Maureen held up her hand and used a microphone to grab the attention of the guests. “Thank you for coming tonight to celebrate Douglas. Let’s raise our glasses to cheers and sing to this wonderful man.”

Reagan noticed a forced smile when she saw one, and the one plastered on Maureen’s face screamed fake. As the guests sang “Happy Birthday,” Reagan caught Jill’s eye and mouthed, “Almost over.” She received a faint smile in reply. Clapping and loud whistles broke her connection with Jill, and Reagan rolled the cart back into the kitchen so they could cut the cake.

Dozens of plates were lined up on trays on the counters, topped with pieces from the second cake their pastry chef had made. Reagan’s mouth watered at the sight. She made a mental note to check for a leftover piece at the end of the night.

As Gwen and Jeff drizzled chocolate sauce on top of each piece, Reagan sat on a stool and watched their practiced hands as they made each plate presentable. After they finished the last one and the servers took the trays into the dining room, Gwen shook Jeff’s hand and then held her hand out to Reagan for a high-five.

“Success?” she asked.

Reagan slapped her hand with a smile. “I think so.”

Jeff started cleaning his knives and Gwen sat next to Reagan, taking a swig from a bottle of water. She groaned as she arched her back. “Long day, huh?”

“Yep. But now that this is over, I had an idea.”

“You’re going to tell me about more work, aren’t you? We’re not even out of here yet,” Gwen whined as she gestured to the dirty kitchen.

Reagan held up her hands. “I know, I know. But I want to do a benefit in memory of my dad.”

Gwen’s expression went from dread to happiness in an instant. “Shit, that’s not work. That’ll be an honor. When were you thinking?”

“First Saturday of December, which gives us about a month. It doesn’t need to be this huge thing, and I haven’t put too much thought into it just yet. But I figured passed hors d’oeuvres, open bar, silent auction. Maybe a cover band? I don’t know. Meet on Monday to go over a plan?”

“Sounds good. But for now, let’s get this place cleaned up so we can get out of here.”

“Deal. You start in here and I’ll go check the dining room. See how much we still need to clear.” She patted Gwen on the shoulder and walked into the other room. Most people were finished with dessert and had gotten up to refresh their drinks at the bar or circulate amongst the crowd.