That First Kiss (15 page)

“I understand. It won’t happen again.” The look of contrition
on his face told her he’d received the message.

“Good.” Piper straightened and gathered her things, tucking them under her arm as she headed for the door. “Oh, I almost forgot. There is a conference being held this weekend. Looks like we’re going to Vegas.”

Tate scowled. “That’s less than a week, and you’re only telling me this now?”

“I only just learned about it this morning, Tate.” She grabbed the handle and twisted. “Count yourself lucky I’m not
a
vindictive
bitch.” Her words hung in the air, reminding him that she wouldn’t soon forget.

“Piper,” Tate called after her. Piper paused with one foot out the door. “Thanks.”

Glancing over her shoulder, she met those mesmerizing blue eyes of his and saw the unspoken apology, and most importantly, regret. That single look would be burned into her memory, and it worried her how much it meant to her.

With a slight nod, Piper stepped into the hall and closed the door tightly behind her.

19

“They hung up on me!” Piper slammed the phone down and glared at it. The week was flying by and she
was working like mad trying to find a caterer willing to come on board on such short notice. It was as if nobody wanted to actually put any work into their work these days. It was now Wednesday, and she had less than two days left to track down a caterer, pin down a menu, and go over the decorations that would be used. 

             
Thankfully, Sheila and the girls had come together to help her out. Together, they sat in a circle in the middle of her living room floor, sipping on mixed drinks and pooling their resources.

             
“It might have had something to do with the hysterical laughter and crying,” Lynn suggested.

             
“He didn’t do any of that,” Piper said, pulling a face.

             
“She wasn’t talking about the caterer,” Jules clarified, shooting her a meaningful look over her glass of soda.

             
Piper gasped, pretending offense. “I was not hysterical!”

             
“You really were.”

             
“Don’t forget menacing,” Patti added helpfully.

             
“God.” Piper dropped her head, moaning into her hands. “This job is going to kill me. I can’t sleep, I can’t eat. All I think about all day long is everything I still need to get done.”

             
Lynn patted her on the knee. “Everything will work out.”

             
“She’s right,” Shelia chimed in. “Don’t stress yourself. That’s what we’re here for. We got this.”

             
Piper gave them a grateful smile. “Thanks. I don’t know what I would do without you ladies.”

Already, Lynn had made dozens of calls, using her
business savvy and oodles of charm to secure last-minute plane tickets and hotel rooms. Shelia had split the grunt work with her, putting in several hours a day trying to find a suitable event coordinator. The problem was, neither of them was knowledgeable in this sort of thing and they had no clue what to look for.

They’d turned to online
resources and started with the highest rated ones, only to find that they were way out of the minuscule budget the company provided her with.  Those they could afford were either booked, unwilling to travel, or flat-out refused to work on such short notice. It just couldn’t be done, they’d told her.

             
By the time she’d talked to Ted from Luigi’s Italian Catering and Event Planning, she had reached her wit’s end. The moment he had uttered his lackluster apology, she snapped. She couldn’t really blame him for hanging up on her. If someone had threatened to hunt her down and shove spring rolls up a decidedly private part of her anatomy, she might have done the same.

             
If she didn’t find someone soon, she was screwed.

             
A subtle buzzing sound had everyone checking their cell phones. “It’s me.” Patti consulted her caller ID before answering in her characteristically delightful way. “Hey! I’m so glad you got back to me.” Her tone and vitality captured everyone’s attention, and the women sat back to watch. It was difficult to decipher what was going on, but the muffled, deep voice had certainly piqued their interest and they each leaned in to try to capture any detail they could.

             
Patti was grinning and nodding, the excitement in her eyes so infectious, Piper felt some of it transferring to her. The energy in the room was palpable and somehow, she knew, this was something good, something that pertained to her. Could it be that Patti had come through for her?

             
“That’s so great. Thank you so much, Tom. You are a lifesaver,” Patti gushed. She nodded a few more times, muttering a few ‘uh huhs’ along the way, and all the while, she kept her eyes glued to Piper.
Oh, please, Lord, let this be for me
, Piper prayed desperately.

             
“Did you want to speak to her now? Yep, she is.” Patti held out the phone and Piper’s heart raced.

             
“Who is it?” she mouthed, pinching the phone between two fingers as if it were a bomb poised to detonate.

             
“His name is Tom,” Patti whispered. “Just answer it!”

             
Piper pressed the phone to her ear. “Hello?”

             
“Hi, is this Piper Donovan?” The deep, masculine voice moved through Piper in a way that was both familiar and foreign. Piper flipped through her memory banks. Where had she heard that voice before? Smoky, smooth, like rich, expensive scotch.

             
“Yes, this is she.”

             
“Hello, Ms. Donovan. I’m Tom. Patti said you could use my services?”

             
“That depends. Are you in the business of saving damsels in distress,” she asked coyly. Where the hell had that come from? Piper wasn’t normally so openly flirtatious. At least, not before she had a chance to get a couple of drinks in her.

             
Tom’s husky laugh traveled down the line and through her body, settling in her stomach with aching warmth. “Only on the weekends. What can I do for you?”

             
Piper began with the most obvious question. “What do you do? I have to admit,” she said, staring a hole through Patti, “I have no clue who you are.” Patti shrugged, the picture of innocence. Piper could just strangle her. She held her hands out, curving her fingers into claws and miming the action. Patti only laughed, calling her bluff. The brat.

             
“Ah, I see. Well, I own Revado Events. You may have heard of us. We just celebrated our third anniversary. We specialize in party and event planning, anything from birthdays to business functions.”

