, with no time to talk about anything but the events, not to mention there was always someone around.
“Listen, we’re in good shape right now, with only the outdoor wedding still going on. Austin, if you want, you’re more than welcome to call it a day. I wasn’t sure how long you were planning to stay, but I think you got a good look at what goes into an average Saturday around here.” She was hoping Austin would take the hint and decide to head home. All in all, being this close to him all day had been too much and she wanted him to call it a day.
“I hadn’t thought about how long to stay,” Austin answered. “I didn’t want my dad to get pissed at me for not pulling my weight today,” he teased. “I’m sure he’ll be asking for a full report. The good thing is that my parents and brothers saw me here working, so that’s a plus in my book.”
“Is that why you stayed all day?” Jane replied, nodding her head with a knowing look.
“Well, not just for that reason… but I did want them to see me working,” Austin answered honestly. “How long do you normally stay? You’ve got your team working on the wedding outside; do you need to stay until it’s over?” Austin asked curiously, knowing that would be a long day for her. He knew the kind of hours his mom and dad had clocked throughout the years, so the schedule of The Oxford was not lost on him.
“I’ll probably stay until 10 pm or so,” she nodded. “I normally head to my office, get some work done, and then go back and check in with my team one more time. Since I’m still somewhat new here, I like to stick around toward the end, just in case there are any issues.”
“So what are you doing now? Heading back outside for a quick check?” Austin asked, impressed with her work ethic, knowing it was something he didn’t have innately.
“Yeah,” she nodded, “just a quick one. I like to make sure everything is still going smoothly since the food hasn’t been served yet.”
“Well, I won’t leave you high and dry,” Austin added. He figured he might as well follow along and do one more thing for the night. As they entered the tent, it looked completely transformed from the morning. It resembled a fairyland filled with candles, flowers, and gorgeous centerpieces. The tent was packed with people, some sitting, some standing, all of them waiting to be seated for the dinner. He looked over to tell Jane how incredible everything looked, but he quickly noticed she had to be thinking the same thing because she stood there beaming as she peered around the tent.
Feeling his gaze on her, she couldn’t help but ask, “What?”
“There’s that look again,” he nodded with a smile, finding himself slightly captured by her.
“Well…” she said, looking back out at the crowd. “I can’t help it. There’s something about seeing all the hard work come together beautifully.”
“Hey, Jane!” A voice called over to her! She turned to see the lead on this event, an older woman named Caitlin, coming toward her.
“Hi Caitlin,” Jane smiled in a friendly way. “I just wanted to pop in real quick before everyone sat down for dinner and make sure everything was going well.”
Caitlin nodded in the affirmative. “Everything is going great so far. I’ve got Kimberly here with me, so everything’s running perfectly. You were right, they are such a great couple,” she answered, and then looked over at Austin, knowing who he was, but not sure why he was with Jane.
Sensing the confusion, Jane made a quick introduction, “Caitlin, have you met Austin Drew?”
“I don’t believe we’ve met,” Caitlin said with a smile, trying to hold back a blush. It seemed Austin had this kind of effect on women, even happily married women like Caitlin.
“Nice to meet you, Caitlin,” Austin smiled, with a nod.
