Page 51

Megan walked the hallways of the Soiree offices in search of the agenda for the Baker-Smythe wedding. “Who do we have on Baker-Smythe?” she asked Demi, who only gave it a moment’s thought.

“Lourdes’s client. She’s in her office.”

“Perfect. Thank you.” She turned and headed back down the hall, enjoying the click-click-click of her own heels on the floor.

“Freeze.” Kelsey stood outside her own office door and moved one finger in an up-and-down motion in Megan’s direction. “What’s with the sass? You’re walking with a new swagger.”

“No, I’m not.” But Megan was grinning. She could feel it.

“Yes, you are. I saw your hips swinging and that little purse in your lips that said you have the mojo.”

“I don’t have the mojo.”

“Do,” Kelsey countered.

Cade popped out from his own office. “I saw mojo, too. Wasn’t going to blatantly call it out, but since Kelsey has. You’re guilty.”

“I third,” Lourdes said, folding her arms in her respective doorway. “Looking for me?”

She swept her gaze over the three of them. “My hips are innocent. I am simply enjoying a nice day. Can’t a woman do that in her own office?”

Kelsey raised an eyebrow in challenge. “She can if she’s willing to spill each and every detail that motivated said enjoyment.”

She looked at Kelsey and dropped her tone. “Later.”

“And then even later you’ll tell us? I’ll confirm your vendors for this weekend,” Cade said to Kelsey.

“Not a chance.” She then offered him a subtle nod.

“Hey!” Megan said. “I saw that. Trading insider information for grunt work is against Soiree rules.”

“No,” Cade shot back. “Check the bylaws.”

Megan narrowed her gaze. “We don’t have bylaws.”

“Exactly,” he said.

Didn’t matter. She was enjoying the afternoon, the weather, hercoffee, and even this showdown in the hallway had her amused. She shook them off and focused on Lourdes. “I heard Ms. Baker has called in distress.”

Lourdes, who had her dark hair pulled back in a tight knot at her neck, covered her forehead with her palm. “We’ve had three lengthy calls today. She’s convinced the bridesmaids’ dresses are a hint bluer than the material she picked out. She’s even dropped the wordlawsuit.”

“Well, are they?”

“No. She’s also convinced the three-tiered cake she ordered is likely to fall, but that anything smaller will make her look like she’s not taking the event seriously. She’s also worried that the pinks in the bouquets will overshadow every other color, and what had she been thinking, and why didn’t we stop her? That we’re incompetent automatons.”

“Automatons? That’s a new one. Okay, let’s get her on the phone. Have you gone with understanding and sympathetic?”

“Yes. Didn’t work.”

“Problem-solving?”

“She’s convinced there are no answers.”

“Perfect. Then tough love it is.”

“This is why I look up to you.”

“Watch and learn,” Megan said, taking a seat in the chair across from Lourdes’s desk. They had Maryanne Louise Baker on the phone in no time.