             
Piper’s heart was fluttering with elation. “Do you cater?”

             
“We do that too.”

             
“How about travel? I don’t know if Patti told you, but I need someone willing and able to pack up and travel to Vegas in two days. Before you say no,” she said quickly, “I am literally hanging on to my sanity by a thread. I have no one else to turn to. No one is willing to handle events this size on such short notice. But if you agree, know that all expenses are covered in full plus a sizable bonus. I’m desperate.” Taking a deep breath, Piper waited for the verdict.

             
“Patricia has filled me in. If I understand correctly, you’ve rented a hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center. How many do you expect to attend?”

             
“Minimum? A hundred. The numbers are impossible to determine since it will be open to the public.”

             
Tom made a noise in the back of his throat as he considered this. “Are you looking for something professional, casual, or a mix?”

             
“Mix. I don’t want this to be stuffy. I want people to feel comfortable but know to still be on their best behavior.”

             
They went over a few more details: times, hotel reservations, how many staff he expected to bring along. “I’m thinking open buffet with meat and cheese spreads, club sandwiches, punch, soda and an open bar for those who would like something a little stronger. How does that sound so far?”

             
“Perfect. That sounds perfect.” Piper breathed a sigh of relief. Tom really sounded like he knew what he was talking about, and better yet, he didn’t come off the least bit pretentious. After hours of dealing with possibly the rudest and snobbiest people she had ever had the misfortune to speak with, she appreciated it more than he could ever know. Maybe she could pull this off yet.

             
“Excellent. I’ll get started on that right way. Now, I know we’re working on a tight schedule here, but I always ask that my clients come down to the office to go over the menu with me, make sure everything is the way they envision it. Would you be up for that?”

             
Piper nodded eagerly, and then realized that he couldn’t see her. “Yes, I can definitely come down.”

             
“Good. How does tomorrow morning sound? Nine o’clock?”

             
Piper ran through her mental checklist. “Actually, noon would be better.”

             
She heard rapid clicking in the background and assumed that he was typing. “That can be arranged. I assume you’ll be on lunch, so that will be perfect. More room for the samples we’ll be setting up.”

             
“Saving me money already. I like the way you think.” Piper glanced up to find her friends watching her, teasing smiles on their annoying and far too perceptive faces. “What,” she mouthed, then shooed them away. They didn’t budge, so Piper unfolded her legs, which had long gone numb from sitting on the hardwood floors for too long, and carried herself into the kitchen to get some privacy.

             
“I aim to please,” Tom was saying as she leaned her back against the counter. A grin spread across her face for no good reason and Piper realized that she had been doing that since the moment she heard his voice. Weird. She worked to smooth her face. “So, tomorrow at noon for business and lunch.”

             
“Yep. Mixing business with pleasure,” Piper quipped, and then mentally kicked herself in the ass for sounding like such an idiot.

             
“Hmm, I like the way you think, Ms. Donovan,” Tom purred, throwing her words back at her.

             
Piper swallowed around the lump in her throat. Was it her, or was this guy flirting? “Please, call me Piper.”

             
“See you tomorrow…Piper.”

             
Her name rolled off his tongue like honey, and Piper’s knees threatened to buckle. “Okay,” she said weakly. Hanging up the phone, Piper held it to her chest, soaking in Tom’s smooth, cultured voice. If the man looked as good as he sounded…she was in trouble.

             
Motion from the corner of her eye caught her attention and Piper lifted her head to find all four women crowding the doorway, staring at her with wide, excitement-filled. Shelia was the first to step forward. “Okay, time for a makeover.”

             
Bewildered, Piper stepped back as she and Jules reached out to each grab an arm and began dragging her toward the bedroom. “What are you doing? Unhand me, you brutes!” she squealed as they pushed and pulled at her.

             
“You’re about to meet a guy who, judging by that sexy rumbling voice, is hotter than Hades. If you’re going to be runway ready by morning, we need to get started right now. This could take all night,” Shelia sighed dramatically. 

             
Should she be offended? It felt like she should be offended. Piper frowned.

Once in the bedroom, Shelia pushed her down on the bed. Jules and Patti began rummaging through her closet. Lynn broke off and headed for the bathroom. “
This is ridiculous. I do not need a makeover.”

             
“Have you looked in a mirror lately?” Grabbing her face in her hands and tilting her head back, Shelia inspected her. “Your pores are the size of quarters and these bushes you call eyebrows look like they could house a forest of caterpillars. Lucky for you, you have a team of professionals here to help.”

             
Jesus, it was a wonder Piper hadn’t formed a complex hanging around this lot. She’d never been insecure—much—about her looks, but if they kept this up that was bound to change. “Do caterpillars live in forests?”

             
Shelia smacked her cheek. “Don’t be cute.”

             
“It can’t be helped,” Piper quipped, rubbing the sting away. 

             
Lynn reappeared, looking mischievous and slightly dangerous wielding a wooden stick and what appeared to be a roll of duct tape. “All set in here.”

             
As one, the women closed in on her. “Are you ready to be beautified?”

             
She couldn’t say she was, but it didn’t look like she had much say in the matter. Feeling like she was being led to the gas chamber, Piper lifted her chin resolutely. “Let’s do this.”

*****

Piper walked through the doors of Revado Events feeling like a new woman. After several hours of tweezing, waxing, facial masks and hair treatments, she felt like she’d been buffed to within an inch of her life. Piper hardly recognized herself in the mirror. Her hair glistened like she was starring in her own Herbal Essences commercial and her skin positively glowed. She felt more feminine than she had ever felt before in her life.