I study Bethaney’s face for a beat before I realize she’s serious. No note of sarcasm is present in her tone, so I look slowly at Andrew with a raised eyebrow.

“Right. Be that as it may, I do have to prepare for a call this afternoon with a client—”

“I insist.” Bethany’s voice is a little harder now.

He must notice the change too because with a resigned sigh, he pulls a chair out from the table across from where my coat hangs.

I pull my notepad and pen from my bag and heave the bag onto the floor near my chair before taking a seat. Bethaney sits at the head of the long table, as though she’s looking out at her subjects even though it’s just Andrew and myself in the room. If I had to guess, the boardroom is a foreign place for her.

“Well, the best place to start is probably with you telling me the date of the party.” I look up at her with my pen poised over the paper.

“December 17th.” She smiles as if that’s not a little less than six weeks away while I try to keep my expression from showing the panic flaring inside me.

“All right. And Andrew mentioned that the last planner was no longer able to do the party. Did they have a conflict in their schedule or did something personal come up…”

“Oh no, she quit.” Bethaney rolls her eyes and leans back in her seat. “Said I had unrealistic expectations, but really, she just didn’t get my vision.” Her hands go out in front of her and spread open.

I glance at Andrew’s clenched hands and tight jaw. This isn’t new information to him. He knew the last event planner quit and failed to tell me. Suddenly, this feels more like a setup than an opportunity.

“Right… okay then. Do you already have a venue to hold the party?” I ask.

She nods with a big smile, as though she’s very pleased with herself. “It’s being held at the St. Regis in their roof ballroom.”

I nod, impressed. Of course, I’ve never done an event there, but I know the space and it’s gorgeous, with a real European flair. “Can I assume they’re handling the table setup and the catering?”

She shifts in her seat and glances at Andrew. “They’ll put the tables in place with basic tablecloths, but I didn’t like their options for food, so I told them we’d be bringing in outside catering.”

I stifle my wince. I can only imagine how the hotel felt about that. “If we could arrange something you were satisfied with with the hotel, would you be open to letting them handle the food? It would be more cost-effective and much easier to arrange on such short notice.”