AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Any minute,” Jane answered with a nod. She had butterflies in her stomach, not so much for Kat and Mike, but in anticipation of Austin arriving. She felt closer to him after the flight, appreciative of their time together. She hadn’t heard from him all day and was surprised by that, considering the time they had spent together earlier that day on the flight. She could have used his help setting everything up and working through the details with Chef Robert, but he had just disappeared and hadn’t even thought to check in with her to see how things were going. Molly had been the only one to text her about timelines, and time checks throughout the day. She was mad at herself for feeling upset that he hadn't connected with her all day, especially because she had had such an incredible time with him on the flight. Talking to him had been effortless, and it was clear that he wasn’t putting on some great act for her; he seemed to be himself, especially opening up about his work in Florida for families in need.
She was almost nervous about seeing him. She was thinking about him too much, and she didn’t want to be. He was Austin Drew. He wasn’t some regular guy. But she hadn’t expected to laugh as much as she had, or to have so much in common with him. They obviously had grown up very differently, not only in terms of money, but with friendships and social circles, but she found it refreshing to talk with him and see that they shared common interests.
Knowing that they could walk through the door at any moment, she went into the bathroom and checked her reflection one more time. She had changed an hour ago from travel clothes into a professional black sheath dress. She didn’t want to overdo it, but she had made sure to take extra time on her hair and makeup, finding herself wanting to look good for Austin, not just for Kat and Mike.
“We’re here!” a female voice rang out from the front entrance area of the suite.
Jane quickly walked around the corner to come face-to-face with Kat Kay, along with her fiancé, Mike. If you didn’t know they were celebrities, you would think they were just your normal everyday couple. “Hi,” Jane smiled warmly at them, seeing Austin behind them. He had changed, too, and he was wearing a navy polo tee with dark jeans along with brown loafers. “It’s so wonderful to see the two of you. Please come in. I’ve got everything ready and set for you on the patio.”
“Thank you so much for doing this,” Kat said kindly. “This was above and beyond, and we can’t thank you enough.”
“It’s not a problem,” Jane answered. “We want you to feel comfortable and excited about your wedding choices. It’s an important day. It’s the least we can do to make that happen.”
Jane glanced over at Molly, wondering if she was going to jump in and say anything, but she was showing Austin something on her phone, allowing Jane to take the opportunity to continue with Kat and Mike on her own. She walked them to the patio area where she had left the doors wide open, showcasing her incredible table, along with the stunning views of Beverly Hills. “Oh, Jane,” Kat said excitedly, “this is gorgeous!” Kat walked over to the table and took her time looking at all the details, even touching and smelling the flowers. “Mike,” she said with a gigantic smile, “come look at this. How amazing is this?”
Mike walked over to Kat and he looked equally happy, but it was probably more to do with seeing his fiancé so happy. “This is beautiful,” he nodded with a smile, turning to look at Jane. “Thank you so much. We love everything you have done.”
Jane smiled, feeling a sense of pride at their approval. “I’m so glad. Please, both of you sit down. I’m going to let Chef Robert know that you’re here and that we can get moving with the sampling.” She quickly glanced over at Molly, who was still chatting with Austin and laughing about something with him. He was looking at her and, much to Jane’s dismay, was behaving the same way he had been with her on the flight. He was engaged in what she was saying, smiling at her, and didn’t even seem to give Jane a glance. It stung to think that perhaps this was how he was-- a professional flirt. After all, he had been hired to schmooze. Maybe that’s just what he’d done with her.
“We are going to start the sampling now,” Jane told Molly, interrupting their conversation, but she didn’t care.
“Oh, yes,” Molly giggled, realizing that Kat and Mike were out on the patio. “Sounds good, this is all you. Believe me, they’re going to love everything.” And then she said softly, “This is really just to make sure she feels part of these final decisions. Just walk them through each dish and wine sampling. She just wants to feel up to speed. I’m sure you can do this in your sleep.” Then Molly looked back over at Austin, “Why don’t we go sit down in the other room while Jane takes care of the sampling. We don’t need to be hovering around,” she said.
