Daphne didn't waste any time getting back to work on Monday morning. After all, she had clients to appease and an office that was probably a disaster. As far as she was concerned there was no use sitting around the flat when she was now in perfectly good health. Two weeks was a long enough time to stay in bed. So she woke up before Terry and raced out before he had a chance to stop her.
Her office was just as chaotic as she expected it to be, messages gone unanswered and mail piled high on her desk, burying seating charts and guess lists she had left behind the last time she was in.
When the front door opened she had just plopped herself down in her chair, a little overwhelmed by all the work ahead of her. Still, she pulled herself from her chair and entered the lobby.
"Hello," she said, offering the warmest smile she could under the circumstances. Though, faking it had always been a Greengrass specialty. "Can I help you?"
Daphne laughed, setting her quill down so that she could lean forward against her desk.
"Every anniversary has a theme to it. The first is paper so the gift should be something on paper - a plane ticket maybe?" she explained, realizing it was a bit silly now that she said it out loud.
She tapped her finger against her chin as she thought about that. Normally, yes, Daphne would jump at the chance to throw a grand pearl and champagne bash to remember.
But something was holding her back from the obvious.
"It could be-" she started, the thoughts forming. "You said they liked the more low-key?"
Something sparked in Daphne then, a venue that she had recently added to her ever growing list. It wasn't typically her style but it seemed just perfect.
"I have an idea-"
Daphne stood up, pulling at a binder on her desk and flipping the pages.
"Look at this," she told him, bringing the binder around for him to get a better look. It was a lodge- big wooden beams, large fireplace, long community style tables. Despite the size it had a very cozy feel.
He watched her keenly, always finding it interesting to see other people work. When she rose from her seat, he leaned back, straightening his posture as she came round to him. He kept his eyes on her, more than a little distracted by the way her hair fell across her eyes.
He glanced up at her as she held the binder in front of him before her words caused him to look down, taking in the picture in front of him.
He considered it, the sort of warm feeling the venue gave him.
"This is nice-" he said, sneaking another glance up at her. "I think my dad would like it- he's big into the whole rustic thing-"
She rested the binder on the arm of the chair, lowering herself into an awkward squatting position to level herself with him. It was amazing what Daphne was able to do in heels, balancing in four inch stilettos was one of them.
"Right here- we could keep the fire going all night and there's a double wide bar," she explained, pointing from one photograph to the next.
The ideas were coming together in her head now and she was getting excited. This was going to be completely different from anything she'd ever done before.
Daphne looked up then to see his reaction, realizing then exactly how close they were to each other.
His eyes caught hers for a second too long before he realized she was talking about something very specific- wanting to see a reaction to an idea and not a reaction to how interesting the line of her cheekbones were. He offered her a grin, glancing back down at the photographs.
"Yes- erm, a bar would be a brilliant spot-" he said, nodding. "My uncles are all very..." He was going to say 'lush' and then thought better of it. "Well, it'll be a certified hit-"
"Open bars usually are," she offered, knowing grin pulling at her lips now.
Daphne lingered there for a moment, faces close together, not quite sure why she wasn't pulling away. It was extremely unprofessional of her, really. Very out of character.
Still, he had the softest color eyes she had ever seen.
"Right away, if you'd like," she offered, gripping the side of the chair as she stood back up. Daphne straightened out her pencil skirt and blouse.
"My assistant has been taking care of our current clients, considering-" Daphne cleared her throat, still refusing to say what had happened to her out loud. Especially not with him, a client. "So you're fortunate enough to steal all of my attention-"
"That works for me-" he said, looking up at her, his blue eyes bright as he caught her gaze. "I'm on lunch now- sort of extending beyond my normal time but I've got some free time tomorrow evening? Or- well, what works for you?"
He had a feeling he was going to like working beside her. At least, well, the aesthetics would be nice.
Daphne normally didn't take evening appointments unless she was working close to a deadline and squeezing in final consultations. She enjoyed the freedom of making her own schedule, coming in around ten and cutting out at six or seven. Her clients worked around her - it was a luxury she had worked towards.
Yet, she thought about going home to more lectures and pitiful looks. It really wasn't a contest when compared to the look Cormac was giving her right then-
"Tomorrow evening works perfectly for me," she assured him, grabbing a quill to mark it on her calendar already. "It'll give us a chance to see the venue at night, the right ambiance."
"Brilliant-" he said, before settling back in his chair, entirely unaware until that moment that he'd been almost hanging on the edge of his seat.
Merlin, he had to get a grip. It was a bloody anniversary party and she was the event planner. Nothing more. Still, though, he supposed stealing a few glances never hurt.
