do now? He couldn’t get the image of Sandra working that guy’s cock out of his head. Is it going to become part of the reel now? The nightmare movie that plays nonstop in my head?
He couldn’t believe his father had been right. And what was he going to tell them? Already, the wedding preparations were in full swing. They’d booked the venue, the catering, and ordered the cake and flowers. Suddenly, Connor realized that he was the one who had put down the deposits on everything. Sandra had been playing him all along.
You’re a fool, he told himself as he started up the car. He didn’t know where he was going, but when he found himself en route to his father’s company, he wasn’t surprised.
Just like a kid, he thought. Running back to mommy and daddy the minute things get tough. At least his father would be pleased that he got to the office early.
As Connor walked through security, the female employees overtly sized him up. “Hi, Connor,” one of the front desk girls said shyly. She bit her lip and turned bright red when he returned the greeting.
“Connor!” his father’s receptionist said. She was a whip-smart woman in her fifties. “I wasn’t expecting you until later this afternoon.”
“Is my father here?” he asked.
“Not at the moment, I’m afraid,” she said. “He had a lunch appointment. Did you need to see him, or is there something I can help you with?”
Connor looked at his father’s closed door and sighed. “No, it’s fine,” he said. “I’m just here for the paperwork.”
“Excellent,” she said. “You know, your father is so happy that you’ll be joining the company. Likes to ‘keep it in the family,’ he says. And I’m sure all the young ladies around here are pleased with the decision, too,” she said in a low voice, giving him a wink.
Yeah. That’s exactly what I need, he thought as he scribbled his life away.
2
Sam
“I don’t care if the peonies bloomed late this year!” Sam said in exasperation to the florist on the other end of the line. “And the client certainly isn’t going to care. You’re going to have to find them from somewhere because I expect sixty arrangements ready by Friday afternoon.”
“And where do you think I’m going to get sixty arrangements in three days?” the florist snapped back. “Trust me, American Beauty roses are a perfectly acceptable replacement. I don’t make the seasons, honey.”
Sam groaned and tucked her dark hair behind her ears. This job is a freaking nightmare. Since when did planning parties mean going to battle daily with idiot vendors? “It’s not my job to figure out where the flowers come from. That’s your job,” she said slowly.
“Look, you’re an event manager,” the florist said. “Manage it, because I’m not going to work a miracle and pull a dozen fully blossomed peony bushes out of my ass.”
“Listen, pretty much everything else has gone wrong with this banquet so far, and I’m not going to tell the client that they’re not going to get the flowers they paid thousands of dollars for the week of the event.”
“I don’t know who you think you are,” the florist said. “And I’ve certainly never heard of you, and I’ve been working with your company for ten years. You must be new.”
“I’ve been here six months,” Sam said.
“Well, that explains a lot,” the florist laughed.
Sam rolled her eyes and caught a glimpse of a gorgeous blond walking through the door. He was built like a machine, broad chest and shoulders. She remembered him from sitting in on his consultation appointment weeks ago. Connor, that’s it. He was getting married in a few months—lucky bitch. Through her glass office walls, she watched him as he looked around the office, until finally Jenny—the event coordinator assigned to his account—scrambled up to him.
“Are you there?” the florist asked.
“Yes. Are you getting the peonies?” she replied. Jenny was flustered, and Connor rubbed his temples. She watched as he dropped his head into his hands and began to shout at Jenny. From the other side of the room, she couldn’t make out what was being said.
“…Beauty roses are of a higher quality, so I’ll need an additional payment…”
“I’m going to have to call you back,” Sam said.
“Are you kidding me?”
Sam hung up the phone and made a beeline for Jenny and the guy. Connor is the hottest guy I’ve ever seen, she thought. And that counted the male models she hung out with on the regular. They