Jane glanced at Austin as Molly led him toward the couches in the living room, leaving her to serve and take care of Kat and Mike on her own. She didn’t mind doing this part alone; in fact, she kind of preferred it since she had set everything up. She was used to doing this for clients, but she hadn’t been prepared to do everything solo while Molly enjoyed a quick 24 hours with Austin by her side. She noticed that Austin didn’t look in her direction, which confused her, but seemed to confirm what she had thought previously. This was the great Austin Drew up close and personal. He was still the guy she knew from high school who loved to have all the girls look his way. It didn’t seem to matter how old they were - women flocked to him, and he knew how to play the game better than anyone; and he had played her on the flight.
“Sounds good,” Jane responded, biting her lip, knowing that she needed to keep her mouth shut and get through this. The goal for the night was locking down a menu with Kat and Mike, as well as finalizing other details. She didn’t need Molly to do that, or Austin. She had everything she needed. “I’ll let you know if they have any questions,” Jane said as she nodded at Molly.
For the next two hours, Jane took control of everything. She wined and dined them as if they were royalty. She took the time to walk them through each dish that was presented to them and reveled in the excitement when she saw their faces after each bite. Chef Robert was a master, so she knew his food would not disappoint. It was amazing to see how Kat and Mike appreciated each and every detail, not only about the food, but also in the wine selections and the place settings and decor. Being with them one-on-one also allowed Jane the time and opportunity to talk through flowers, entertainment, and layouts for the wedding ceremony and reception. They were easy to work with and, much to Jane’s surprise, a fun-loving couple that, in other circumstances, would be her friends.
As the evening wound down, Molly casually strolled in to make an appearance on the patio with Austin by her side. “I didn’t want to interrupt before,” she smiled. “Everything was amazing, right?” she asked with a wide smile on her face.
“Beyond,” Kat responded. “We loved it all and I can officially say that I’m feeling excited about my wedding,” she laughed, glancing over at Mike and plopping a kiss on his cheek.
“You two made it very fun, and so easy,” Jane smiled at them as they held hands, only having eyes for each other. “And we were able to get everything locked into place on my end,” she added, looking over at Molly.
“Amazing! That's what we were hoping for,” Molly chimed. “Success! So, I feel like we’re pretty good now, right? I mean, only two weeks left at this point. Do you have any other questions for Jane, Kat?”
Kat smiled and shook her head, “No, I’m just very excited and touched that you were able to take the time to fly out here so quickly. I know this is a crazy, tight turnaround for a wedding.”
“Not to worry,” Jane responded, happy to be part of this event.
“I actually have one quick question for you and I hope you don’t mind me asking…” Austin said hesitantly with a smile.
“What’s that?” Kat asked curiously, looking over at Austin.
“I was just wondering when you think you will make the announcement that you’re getting married at The Oxford,” he said, smiling at Kat with a pleasant but curious smile. “I know my family is very excited about that announcement, and we want to be ready for the news on social media. I have a feeling your news might even crash our site,” he said.
Kat chuckled, “Oh, my God, yes! I was trying to keep it as close to the wedding as possible, just to cut down the craziness for us, but I will share something soon!”
“That would be incredible!” Austin gushed with his million-dollar smile.
“Great,” Kat added with a smile as if it was no big deal. She grabbed her phone, held it up to do a selfie with her and Mike, and started snapping away for the next 30 seconds, taking about 50 photos. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll find the best shot and post it. All good?” she asked.
“Yes,” Austin nodded, “better than good! Thank you so much! I can't wait to share the news on our end, too.”
“OK, let me get you both moving along,” Molly interjected, looking at her watch. “Your assistant will kill me if I don’t get you down to your car service in the next few minutes.” Molly then turned to look back at Austin, “Why don’t you go grab a table at the restaurant in the hotel for us? My treat! We can celebrate a job well done today,” she said in a giddy tone. “Jane, you can come, too, if you want. I’m sure you’re exhausted and might prefer to get an early night, but we would love for you to join us if you can.”
Jane was sure that was a half-hearted invitation if she ever heard one, but she was hungry, and the opportunity to spoil Molly’s time with Austin was too good to pass up. “I would love to come,” she said. “Let me go check with Chef Robert for a minute. I’ll meet you down there.”