"I'm sure it looks brilliant in the nighttime," he said, nodding. "Just let me know what time and where and I'll be there-"
How many times are you going to say brilliant in a sentence, idiot?
Daphne set down her quill, glancing back up at him to offer him a smile. She found herself lingering again, enjoying not only the way he was looking at her but the curve of his smile.
Yes, she would definitely going to enjoy working with him.
"Oh- right," she said, a breath of laughter as she realized he needed to know where he was going. Daphne picked up the quill again and scribbled the address and time for him, pulling off a piece of her personalized stationary for him.
She came around her desk again to hand it to him. Really, she felt so silly running around her office back and forth like this.
Her office was just as chaotic as she expected it to be, messages gone unanswered and mail piled high on her desk, burying seating charts and guess lists she had left behind the last time she was in.
When the front door opened she had just plopped herself down in her chair, a little overwhelmed by all the work ahead of her. Still, she pulled herself from her chair and entered the lobby.
"Hello," she said, offering the warmest smile she could under the circumstances. Though, faking it had always been a Greengrass specialty. "Can I help you?"
Reply
"Every anniversary has a theme to it. The first is paper so the gift should be something on paper - a plane ticket maybe?" she explained, realizing it was a bit silly now that she said it out loud.
"The thirtieth anniversary is pearls."
Reply
It all sounded a little silly to him, when he really thought about it, but then, what did he know about wedding anniversaries?
"Interesting, then. I suppose that could maybe be the theme? Does that make sense?"
He honestly didn't know the first bloody thing about planning a party.
Reply
But something was holding her back from the obvious.
"It could be-" she started, the thoughts forming. "You said they liked the more low-key?"
Reply
Something Cormac didn't exactly inherit.
Reply
"I have an idea-"
Daphne stood up, pulling at a binder on her desk and flipping the pages.
"Look at this," she told him, bringing the binder around for him to get a better look. It was a lodge- big wooden beams, large fireplace, long community style tables. Despite the size it had a very cozy feel.
Reply
He glanced up at her as she held the binder in front of him before her words caused him to look down, taking in the picture in front of him.
He considered it, the sort of warm feeling the venue gave him.
"This is nice-" he said, sneaking another glance up at her. "I think my dad would like it- he's big into the whole rustic thing-"
Reply
"Right here- we could keep the fire going all night and there's a double wide bar," she explained, pointing from one photograph to the next.
The ideas were coming together in her head now and she was getting excited. This was going to be completely different from anything she'd ever done before.
Daphne looked up then to see his reaction, realizing then exactly how close they were to each other.
Reply
"Yes- erm, a bar would be a brilliant spot-" he said, nodding. "My uncles are all very..." He was going to say 'lush' and then thought better of it. "Well, it'll be a certified hit-"
Reply
Daphne lingered there for a moment, faces close together, not quite sure why she wasn't pulling away. It was extremely unprofessional of her, really. Very out of character.
Still, he had the softest color eyes she had ever seen.
Reply
He grazed his thumb over the pages, the fireplace standing out to him as he studied the photos. It all did remind him very much of his parents.
"This all looks brilliant," he said, then. "When can we get started?"
Reply
"My assistant has been taking care of our current clients, considering-" Daphne cleared her throat, still refusing to say what had happened to her out loud. Especially not with him, a client. "So you're fortunate enough to steal all of my attention-"
Reply
"That works for me-" he said, looking up at her, his blue eyes bright as he caught her gaze. "I'm on lunch now- sort of extending beyond my normal time but I've got some free time tomorrow evening? Or- well, what works for you?"
He had a feeling he was going to like working beside her. At least, well, the aesthetics would be nice.
Reply
Yet, she thought about going home to more lectures and pitiful looks. It really wasn't a contest when compared to the look Cormac was giving her right then-
"Tomorrow evening works perfectly for me," she assured him, grabbing a quill to mark it on her calendar already. "It'll give us a chance to see the venue at night, the right ambiance."
Reply
Merlin, he had to get a grip. It was a bloody anniversary party and she was the event planner. Nothing more. Still, though, he supposed stealing a few glances never hurt.
"I'm sure it looks brilliant in the nighttime," he said, nodding. "Just let me know what time and where and I'll be there-"
How many times are you going to say brilliant in a sentence, idiot?
Reply
Yes, she would definitely going to enjoy working with him.
"Oh- right," she said, a breath of laughter as she realized he needed to know where he was going. Daphne picked up the quill again and scribbled the address and time for him, pulling off a piece of her personalized stationary for him.
She came around her desk again to hand it to him. Really, she felt so silly running around her office back and forth like this.
Reply
Leave a comment